518 



JOUENAL OF HOETICTJLTTJEE AND COTTAGE GAEDEKEE. [ Decsmber 29, 1863. 



Amaryllis Cultoue (A. S. D. C.)-— Your treatment is all rieht so far ; 

 and now if you could plunge the pots in a bottom heat of 75", keeping the 

 atmosphere 10^ lower for a forlniEht, you would have no trouble in briUKing 

 ihe roots to the sides of the pots, i)rnviding the soil was kept Tiioderutely 

 moist. After that they should he kept in a temperature of 00° by night, 

 ■with a rise of 15° with sun and air. Water Ireely until the leaves attain 

 their full size, then gradually withhold the water, and give throe months of 

 rest at the dull perioil of the year. Amaryllis Jobnsoni, A. Johnsoui major, 

 and A. Prince of Orange require the above treatment. A. longifolia rosea 

 does not reciuire so much heat as the others, neither does the Jacobica Lily. 

 A rather warm greenhouse is the best place to winter them in ; and a 

 Tinery is very suitable when growing. In other respects they all require 

 the same treatment. We are promised an article on the cultivation of this 

 family. 



CiNERAKiAs Frosted (G. 5., Dalkeith).— ^av.r Cinerarias will certainly 

 be injured in their flowering by becoming frozen. Keep them near the 

 glass, and give abundance of air, thus encouraging sturdy growth. They 

 may possibly recover so as to flower well, though not so well as if they had 

 Rot been injured. 



HELioTRorKS roit Winter IIiiem).—Tov this purpose we prefer plants 

 which have been struck in apnng and grown on during the summer, as you 

 propose doing with Becillings. Cuttings flower more freely than seedlings, 

 and on that score alone we prefer them. Seedlings, however, do morlerately 

 well for winter blooming, and are stronger and not so liable to damp off. 

 At the same time they are shy bloomers, and are not always worth growing. 

 Cuttings struck in March will belter answer your purpose. All they need is 

 frequent repotting, and pinching back the shoots in order to make them 

 shapely. The blooms should also he nipped off during the summer until 

 September. After that they will flower freely if kept in a w.arin green- 

 house. 



Plans op Flowir Gasdk.ns {C. B.).— There are no plans of gardens 

 published in a ^epalate form. There are a hundred spread through the 

 volumes of this Jouinal. 



Trees to nnPLAcF. CnKSTNCTs on a Dry Soil {E. Hicks).— Via should 

 think the dry rocky soil jou describe would grow Wa nut trees, which 

 are both handsome and useful, though by no means the most proper by a 

 public road. The coninion while flowered Acacia wnu d also look well, and 

 •we are not certain but a Birch would do well in such a place, though not 

 better than a Beicll, and if you liked to have the purple-leavert one it would 

 do. Most ol Ihe newly introduced trees are of the l^inus tribe, and as vou 

 object to evergreens, they are not admissible, and it would not be advisable 

 to plant any but rohust-growmg trees of unuwn hardiness. If you wanted 

 three trees diftering widely from each other, and at the same time orna- 

 mental, plant a white-Howered Acacia, a scarlet-flowered Horse Chestnut, 

 and a pnrple-leaved lieech. They are all hardy fast-growing trees It 

 would, however, be advisable to ctchange soine of the soil which the roots 

 of the late trees have bten occupying fur other fresh soil befoie planting 

 anything. 



HA1.DY EvKliGREENS [A. .1 . &).— The commonly-called Alaternus, is in 

 the Coi/nje Gnnlniers- Bicliona,!/, under the botanical name, Rhamnus 

 alaternus. Griselima hicida or littoralis i- a plant introduced since the 

 tottni/e Gnrileneri,' Dictionnnj was stereotyped, but will bo found in the 



Supplement ab.iut to be published. Eugenia Ugni was supposed when 

 first introduced to be tender, but in most situations it is now iound to be 

 bartiy, and the same observation applies to the other two plants you 

 mention. ^ 



Variocs [C.T. If , flowO. -There is no better TroptEolum than elegans 

 in Its own shade of colour; bi ill, ant is darker but not betlcr ; Tom Thumb 

 (yel ow), IS hne; and so is I'earl, but the flowers are large like a common 

 Nasturtium. We know 1 iiius msiguis will certainly succeed near the sea- 

 coast, and we know ol no reason why P. austriaca should not do so. 



Insect on Lacril Lk.^ves (//. K .ffaini7/on).-We are not aw^.ro of anv 

 insect which gnaws the leai es of the Laurel. Possibly the mischief is done 

 during the night, and the culprit might be caught b> exammmg the trees 

 with a candle alter dark.— VV. ^ 



All«makda NEniipoLiA TaEAT.MExT tA South-Jinsteni Suimibcr).- 



Keep the plant dry :■' •'■" =- - - - 



to! 



.,,,■, ... ... . "■•- r-.'"- ..... o^^ull«c^^ ijaea.aoout. n 



their length il u is a young plant, but if it is large and the wood well ripened 

 the .shoots may safely bo cut back to the second joint. Absut a furiniclit 

 n? i'he ,'^ "'■ I ' '"■e"'""'K "' ""'^l'. '-'PM ">■; plant, t,,l„:,g away as much 

 of the old SOI as can coi.veuicntly be done without injuring tha roots. 

 Drain w;ell and use a compost of turfy lo.im half, leaf sou onc-fourth, and 

 well-rotted manure oni-foui th, with a liberal admixture of sharp san.i if 

 the plant is young omit ihe manure, supplying its place with turfy loam. 

 When Ihe plant mow, .signs of growing cut it in as mentioned before, and 

 be rather sparing ot water until growtli fairly commences, when liberal 

 waterings are required. Abumlance of light and air, with copious syring- 

 '■'«.^„|'''= "a^'S't"- Alter lebiuary the temperature should range from 5.}" 

 to (0 Ihi.s p.ant is the hardiest of the Allamandas, and deserves more 

 extended cultivation on nccoant of its giving a colour much wanted for 

 enect in conservatory decoration in summer and autumn. 



Cisscs mscoioR (/,frral.- You arc quite right in keeping dry at the root. 

 Continue to do so until .March, but do notallow the stems to ^hlivel through 

 excessive dryness. Water must be given to prevent this, and it is wonderlul 

 how little IS necessary to do it. Pot in March, and place in gentle bottom 

 aeat it you have it, and you will be surprised bow kindly the buds break in 

 comparison to thtise not so stimulated. It requires a temperature of 53° to 

 65° in winter, and from C.:° to 80^ when growing. 



CINBRAKIA Leaves Cuki.ing {A Unburiljer, JorSj.-The leaves curl 

 through a contraction of their tissues, which is mostly caused bv insects 

 sucking out the juices of the leaves; but keeping the atmosphere too dry 

 induces hasty ev.iporation from the leaves, and this causes tbem to curl up. 

 100 high a temperature at this season is also thecau.«e of the leaves curling 

 lor it induces growth at a time when there is not sufficient li.'ht to perfect 

 the growths made. Give abund.TOce of air, keep near the gla.-s, and discon- 

 tinue the regular watering, giving water only when tlie plants need it • but 

 do not let the leaves fl..g Irom want of it. Do not water, however, until they 

 need it, then give enough to run through the pots. .See that the drainage 

 js all right, and w.ilcli narrowly for the appearance of the green fly. We 

 think the curled leaves would then improve after the dav lensthens 



Arrangement and Planting or Vineries (.1 Dtimbartonsliire YotUh). 

 — Your arrangements are very good. You will have plenty of heat in the 

 late house, and so you will in the early one, if you do not commence until 

 January, es|iecially if you take two pipes round the end next the boiler. If 

 you think of beginning earlier, yon had better have two pipes at the other 

 end likewise. We would plant as follows, according to your own selection : 

 —Earlij .ffofrsc — Prolific Sweetwater, Black Hamburgh, Bowood Muscat, 

 Mill Hill Hamburgh, Canon Hail Muscat, Muscat cd' Alexandria and 

 Damas Violet. For Late //o»se.— Victoria Hamburgh, Mucat Hamburgh, 

 Koyal Muscadine, Lady Downes', Chasselas Musque. and Black Prince. 



Names of Plants (I'lo/eO.— No. 1, is one of the Holly-leaved pinnate 

 Berberries, probably B. repens; 2, is some Passiftora, it is impossible to 

 say which from a single starved leaf. ('/'. P.).— 1, fipacris purpiirascena. 

 The others are garden varieties which you can much better name at the 

 nearest nursery than we can without a collection of the plants at hand for 

 comparison. 2 has the features of E. grandiflora; 3 and 4, of E. impressa. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



RELATIVE EJN^TEIES— BIRMINGHAM SHOW. 



The various reports of the great congress of poultry seem 

 to prove that this Show has been eminently successful. 

 True, there has been a very unexpected exhibition on the 

 part of one of the Judges — one, which possibly wiU yet form 

 the stibject of further steps. Our "old mother" would 

 .nppe.ar to fancy herself "perfection." She, certainly, has 

 been most successful ; butj as certainly, I v/ould take ex- 

 ception to the opening paragraph of the " Eegulations," 

 " No additional prizes or medals will be awarded, the ex- 

 tended classification now adopted rendering any departure 

 ffom the prize list in this respect unnecessary." The italics are 

 mine. 



Now, in the analysis of the relative entries at this mon- 

 ster Show, a difficulty arises at the outset. The method of 

 entering is peculiar, but for practical purposes I have 

 asstimed each entry to be 7s. Gd. ; and with this assumption 

 as being equally fair to all breeds, I think I shall bo able 

 to prove that a "departure from the 2m~.e list," if " unne- 

 cessary" would be fairer thiin at present. 



The Show has proved that Black Hamburghs richly deserve 

 ■and thoroughly sitpport a class of their own ; but it has 

 shown almost as itnmistake.ably that the " degenerate Poles," 

 or, in other words, " Creve Ccettrs," do not deserve a class, 

 and this experience tallies with the entries at Worcester, 

 where also they enjoyed a class to themselves. I do not 

 fancy they will ever become great favottrites on this side of 

 the water. 



I 2)lace the v.arious breeds according to then' value as 

 returners of money to the coifers of the Show, and will then 

 add a few remarks. 



r, J f A-., . V T>.- .- Amount rtceived 



Or fern/ ^^_,^^ ^n. of Pnz^s /or Entries at 



1 ... Dorking 260 ... £C3 ... £100 7 G 



2 ... Cochins 205 ... 62 ... 76 17 8 



a Il.imburglis (Spanglctl 



and Pencilled) 199 ... 72 ... 74 12 B 



4 ... Game 330 ... 129 ... I:?l 7 G 



:i ... llrahmas 34 ... 13 ... 12 15 



... Bantams Il.i ... 4S ... 4i 2 G 



7 ... Black Hamburghs 23 ... HI ... 8 12 G 



» ... Spanish 71 ... 31 ... 2(1 12 C 



:i ... Pulands 47 ... 3a ... 17 12 (i 



111 ... Malays 10 ... 10 ... 3 LI U 



U ... Cti5veCceuis 7 ... 10 ... 2 12 6 



It is evident from these figures that if the Judges had 

 hiid power to award additional prizes, the Dorkings most 

 richly deserved it. I have never shown, and probably never 

 shall show this breed. I, therefore, cannot be accused of 

 partiality here ; but every unprejudiced eye must see at a 

 glance that this breed deserves stiU'greater eneour.agement 

 at Birmingham. This might be done either by interme- 

 diate prizes of £i 10s., £'i 10s., &c., or by imiking a number 

 of prizes of the same amount, the honour of being third or 

 foiu'th being all the difl'eronce. If the Committee simply 

 acknowletlge the justice of these remarks, they may work 

 the remedy in any way they think best. 



No. 2 and No. 4 I will consider together. They have 

 this in common that private individuals added cups of value, 

 and thus increased, we may sujjpose, the comi^etition. These 

 amounts I have not added to the prizes ottered. Were I to 

 add it, Hamburghs would then become second, and Brahmas 

 fourth, in order of payers. Both Game and Cochins are 

 well encouraged at Bii-mingham, and they have responded 



