JOURN-iL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



T\ith light edgriug, ^re would make the* central fi^re li^ht, 4. \rith. a tlaik 

 eilKing, say liijou, Flower of Spring, followed with. Cloth of Gold, Golden 

 Chain, and edged with Pcrilla kept croppeJ, or better still. Iresine Lindeni. 

 The foui- agui-es, 9, 10, 12. 13, filled with Calceolarias, bedded with Lobelias, 

 ■we would not disturb. Looking down on such an aiTangement, we do not 

 think you will he disappointed. The Golden Pyretlmim docs best from 

 spring raised BecdUogs ; if just fit to be haudled now they will be better than 

 if larger, bo far as the autumn is concerned. Other Pyi-etlirums i-equire 

 trouble to keep them in continuous flowering. The Golden should never 

 bloom. You might throw into No. 4 all the scarce vaiiegated plants you 

 have of the Geraniums; the dark edging would make all light, and that 

 would be correct if the edging of 3, 5, 8, 11, is light. ( Tyro). — We have no doubt 

 that your proposed planting will look very well, and you will have a gi-eat 

 variety in your gi-oup of nine beds, and the three beds estra. AVe cannot 

 say, however, that we like this variety. Perhaps we are wrong in our simple 

 ideas of pairing for the sake of uniformity. Now, the test is everything, and 

 we adWse you to plant No. 1 as indicated, and then pair 2, 3, and 4, 5 ; 6, 7, 

 and 8, 9, and we feel almost sm-e if you cast youi- eye over the supposed 

 cMouring you will like it better than the greater variety. 



Bedding-cot LovE-LrEs-BLEEDTNG (J. Dick). — We have had Love-lief- 

 bleeding very splendid with plants from 12 to 18 inches apart. Allowed to 

 grow naturally these would reach from 24 to 36 inches in height, and m:rc 

 than that if the gi'ound is rich. The beauty greatly consisted in the droop- 

 ing reddish racemes. We cannot, from our own experience , advise pegging 

 this plant down. We have tried it for a nearly front I'ow, but though we 

 partly succeeded, the pegging-down destroyed the distinctive hanging charac- 

 ter of the plant so much that we do not feel disposed to peg. This plant 

 never looks better than along with a good kind of Prince's Feather as a 

 centi-e, which sends its crimson spikes up into the air, planting a bond round 

 the latter of Love-lies-bleeding where the rope-like wreaths have room to 

 hang down. With these two plants a gorgeous bed may be made for a few 

 pence. 



Melon Leaves Scorched (C. S.).— The Melon leaves are scorched by 

 strong sun striking on them whilst wet, and from no air having been given 

 before the sun's rays were very powerfuL A shght shade would have saved 

 the leaves. Similar effects might have been produced by the fumes from 

 pipes coated with paint, by an escape of smoke from a flue, or by ammoniacal 



Various (A Suhscriber).~-'P&nmes succeed admirably in a comprst of two 

 parts Icam from rotted turf, one part leaf soil, and half a part thoroughly 

 decayed dung, adding a fourth part of shai-p sand. Polyanthus and Prim- 

 rose seed should be sown at once in pans well drained, filled to the rim with a 

 compost of two parts hght loam, and half a part each of leaf soil and sandy 

 peat, with half a part of silver sand. The surface should be made very fine 

 and firm ; scatter the seeds evenly, and cover them veiy lightly with fine soil. 

 Water very gently, and place in a cold frame or cool house ; keep the pans 

 close, or cover them with a hand-glass, and shade from sun so as to avoid 

 much watering until the plants appear, when they should have aii- freely, and 

 be kept just moist. When they can be handled prick them off in well-pre- 

 pai-ed gi'ound on an east border ; then keep them moist, and shade from 

 blight sun for a few days until established. We think the " grubs " must be 

 slugs, for which dust the plants with fresh lime in moist weather in the 

 evening, or you may dust the plants with dry soot, and it will not only be very 

 obnoxious to the slugs but prove an excellent manure. Twelve Gladioli at Is. 

 or less each ai-e— Sir' Walter Scott, Le Dante, Adele Souchet, Oracle, Charles 

 Dickens, Noemi, Lord Eaglan, Velleda, Napoleon III., Rembrandt, Calypso, 

 and Berenice. 



Distorted Peach Leaves (A. H. ilf.).— Gardeners call the disease "blis- 

 tered leaves." It occui-s in greatest vinilence where the borders ai'e im- 

 perfectly di-ained ; but the immediate cause is esposui-e to the night frosts of 

 e;uly spring. Draining and protection are the remedies. 



White- FLOWERED Bluebell (F. H.).—Xt is not usual. The Campanula 

 patula is especially Hable so to sport. 



Crates (J, K. A'.).— Apply to Mr. Norman, Basket Maker, Ely. They cost 

 about 4s. Gd. each. 



Seeds from India— Trop^olums (S. TF.).— The whole of the plants o' 

 which you have received seeds will require stove treatment^ and will not succeed 

 in a cool greenhouse. Zinnias ai-e half-hardy annuals. If you wish to try them 

 you may sow all the seeds " ' " " . . - 



I compost of two parts loam, one part peat, and 

 idmiy.tin-p of silver sand. Just cover the seeds 

 ■■::ili ■Mu.lofTO^toTS-. Ti-op!PohiniK suit able for 

 .yrandiflomm, Jarratti, potit.iphyiliim, 

 .1 T. Lobbi, specin>;uui, :iinl Tri'^uiphe 

 ■ ais plants. T. Lobbi ur Lobbiamnn is 

 re T. majus and T. mmus. We shaU 

 Liiy number. 



End of August (Annie). — W 



s pai-t leaf soil, with a frr 

 withfine soil, and pine-*' 'n • 

 a gi-eenhoupe are T. m. ■ 

 and tricolorum, all ti;: 

 de Gand, which oi'e ;.'i ■ ■ 

 not the common NasiuiLiJd,,:- 

 have an article on Tiopituluiii 



Flowering Plumbago ca 

 presume your plant has already been pruned, and has pushed shoots a few 

 inches long, in which case we should repot it at once, using a compost of two 

 parts fibrous loam, one pai-t leaf soil, one part sandy peat, acd a free admix- 

 ture of sharp sand, with good drainage. Give a moderate shift, and remove 

 the soil that can be taken away without injuiing the roots. Water carefuUy for 

 a time until new roots are formed, and then encourage growth with a moist 

 but well-ventilated atmosphere, and plentiful supplies of water at the root. 

 It will succeed better in a warm greenhouse or cool stove until eaiiy in July, 

 when we should place it in a light aiiy position in a greenhouse, and give only 

 enoughof waterto keep the leaves fre^. Tiainthe plantsneatly, but ollowthe 

 shoots to hang rather loosely. It will flower at the time you name. Water 

 more freely after the trasses form. It is a gi-eenhouse shrub, and is well 

 snited for pillars in a greenhouse or conseiTatory. It may be trained on 

 wires as a climber, but it is not actually one. 



Mowing Machine Setting (F. J.).— The rollers should be so fixed that 

 the sole plate against which the knives work may be half an inch from the 

 giound. This will not cut the grass too closely, nor, on the other hand, 

 make the sole plate drag on the ground. In order to keep a lawn well, do not 

 cut too closely, but cut very often, so as to have the grass even in giowth. 

 The cause of the machine clogging when you mow without the collecting-box, 

 is most likely the length of the grass, and its consequent withering and 

 coming between the kiMves at the following cutting. We do not approve of 

 cutting the grass and leaving it on the surface. It may answer in some 

 cases, but where the grass grows at all long, if it is cut and left on the sm-face 

 the appeai-ance is untidy. A light dressing of guano once a-month would not 

 be too much, mixing three bushels of sifted ashes with one peck of guano. 

 Apply it in moist weather. 



Geranicxi (Jl).— Apparently a seedling or sp' rt frjm Baron Kiea^oli. 



Auricula Feaste (IF.-Boofft).— The following is a di-awing of "D.,DeaV$/ 

 Amicula framr , with his own relative note : — '* My own opinion and experience 

 are in favour of growing them in common gai-den frames, taking care that the 

 gla^s is large, so as to prevent diip, and then to have an Amicula-house for 

 bkioming tliom in. I have had one made for myself; it is now full, and a 

 prettier sight in the way of flowers I would not desire to see. Being placed. 



on a level with the sight, the plants can be seen without the trouble of stoop- 

 ing over them. The front sashes con be drawn up so as to give air without 

 allowing the cold wind to blow upon the plants; and if eai'c be given to ventr- 

 lation and shading, they may remain in this blooming house dming the 

 summer. It may be, perhaps, objected that this is only suitable for a large 

 collection ; but if the liouse be made small at first, it can always he added to.'* 



Blight in the Air (S. Jj. J".).— The dark mist in the aii-, popularly called 

 a blight, is only the moisture (always greatest in the summer) becoming visi- 

 ble, owing to a cm-rent of cold in the higher regions. Waim air holds in solu- 

 tion much more moistm-e than cold air. The mist has nothing to do with. 

 injui7 to plants. 



Names of Plants iThornhill). — 1, A male plant of Dogs Mercury, Mer- 

 curiaUs perennis ; 2, Probably Ballota vulgaris, Stinking Horehoimd, speci- 

 men imperfect. (Young Subscriber, Ireland). — 1, Selaginella helvetica (?) ; 



2, Cytisus; 3, Asplenium Trichomanes; 4, Scolopendiium vulgare; 5, Poly- 

 podium vulgare; 6, Sedum reflexum (?); 7, Saxifraga hj-pnoides; 8, Kuscus 

 aculeatus. (A. D.). — 1, Nephrolepis exaltata; 2, Asplenium furcatum. (Oswell). 

 — 1, Selaginella Kraussiana; 2, Another species not detei-minable. (J. L. G.). 

 1, Nephi'odium setigerum; 2, Indeterminable; 3, Selaginella caulescens; 

 4, Selaginella Kraussiana; 5, Adiantiuu curvatum(?); ti, Adiantum hispi- 

 dulum; 7i Adiantum Capillus- Veneris; 8, Asplenium flaccidum; 9, Gymno- 

 gramma chrysophylla; 10, Adiantum hispidulum; 11, Selaginella apus. 

 (Rus). — Aspidium acrostichoides ; Lotus jacobffius; Piraelea, perhaps linifolia. 

 {A Young Gardener). — 1, CiTjitomeria japonica; 2, Libocedrus decurrens; 



3, Ligularia Kampferi. {C. tV. .5i/mon).— Oncidium, probably excavatum. 

 (Orchid). — Coelogyne cristata. (C. T., The Oaks). — We cannot be eei-tain. 

 from such a fragment, but think itis the Hemlock (Conium) ; hut if it is, the 

 honey secreted by its flowers is not poisonous. (G. W. Tate). — Equisetum- 

 palustre, Mai-sh Horse-tail. 



POULTEY, BEE, AKD PIGEOJST CHRONICLE. 



MANAGEMENT OF POULTRY AT EXHIBITIONS, 

 I AM very glad the question of the treatment of birds for ex- 

 hibition has been raised and discussed by practical men, as it is 

 by such means that novices acquire from the experience of 

 others a knowledge of the subject. 



On reaching the show the birds are generally very thirsty and' 

 hungry, and the very first thing they do on being put in the pen. 

 is to quench their thirst, and then satisfy their hunger. The 

 water-tin is generally filled before they commence to ai'rive, and 

 as it is easy of access and contains plenty of water they are sure 

 to drink very freely, distending the crop and chilling themselves > 

 I have seen them stand with blackened combs, shivering and 

 moping, the very picture of misery, although but a short time- 

 before they looked the perfection of health and condition. 

 The plan adopted afc the last Crystal Palace Show was to let no 

 bird have any water until it had first eaten some food. How- 

 ever hungry the birds may be, there is no fear of their eating too- 

 much ; they cannot swallow food until they have some water, 

 and the food wanns and nourishes the body, while the cold 

 water produces just the opposite effect. The result of the mode- 

 adopted at the above Show was that the health of the birds 

 while there was unusually good. Unfortunately one or two died 

 on their return home, but that proceeded, as I said in my last 

 communication, from the very severe weather, want of food, and 

 the contrast to the previous attention they had received. 



To put colouj-ed or yellow sandinpensis very injurious. Ihave- 

 seen the best Spanish cock in a show passed unnoticed by the 

 judge simply because the bird's lobes in di'inldug had got into 

 the water, and while picking iip his food draggled amongst this 



