jQ}y 11, 1867. 1 



JOUKNAL OF HOBTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



31 



KiHiBiTiON Stands for Roses, Dahlias, and Pansies {J. F. ••?.).— A 

 fitautl for, flay, twt-uty-four blooms of Dublias should bo 4H inchest in 

 Icn^rtb by 18 inches in width from front to b/ick. It shouhl ho ruined at 

 the bacK 7 inehcK, and M4 inches in front. The holes should form three 

 lines of oipht each, and ebould be G inches from centre to centre, und 

 3 inches from the oataide. The metal tube for the water may ho 1 inch 

 in diameter, and should t\l into the holes of the board ; the wooden tube 

 to receive the blooni, and fitting into the metal tube, nhould rise Ijf inch 

 above the hoard. The cohmr of the board should be a lively bright green. 

 The dimensions of a stand for twelve blooms of Ualilias can bo easily 

 deduced from the foroKoint*. Such a box as that just described would bo 

 Buitablo for Koses if shown in single trusses ; for sinclo blooms of Roses 

 the dimensit)ns would be almost too large, while for bunches of three 

 truHses it would scarcely afford sufficient space. For Hoses tho tubes 

 may bo fawti'iicd to the bottom of the box, not using a board as in the 

 case of DiihliiiK, and tho spaces filled up with fresh gix*eu moss. Tho 

 most Buitublc colour for a box for Hoses is dark green. A stand for 

 Pansies should have the outside appearance of a ueai box, painted dark 

 rosewood autl highly varnished ; the lid attached by book-and eye hinges, 

 and locked. The lid removed shows a stand of four rows of Pansy blooms, 

 six in ea<'b, airangt^d on a zinc plate one-eifjhth of nn inch thi(^k, i)ainted 

 green, with a slight yellow tinge, and varnished. Length of box 1 foot 

 6 inches, 12j inches wide, and 8 inches deep, three-eighths of an inch 

 thick, and with a little beading inside, on which the plate rests, so as to 

 lie tlush with its edges all round. Tho tubes are soldered to tlie under 

 part of the plate flu.sh with the hack of tho holes to receive tho stalk, bnt 

 receding to the front to allow tho flower to lie well. These Imles are 

 tbree-fourtlis nf an incli long and half nn inch wido. Tho tu!ies beneath 

 are li inchi-s lictp, ] imh long, and ftve-eighths wido. The front holes 

 ore 1' inch from the (.-.U'c of the plate, and 1^ inch from the side, and the 

 rows are ".i inches above each other. When placing the stand for exhi- 

 bition it can be arranged sloping to any angle, by placing something 

 ouderueath it at the back. 



Heatino a Small Conservatory f.t Suhtcribvi, Guildjord). — You can 

 heat your small house succes^-fuUy with a flat-headed iron stove, with a 

 pan of water over it. You can heat it more easily etil! by gas, the burner 

 enclosed in a small iron stove, and a pipe from 2^ to S inches wide going 

 through tho house from the stove, and thence into a chimney or into the 

 open air, and moist beat will be pecurod by a pan nf water over tho stove. 

 It is a mistake to suppose that, heating by hot water is more moist than 

 other moiles of heating, unl<!ss vapour escnpes from the water. However, 

 yon can place a small boiler of tin or galvanised iron over the jets of gas, 



hut have a pipe through the boiler to let the fumes of the gas escape. A" 

 wo cannot make tho matter more simi)Jo without repeating i^hat has 

 already appeared, we would advise you to order No. 2*J9. New Series, 

 stamped 4t/.. from our otfice, where dtlTcrcnt phins of heating by gas are 

 given, one of which no doubt would suit you. 



Plant-house (Amateur, Wittr^n Lodor).- We do the best for oorre- 

 spondcnts, hut we cannot undertake to keep their cases in mind, for we 

 have scores weeklv. Taking vonr letter on its present contents, we wonld 

 say that there are few who would And tho ditficulty of having 80 many 

 Grapes, and we fear it will be found to bo a mistake, if it i» considered that 

 a plant-house will take up much less labour and Ktlcntion than a vinery- 

 We believe it will take more. However, wo quite coincide with vonr idea 

 of having a bouse entirely for plants, and we should approve of that being 

 next the house. It might be as well to do only the first half of yonr 

 vinery next tho house the (irst year, and the second 21 f**et if you liked in 

 the second year. We also approve of your proposed arrangements, to give 

 room. We "would have climbers against tho back wall, and a platform 

 against it 21 inches wide, the same in front, a pathway all round 2^ feet 

 wide, and a sparred table in tho centre 5 feet wide. If the pathway were 

 not wide enough, you might make it a feet, and take tho 1 foot from 

 tlie central platform, or a little from each. The platform should be 

 2 feet 9 inches or 3 feet from tho ground. The plants most suitable for 

 winter flowering in such a house, are Camellias, Epacriaes, Acftcias, 

 Winter Heaths, Chinese Primroses, Cinerarias, Ac. 



Direction (N. Impey),—'hl. Fraui;oi8 Lacharmc,Aui Rivicries, Lyons 

 (Rhone). 



Ferns in Glass Case {i'ortn.?).— Your treatment is totally wTong. Keep 

 the caso shaded, only partially opened, and apply water twice a-weefc 

 during hot weather, but do not pour it over the fronds. The Ferns require 

 a moist atmosphere. 



Muscat Grapes Diseased (G. /"^nn).— They aro severely afTected with 

 the ulcer called "the spot." The roots, probably, are not sufficiently 

 active. More warmth to them, and some warm, weak, liquid maniire, 

 with more air admitted, would check the progress of the disease. Kck 

 off the spotted berries as soon as detected. 



NAMts OF Plants iJameif).—!, Sedum acre ; 2, Erica depressa ; 8, Hoya 

 bella; 4. Erica hirta; 5, Dielytra spectabilis. (£. S. ii. G.j.— Solidago 

 virga-aurea; Phyteuma orbiculare. (F. Tumpson).—^, Allium scorodo- 

 prasum ; 3, Saxifraga sp. ; 4, Viola cnnina ; 5, .\rmeria vulgaris ; 6. Omi- 

 thogalum umb^llatum. {A. B.).— Dictamnns albus. (.V. T.).—l, Pingui- 

 cula vulgaris ; 2, Draba verna ; 3, Orobus tuberosus. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending July !)tli. 



POULTRY, E£E, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



GAME FOWL BREEDING THIS SEASON. 



" YonKsniPE " only seems to be sharing tlie same fate in 

 the chicken department as many o£ his brother fanciers this 

 season ; but as his case seems to be entirely like my own, I 

 venture to say a few words about my own yards, which, I am 

 sorry to think, will do but little more than corroborate "Yor.K- 

 shibe's " statements ; but if experience will bring about a cure 

 for tho malady which is causing such mortality this season, I 

 shall give mine and the result of my practice most willingly. 



In the first place, I may state that I breed several kinds of 

 fowls besides (tiimo — viz., Brahmns, Cochin.s, &c., yet only the 

 Game suffer. Jly Brahmas and Cochins are as strong and as 

 healthy as in years gone by, and aU my chickens, with bnt one 

 brood excepted, have been brought up on the same gravel and 

 grass run, and a largo one too. My Game chickens have 

 suffered precisely in the same way as " Youksiiirk's;" they go 

 on all right until about a fortnight old, and then comes the 

 "tug of war " — loss of appetite, violent purgings, then deatli ; 

 all these in one or two days. I have tried many things to save 

 them, but have never saved one after the attack has fairly 

 commenced. What I have found to be most beneficial are 

 tonics, a little rue and cayenne made into pills, a little citrate 

 of iron in their water, with a lump of camphor floating in it. (I 

 fancy that bread soaked in ale will give diarrboi'a unless ad- 

 ministered very judiciously). If thete precautions are neglected 

 in a few days I find my chickens' wings down again and all 

 going wrong. 



As " Yorkshire " says, the disease is also novel to me, 

 for I have reared hundreds of birds and, save in a small brood 

 of Polands, I never saw the like before. I know there are 

 general complaints this season, but how is it that some yards are 

 entirely free from any such disease ? If those who are fortunate 

 would give us their experience, and at the same time also state 

 the kind of place upon which the birds have been reared, I 

 think this might ventilate the subject a little. As I have 

 previously said, I have a large run, the grass I keep as short 

 as it is possible for horses to graze it on purpose for my chicks, 

 and yet I beheve this is the place where my birds become 

 diseased. The long wet season, no matter how short the grass 

 is, must have a bad effect on birds which must be dry. But 

 here another question suggests itself, Have the breeders in 

 dry places without grass experienced the same bad results ? _ If 

 so, then my theory is tindone ; but from inquiries in my im- 

 mediate neighbourhood, I find the reverse to bo the case. I 

 I will give an instance. 'Sly chickens went on so badly that I 

 resolved to place a brood in the kitchen garden away from the 

 grass, and here they are doing (I am speaking of Game),_ as 

 ; well as chickens possibly can do. They have no medicine 

 ' because they require none ; receive no unusual care, and are fed 

 j simply, chiefly on dry food — wheat, groats, and the like, the rest 

 ! of their food consisting of what they get from the newly-dng 

 I earth, which is considerable, and insects from tho adjoining 

 I small fruit trees. 



I One important part of " Yorkshire's " letter I must now 

 refer to — namely, tliat upon the removal of birds to different 

 places. My chicks in the garden which have done so well 

 are from Nantwich, in Cheshire, yet the gentleman who sent 

 the eggs, Mr. William Chnrch, lamentably complains of the 



