September  2,  1897. 
JOXJUKAL  OF  nORTIGULTURF  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
229 
in  September,  on  a  sunny  border,  and  winter  a  portion  of  the  plants  in 
hand-lights,  frames,  or  on  cool  greenhouse  shelves  in  pots.  If  the  first 
sowing  fail  owing  to  neglect  to  protect  from  birds,  slugs,  or  Turnip 
flea,  sow  more  seed  broadcast  in  shallow  frames,  and  do  not  disturb  the 
plants  till  next  March.  By  sowing  seeds  of  Autumn  Mammoth  and 
Autumn  Giant  with  the  earlier  varieties  it  will  be  possible  to  have  these 
fine  varieties  fit  to  cut  late  in  July  and  onwards. 
Mushroom  Beds  in  Outhouses. — Mushrooms  can  be  successfully  grown 
in  snug  outhouses,  more  especially  those  with  thatched  sides  and  roofs, 
through  the  late  autumn  and  greater  part  of  the  winter  months.  They 
fail  in  very  cold  weather  only,  always  provided  the  beds  are  properly 
protected  with  strawy  litter,  and  are  not  spoilt  by  overmuch  water.  The 
same  remarks  apply  to  disused  cellars.  In  these  instances  the  beds 
should  be  formed  of  thoroughly  sweetened  droppings  from  horses  in  full 
work  and  fed  on  hard  food,  leaving  only  the  shortest  straw  with  them. 
While  in  preparation  by  fermentation  the  heaps  of  these  droppings 
should  be  turned  inside  out  sufficiently  often  to  prevent  them  becoming 
overheated  in  the  centre.  They  ought  to  be  gently  watered  whenever 
they  become  dry,  and  must  be  protected  from  saturating  rainfall.  Form 
nearly  flat  beds,  not  more  than  15  inches  deep  at  the  back  and  12  inches 
deep  in  front,  after  the  manure  has  been  trampled  or  beaten  down  as  firm 
as  it  can  be  made.  The  heat  should  soon  rise  to  about  85°,  spawning 
taking  place  directly  it  has  declined  about  5°.  Plunging  thermometers 
can  be  dispensed  with,  and  the  condition  of  the  bed  arrived  at  by  means 
of  sticks  forced  in  the  bed.  When  the  plunged  portion  of  these  can  be 
borne  comfortably  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  spawning  may  safely  take 
place.  Use  moderately  large  lumps  of  spawn,  opening  shallow  holes 
8  inches  apart  for  these  with  the  hand  or  trowel  rather  than  with  a 
dibber.  Dispose  the  spawn  fiat  surface  upward,  burying  it  nearly  flush 
with  the  top  of  the  manure,  and  packing  the  latter  firmly  about  it.  If 
there  is  no  likelihood  of  the  heat  rising  to  an  injurious  extent  cover 
the  beds  with  about  2  inches  of  fresh  fine  loam  three  days  or  so  after 
spawning,  and  soon  after  cover  the  beds  with  6  inches  of  soft  strawy 
litter.  New  spawn  should  be  employed,  and  an  excess  of  either  heat  or 
vapour  be  guarded  against.  » 
Onions. — When  the  tops  die  down,  or  as  soon  as  the  roots  come  away 
readily  from  the  ground.  Onions  should  be  drawn  and  well  harvested  on 
wattled  hurdles,  or  in  dry  positions,  read}'  for  storing.  Any  late  in 
maturing  to  have  their  tops  twisted  down.  If  the  weather  prove 
unfavourable  for  harvesting  Onions  in  the  open,  spread  them  on  stagings 
in  early  vineries,  or  on  a  dry  base  in  empty  glazed  pits,  turning  them 
occasionally.  They  will  not  keep  well  unless  thoroughly  harvested.  Seed 
of  both  Tripoli  and  White  Spanish  Onions  may  now  be  sown,  the  plants 
obtained  standing  out  through  the  winter  and  maturing  next  season 
considerably  in  advance  of  any  sown  in  the  open  in  March.  A 
well-prepare  1,  sunny,  open  spot  should  be  selected,  and  the  seed 
be  sown  thinly  in  shallow  drills  wide  enough  apart  to  admit  of  hoeing 
between. 
Tomatoes  under  Glass. — Where  houses  are  wanted  for  other  purposes 
during  the  winter,  fruit  set  later  than  the  first  or  second  week  in  August 
will  not  have  a  chance  to  ripen.  All  superfluous  growth  should,  there¬ 
fore,  be  freely  shortened  back  to  near  where  the  fruit  is  swelling  or 
ripening,  as  the  case  may  be  ;  also  cut  away  all  badly  diseased  leaves,  of 
which  there  are  only  too  many  this  season,  a  very  few  of  the  younger  or 
green  leaves  left  near  the  fruit  serving  to  keep  up  the  life  of  the  plants. 
Fire  heat,  coupled  with  a  moderate  amount  of  air,  hastens  the  ripening, 
also  prevents  cracking  of  the  fruit.  Wants  that  are  to  produce  ripe  fruit 
during  the  winter  should  have  the  same  treatment  as  regards  fire  heat 
and  ventilation,  as,  unless  the  crops  are  set  during  the  next  few  weeks, 
there  will  not  be  many  fruits  to  ripen  in  the  winter.  Train  thinly  up  the 
roofs,  and  if  the  old  leaves  are  diseased  reserve  the  side  shoots  that  form 
thinly  about  the  stems  and  top  these,  otherwise  there  will  soon  be  no 
leaves  to  draw  up  and  elaborate  the  sap.  Fainting  the  pipes  with  sulphur 
mixed  with  skim  milk  and  making  them  thoroughly  hot  occasionally 
serves  to  check  the  spread  of  disease,  and  so  also  does  coating  the  leaves 
with  a  mixture  of  sulphur  and  newly  slaked  lime  applied  with  the  aid  of 
a  bellows  or  other  distributor.  Plants  that  have  already  set  good  lower 
clusters  of  fruit  must  be  fed  liberally  at  the  roots,  or  the  later  bunches  of 
flower  will  fail  to  give  fruit.  A  good  circulation  of  warm  dry  air  is 
favourable  to  the  setting  of  fruit,  and  to  the  prevention  of  the  spread  of 
fungoid  diseases.  A  few  hours  of  a  warm  moisture-laden  atmosphere, 
such  as  suits  Cucumbers,  means  a  bad  attack  of  cladisporium  and  other 
diseases  this  season. 
Lifting  Tomato  Plants. — Plants,  both  against  walls  and  quite  in  the 
open,  have  set  excellent  crops  of  fruit,  but  the  ripening  is  slow  and  a 
partial  failure  is  threatened.  The  smooth  round  varieties  are  usually 
the  first  to  suffer  from  disease  and  are  most  given  to  cracking.  In  order 
to  be  certain  of  the  crops  of  these  ripening  it  is  advisable  to  lift  a  portion 
or  all  of  the  plants,  and  either  place  in  pots  or  boxes  or  else  replant 
temporarily  under  glass.  When  pots  or  boxes  are  used  these  should  be 
large  enough  to  hold  a  moderately  large  ball  of  soil  and  roots,  and  the 
potting  or  boxing  ought  to  be  done  where  the  plants  are  growing,  using 
ordinary  soil  and  at  once  carrying  them  to  a  warm  dry  house,  where  if 
need  be  they  can  be  shaded  from  bright  sunshine  for  a  few  days.  A  roof 
newly  cleared  of  Cucumbers  or  Tomatoes  might  be  partially  re-covered 
with  Tomato  plants  set  with  large  fruit,  moving  these  in  boxes  with  one 
side  only,  and  sliding  them  on  to  the  ridge  of  soil  that  supported  the 
I)revious  crops.  Pack  them  closely  together,  making  the  soil  firm  and 
evel  about  the  roots,  keep  them  well  supplied  with  water,  and  shade 
from  bright  sunshine. 
PLANT  HOUSES. 
Poinsettias.  —These  if  brought  forward  under  cool  conditions  will  be 
sturdy  plants  with  foliage  to  the  base.  Give  more  air  during  bright  warm 
days  ;  in  fact,  no  harm  will  result  if  the  lights  are  thrown  off  for  a  few 
hours  during  the  hottest  part  of  the  day.  Do  not  excite  the  plants  into 
fresh  growth  by  closing  the  frame  too  early  in  the  afternoon.  It  will  be 
wise  to  close  it  at  night.  Weak  stimulants  may  be  given  occasionally,  or 
better  still,  apply  a  little  artificial  manure  to  the  surface  of  the  soil.  When 
the  pots  become  filled  with  roots  feeding  must  be  resorted  to,  or  the  lower 
leaves  will  turn  yellow  and  fall. 
Euphorbia  jacquiniseflora. — Well  established  plants  may  be  given 
the  same  treatment  as  Poinsettias.  Those  in  a  more  backward  condition 
may  be  encouraged  to  grow,  but  must  be  fully  exposed  to  the  sun  and 
given  a  free  circulation  of  air  daily.  Firm  sturdy  growth  must  be  made 
or  they  will  fail  to  flower  satisfactorily.  Centropogons  and  Justiciasmay 
be  grown  under  the  conditions  advised  for  these  plants. 
Crotons. —Good  heads  that  need  re-rooting  should  be  moved  at  once. 
Side  shoots  that  are  well  coloured  may  be  taken  off  and  rooted  without 
delay  in  small  pots ;  these  will  be  found  useful  during  the  winter. 
Small  plants  that  are  well  rooted  may  be  placed  into  4-inch  pots  and 
arranged  on  a  shelf  close  to  the  glass  in  a  warm  moist  structure.  In  this 
position  the  plants  will  colour  freely  and  make  capital  decorative 
material  before  winter.  Few  plants  are  more  effective  than  Crotons  when 
well  coloured  for  grouping  during  the  winter  months  when  flowers  are 
scarce. 
Gardenias. —  Clean  these  thoroughly  if  infested  with  mealy  bug  by  an 
application  of  petroleum  and  water  ;  this  should  be  continued  at  intervals 
until  every  trace  has  been  eradicated.  After  syringing  them  with  the 
solution  a  light  shade  should  be  applied  until  the  oil  has  been  evaporated. 
If  plants  are  grown  annually  from  cuttings  they  ought  to  be  rooted  at 
once.  Select  for  this  purpose  young  soft  growths,  which  may  be  inserted 
in  thumb  pots,  as  every  one  will  root  in  brisk  heat  if  kept  close  and  shaded 
from  the  sun. 
Gloxinias. — Where  these  are  appreciated,  plants  that  flowered  early 
and  have  rested  may  be  shaken  out  of  their  pots  and  started  again  into 
growth.  Young  stock  raised  from  seed  will  also  flower  profusely  if  they 
are  placed  into  4  and  5-inch  pots.  Do  not  grow  them  too  warm,  but  shade 
them  from  bright  sunshine. 
Panicum  variegatum.— Insert  cuttings  thickly  into  3,  4,  and  5-inch 
pots.  They  will  root  freely  in  a  close  shady  place.  A  good  stock  of  these 
plants  are  always  useful  for  grouping  during  the  autumn  and  winter.  To 
have  them  in  good  condition  no  time  should  be  lost  in  starting  them,  for 
unless  well  established  they  do  not  look  well.  A  good  stock  of  Mosses, 
Coleus,  Fittonias,  and  other  variegated  plants  should  now  be  prepared. 
Adiantum  cuneatum. — If  the  fronds  of  these  are  to  be  of  service  when 
cut  the  plants  must  be  grown  freely  exposed  to  the  sun  and  given  air 
daily  ;  in  fact,  the  fronds  stand  best  when  the  plants  are  prepared  in  a 
cool  house  fully  exposed  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Plants  that  have 
yielded  fronds  for  a  long  time,  and  have  rested  in  a  cool  place,  may  be 
started  into  growth  in  heat.  They  will  soon  push  up  fresh  fronds  and 
yield  a  good  supply  for  winter.  Young  plants  in  various  stages  of 
growth  may  be  repotted  if  they  need  more  root  room.  They  will  grow 
strongly  and  continue  to  produce  capital  fronds  until  February.  Seedlings 
may  be  placed  singly  into  thumb  pots.  Where  seedlings  are  raised 
annually  it  is  a  good  plan  to  place  pieces  of  turf  underneath  established 
plants  that  have  old  fronds  upon  them.  The  spores  will  fall  upon  the 
turf  and  germinate  freely.  This  is  the  easiest  method  of  raising  a  stock 
of  young  plants. 
Eulalias. — For  grouping  these  are  invaluable,  and  they  are  excep¬ 
tionally  effective  in  conservatories  of  large  size.  Plants  that  were 
divided  in  spring  and  have  filled  6-inch  pots  with  roots  may  be  placed 
into  others  2  inches  larger.  They  increase  much  more  rapidly  when 
given  liberal  root  room.  When  grown  mainly  to  yield  stoiik  the  plants 
should  have  a  position  where  an  intermediate  temperature  can  be  given 
them,  as  they  increase  much  more  rapidly  than  under  cool  conditions. 
Plants  that  are  repotted  now  will  continue  growth  until  late  in  the  year, 
and  can  be  cut  up  into  several  good  pieces  ne.xt  spring.  Seed  can  be 
easily  saved,  but  so  far  we  have  only  succeeded  in  raising  plants  with 
green  foliage.  These,  however,  ai-e  useful,  and  afford  variety  if  associated 
with  other  plants  of  a  suitable  nature. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
Armitage  Bros.,  Ltd.,  Nottingham.  — 
Dohie  &  Mason,  22,  Oak  Street,  Manchester.— Z?m;6s. 
F.  Dicks  &  Co.,  66,  Deansgate,  Manchester,  liulbs. 
Fisher,  Son  &  Sibray,  Ltd.,  Ilandsvvorth,  Sheffield.— 
W.  B.  llartland,  Patrick  Street,  Covk.-  Bulbs, 
.1.  Nicholl,  Green  Lane  Nurseries,  Redruth. — Bamboo  ami  Rhodo¬ 
dendron  Catalogue. 
A.  Perry,  Winchmore  Hill.  London.  N.  -  Bulbs  and  Plants. 
Potato  Disease.  — We  are  informed  that  a  good  deal  of  disease 
has  appeared  in  Devonshire.  Those  Potato  plots  dressed  with  Bordeaux 
mixture  have  the  foliage  still  standing,  but  the  leaves  of  adjoining 
undressed  plots  have  decayed.  The  suliihate  of  copper  and  lime  have  done 
good  service,  although  some  persons  would  not  have  wept  if  no  good 
had  followed  the  demonstration.— C.  B, 
