ivoo.nhor  11  ino.i  JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
GOO 
bed  of  Horseradish.  Roots  nine  inches  to  a  foot  in  length  and 
about  the  thickne.'^s  of  the  little  finger,  each  with  a  crown,  may 
be  .selected.  Rub  off  the  side  rootlets  to  within  an  inch  of  base. 
Plant  a  foot  apart  in  rows  two  feet  asunder,  burying  the  crowns 
just  below  the  surface.  If  not  convenient  to  plant  now,  suitable 
roots  may  be  selected  and  laid,  in  in  moist  soil  or  sand;  also 
prepare  the  ground  for  their  reception,  deep  digging  being 
essential,  working  manure  into  the  bottom  .'•pit  of  soil  only. 
— E.\st  Kent. 
All  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be  directed 
to  “The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers,  Fleet  Street, 
London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  write  privately 
to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking  information  on  matters 
discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing  so  subjects  them  to  unjustifi¬ 
able  trouble  and  expense.  In  naming  plants  we  only  undertake 
to  name  species,  or  well-marked  varieties,  and  only  six  on  any 
one  occasion.  Florists’  dowers  we  do  not  name. 
VARIOFS  (Alph). — Your  queries  will  receive  attention  in  our 
next  is.sue. 
DOUBLE  BEGONIAS  (E.  J.).— We  cannot  tell  whether  they 
are'  white.s  or  not.  Wait  until  they  flower. 
CERTIFICATES  FOR  PLANTS  (T.  S.).— If  you  carefully  ex¬ 
plain  your  requirements  to  a  local  job-printing  firm  you  ought 
to  be  able  to  get  what  you  want. 
NATIONAL  FRUIT  GROV7ERS’  FEDERATION.— We  are 
informed  by  Mr.  A.  T.  Matthews,  secretary  to  the  above,  that  his 
address  is  now  6,  Fairlawn  Grove,  Chiswick. 
MUSHROOM  BEDS  ON  THE  BORDERS  OF  TOMATO 
HOI'SES  (T.  T.,  Markets). — Beds  made  up  in  October,  after  the 
Tomato  plants  have  been  cleared  out,  will  commence  bearing  in 
from  a  month  to  six  weeks  after  spawming  and  earthing,  and  they 
will  continue  to  bear  for  about  a  similar  period.  The  beds  .should 
be  made  on  the  border  of  the  house,  not  taking  out  dry  soil  for 
the  making  of  the  Mushroom  beds.  After  the  beds  are  spawned 
and  earthed,  a  light  covering  of  soft  .straw  is  advisable  in  order 
to  maintain  uniformity  of  heat  and  moisture  in  the  beds,  but  it 
is  not  desirable  to  employ  a  thick  covering  in  the  case  of  beds 
where  a  suitable  temperature  can  be  maintained.  This  for  Mu.sh- 
rooms  is  55deg  to  GOdeg.  The  time  for  inserting  the  spawn  is 
when  the  heat  of  the  bed  is  decreasing  but  has  not  fallen  below 
80deg,  inserting  the  spawn  an  inch  below  the  surface.  The  Mu.sh- 
rooms  are  packed  in  punnets,  three  different  sizes  being  employed, 
namely,  for  “  buttons,”  Sin  in  diameter  and  S^in  deep,  and  known 
as  “  deep  pounds  ”  ;  for  “  cups,”  G^in  in  diameter  and  Sin  deep, 
known  as  “  flat  pounds  ”  ;  and  for  “  broilers,”  5|in  across  and  lin 
deep,  sold  as  halves.  “Buttons”  are  Mushrooms  that  have  the 
cap  of  the  pileus  united  to  the  stalk,  and  the  laminae  or  gills  not 
visible.  “  C'ups  ”  are  a  step  advanced  in  development,  the  mem¬ 
branous  covering  with  the  stem  being  broken,  but  not  showing 
more  than  a  ring  of  the  laminae,  half  an  inch  in  diameter. 
“Broilers”  are  Mushrooms  fully  expanded,  of  the  form  of  an 
inverted  tea  saucer,  and  showing  the  gills  clearly. 
The  Mushrooms,  carefully  gathered  and  the  stems  divested 
of  any  loose  particles  of  soil  or  manure,  are  weighed  into  pounds 
and  placed  in  the  punnets  with  the  best  samples  on  top  and  form¬ 
ing  a  regular  surface,  neatly  papered  and  secured  with  wrapper. 
The  puimets  are  packed  in  light  yet  sufficiently  strong  boxes,  and 
of  convenient  size  to  hold  the  number  of  punnets.  A  box  3ft  2in 
long,  Ift  Ilin  wide,  and  1ft  4in  deep,  a  lin  batten  being  nailed 
across  the  inside  of  each  end  Sin  from  the  bottom  for  supporting 
a  floor  or  .shelf  after  the  bottom  of  the  box  has  been  occupied  with 
punnets,  accommodates  fifty-six  to  sixty  punnets;  and  a  little 
clean  hay  being  used  to  make  all  firm,  a  few  .strips  of  deal  tacked 
across  for  protection,  the  produce  may  be  sent  any  reasonable 
distance  without  fear  of  injury. 
In  gathering  the  Mushrooms  they  are  twi.sted  off,  leaving  no 
part  of  the  stem  in  the  bed,  and  they  are  packed  with  their  stems 
entire,  just  as  gathered  from  the  beds,  minus  the  soil  that  is 
drawn  out  with  the  roots,  and  which  is  shaken  off  as  the  pulling 
proceeds,  the  stumps  (if  any)  of  the  cluster  that  snap  off  close  to 
the  surface  being  scooped  out  with  a  knife  and,  of  course,  dis¬ 
carded.  As  to  watering,  it  is  important  that  the  soil  never  be 
permitted  to  become  dry,  and  water  mu.st  be  given  as  often  as 
is  necessary  in  sufficient  quantity  to  prevent  this. 
In  the  ca.se  of  covered  beds  the  water  must  be  sprinkled  on 
the  straw — not  under  it — in  sufficient  quantity  to  percolate 
through  it  and  gradually  moisten  the  soil ;  and  immecliati'ly  after 
watering  the  beds  they  should  be  covered  with  mats  to  prev.  nr 
the  moisture  evaporating.  In  case  of  the  Tomato  houses  m:t 
being  heated  there  will  be  little  difference  as  compared  with 
outdoor  beds.  These  should  be  about  2.)ft  wide  at  the  base,  about 
Gin  wide  at  the  top,  and  2ift  wide.  The  covering  for  beds  made 
up  in  October  will  need  to  be  thickened  in  cold  weather,  so  a^  to 
exclude  frost  and  maintain  at  the  surface  of  the  bed  a  temperature 
of  about  .oOdeg.  If  the  weather  be  mild  and  the  bed  compara¬ 
tively  new,  a  covering  of  bunches  of  litter  will  suffice,  while  during 
severe  and  prolonged  frost  2ft  or  more  in  depth  of  straw,  protected 
with  mats,  will  be  necessary. 
To  answer  your  questions  fully  would  require  several  number^ 
of  the  Journal  of  liorficuliure  \  therefore  we  advise  you  to  pro¬ 
cure  “  Mushrooms  for  the  Million,”  or  the  serie.s  of  handbooks  on 
vegetables  for  profit:  No.  1,  Green  Crops;  No.  2,  Root  (Tops; 
No.  3.  Asparagus.  Peas.  Beans,  &c.  :  and  No.  4.  Mushrooms, 
Cucumbers,  Ac.  ;  price  Is.  each  ;  published  at  148  and  149.'  Aldcr'- 
gate  Street,  London. 
NAMES  OF  PLANTS.  —  Correspondents  tuhose  queries  are 
unanswered  in  the  vresent  issue  are  respectfully  requested  to  consult 
the  folloivinq  number.  (Surrey). — 1,  Nephredium  molle  ;  2,  Lomaria 
nucla ;  3,  Cyrtemium  Fortimei ;  4,  Adiantum  euneatum  var. ;  5. 
Acliaiitum  euneatum.  (.1.  T.). — Strawberry  Tree  (Arbutus  Unedo). 
(A.  F.). — 1.  Maranta  zebrina  ;  2,  Tradeseantia  procumbens. 
- *  « - 
Trade  Notes. 
Messrs.  Flugli  Low  and  Co.,  Royal  Nurseries,  Enfield,  write: 
■'  We  have  to  notify  you  that  IMr.  Cornelius  Barnard,  who  has 
been  with  us  for  a  great  many  years  and  recently  employed  as 
wholesale  traveller,  is  leaving  our  service  at  Christmas.  We  are 
anxious  that  it  be  understood  that  it  is  Cornelius  who  loaves  our 
service,  and  not  Mr.  II.  A.  Barnard,  who  is  so  well  known 
throughout  the  country.” 
W.  .J.  Godfrey,  Exmouth  Nurseries,  Exmouth,  sends  a  full- 
size  photographic  reproduction  of  the  new  Japanese  Chrysan¬ 
themum,  Lady  Cranston.  Messrs.  Wells  and  Co.,  Limited, 
Earlswood,  Redhill.  also  send  their  usual  sheet  of  Chrysanthemum 
novelties,  illustrated  bj'  half-tone  reproductions. 
- - 
Trade  Catalogues  Received. 
R.  H.  Bath,  Ltd.,  The  Floral  Farms,  'Wisbech. — Seeds,  Pcconics,  Car¬ 
nations,  Hoses. 
Frank  Dicks  and  Co.,  68,  Deansgate.  Manchester.— Seeds,  Oludioli, 
Liliunis,  tic. 
Dickson  and  Robinson.  Manchester. — Seeds. 
Dobbie  and  Co.,  Rothesay. — Spring  Catalogue,  1904. 
Little  and  Ballantyne.  The  King’s  Seedsmen,  Carlisle. —  Seeds. 
Wells  and  Co.,  Ltd.,  Earlswood,  Redhill,  Surrey. — List  of  New  Chrys¬ 
anthemums. 
B.  S.  Williams  and  Son,  Upper  Holloway,  London,  N. — Seals. 
Vale! 
The  year  is  dying  in  the  night, 
King  out  wild  bells  and  let  him  die. 
The  year  is  going,  let  him  go. 
King  out  the  false,  ring  in  the  true. 
Times  and  seasons !  Days,  months,  and  years  tear  past 
us  as  though  harnessed  to  the  horses  of  the  sun !  We  stand 
at  the  threshold  of  another  year.  it  brings  we  know 
not — weal  or  w’oe.  We  know  partially  of  the  past  ;  we 
,  realise  the  present  ;  the  future  is  hidden  in  dim  obscurity. 
It  is  well  to  pause  in  this  our  feverish  headlong  life  ;  to 
