March 1-4, 1372. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAOE GAHDENSa. 



■n-uiiM rtnil-r it let;;; lit for Roses. We shoukl manure it with leaf mouM an,l 

 {]'■■ ■ ' 1 .1 1 stable mamu'O ; but we should rely most ou ■watenujj 

 M rinure as soou as the blossom-buds were perceptible, with 



It 111 raulchiu'? the surface throughout the summer. Aucuba 



>■! Ill male and female plants, and if gi'owu together the seci is 



PniMrLA, CiNEnAniA. and Calceolaria Ci-lture (A. J?.).— Start the seeds 

 of the first two mentioned in n gentle heat some time dui-ing May, and then 

 remove them to a house which has a night temperature of 55\ When the 

 plants show their rough leaves pot them off singly, return them to the house, 

 and as soon as they have recovered place them on coal or ashes in a cool frame. 

 At the end of July or early in August shift the Primulas into 5-iuch pots, 

 change them to 7-inch ones by September, place thera m a house with a 

 tomperatm-e of 45'^ at night, and remove all the flowers up to November. lu 

 Fcbruaiy or March, when they flower, select the best formed and most 

 luxuriantly flowering ono^, and throw the others away. Keep the selected 

 plants in a light aii*y position under cover and in a heat of 50° until the seed 

 ripens. SLift the Cinerarias into larger pots during August, and in October 

 place them in a pit where frost cannot reach them. In February again change 

 them into 8 or 9-inch pots, and then treat them as recommended for Primulas 

 at the same time. The seed should only he saved fmra the plants with the 

 best shaped and brightest coloured flowers, and all uIIuts nu^'ht to be re- 

 moved from the house. The Calceolaria seed .slmu!.! In^ > i\mi the first week 

 in July, and the pans set in a shady place out itf tl-nr , r,>v. [vl with a hand- 

 glass, and the soil kept regulai'ly moist. Wlu-n tin- piniit^ ■uu be hamllcd, 

 prick them off about an inch apart in pans, and placn them in cold fi-ames. 

 Keep them racist and shaded from bright sun. When they touch each 

 other pot them off singly in 3-inch pots, which should be placed on ashes 

 in a cold frame. Keep the plants close and moist until established, and pro- 

 tect them from frost. Remove them to a house or pit with a night tempera- 

 ture of 40° to 45^, and keep them near the glass as well as cool and moist. 

 Shift them into larger pots in December, or earlier if the pots are full of roots. 

 Pots 5 inches in diameter are suitable. In Febmary or early in March they 

 may have 8 or 9-inch pots, they should have plenty of room. It is a good 

 practice to take out the centres of the shoots when these have four joints, in 

 order to cause the production of side shoots. Remove the plants to a light 

 aiiy house in April, place thera ueai- the glass, and as the flower-stalks advance 

 support them with stakes. They will flower in May, and you will need to select 

 the best formed, and the best coloured and spotted flowers, throwing away the 

 plants that have Imperfect flowers. Alter flowering place them in a house 

 with a temperature of 55°, and keep the atmosphere dry, but supply water as 

 required. It is unnecessary to artificially fertilise the flower. A compost of 

 two parts light fibrous loam, one part leaf soil, half a pai-t of old hotbed 

 raanmc, and one part of silver sand, cbai-coal, and cocoa-nut refuse in equal 

 proportions will grow the whole well, adding half a part of sandy peat for the 

 Pi'imulas. 



Insects (F. 3/.).— The small catei-pillai-s on yom- Ciurant shoots ore the 

 newly-hatched young of the Magpie Moth, Abraxas glossnloi-iata, described 

 and figiu-ed in the " Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary," page 1. — I. O. W. 

 Name of Fruit (D. F. J. A'.).— Your Apple is Reinette Van Mons. 

 Names op Plants {G. B., Htirlow).— They are not numbered, and being 

 only leaves we cannot name them. We do not know why Calla leaves ai-e 

 spotted, as we are not told where they oie grown or wliat kind of spots there 

 are. {C. IT.).— Adiantum trapeziforme. (.4 Ccnslanf SH'>s.-nh>-)-).~Aspidmm 

 eapense, (TV. Hannaforilj.—'Enonymun jationiius (tm.i in liuit. We never 

 >iaw it fniiting before; yoiu- living at Tci^nmouth a< inmit- irn if. A di-awin" 

 of it in flower is in " Bot. Reg." xxx., pi. 6. (/'Mr-:. /).— MiLonia peruviana. 

 (Eiist Sussex). — Dicksonia (or Cibotiiun) Barometz. (Lj no ramus). — Omphal- 

 odes vcrna. iA. W., Coldstream). — Kalmia latifolia, and Rhododendi-on fei*- 

 nigincum. (Tott€nham).~The common Butterbui-, Petasites vulgai'is. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



UNITE TO COMBAT EVIL. 



I AM rejoiced to find so many others besides myseli coming to 

 the conclusion that "something must be done." I do not want 

 to use exaggerated language. When some honest folks say that 

 " unless these things can be put a stop to," shows must come to 

 an end ; I don't believe it. Honourable men will always be in 

 the majority, and both the fancy and the shows which gi-ow out 

 of it have taken too deep a root for a few swindlers to destroy 

 them, let them do their very worst. Still, enough has beeii 

 revealed of late to awaken in many minds some very serious 

 reflections. 



What is the poultry fancy to come to ? 



There has been enough to cause very miich misgiving upon 

 tliis point. To comn:ience only as far back as the New Year— and 

 it may be no harm thus to recapitulate. We had at the com- 

 mencement a flagrant case of plucked hocks ; then at Whitehaven 

 we had a case of clipped feathers, a case of dyed feathers, and a 

 bad case — an atrociously bad case — of a pin stuck through the 

 victim's comb. Just now I hear of trimming in another form — 

 a most wicked case, in which a pair of Jacobin Pigeons, which 

 had fairly won an honourable position, were grossly trimmed in 

 order to fasten the vile imputation upon their exhibitor. That 

 they were trimmed since the judging the judges will swear 

 to. Then we have had birds stolen from shows ; we have had 

 birds deliberately poisoned ; and we have had birds on their 

 return, by some faint scruple of conscience not destr03-ed, but 

 irrecoverably spoilt for the season by disappointed competitors ; 

 and this black catalogue is only the experience of young 1872. 



Some time back, rightly or wrongly, I formed an opinion that 

 the attention of the judges needed to be very emphatically called 

 to this matter ; but I feel bound to say that this is not the want 

 which in my judgment exists now. From private letters, I know 

 this subject to be at present an anxious burden upon their minds ; 



and it will be scarcely a breach of confidence if I say that one of 

 our very brst juil;;. s has expressed to me his strong feeling, that 

 upon tlie iihlj> ; i , ii"\v thrown the whole brunt of this conflict 

 withrasi;i'4u]ti, ami tliat they are not " backed uj) " in it by the 

 fancy as thty uuglit to be ; and I think he is right. I know, 

 myself, cases in which committees have either been so cowardly, 

 or so leuient to local exhibitors, that they have refused even to 

 affix to the pens notices of disquaUflcation awarded by the 

 judges. Some will not even take the milder measure of pubUsh- 

 ing them in the catalogues. At all events we have the declara- 

 tion, " evidently inspired " as they say in the newspapers, that 

 these gentlemen consider some " more stringent measures " are 

 absolutely needed. 



But the question is. What can be done ? It is easy for the 

 editors, or anybody, to propose a stringent clause for commit- 

 tees ; the problem is, how to get such a clause or any other 

 measures adopted. What is everybody's business becomes no- 

 body's. I believe the vast majority of poulti-y exhibitors 

 earnestly desire that something should be done. AVe have seen 

 that the judges desire it. We all see th:it the case needs it, but 

 how is it to be done, and who is to do it ? 



I venture to suggest, very seriously, that the very first step in 

 this direction must be some organisation or combination of the 

 poultry fancy; that for this, as for some other urgent reasons 

 which alone would be sufficient, such organisation has now 

 become a necessity. Such a body could act ; it could speak; its 

 very suggestions alone would or ought to be received with a 

 respect which those of any mere individual covild never com- 

 mand. In fine, I believe the time is come when it is wanted ; 

 and not only so, but when the waut is keenly felt in many diffe- 

 rent directions and for many different reasons. This being my 

 belief, I shall make no ajjology for asking if such an organisation 

 cannot be formed ? 



I may be asked, What is this but a revival of the old Poultry 

 Club ? and may be pointed to this body's rather ignominious 

 failure. Well, the last does not trouble me, for I think I can 

 see adequate reasons for it. It started by assuming too much ; 

 that always sets people's backs up. It rushed into a " Standard 

 of Excellence " at once, and took a position of domination over 

 the judges, which to say the least was not wise. Very personal 

 antipathies and objects were openly avowed and gloried in. I 

 would have a Poultry Club if possible, but Iwould have it with- 

 out these mistakes. I know there are pitfalls on every hand. I 

 know people are apt to feel and to get very *' lively " on certain 

 matters. Nevertlieless, there is abundance both of good sense 

 and good feeling amongst fanciers, and with the help of these 

 I do think something might be done, which would really help 

 and benefit us all. 



What is intended, and what is not intended, should, however, 

 be clearly understood. I do not expect such a body would 

 correct every abuse, or abolish any, all at once. I would not 

 wish it to lay do^m the law for everyone else, or to go quarrel- 

 ling with certain judges or with certain shows. I woaild not 

 expect that its members should get a distinct quid 2>ro quo for 

 their subscriptions. The idea should rather be that of a number 

 of real amateurs, who love their pursuit, joining together to j)ro- 

 mote the best interests of their fancy. Iwoxild take it for granted 

 that the judges had the same object at heart no less truly, and I 

 woirld endeavour to consult and help them in every way possible, 

 so as to secure their heai'ty co-operation. I should hope for 

 their presence at the important meetings as honoured members 

 nr as welcome guests. I would not be disappointed if for some 

 time little appreciable results were seen, seeing that the mere 

 association of the honourable together is itself a benefit. The 

 main idea would be, in charity and moderation, to seek the right. 

 Surely as much as this is practicable, and assuming only so 

 much as this, I believe fully that " to the upright there ariseth 

 light in the darkness." We should begin to see our way, and as 

 opportunity opened we could begin to act. Any member con- 

 "\dcted of fraud could be expelled. Anyone, not a member, could 

 in a venial case be warned, and if hia offence were repeated 

 could have his name sent by circular to committees, with a. 

 warning against him. Various shows could be invited to asso- 

 ciate themselves with the club, and secure its support by honour- 

 able rules. Cases of cheating could be blazoned in the regular 

 reports, and in many ways, by steady degi'ees, and not attempt- 

 ing to do too much at first — that is the great thing to avoid — a 

 quiet and powerful influence could, I believe, be brought to bear 

 which would at least lessen many existing evils. 



The annual meeting of such a body ought to be a truly pleasant 

 gathering, and, if possible, not only contemporary with, but 

 really associated with one of the great shows. To it all the 

 members should look forward ; if with a good dinner thrown in, 

 so much the better. All mere personal matters should be rigor- 

 ously put down ; but the judges might at such a gathering be 

 courteously asked concerning any general question or apparent 

 change in the standard of judging, and all would be benefited 

 at once, instead of having to learn the " new rule " by the losses 

 of a whole year. Such changes constantly occur, for breeds im- 

 prove, and fashions change also. Let them in this way be fairly 



