Mai'ch 7, 1872. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE G.UJDENER. 



put up in bushels, sieves, or haU sieves. A hundiedweight of Kentish FUljerts 

 IS IM lbs. Weights oje always 16 ozs. to the pound. 



FnciT Trees tor North Wall {GUrum).-There are none that -nUl 

 succeed except the McreUo Cherry and the Bed Cunant. 



Poisoning Crickets iCo„stant R,ader).--lS ^^t,^'efPt7^^/tl!^^ 

 arsenic, we cannot help you in that direction. Chases beetle and cncket 

 p oison is sold by all chemists. 



BcRKrao CLiVEV Son. (C;.eri(o;0.-'Wo shall reprint an article on the sub- 

 ject nest week. 



EucHARis AMizosic* CcLTCRE (.B. B. C.).— Pot the plants and place them 

 in a bottom beat ot70 to 75 . Encourage them with heat and moistme, and 

 wl,m DTOwthbt -in- tu na~e withdraw the pots from the bottom heat, place 

 hi the full - ^ "f air, and only sufficient water to prevent the 



leavcsfromr nwspbere should be dry, the night temperature 



fin to RV > 1 fry would be a suitable stmctnre. After a six 



or eiubt wi. t ■ !■• plants to bottom beat, and they will probably 



tbi-ownpflowcr-^cni.... Loutmue the plants lu a good heat, with plenty of 

 moisture until October, then keep them dry, and m a temperature of Ho . 

 After February give bottom heat. 



East Lothian STOCKS-TAHiotJS (F. J.).-Plant out the Stocks sown last 

 autumn and wintered in boxes, in rich light soU m a sheltered situation. 

 Protect them m frosty weather. Plant a foot apart every way. ibey win 

 flower in June, and contmue a long time in bloom, but are at tbeu- best for a 

 month to six weeks. They are very tine varieties. Tbo bcd.ling plants you 

 have iad plunged in sawdust in a coldframe, we ^Ii-nM n •■. ' ' ' 'i > i-iniin oi. 

 removing them from the sawdust. We should n' ' " : * ' '''^^^'■ 



until the beginning of April. It is not ad\-isol.li i ■ ' ' ' . V'"," 



ingandmilk, as your doing so would keep out 1» III n i i imi i" ■■ ;■'"'" 

 vou cannot command too much. The pl•opagat)D^. l.aiut- mmoKi lie ali the 

 better of the glass being whitened; indeed, if the weather is bright cuttmgs 

 must have shade. 



Grafting Vines (Barn/).— Vines can be grafted readily if the operation 

 is performed at the ri-ht time. It should be done when the young shoots 

 have "Town 3 or 4 inches. The caMs which are to be worked should be cut 

 hack before there is any danger of bleeding. Ordinaiy wbip-giaftmg is the 

 best method, and the scion should be put on opposite to the young shoot, 

 which should be ahowed to remain to draw up the sap. The graft should be 

 claved in the usual way. As soon as the scion commences to push, aU other 

 buds and shoots should be removed. Inarching is by far the safest method. 

 Vou should train up a young rod from the base of the stock, and one from a 

 pot plant of the variety vou mtend to introduce, grow both together until they 

 are 4 feet m length, theb cut a slice S or 4 inches in length from the side of 

 each, cutting in to the pith. Place the two wounds together, and tie hmily 

 with soft matting. In three weeks the ties must be slackened, but not en- 

 tirelv removed untU the end of the season. Budding may also be performed 

 in aiitnmn with much success. The Vine eye must be prepared as m ordinary 

 budding, except that a portion of the wood must be allowed to remam; a cor- 

 responding notch is cut on the young wood of the Vine mtended as a stock, 

 the bud is neatly fltted-in and tied with matting, dressmg it with Mastic 

 I'Homme Lefort. Wo have performed this operation successfully as late as 

 October 17tb, and the buds were sent a distance of four hundred mUes. 



Dwarf Poinseitias and Edphorbias (S. r.).— Plant eyesof the Poinsettia 

 now in a good top and bottom heat of from 70° to 76=; stop the shoots which 

 spring from these until Julv, then take off the tops and put them m the 

 ground. By this means you will obtain good plants for winter flowermg. ihe 

 Euphorbia may be treated m the same way, but the shoots should not be 

 stopped after June. Ehvnchospermum jasminoides must be grown m a green- 

 house. It should be placed in a compost consisting of two parts fibrous loam, 

 one of sandy peat, one of leaf soil, and a sixth port of silver sand. The pot 

 shoidd be well dramed, and the plant inserted firmly, ^^^len it becomes 

 necessary to give it a shift, do so, but let it be a moderate one. W ater it care- 

 fully when not growing, but when this is the case do so freely. It should 

 have an airy position, and be supported as it developes. Bottom heat is not 

 essential for its weUare. It is a very pretty, white, sweet-scented, climbmg 



MiEEcBAL Kiel Eose with Flowee-ecds (J. JH.). — We presume the 

 buds are what were formed in the autumn of last year, and if so the prospect 

 of their developing is not great, though they may do so if the spring be mild. 

 We should advise you to prune them moderately now, removmg the weak and 

 unripe wood, and cutting back the shoots to firm wood; should the buds 

 expand they wiH give very poor flowers. 



King or Tom Thumb NASTrRTirM (Idtin).— The change of colour in the 

 flowers was no doubt caused bv the wet and want of sun which prevailed last 

 autumn. For good colouring, bright weather is necessary. The fact of the 

 seed having a tendency to change colour wiU not affect the colour of the 

 flowers on the plant arising from it. 



Celery for Market (IF. C.).— Sandringham White is a good sort, not 

 liable to run, and attains a good size ; Seeley's Lerathan White is larger, 

 and good ; and Iverj-'s Nonsuch is a most excellent red or pmk Celery. These 

 will suit you. 



Camellu Buds not Opening (JoKph Smilh).—7he cause of the bud you 

 sent us not expanding is either due to the atmosphere bemg too cold and 

 moist, or to the plant making weak growths, and havmg too many buds. 

 Thin out the buds, leaving no more than one on the strongest shoot, and none 

 at all on the weakest. When they begm to sweU give the plants a tempera- 

 tme of 45' to 60=, and admit air freely. Judging from the flower we should 

 say it was Mathotiana alba, a beautiful white variety with a very large flower. 



Sea-kale Boots Decaying (A. G.).— We think the decay of the roots is 

 flue to their being planted among ashes m the tin over the tank heated by the 

 hot water. Plant the roots in hght sandy soU kept just moist, m a temperatttre 

 of 5a- to 58'. The shoots will come freely without the bottom heat from the 

 lamp, which is wboUy unnecessary, and, along with the ashes, probably the 

 cause of the roots decaying. 



Name of Froit (Pomona). — Golden Winter Peai-main. 



Names of Plants (ff. S. Be((j).— Pteris cretica albo-lineata. (J. G.).— 

 1, Sedum aizoideum variegatnm; 2, S. Sieboldii, fohis aureis vanegatis ; 

 3. Saxifraga vUzoon ; 4, Primula denticulata ; 5, Convolvulus mauritamcus. 

 (B. H.).— l,Thujopsisdolabrata; 2, Eetinospora pisifeia ; 3 and 4 are decidedly 

 the same plant in different conditions, and is Juniperus excelsa. {East 

 Sussex). — 1, Phajus gi-andifohus, formerly more frequently known as Bletia 

 Tankervilleie ; 2, An Eria, apparently E. bambussfolia, C)r very near to it ; 

 3, A hybrid from Khododendron arboreum. (F. Foivkr).—!, Aponogeton dis- 



tachyon; 2, MeUa Azedarach. Not native of Brazil, though f'J""!* "J; 

 tivated theie as it is m most tropical cUmates, as a gaidcn plant. It is natrie 

 of the East Mes, and is frequently called the "Pride of Chma," or the 

 *' Pride of India." 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHKONIOLE. 



EXHIBITING FO^VLS. 



Should a bird on its return from a show te taken ill and die, 

 it is unfair to put all the blame on the committee's want of proper 

 attention. I think owners have quite as much to answer lor, 

 and in many cases more, than those gentlemen who undertake 

 the management and respousihilities of our shows, the duties 

 of which are very onerous and generally thankless. 



But let us see how birds are ti-eated whUe at home and at ex- 

 hibitions. After the selection of the bird that is to win honour 

 andf ame for its owner, or, it may be, to sink from being pamperea 

 and overfed to a common dunghill cock, he is "put up, loi 

 two or three weeks before the day fixed for the show, m a <iui6t, 

 warm, clean place, and there subjected to a course of training. 

 He is hrst physicked if necessary, then carefully and regiUarly 

 fed with the very best kinds of foods, and evei-y dainty is ofiered 

 to induce him to eat and increase in size— m fact, no expense 

 nor trouble is spared to bring the bird to the highest possible 

 state of condition. Stimulants are often given, even to a new- 

 laid egg in a Uttle sherry, and to make it of a proper consistence 

 it is mfxed with barleymeal. If, however, he feels indisposed to 

 eat he is gently taken in hand two or three times a-day the beak 

 openod, and food put into his mouth, and worked down the 

 throat, no matter if he dislikes the operation. At the expiration 

 of the specified time he is considered to be thoroughly wound- 

 up to the required state of perfection, and is sent away ; perhaps 

 he may have to travel a distance of several hundred miles. Un 

 the journey he is nearly suffocated in a luggage van. Arnvmg 

 at the railway station he may have to wait there a few hours, 

 and flnaUy before reaching his destination, should his journey Be 

 in winter, he will be frozen on the outside of a van. And how 

 is he treated while at the show ? Instead of quietude and a well- 

 known roosting place he finds bin s f thrust into a wu-e pen with 

 hardly enough room for him to turn round. He sees hundreds 

 of other fowls in the same position a5 himself, aU crowing, 

 cackling, and excited. Everything is fresh to the bird; crowds 

 of people continually pass and repass, and poke at him trom early 

 morning till five or six hours after his usual hour of going to rest, 

 and this is repeated for several days, till at the end of the show 

 the bird is quite worn-out from want of that rest and qmetness so 

 essential for the proper health of all kinds of poiilti-y. His food 

 during this time has been very different from what it was when 

 he was at home. In place of those dainties and tit bits be has 

 been so used to, he has had nothing but corn (too often very bad) 

 andbarleymeal mixed-n-ith cold water, whichf requently produces 

 that looseness of the bowels we so continually find birds suflermg 

 from while at shows. What with the excitement, change of 

 home, food, and late hours, who can be sui-pnsed at birds re- 

 turning to their owners in a state of illness, which frequently 

 proves fatal ? The only wonder to me is that so many birds 

 stand exhibiting so continuously. i, . . it 



At some future time I may give my views on the treatment ol 

 birds while at shows, how to manage them on their return, 

 and the injurious effects exhibitions have upon birds for breed- 

 ing purposes.— W. J. Nichols. 



POLANDS-CLASSES, CRESTS, &c. 



I HiVE read with much interest Mr. Boothby's remarks upon 

 our PoUsh classes, and, as he observes, not until we have sepa- 

 rate classes for each variety, and adult and chicken classes, wiU 

 iustiee be done to them. Of course, at small shows a chicken 

 class could hardly be expected, but I certainly think there ought 

 to be a separate class for each variety of Spangled, Gold and 

 Silver, and an Any variety class for the others at the smaller 

 shows. , „ 



Pohsh, especially Golden, are very much more numerous now 

 than formerly. Four years ago, when I commenced with them, 

 scarcely anyone in Sussex knew what they were, now there are 

 more than twenty breeders within a radius of twenty miles. I 

 do not exhibit much, for this reason— I find all kinds competing 

 together. One judge prefers one kind, and another judge 

 another kind, and so on. x i.-u n ct „;i 



Again, colour and markings, which, according to the btand- 

 ard of Excellence," are essential points, are too often qmte 

 left out; shape of crest, too, does not seem to be studied as it 

 ou-'ht to be. I have seen badly-shaped large crests, bu-ds with 

 inferior colour and markings, stand before good-shaped crests of 

 fair size, good coloiu- and markiugs. We cannot study shape 

 too much. I do not see why birds should be encouraged that 

 have crests hanging too far over in front. W hat looks worse 

 than a crest hanging down in front, wet and dirty? for instance. 



