298 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
April  2,  1896. 
and  have  only  had  enough  salt  applied  to  them  to  keep  down 
the  weeds. 
It  sometimes  happens  that  Asparagus  beds  are  uncovered  and 
unduly  exposed  to  all  weathers  just  when  they  stand  most  in  need 
of  protection.  Only  a  moderately  severe  spring  frost  will  cripple 
the  heads  coming  through  the  soil.  A  little  strawy  litter  covered 
over  the  beds  or  rows  would  save  any  heads  coming  through  the 
ground,  and  the  French  plan  of  drawing  up  ridges  of  fine  soil 
immediately  over  the  rows  of  plants  serves  the  double  purpose 
of  protection  and  lengthening  of  stems.  We  may  not  approve 
of  very  long  blanched  stems,  but  short  stalks  are  a  mistake  all 
the  same,  especially  if  marketing  be  the  object  in  view. — 
W.  Iggulden. 
A  New  Chrysanthemum  at  Hessle. 
At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Hessle  Gardeners’  Mutual  Improvement 
Association  Mr.  Chas.  Laughton,  gardener  to  Col.  Broadley,  Welton 
House,  Brough,  brought  an  American  seedling  Chrysanthemum  for  the 
inspection  of  the  members.  It  was  a  pure  white  Japanese.  The  bud 
was  taken  on  November  5th,  and  it  was  declared  by  all  to  be  very  good 
indeed  and  well  worthy  of  propagating  and  sending  out,  and  it  no 
doubt  will  be  by  Mr.  Laughton. 
Trained  Specimen  Chrysanthemums. 
Never  before  were  Chrysanthemums  so  well  or  widely  cultivated  as 
at  the  present  time,  and  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  write  anything 
that  is  really  new  in  their  culture,  yet  I  find  many  amateurs  need 
information,  hence  I  give  a  few  brief  remarks  on  a  system  I  have 
practised  with  very  good  results. 
Supposing  that  large  trained  plants  are  wanted  for  exhibition  or 
home  decoration,  I  advise  those  who  have  plants  that  were  last  year 
grown  for  specimen  blooms — i.e,,  with  an  upright  stem — to  cut  them 
down  to  within  6  inches  of  the  surface,  and  place  them  where  the 
temperature  did  not  fall  below  50°  at  night,  and  keep  them  syringed 
once  or  twice  a  day  until  they  break  into  side  shoots  half  an  inch  long. 
Then  they  require  to  be  shaken  out  of  their  pots,  the  roots  shortened, 
any  suckers  removed  and  placed  into  well  drained  6-inch  pots.  Employ 
a  mixture  of  light  sandy  soil  composed  of  two  parts  loam,  or  the  top 
spit  of  a  pasture,  to  one  of  well  decayed  manure,  one  part  half-decayed 
leaf  soil,  and  sufficient  coarse  sand  to  make  the  whole  porous.  They 
would  then  make  rapid  growth,  and  when  the  side  shoots  are  a  few  inches 
long  take  out  the  points  and  peg  out  the  shoots  like  Verbenas  are 
treated  ;  but  this  must  be  done  very  carefully,  or  the  shoots  are  liable 
to  break  off.  Early  in  April  transfer  them  to  a  cold  frame,  paying 
particular  attention  to  watering,  and  admitting  air  at  all  favourable 
times. 
At  the  end  of  April  they  will  require  to  be  shifted  into  8-inch  pots, 
keeping  the  frame  rather  close  for  a  few  days,  when  air  should  again  be 
admitted  freely  yet  gradually,  hardening  them  sufficiently  to  be  placed 
out  of  doors  by  the  end  of  May  or  the  beginning  of  June.  The  plants 
should  have  the  points  stopped,  so  that  they  will  form  many  shoots  ;  but 
never  pinch  and  pot  at  the  same  time,  or  they  will  break  weakly.  They 
would  also  require  a  few  sticks  to  secure  the  plants  against  damage  by 
winds. 
About  the  first  week  in  June  they  need  the  final  shift  into  10  or 
11-inch  pots,  the  drainage  being  carefully  placed  with  small  crocks  to  the 
depth  of  1£  inch,  and  over  this  a  layer  of  half-decayed  turf,  grass  side 
downwards,  which  prevents  the  soil  getting  down  amongst  the  crocks, 
and  over  this  give  a  sprinkling  of  soot.  The  compost  for  this  potting, 
also  the  shifting  into  the  8-inch  pots  before  named,  would  be  composed  of 
two  parts  and  a  half  of  good  loam,  one  part  of  decayed  manure,  and  little 
half-decayed  leaf  soil  and  coarse  sand.  To  this  I  would  add  a  6-inch 
potful  of  Clay’s  fertiliser,  and  the  same  quantity  of  soot  to  each  barrow 
of  the  soil,  the  whole  to  be  well  mixed.  Pot  the  plants  very  firmly, 
ramming  the  soil  with  a  blunt  stick  as  the  work  proceeds,  leaving  about 
1£  inch  from  the  rims  for  a  future  top-dressing.  Place  the  plants  on  a 
thick  bed  of  cinder  ashes  in  some  good  open  position,  yet  sufficiently 
screened  from  high  winds  during  the  season  of  growth. 
The  final  pinching  should  not  be  later  than  the  last  week  in  June  ; 
and  if  they  have  been  regularly  pinched  they  would  now  be  forming 
from  sixty  to  eighty  shoots  on  each  plant,  each  to  have  one  good  flower. 
The  watering  will  require  regular  attention,  and  weak  liquid  manure  may 
be  given  all  through  August  two  or  three  times  a  week.  Sheep  droppings 
tied  in  an  old  sack  and  soaked  in  a  tub  of  soft  water  form  a  good  liquid. 
The  plants  are  also  benefited  by  syringing  with  very  weak  soot  water  1 
made  in  the  same  way  as  the  above  every  evening  if  very  hot  weather 
should  intervene.  Let  the  shoots  run  in  a  trailing  manner  amongst  the 
sticks,  and  keep  them  tied  in  places,  so  as  to  protect  them  against  any 
Btdden  gales. 
At  thejjjbeginning  of  September  the  crown  buds  appear— i.e.,  a  bud 
would  show  with  about  three  growths  nestling  round  it.  If  this  bud  is 
plump  and  not  damaged,  or  in  any  other  way  deformed,  the  growths 
round  it  can  be  removed,  leaving  the  bud  only  for  a  future  bloom  on  each. 
A  similar  bud  to  the  one  described  appears  earlier  in  the  season  ;  that  is 
called  a  July  bud,  but  that  is  useless,  and  had  better  be  promptly  removed 
and  let  all  the  growths  remain.  As  soon  as  the  bud  is  fairly  settop-dress 
the  soil  with  half-decayed  sheep  droppings  two  parts,  with  one  part  loam, 
and  a  sprinkling  of  the  fertiliser,  pressed  firmly  so  as  to  leave  sufficient 
space  to  hold  the  water  when  using  it.  From  the  1st  to  the  10th  of 
October  the  plants  requiring  housing,  the  most  suitable  place  would  be  a 
good  airy  greenhouse,  Peach  house,  or  vinery,  giving  them  all  the  air 
possible  for  a  few  days,  and  never  applying  fire  heat  unless  to  expel  damp 
or  frost. 
The  plants  would  require  another  sprinkling  of  manure  about 
the  middle  of  October,  but  as  soon  as  the  flowers  begin  to  show 
colour  use  nothing  but  clear  soft  water.  By  the  end  of  October  they 
would  require  their  training ;  neat  sticks  about  2  feet  long  and  evenly 
placed,  the  outer  ones  starting  onwards  so  as  to  form  heads  8  feet  or 
more  through,  according  to  the  size  of  the  plants,  bringing  each  shoot 
round,  so  that  the  blooms  may  come  to  the  right  height.  Should 
mildew  appear  dust  with  flowers  of  sulphur  ;  and  while  the  blooms  are 
expanding  keep  a  free  circulation  of  air  amongst  them  on  all  favourable 
occasions. 
From  the  foregoing  I  would  sum  up  the  chief  points  in  this  way. 
Keep  the  plants  growing  as  fast  as  possible,  stopping  the  shoots  at  every 
third  or  fourth  leaf,  never  allowing  them  to  suffer  by  want  of  water  ; 
in  fact,  carrying  out  the  full  details  herein  described,  and  good  results 
may  be  anticipated. — W.  A.  W. 
MUSHROOMS  IN  A  FRAME. 
Having  a  spare  two-light  frame  that  had  gone  out  of  use  for  plants, 
I  decided  on  fitting  it  up  for  a  Mushroom  bed  ;  and  having  plenty  of 
stable  litter  at  hand,  the  work  was  easily  accomplished.  Clinkers 
from  the  stokehole  fire  were  laid  on  the  ground  first,  and  these  were 
covered  with  ashes  about  4  inches  thick,  so  as  to  raise  the  frame  a  little 
above  the  level  in  order  to  insure  the  bed  against  excessive  moisture. 
Then  the  frame  was  put  on  the  ashes,  the  horse  droppings  which  had 
been  properly  prepared  were  put  in,  and  the  bed  formed  in  the  ordinary 
way  about  8  inches  thick.  A  lining  of  stable  litter  2  feet  thick  was 
built  round  the  frame  to  the  top,  as  is  done  for  Melons  in  frames,  but 
with  this  exception,  that  the  lights  are  kept  covered  with  6  inches  of 
clean  litter.  The  bed  was  formed  in  January,  and  the  result  has  proved 
highly  satisfactory.  Within  five  weeks  from  the  time  the  spawn  was 
inserted  I  commenced  cutting,  and  have  not  missed  many  days  Bince,  and 
there  is  every  prospect  of  this  going  on  for  several  weeks. 
The  bed  presents  an  appearance  like  those  we  see  pourtrayed  in  seed 
catalogues.  I  have  made  a  good  many  Mushroom  beds  at  different  times, 
and  consequently  handled  many  bushels  of  spawn,  but  never  saw  any 
so  good  as  that  I  spawned  this  bed  with.  It  was  supplied  by  Messrs. 
Dickson,  Chester.  A  few  days  ago  the  linings  were  turned,  and  a  little 
fresh  manure  added  in  order  to  maintain  the  steady  heat  they  seem  to 
revel  in. 
I  have  since  made  up  three  other  beds  in  the  open.  The  first  was 
spawned  on  the  5th  of  February,  and  that  is  coming  on  equally  as  well 
as  the  first.  The  succession  beds,  one  of  which  was  spawned  February 
22nd,  and  the  other  on  March  13th,  are  intended  to  give  a  constant  supply 
throughout  the  spring  months,  and  if  they  do  as  well  as  the  first  there 
will  be  abundance  of  good  Mushrooms  till  the  end  of  May.  After  that 
time  they  get  attacked  with  insect  pests,  which  eat  them  through. 
I  pen  this  short  note  in  order  to  remind  gardeners  or  amateurs  who 
have  an  old  frame  and  other  materials  at  hand  that  they  may  coDBtruct 
a  very  useful  as  well  as  successful  Mushroom  bed  out  of  such  mate¬ 
rials.  I  used  to  make  my  beds  outdoors  on  the  ridge  system,  but  finding 
that  they  never  got  sufficiently  watered  to  produce  good  cropB,  I  have 
adopted  flat  beds  with  very  marked  success.  The  ridge  system  is 
undoubtedly  the  safest  and  best  in  wet  districts,  but  in  dry  spots  I  find 
flat  beds  far  more  successful. — W.  West  Chapman. 
THE  ACTION  OF  FROST. 
I  think  “  Invicta,”  in  his  interesting  article  on  the  action  of  frost 
(page  271),  draws  some  erroneous  inferences. 
In  his  last  paragraph  he  infers  that  when  the  ground  is  frozen  hard 
on  the  surface  it  stops  the  radiation,  much  as  a  cork  in  a  bottle  would 
prevent  the  escape  of  any  gas  or  fluid  it  might  contain  ;  whilst  in  a  mild 
open  winter,  the  ground  being  soft,  radiation  would  be  free  to  act,  and 
so  cool  the  ground  that  May  frosts  may  follow.  I  think  more  consoling 
reflections  may  rightly  be  properly  inferred  from — 
First,  Frozen  ground,  say  a  few  degrees  below  the  freezing  point,  is 
warmer  than  frozen  ground  of  (say)  30°  below  the  freezing  point,  whilst 
even  this  latter  ground  of  30°  below  freezing  point  is  very  warm  com¬ 
pared  to  the  liquified  air  recently  exhibited. 
Second,  The  colder  the  surface  of  the  ground  the  more  rapidly  would 
it  rob  the  soil  beneath  it  of  heat,  hence  the  colder  the  air  the  deeper  goes 
the  frost. 
Third,  The  May  frosts  may  come  after  a  long  spell  of  mild  weather 
in  winter  simply  from  a  change  in  the  direction  of  the  air  currents, 
which,  after  being  long  in  one  direction,  usually  change  to  the  opposite. 
— S.  S. 
