October 1(3, 1873. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTDKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



299 



Lujrus APTER Flowerixg (St. Honori). — The Liliuras should have the 

 dead flowers cat off, or at least be kept from scediug. aud the pliuitsi laced in a 

 cold pit, honse, or out of doors in a sheltered position, where they may remain 

 until the leaves fall, only keeping the soil moist, and when the stems are quite 

 yellow cut them down, just over the bulb. "SVe twist the stem out, as it 

 parts freely from the bulb when the latter is mature. Tuiiiins the plants out 

 of the pot*!, remove all the soil which comes freely from the roots, and repot 

 with the crown of the bulbs about 2 inches below the rim, usin;,' a compost of 

 two parts hbrous light loam, one pait each leaf soil, sandy fibrous peat, and 

 old drj" manure, with a half part silver saud and pieces of charcoal, the loam 

 and peat broken-upbut not sifted. The bulbs should be just covered with 

 soil. Keep in a pit or other structure safe iiom frost and moist. 



Eiucis Failing (T. J.). — "We thint the Ericas were injured by the es- 

 cessive drought, and were killed by the delugiug watering you applied to 

 them, but too late. The case would have been different had you watered the 

 bed before the shoots of the plants had become dried, but when uuco this 

 class ol plantsbecome thoroughly dried the watering only hastens their decay, 

 the wood turns quite brown, and the plants go off at the neck. W'q think had 

 you watered earlier the plants would have lived. It it* of no use wateiing 

 these plants after they become thoroughly dried. If they become dry it is 

 best to moisten the soil by degrees, commenciug by spriukling overhead, and 

 60 restore the foliage ere the soil is made very wet. The soil should, how- 

 ever, be kept moist, and then the plants will not suffer. Wo ai'e obliged by 

 the spores of the scarce Fern. 



HsATiNO A Pit (3/.).— Yon do not state whether the pit you propose heat- 

 ing is on the same level as, above, or below the greenhouse and vineiy. If it 

 is on the same level or above, there will bo no diihcnlty, but if below we do 

 not see how the pit is to be heated without having a separate heatiug appa- 

 ratus for It. It would be best to take a flow-pipe direct from the boiler across 

 the end of the greenhouse and the path outside to the pit, and two 3-inch 

 pipes all round will give yuu the heat you may need, either for forcing or 

 other pnrposes. The return-pipe will need to be connected with the return 

 of the greenhonse. Vi'e should take the flow-pipe in the pit down two sides, 

 across one end, and then return by the same route under the flow-pipes. This 

 will give yon two rows of pipes. It is hardly worth while having a separate 

 boiler for so small a pit, and whilst we were about it we shotild contrive to 

 have the other pit heated, taking the pipes named round both. It would be 

 very little more eipense ihan only heating one pit, and would be a great con- 

 venience. You will need valves to shut-off or turn-on the heat as required. 

 They ought to be as near the boiler as convenient. 



The Manetti Stock ID. R.). — It is a Eose raised from seed by an Italian 

 named Manetti. You must buy the stocks oi some nurseiyman, or from one 

 buah r&ibe mure from its cuttings. 



Cut Flo wee Coupasy {W. F.). — "VTe do not know anything about the 

 Company. 



WiSTER Treatihent OF ViXES (C. S.). — The Tines froiti which the Grapes 

 are cut should have all po.asible ventilation, and ought not to be syringed, but 

 be kept dry. "When the leaves fall, or in December, prune them, and tho- 

 roughly cUaning the house dress them with a sulphur, soft soap, and tobacco- 

 juice composition, S ozs. soft soap to a gallon of tobacco juice, brought to the 

 consistency of paint with sulphur. The rods of the Vines should be freed of 

 the loose bark, and washed with a stiff brush, then brash the mixture well into 

 the crevices, taking care not to rub off the eyes. The hot«se should be kept 

 cool and dry, not higher than 40^ from tire heat until the Vines are started. 

 The thrips you may destroy by fumigating the house with tobacco two nights 

 in succession, and again in ton days or a fortnight. 



TouATOES TO Fruit is Jcxe (Idmi). — For fruiting in June the seed 

 should be sown early in January, and the plants gi-own-on and fruited in a 

 Cucumber or otlier house with a similar temperature, assigning them a light 

 airy position. Wo have not tried raiting them from cuttings, though the 

 idea has often occurred to us. 



Lilacs for Forcing {F. W. T.).— Lilacs for forcing are best purchased at 

 a nuTicry where they are grown as dwarf plants well set with buds for the 

 purpose. All they require is to be potted in light fibrous loam, and placed in 

 a hoDse with a temperature of 45^^ for about a fortnight, and then in one 

 with a temperature of 55= to 65S where they will soon come into flower, and 

 when the flowers open remove to the conservatory. They should be sprinkled 

 overhead with water of the temperature of the houee twice daily until the 

 flowers show colour, and it should then be discontinued. They will flower in 

 the conser^'atory in due time if introduced, a few plants at fortnightly or 

 three-weeks interv'ois from November op to March inclusive. For raising 

 plants suckers Bhould be planted in lines a foot apart, and IS inches between 

 the linen, in an open situation, where they may remain two years, and then 

 be transplanted, doubling the distance, and after other two or three years they 

 will be lit to force, or as P<:«_)n as they form flower-buds suflicieutly plentifully. 

 The Persian is the most dwarf, and it with Charles X. are the best kinds for 

 forcing. 



Treatment OF Cherries on Mahaleb Stock (A YorkHhireman).—The 

 bet't information is to be found In Bivers's "Miniature Fruit Garden." The 

 roots of your trees must have stmck into uns^uitable soil. We invariably 

 find this stock do well in light soils. So all the pruning in summer. All 

 that the trees require is to thin-out the wood where it is crowded, and to 

 nhorten long shoots. Birds eat Belle Agathe Cherrj-, but the fruit does not 

 seem to be so attractive to them as that of the summer Cherries. We have 

 not seen the starlings attack it, probably th^y obtain preferable food at this 

 season. Six feet will be too close, they ought to be iJ feet at the least. 



Vine Mildewed (E. S. S.). — The old Vine is in a bad position. The roots 

 in your bouso should be outHide. Plant two at the front as you propose. Do 

 not plant any climbers; they will be in the way of the Vinc.H, and will pro- 

 bably introduce red spider. If the Vines do well they will cover all the roof 

 next Mason. If jou try to do too much with your Uttlo house, you will do 

 nothing well. 



Old VnriB not SrccEEDiNo (J.).— In the first place the hoaso docs not 

 receive light enough, but ins'ead of fixing an iron rod as you propose, there 

 ehonld b« a trclti.^ 1-1 inches from the glass front and back. It is very easy to 

 renew the house with joung wood by training-up a joung rod aimually, and 

 gradually cutting-out the old rodti. We think those arc the answers to your 

 questions. If u ji, state in a few words the infonuatiou you require. 



MoRELLo Cherry hot Thhiviso {W. H.).— This Cherry succeeds in almost 

 any description of fioil, but prefers a medium loam. If aphis is allowed to 

 breed on the tree the branches will occasionally die-off. Yours being planted 

 close to a spring is in an nnsuitable position, and this of itself may account 

 for the branches dying-ofT. 



Names of Fruits. — Unavoidably postponed until nest week. 



Names of Plants (G. E. W.). — 1, Asclepias curassavica ; 2, Selnginella 

 Martensii ; 3, Celsia Arcturus. (S D.). — 1, Anemone japonica; 2, Ciapsula 

 spathulata. {J. H. B.). — Polypodium \-ulgare. (J. B. ilf.).— Davollia cana- 

 riensis and Aspidium trifoliatum. (Oakdimm). — Aspleuium lucidum and 

 Nephrodium (Lastrea) dilatatum, var. (JS. D.).— 1, Eupatorium, appaiently 

 Weinmunuianum, Bttjtl ; 2, Leycesteria formosa ; o, Convolvulus tricolor 

 (C. minor of gardens). (iJ. Jameson). — 1. Nephrodium iLastrea) dilatatum; 

 2, Davalha pjxidata; 3, Polypodium leiorhizon, Wall. (C. iaijlor). — Perhaps 

 a Neriue, but we cannot name from specimen sent. [W. H.). — 1, A Myrio- 

 phyllum ; 2, a Potamogeton. ( IV. T.J.— JBrowaUia elata. The Caladium is a 

 florists' variety. 



POULTET, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



LET THE BEST BIRDS WIN. 



How is it that Messrs. A, B, aud C, those "noted parties," as 

 " T. W. D." calls them, wiu all the prizes at poultry shows ? 

 And how is it that Messrs. D, E, and V, who want to do so, but 

 can't, grumble so much, and grudge them their success ? Let 

 me try to auswer these two questions fairly aud plainly. 



In the first place let us see who A, B, and C are. Many of the 

 grumblers say, " Oh ! these people are nearly all ' dealers.' 

 They make a living by travelling about with their birds to aU 

 the poultry shows. It is no use tryiug against them. They 

 ought not to be allowed to exhibit in the same classes with us. 

 If this sort of thing is to go on, I know one thing — I shall give 

 up exhibiting altogether," leaving us to infer that thus poultry 

 shows would go to the dogs. Aaother suggests that the " noted 

 parties" should only be allowed to take one prize iu each class. 

 Another that there should be a champion class for those who 

 have good birds, and another class for the " scrubs." (Query, 

 should the first prize be given for the best or the worst bird ? 

 and how much ought the public to be paid for looking at them ?) 

 Another wants to handicap the best birds so heavily as to make 

 it improbable that the owners would exhibit them. Another, 

 who has an eye to business, would compel those insatiable 

 devoxirers of prizes to affix such a low price to their choicest 

 specimens that they would inevitably be claimed by one of the 

 D, E, F fraternity. But then, of course, he would never be 

 so unfeeling as to exhibit them more than once against his 

 former brethren in affliction, or else he would place an equally 

 low price upon them as that at which he himseli claimed them, 

 in order that E and F might have a chance too. 



Let us ask, first of all, Is it true that nearly all the successful 

 exhibitors are "dealers?" I must answer iu a somewhat enig- 

 matical manner, aud say. Yes and No. Yes, if D, E, F mean 

 that their birds are bred for sale as well as for other objects. 

 No, if they mean that the majority of prizewinners devote 

 themselves entirely to the rearing and exhibitiug of poultry for 

 the purpose of gaining a livelihood by it. Let the catalogues of 

 our leading poultry shows speak for themselves. They will 

 record a stSl more emphatic "No." Begin with Dorkings, and 

 work down to Bantams, and you will find that in almost every 

 instance the principal p)rizes fall into the hands of some amateur 

 who devotes his or her energies to the production in perfection 

 of some particular breed, whose success is a proof that patience, 

 labour, time, and money have been freely expended, and ex- 

 pended not in vain — a success which Messrs. D , E , and F should 

 still less grudge, since it is the result, as a rule, of experience 

 gained by repeated failures ; a goal which has been at last gained 

 after much disappointment, with a fainting heart, it may be, 

 BtUl bravely hoping against hope. Let D, E, and F follow the 

 same course, and then, and not till then, will they experience 

 the refreshing exultation that follows the winning of the first 

 victory — not with purchased weapons, but with birds that have 

 been bred by oneself. 



Now, as to the obstacles that D, E, and F suggest should be 

 placed in the way, in order to prevent poor A, B, and C from ob- 

 taining their just reward, would it be well to debar A, B, aud C 

 from taking more than one prize in each class ? First, would 

 it be well for poultry-show committees ? Secondly, would it 

 secure the desired end — viz., the mention iu the prize list of 

 I), E, and F's inferior birds ? In answer to the first question, 

 "■T. W. D." says, "I think if it were made a rule to allow no 

 one to take more than one prize iu any class, this would be a 

 means also of increasing (the italics are mine) the number of 

 entries." Truly the thoughts of mankind in general, and of 

 " T. \V. D." in particular, are very wonderful— quite beyond 

 the comprehension of such dull intellects as mine ; for as one 

 who has acted on the committee, and as the secretary of a 

 poultry show, I confess that I should have declined to try the 

 experiment suggested, fearing that those who now are in the 

 habit of entering two, three, or four pens iu each class, would 

 do, as I should most certainly do myself, enter only one. But 

 " T. W. D." will say, " Yes, but many in such a case would 

 enter, who, with inferior birds, would have a chance of securing 

 one of the prizes ; better than if one exliibitor had it iu his 

 power to sweep them all away." I am inclined to think that 



