Jannary 11, 1872. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Fmch as May Duke or Ai-chtluke. In the Bisaireau oinl Heart class the two 

 following are always to be depended upon— Black Tartarian and Elton. 



Asparagus Bed Making {An Amateur Gar den/- r).— The plants you have 

 saved will not be suitable for a new bed, but you may force them, directions 

 for which were given bv Mr. Eecord a few weeks ago in this Jouraal. The 

 gi-ound where you intend to make the bed should be trenched not Ies8 than 



3 feet deep, if it will admit of that, and a 3-inch layer of dung placed between 

 every laver of koU. If the soQ be heavy put in plenty of sand, and before 

 turning' on the next layer mii up the manure and sand with the soil. In this 

 way proceed to the bottom of the soil, taking core not to bring up more than 

 a few inches of subsoil. The earlier this is done the better, so as to let it 

 have frost. For a single bed a width of 7 feet should be trenched to ailmit of 



4 feet for bed and 18-inch alley on each side. In Maaxh place on a 3 to 

 6-inch coating of well-decaved monuie, with an inch of shai-p sand— sea sand 

 if possible— and fork the ground over twice to mix the dung and sand tho- 

 roughly with the surface soil. Leave it until the early pai-t of April, and then 

 put in three rows of plants— two outside ones 9 inches from the sides of the 

 bed, and one row in the centre. Take out a trench as in planting Bos edgings, 

 lay the roots against the side 1 foot apart, with then- crowns level with the 

 surface, and fill up the trench neatly, ^\'hen all are planted cover up 1 to 

 l.J inch deep with soil from the alleys. The plants should not be older than 

 t-wo years, but we prefer one-year-old plants. After May water as much as 

 you lite up to September, and as often as you can with liquid manure. 



Haerothamntts elegans {Idem).— It is a greenhouse plant, and would not 

 succeed as a climber against a west wall in an eastern county. It is a native 

 of Meiico. 



CrcTTMBER Cdltttre (K. H. B. L.).— You must at least have a house with 

 a temperature of from 50- to 55^ at sis o'clock in the morning, and capable of 

 being raised to 10- or 15^' more during the daytime, to succeed in gi'owing 

 Cucumbers in winter. A night temperature, ranging from 65^ to TO'^, with an 

 increase usually of from 5" to 10"^ in the day, but from 15' to 20^ in bright 

 weather, is also' essential. Ton may, however, begin to raise the daily tempe- 

 ratm-e, by means of a hotbed, as early as the beginning of March, if you feel 

 so inclined. Telegraph, Long Gun, and Blue Gown ai-e all good Cucumbers, 

 but we would select more particularly the first of these, Cos's Volunteer, 

 Marquis of Lome, and Master's Prolific, an early sort. 



Starting Vines in Pots {Jd^m).— Weak Vines raised from eyes last year, 

 and cut back to the second eye, should be placed in a heat of 50" to 65^, and 

 left there until June, when they may be removed to the cool vinery. 



Camellias Casting Buds (Irft-m).— Let the plants remain in the house 

 with a temperature of about 45^ untU the growth is complete and the buds 

 set ; then remove them to a cool house. If they, as we think, need potting, 

 the roots being evidently in an unhealthy state, do it at the eoily part of 

 Mai-ch. (E. M. itf.).— We do not attribute this to be due to the change of 

 temperature in consequence of the existence of a few broken squares, but 

 rather to the condition of the roots. The small insects are most likely mites, 

 and are often plentiful in a soil containing an excess of decaying vegetable 

 matter. Kepot the plants immediately after flowering or early in March, 

 carcfiilly picking out as much of the old soil as comes away freely, so as not 

 to injure the roots, and pot them fij-mly in a compost consisting of the top 

 inch of a pasture of a light sandy loam, chopped up small. Keep the point 

 ■where the root and stem join level with the rim of the pot, and di-ain them 

 weU. 



Pine Apple Cttltfee (fl". O.).— The plants potted last September in 

 12-inch pots we would not shift into larger ones now, but as the pots are filled 

 with roots you may remove a few of the lower leaves, top-di-ess them with rich 

 compost, and place them in the Cucumber house. Here they must have light 

 and not be far from the glass. If you can afford bottom heat all the better. 

 The temperature will be suitable. 



Vine Cclture {T. H. T.).— The Vines that have been phmged for a year 

 we should lift cai-efully, taking up all the roots that have extended beyond 

 the pots, and then by breaking the pots disentangle the roots, and lay 

 them out in planting. Tou may do this when they have hegrin to grow, 

 to the extent of an inch or two. To have Grapes early in July the Vines 

 should be started in the second week In January. A great deal depends, 

 however, on the kinds. Muscats will be three weeks later than such kinds as 

 Hamburghs. Oranges will do well in a heated vinery. The wires in an 

 orchard house, or against any wall, should be more than three-quarters of an 

 inch from it; better if so c:ose as only to admit of the string for tying the 

 shoots. You would do well to dig round the Oak in Maixh, which you con- 

 template moving in November. 



Soil for Ehododendrons {T. T.).— To yoiu- deep black soil, which we 

 think would grow Rhododendrons well with admixture, you may odd in place 

 of peat as much sandy turf as you lite, leaf soil, and sand, two-thirds of the 

 former, one-third of the second, and a sisth of the latter. This is a capital 

 soil for them, and a fourth part of old cow dung or well-rotted hotbed maum-e 

 might be added with advantage. 



Material for Protecting Fruit Trees {Black Edge). — Of the materials 

 you name for protecting fniit-tree blossom from frost, we prefer tiffany. The 

 protection is not a needless expense, but very often results in securing a crop 

 By all means use the protection you describe, taking care to keep it from 

 brushing against the blossoms, and making safe from winds. Put it on when 

 the blossoms are expanding, and remove it in all mild weather, using it only 

 in fi-osty weather. 2. The Scarlet and Pink Thorns attacked with blight and 

 catei-piUars will not communicate the pests to other trees, but you should 

 syringe them just before coming into flower, and again afterwards, with a 

 solution of soft soap, 2 ozs. to the gallon. 3. We do not know of anything 

 that, sprinkled around shrubs, will keep dogs from them, and we think your 

 only remedy is to enclose with wire netting. 4. By ha\-ing hoses made as 

 you propose, draining them well, and filling them with soil, you would suc- 

 ceed in growing cUmbers against your house. If you had a width 2 or 



5 feet there would be no necessity for changing the soil every year, but merely 

 to remove the surface soil, and top-dress with rich soil. The main difficulty 

 would be in keeping the frost from the roots in winter, but that difficulty you 

 will, no doubt, overcome. 



Larkfield RrvAL PelargontttiI, &c. (A TtcaderX—The plants you mention 

 can be obtained of any of the chief florists and seedsmen who advertise in 

 our columns. 



Names of Plants (Alban Goodman). — Myrsiphyllnm asparatjoide^, native 

 of South Africa, and a plant we hold in high favour. {W. B.I.— 1, Sida my- 

 frorensis, a generally-distributed weed in the western peninsula of India; 

 2, Polystichum Richard!^ ; 3, Very young, in all probability a Diplazium, 

 most likely to be D. japonicom. 



POULTEY, BEE, AKD PIGEON CHEONIOLE. 



BRISTOL POULTRY SHOW. 



In spite of the prohibitory Buhscription, the Bristol Show this 

 year just exceeded one thousand entries ; but it is worthy of re- 

 mark that the number of exhibitors feU off matenaUy, so that the 

 amount gained was by no means what had been anticipated. As 

 usual the bii-ds were shown in single tier, which gives this Show 

 a gi-eat advantage over even the Crystal Palace as regards seeing 

 and judging the birds. We regret to say that again bad weather 

 interfered with the attendance, and it is only fair to state, m reply 

 to some of the glowing calculations which have been made, 

 that the receipts at the doors are always considerably under 

 ^100. Last year they were about X'70, and it is this unaccount- 

 able apathy of the general pubUc which causes the Committee 

 such embarrassment. , , , j 



DoRKrNGS.— Cockerels were rather poor on the whole, and we 

 regret to say that iu our opinion the first-prize was a case of 

 deception, being an old bii'd ; and we believe this was the judg- 

 ment of all present. We can only say the spurs were perfectly 

 hard and perfectly sharp, and there was an amount of white 

 rarely seen in a chicken's tail. The head also showed evidence of 

 age. PuUets were afair average, but therewereno birds of marked 

 exceUence save the first-prize pen. The second-prize pen con- 

 tained a "veiy early" chicken. Cocks and hens were better 

 classes, and the first-prize cock an enormous bird, which fairly 

 beat Mr. Martin's Rose-comb. The hens formed the best Dor- 

 king class seen this season, and we are not sure we should not 

 caU the cup pair the best pen in the Show. Nearly every pen 

 in this class was mentioned. SUver-Greys were very poor,_ the 

 first prize in cocks being withheld, and no commendations givea 

 in either class. White cocks were good in shape, but aU very 

 yeUow ; the hens, on the contrary, were very fine though tew, 

 and the winning pen was unusually so. 



Cochins.— There was some difference of judgment about the 

 first and second-prize Buff cockerels, the second being the 

 Palace cup-winner, which has left the Stoke Park yard. It was 

 a nice point, and we believe the Judges were in some doubt. 

 The first bird was rather the best in feet, wings, and perhaps 

 colour generally ; the second in size and shape, but decidedly 

 gone off in condition, and heoughtnotto have beenshovni. ihird. 

 came a good bird too. When we say only f oirr others were named. 

 it will be seen the class was not of startUng exceUence. In piillets, 

 we thought the first-prize a mistake, and that the second should 

 have held that position, giving the second to the cup Palace pair, 

 which were neariy as good as ever, though now only highly com- 

 mended. Among the old cocks were several rare birds but 

 nearly all were somewhat rough, which certainly threw out tha 

 cup-winner of last year; this bird has grown to such an enor- 

 mous size that at our request he was weighed by one ot the 

 officials of the Show-he scaled 2 ozs. short of 15 lbs. Of hens 

 we Uked Mr. Taylor's second-prize pen better than tus fii-.st, Buo 

 aU three were rather evenly matched. Partridges disapjDOint us 

 more and more; the decadence is not confined to one breeder 

 but is general, nearly all the cocks getting clumsy and round- 

 backed. They were out of condition, which injm-es a bird s 

 carriage ; but we did not see a reaUy first-rate bird in the class. 

 Pullets and hens were better, perhaps, but far from what they 

 used to be. White cockerels were better m colour than usual ; 

 the pullets also a nice lot, and owing to the late date more deve- 

 loped than at other shows. The first-prize pair were really 

 beautiful, the old cocks yeUow, as usual, the only White bird 

 being the commmended, 212. In hens, the cup pair had one 

 gi-and bird, and another vei-y fine. Mr. Sichel s birds lost for 

 want of a washing. Except in the colour of the cocks, it strack 

 us Whites are improving. „ , . . ■ a. ^ 



Beahmas.— Cockerels were the finest collection m point of 

 quaUty ever brought together. The Palace cup-winner was 

 a-'ain to the fi-ont, and though recklessly overshoiSTi, had reaUy 

 improved since Edinburgh Show. Second came a very fine 

 bird in shape and coloirr, but with heavy hocks. The thu-d- 

 prize bird was of good colour, but had no other redeeming pomt, 

 and this award should have been given to the highly commended 

 pen 242. In this class an unusually conspicuous case of plucking 

 was properly visited by the Judges and Committee with dis- 

 quaUfication and publication in the catalogue. PuUets also 

 were a gi-and class, the Palace pen, fourth at Birmmgham, being 

 again to the front. Their fine marking was as good as ever ; but; 

 the wings of both birds being displaced or " shpped " as it is 

 termed (as they were also at the two previous shows), should, 

 we considered, have thro-n-n them out altogether, giving the 

 third prize, vacant by promotion, to Mr. Artmright s pen 2dS. 

 The second prize went to the Bii-mingham winners. ^ 



In old cocks, Mr. Taylor's bird, which was first at Birmmgham 

 and degraded at Manchester through overshowmg, was here out 

 altogether, having quite gone off his legs. Very possibly he is 

 ruined, and we would suggest to the Judges that they might witli 



