December 4, 1873. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



449 



compost will grow all bat the Lapageria, which requires fibrous peat and very 

 liberal waterings. Select from those named the two you need. 



Cinerarias Dyino-off {D. G.). — It is occasioned by the plants being 

 potted with the neck or collar low instead of being slightly raised in the 

 centre of the pot, and, as a consequence, the water ruus to instead of from 

 the stem. Another cause is allowing the plants to become pot-bound, then 

 shifting them into large pots, and placing soil close to the stem. The plants 

 require to be kept coul and moist, dusting a little charcoal round the neck of 

 each; in fact, a little charcoal dust or small charcoal on the surface of the 

 pots is advantageous. It keeps all sweet about the neck or collar. We 

 should bare liked your compost better had it been three parts fibrous loam, 

 one part each leaf Eoil and old dry manure, with a sixth of silver sand. 



DESTROvrNG WooDLiCE (A. Liuhj). — It is the common woodlouse which is 

 eatiuii the Ferns away, and as the boiled potato wrapped in a Uttle hay 

 placed at the bottom of a flower-pot will not be quick enough, toads may be 

 placed in the hou^c, but they will not do much during the winter. Examine 

 the plants at night with a lantern. It is astonishing how many woodlice 

 may be killed in a night. They wUl be found about the crowns. They are 

 careful about taking poison, but we once knew them overcome in a Mushroom 

 house by mixing equal proportions of arsenic with oatmeal finely gi-ound, 

 made into a sort of very fine crumbs by melted lard. If you use this, be very 

 eful where and how it is placed. 

 Propagating Accubas, AitBOR- Vit.es, and "Laxtrels (Sunnt/hill). — They 

 are all increased by cuttin^-s, the Aucubas and Laurels at the end of Septem- 

 ber or early in October. The Aucuba cuttings should be of the current year's 

 growth, and 8 or 9 inches long ; insert them half to two-thirds their length 

 in a cold frame, and keep them close, moist, and shaded for six weeks; then 

 admit air in mild weather, but protect from frost. Laurel cuttmgs should 

 be of the current year's growth, with an inch or two of the two-year-old wood ; 

 insert them two-thirds their length in the soil in an open situation, about 

 S inches apart, in rows 9 inches asunder. Arbor-Vitres are propagated by 

 cuttings 3 or 4 inches long, inserted in August or the end of July in eandy 

 loam and leaf soil, surfaced with an inch of silver sand, and placed in a cold 

 irame, kept close, moist, and shaded, admitting a little air if damp. 



Rhododendron Nuttalii not Flowering (T. H.). — Its not flowering' 

 may probably be owing to the plants not having suflicient light ; it should he 

 very hberally suppUed with moisture when forming the fresh growth, and 

 then be kept just moist, admitting air freely. Discontinue the stopping. To 

 thi-^, as it tends to induce fresh growth, may to a great extent be due the 

 delay in flowering. Kinging we do not advise. It might induce flowering, and 

 quite as likely might cause the death of the plant. Allow it to grow, with 

 light and abundance of air, in good fibrous peat, and we think you will 

 ultimately be well rewarded by a splendid bloom. 



Hkd Dovenne Pear for a South Wall {Cdnfurioji).— If the locality ia 

 cold and exposed, the fruit would be improved, but not otherwise, unless 

 under exceptional circumstances. 



NF.MorHTLA iNsir.Nis FOR SPRING Bloom (Idem).— The seed should have 

 been sown in September or early in October, but you may now sow in pots, 

 and winter the plants in a cold frame. 



KosEs AND Anemones Replanting (Jrfem).— Wo are not surprised that 

 the Koses do so badly, deprived, as their roots must bo, of moisture and nutri- 

 ment by those of the Anemones. W'e should at once take up the Anemones 

 in clamps, preserving about them all the soil possible, and reulant imme- 

 diately in an open situation, but not again in the Kose bad- The Roses we 

 should take up carefully, lay them in, and thoroughly trench, manure, and 

 add fresh soil to the bed if required, then replant. The sooner this is done 

 the better. The Anemones would not suffer much, if at all, and the Roses 

 would be materially benefited. 



Casiellias not Flowering (3r. E.). — VTe can only account for the plants 

 not flowering from their being very vigorous, probably from having too much 

 pot room. Placing them out of doors will hinder the formation of bloom- 

 bud". If plants are put outside, which we do not advise, they ought pre- 

 viously to be set with bloom-buds. We cannot account for the non-formation 

 of buds except by the treatment being too liberal. Ours are never removed 

 from the house, and they flower beautifully every season. Supply them 

 liberally with moisture until the growth is complete, and then lessen the 

 amount, but keep the soil thoroughly moist. Do not repot oftener than every 

 secnnd or third year, or even every fourth year, if the growths are good. Top- 

 dresH annually when the buds are swelling for flowering with equal parts of 

 fibrous loam and sheep's droppings laid in a shed for three months, and 

 trodden firm or beaten into a mass. Chop up small before placing it on the 

 soil, just loosening the surface, and removing any mois, but without disturb- 

 ing the roots. They ought to succeed grown in vineries and Peach houses. 



Greenhouse Vine Border (J. H,). — We should have liked your arrange- 

 ment lietler if you could have had a 3-feet border inside the house in which to 

 plant the Vines, and the wall arched bo as to let the roots go outside. This 

 you may yet be able to do by taking down the side wall of the greenhouse in 

 parts, and leaving pillars 14 inches by 9 inches, with a clear opening of 2 feet, 

 and from these you may corrr a head of stone from pillar to pillar for the 

 Rapport of the woll-plato of the front lights. The border should be 3 feet 

 deep, and wo would have it 9 feet wide— 3 feet wide inside, and G feet wide 

 ontiiide the house. It should have a drain at the bottom of the border about 

 3 feet from the greenhouse wall, and to this drain the bottom ought to in- 

 cline each way. At the bottom of the border place 6 inches deep of rubble, 

 from the size of a walnut to that of a man's clenched fist, placing the 

 roughest at the bottom, and the finest on the top, and en the rubble put a 

 layer of soda, grass side downwards. The border may be composed of the top 

 3 inches of a pasture taken off with its turf, where the soil is a light rather 

 than heavy loom, and chopped into pieces about 3 inches square. 0/ this 

 six ports; two parts old mortar nibbish from an old building, one part fresh 

 hor^c dropping!* free of straw, and half a part of half-inch bones, well mixed 

 and put-in 9 inches higher than the intended level to allow for settling. 

 Planf in spring when the Vines are beginning to grow, at about 1 foot from 

 the front wall of the house, the Vines being procured now, and cut so that 

 when planted they will reach at least through the stage or to the bottom of 

 the raftern. It would not do to tako the border under the asphalted walk, as 

 it wonid hink, boHidcs shutting out rain from the roots of the Vines. To 

 avoid making the oiitsido a soapy mass by persons treading upon it, have a 

 '**h pathway formed for them to walk upon, and moveable bo as to top-dress 

 the tjcrjnr when needed. 



Vt'iniso Frcit trf.e WAT,r- (R. L.).—lt is very dcflirahio to wire the wall 

 yon arc ab lUt to construct for fmit trees. The wire nsed should ho galvanised, 

 No. 13, and for Peaches and Apiioots aboold be 4^ inches apart, and lor Pears, 



Plums, and Apples may bo 9 inches or 10 inches. The wires shonld be taken 

 horizontally along the wall, guided by eyed wall-nails or hooks, and se- 

 ciued at both ends with spikes or eyed nails, and tightened by raidisseurs. 

 The wires should be fixed as close to the wall as possible to allow for tying, 

 not more than three-quarters otan inch from it ; ours are about half on inch. 

 For price write to some of those advertising in this Journal. 



Gas-heating Propagating-tank (F. L). — A small gas-boiler holding 

 about half a gallon of water will heat the pit. You will need to have a flow 

 and return pipe connected with your boiler, and the water in the tank musfc 

 be divided by a partition up the middle, so that it may flow up one side and 

 down the other. If the water do not circulate, it wUl be boiling near the 

 boiler and cold at the other end of your tank. The depth of water iu the 

 tank need not be more than three-quarters of an inch, and the space between 

 the water and slates about an inch. It is likely, by turning on the gas morn- 

 ing and evening for a short time, you will have all the heat you vequii-e, but; 

 you will need to ascertain that by & thermometer, which should be kept steady 

 at a giveu temperature. 



Cabbages Eaten by Slugs (Slu(ts). — Sprinkle slaked quicklime over tho 

 surface of the beds and plants. Do it early in the evening two or three times, 

 after intervals of a day. 



American Blight (S. H. W.). — Brushing the trees in winter with paraffin 

 oil is a complete cure. Let the bristles of the brush reach well into the 

 crevices of the bark. As the insect descends to the roots in winter, the thick- 

 parts of these should be laid bare and dressed with the oil, covering-up again 

 after the operation. 



Names of Fruits (5.).— 1, Wyken Pippin: 2, Not known; 3, Carraway 

 RuRsnt; 4, King of the Pippins; 5, Scotch Bridget; 6, Not known. 

 iCentiirion). — 1, Wormsley Pippin; 2, Pomme Roy ale, not Reinette Roy ale ; 

 3, Dutch Mignonne; 4, Stamford Pippin; 5, Beurre d'Aremherg; 6 la Dr. 

 Capron, and is quite worthless. 



Names of Plants {R. J. P.). — The only specimen with a flower, 6, is 

 Gentiana acaulia. The other miserable scraps of leaves we cannot attempt 

 to identify. 



POULTRY, BEE, AlTD PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. 



The immense entries at the Crystal Palace Show have at 

 length decisively wrested the lead from the venerable parent 

 so long looked up to, and caused the numbers to be looked for 

 with considerable interest, the more so as the sadly unequal 

 light at the Palace had caused many awards, which it was fully 

 expected would be reversed under more favourable conditions. 

 Many birds far overhead at the Palace were here fairly seen 

 for the first time ; and tho appearance of the hens in pairs, 

 and in pens properly backed, caused a great contrast with 

 many excellent specimens which at the Palace could by no 

 means be induced to face the spectator. Opinions will always 

 differ as to the single-hen system ; but our own opinion ia 

 more and more confirmed that, whatever reasons may be ad- 

 duced for showing single hens at certain seasons, as a spectacle 

 and as a fair test of the finality of various yards such a plan 

 is infinitely inferior to showing them in pairs. Without further 

 preface, however, we will now proceed to give our impressions 

 of the various classes. 



DoKKiNGS. — Old Grey cocks were a small class of eleven entries. 

 The cup bird had very bad feet and was very hard pressed by 

 pen 0, which should have been iu the prize list. The cup bird 

 was imdoubtedly best in breast, but tho other superior in most 

 other points, both dark birds. The second was small and had 

 little of any sort to recommend him ; third-prize a large bird, 

 but almost white-breasted and useless for pullet-breeding ; 

 fourth-prize one of the best in the class but for a diseased toes 

 which threw him out, and in the opinion of many should have 

 disqualified him. Among the fifty cockerels we much preferred 

 the imnoticed pen 31, which was in every respect superior to 

 same exhibitor's first-prize bird. Pen 32 was also of excellent 

 size and quality, but also overlooked. First-prize very good, but 

 ought to have "been second to the other. The second-prize was 

 good, but third had nothing particular about him ; fourth and 

 fifth fairly good. Mr. White's pen 39, and Mr. Kell's, pen 51, 

 were also excellent birds, and the latter should at least have 

 been highly commended; but we never remember seeing these 

 cheap marks of approval so very sparingly distributed as in 

 sr me classes at this Show. The Selling class for Grey cocks wag 

 pretty much what might have been expected. Among the 

 eleven pens of hens we looked in vain for a single first-class 

 pair. First-prize would have been very good but for the very 

 worst cases of bumble-foot we have seen for years; second-prizo 

 were moderately good. Pen 81 and the fourth-prize contained 

 each one fine hen very inferiorly mated. Pullets (thirty-one 

 entries), were also disappointing, but on the whole tolerably 

 fairly judged, good mating being again tho exception. First 

 were a fair pair ; second-prizo would have been good but for the 

 extremely uncertain age of one of the occupants, which ap- 

 peared to have somehow mistaken her proper basket. Third- 

 prize contained the very best single bird in the class "by long 

 chalks," but again with only a middling companion ; and fifth- 

 prize, too, was virtually scored by one of the occupants only. 



