September 18, 1873. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



225 



with the immense annual importation from Japan, auratiun Lilies would be 

 more plentiful and cheaper than they are. I beli'>ve that it is now generally 

 admitted, that, unlike Hyacinths, Liliums have no time of complete rest, that 

 the new roots are formed before all the last year's ones die. It follows, there- 

 fore, that if the bulbs in pots are allowed to become quite dry, these eorUest 

 first roots will be checked. Our practice is to repot as soon as the stems 

 fade, and to keep the soil slightly moist. Bulbs out of doors, of course, never 

 drv, and, I think, a larger proportion of these keep healthy than of those in 

 pots. As to plunging pots covered with ashes, I know this is often done, and 

 the right quantity of moisture may reach the bulb:^, but it is a rather un- 

 certain treatment, more so than keeping the pots lender cover and giving an 

 occasional sprinkling. There is no doubt that too much moisture in pots rots 

 the bulbs, so this must be carefully guarded against. — George F. Wilson. 



PLAJTriNG HoLLVHOCKS AND PHLOKZs (Tyro). — In a heavy and wet soil 

 they shoald not be planted until spring, especially the Hollyhocks, which 

 oQght not to be turned out imtil April, the plants being wintered in a cold 

 frame. If you have the Hollyhocks in a mass the plants should be 3 feet 

 apart every way, but if in rows these may bo 4 feet apart, and the plants 

 S feet from each other In the rows. 



Lucerne Sowing {Id^m). — It should be sown in April in drills 1 foot apart. 

 The ground should be in good tilth and clean. Six pounds of seed will be 

 required for the ground you name. 



Name of Elm— Distance to Plant Forest Trees {Sunrtij). — The leaves 

 enclosed are those of a variety of the English Elm, probably Ulmue campestris 

 oomnbiensis. In the genus Ulmus, as in Solix, the varieties are so much 

 alike that they are easily confounded. TheEugUshElm is generally preferred 

 for planting for its timber. The Chichester Elm has a broader leaf and is of 

 upright growth ; it is preferred in some districts. You will require, to plant 

 trees of the genus Pinus 3 feet apart, 4840 to one acre; 4 feet apart it would 

 require 2722. It is the best way, however, to plant closely and tlun-out early. 



Naues of Frcits {F. T. W.). — No. 1, Nonesuch; 2, Hawthornden; 8, Sel- 

 vood's Beinette; 4, Kentish Fillbasket ; 5, Winter Greening. 



Najces of Plants (J. Knight). — Cyrtanthera Pohliana, Nees (Jnsticia 

 euue$^ Ldl.). (C. F.). — It maybe Rivina Isevis. (John). — 1, Scabiosa atro- 

 porpurea ; 2, Looks Uke a poor specimen of Anemone japonica. {A. £., Ire- 

 landt. — The white one is Hibiscus syriacus (the Althaea frutex of gardens); 

 the other isa variety of the same, or a nearly allied species. iOctogenarius). 

 — I, Acanthus mollis; 2, Sambucas Ebulns. (Juvenile ).^3Gili& autumnalis. 



POULTET, BEE, AM) PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



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BUILDING A POULTRY AND PIGEON HOUSE. 



■Which is the most economical way of building a fowl and 

 Pigeon house ? What size onght it to be for tweuty-four large 

 fowls ? Ought there to be a se- 

 parate compartment for sitting ? 

 Would it do to have the Pigeons 

 over the fowl house ? — M. S. 



[Tour house should be of wood, 

 mid built with a gable — thus, 

 being ceiled inside, as at d. The 

 npper part of the house will 

 make a Pigeon house, a Re- 

 presents the door of the build- 

 ing; b, a glazed door for the 

 Pigeon house ; e, e, openings for 

 them to go in and out. These 

 maybeclosed at pleasure. Nine 

 feet square will be large enough 

 for twenty-four fowls. Let it be 

 as lofty as you can. If you like 

 to make it 12 feet square it will 

 allow you to partition-off a space 

 3 feet wide and 12 feet deep for a 



sitting house. The birds must not sit in the roosting house. 

 We believe you will find Brahmas tht hardiest and most useful 

 fowls.] 



PUBLISHING JUDGES' NAMES— STANDARD 

 CHARACTERISTICS. 



Allow me to add my opinion on this subject to those of others. 

 I for one consider that it is simply an act of common honesty to 

 exhibitors for committees to publish the names of the judges in 

 their schedules and advertisements. As Honorary Secretary of 

 the Cambridge Poultry, Pigeon, and Rabbit Society, I may state 

 that I believe a good deal of the success which attended our 

 shows may be traced to our having secured first-rate judges, and 

 announced their names. But there is another point I think quite 

 as important, and it is this — all judges ought to have one standard 

 of excellence, and award the prizes accordingly ; then we should 

 hear no more of sending certain birds to shows to suit the taste 

 of certain judges — a procedure which I consider simply scan- 

 dalous, und tending greatly to disgust all amateurs who exhibit for 

 the honour of winning fairly. I would suggest that a meeting 

 be called in London inviting all breeders and judges to attend 

 who like, and that a standard of excellence be drawn out and 

 poblished, so that committees may know how the birds at their 

 shows are going to be judged. We should then, perliaps, have 

 the satisfaction of seeing the best birds win, which I am sorry to 

 say lately has in many instances not been the case ; at any rate, 



amateurs would know what the points of the various breeds are 

 required to be for exhibition. If, as is stated by Mr. Wright, 

 different judges have different opinions, it is certainly high time 

 that there should be a rule to go by. — F. W. Metcalfe. 



It would be an inducement to owners to show their birds, and 

 add greatly to the welfare of the various exhibitions throughout 

 the country, if some particular standard could be made to serve 

 as a rule and a guide for judges to decide by. It would be the 

 means of breeders all striving for one object — that of coming up 

 to the standard of perfection. As it is, we are all groping in the 

 dark. What is perfection in one place is not considered so in 

 another; hence the dissatisfaction of exhibitors who have 

 carried off the prize in one locality and failed in another. To 

 prevent such a state of things, I would suggest that there be 

 chosen from among the best judges some of the most experienced 

 men to draw up a set of rules that shall serve as a standard for 

 judges to be guided by, giving the various points required in each 

 class of poultry. Pigeons, and other birds. The same standard to 

 be used by judges in all parts of the country. We should then 

 know what to do, what to strive for — amateur and professional 

 alike. In preparing this standard, such men as Mr. Hewitt, 

 Mr. Teebay, and other well-known judges could greatly assist, and 

 in all schedules issued by the various committees there should 

 be printed the various points required in every class. — Thomas 

 Webb. 



BANTAM COCK BROODY. 



I HAVE rather a curious ease with a Bantam cock. The hen 

 hatched and brought-up some chickens ; they are, perhaps, now 

 about three months old, and the cock about three weeks ago got 

 them altogether to sit in the nest at night, and now he has 

 taken to sit himself. All day he remains on the nest, spreads 

 his wings and tail hke a hen, and if I take him off flies on again 

 directly. The hen and chickens, of course, are about as usual, 

 but he remains on the nest, leaving only about once a-day. — G. C. 



[Is the cock the father of the chickens ? A capon, or an emas- 

 culated cock will often do as you describe {a capon always). It 

 would, indeed, be a curious case if he were the father of the brood.] 



BUCKWHEAT FOR FOWLS. 



I HAVE given it once a-day to all my young stock [Brahmas), 

 and they have done wonderfully well, and not one has been sick 

 or ailing since it has been hatched. I never give it to the hens, 

 as I consider it too fattening. My fowls are in a small enclosed 

 run. — ZiT. 



RYHOPE (SUNDERLAND) POULTRY SHOW. 



This Show was held on the 9th inst., in a field halfway be- 

 tween Sunderland and Ryhope. The management was praise- 

 worthy, and the pens fFothergill's) were placed in single tiers 

 at a nice elevation. The only fault, and it is a common one, 

 was that they were open back and front. This might be easily 

 obviated by securing a few pieces of common calico, which, 

 stretched the whole length, would afford protection and prove 

 a great boon to exhibitors at allout-door shows, where many 

 chickens are rtiined by this cause alone. The schedule was an 

 improvement, as also the entries, upon all previous years, but 

 on account of the pieces of plate being offered for old birds only, 

 the young ones in some of the classes were poor, though in the 

 large section the Dorkings and Cochins were extremely good 

 and forward. 



Of adult birds, Dorkings were in good feather for the time of 

 year, as also the Cochins, in which class a pen of grand Whites 

 carried off the cup for the section ; the adult Brahmas also being 

 very good. Of Game there were some well-formed birds, but 

 mostly out of feather, the cup being awarded to a grand pair of 

 Brown Reds, which, like the rest, showed signs of moult. Game 

 chickens were too young to show much quality. There were 

 some fair birds in Hamburghs, the Silver-pencils and Gold- 

 spangles being among those most noteworthy. As is generally 

 the case in the Sunderland district, the entries of Game 

 Bantams were numerous, and the birds generally good, but in 

 old birds an unfortunate mistake was made by some exhibitors, 

 and the best cocks in the class were mated with pullets, and the 

 consequence was they were thrown out of competition, and yet 

 the cup was won by a capital pair of Black-breasted Reds. The 

 chickens in the Reds were very good, and a smart pair (the 

 cockerel undubbed) of the above-named variety were first, and 

 capital Brown Reds second. In Any other variety of Game 

 Bantams, the winners in old birds were Duckwings, yerj good 

 in colour and style, but rather heavy in feather; and in chickens 

 very good Duckwings stood first, and Piles second and third. 

 The Black and White Bantams were poor in both classes, and 

 the Ajlesbury Ducks only moderate, but the Rouens were of 

 great size, and good in all points. In the Vaiioty class, Widgeons 

 were first, and Pintails second. 



There was an extra class in which some good birds were 



