Angiut 22, 1667. ] 



JOUENAL OF HOETICDLTOEB AND COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 



115 



Uhododendronh not Fi,oi\*ElilNO {Agnfn}. — Yonr Rhododonilrons aro 

 siKuled tbrouKh heiiiR kept under Klass. They aro perfectly hardy, and 

 should have heeii kept outride, with the pots plunutd in an open situation, 

 and well tiupplied with water when making their Kro\wtli. and during dry 

 p«rlodt4. lu a greenhouse lUiododendronH, uDleii» they have a very coui 

 and airy poHition, grow luxuriantly but do not set their btidK, a circum- 

 fltauce whieh in due to the deficiency of light, and their growth not ho- 

 ooming matured. You cannot do anything this season to induce the 

 plants to flower next year, for their buds, you say, are wood-buds. 



A/AI.EAH AFTER FLOWERING ( /(iiTnO.—Azalcafi after flowering should bo 

 repotted if they require it, bo placed in a house with a gentle heat, and 

 Jaare frequent syriugings, and a moist atmosphere, with a moderate amount 

 of air, in order to encourage free growth. Continue them in tbo bouse for 

 About six weeks, or until a good growth has been made ; then they sliould 

 have abundance of air, and a situation well exposed to the liglit. Supply 

 them with plenty of water, and keep them under glass until tlio buds are 

 aot, which you may know by feeling the points of the shoots. Those 

 which have set for Itloom will feel as if there were a hard knot in them ; 

 bat if tliere are no bloom-buds the points of the shoots will bo soft and 

 ampty. They may then ho placed out of doors ; take them in towards the 

 clone of Hepteniher, and place thein in a light and airy situation in a 

 ffroenhouso from which fro^t is merely excluded, giving plenty of air. It 

 u better to retain the plants under glass after the buds aro set, keeping 

 them in a cool, well-ventilated structure. 



Azalea Leaves Browniso tF. B.).~The only way to prevent the 

 leaves from browning and falling oft" is to keep the plants in health. If 

 you will send us particulars we will endeavour to advise. 



CuRVSANTriEMUil CUTTINGS (.f Su6«f rifxT).— Cuttings of Chrysanthe- 

 mama struck in April flower the same year, and cuttings struck in July 

 will also flower in the same season, if not stopped after that time ; but 

 not nearly so finely as those that wci-e struck in spring. 



THANMPLANTiNti KosBs IN SEPTEMBER fWrm).— Although root-ftclion 

 is more active in September than later in the season, it is not a good time 

 to remove Uoses, as when then lifted they aro liable to sutTer. and the 

 wood does i.tit ripen well. The end of October, or the beginning of No- 

 vember, is the best time to plant lioses. 



Pl.AciNii Casiellias AND AzALKAs OuT OP DooFS (Tilfm). — It is a rule 

 not to turn these plants out of the house until the growths are made, and 

 the buds set. but they do much better kept in a cool, airy house. 



PaopAGATlNQ Cerastium ToltENTosuM (.7. 7,.).— It strikcs vcTV freely 

 from cuttings. Tbo shoots that come from the base of the plant make 

 the best cuttings. These.taken when from 3 to 4 inches in length, inserted 

 in light, sandy soil, and kept moist and shaded, will soon root, and will 

 be fine plants by the next spring. Wo simijly allow a line or edging to 

 xvmain thrtmgh the winter, and in shower)' weather abont the end of 

 March, take up the whole line, pull the plants to pieces, and plant these 

 with a dibble, putting two or three of the tiny wiry shoots together. We 

 leave an inch or two of their tops above ground, and make no distinction 

 LetweeH tliose whieh have roots and those having none, as all alike make 

 good plants. Wo insert them about 6 inches apart, and by July we have 

 as good a lino as could well be desired. It is quite hardy. 



PKoi'AOATiNa DocuLE ToM TilUMB Tropi-eolcms {W«ml.— Tho points 

 of the moderately strong shoots should be taken off with a sort of heel 

 when from a to 4 inches long, and quite close to the shoot from whence 

 they take their rise. The ends of the cuttings should bo pared smooth 

 with a sharp knife, and the leaves removed for two-thirds the length of 

 the cutting. Insert the cuttings to that depth round the sides of six- 

 inch pots, in a compost of equal parts of sandy peat and loam, and silver 

 sand, placing an iuch of the last over the surface. Give a gentle watering, 

 and place thorn in a hotbed of about 70 or 75 , plunging the pots to the 



tim. Bo careful not to over-water, and keep close, or admit air very mo- 

 derately. There is no necessity to shade. The sand should not be more 

 than moist. They will slriko root freely, and Uion gradutliy harden tlun 

 uir, pot off, and winter in au airy greeuhouse. 



Propaoatino Viola corndta (W^m).— This plant strikes very freely 

 from the side shoots, or runners sliiqjed ofl" either with or without roots, 

 and potted In small pots lllled with light soil, and plac^d in a cold frame. 

 They should then bo kept close and shaded lor ten days or a fortnight, 

 the Hoil being maintained in a moist condition, and water being applied 

 overhead in the morning through a flne-rosed watering pot. When the 

 yming plants aro growing freely harden them ofT, and plant out where 

 they are to remain. It la very hardy, and uauily increased by division 

 and seeds. 



Salvia patens, Bros and Flowers Broppino (D. H.I.— Weoan only 

 account for the flowers (never of long continuance indivi<lu.illy) dropping 

 by a deflciency of water at the roots, and keeping the plant at a distance from 

 the glass in a conservatory, and in a badly ventilated part. Supply it 

 with plenty of water, and give liquid manure once a-week; place it in the 

 lightest, most airy, and coolest situation, and syringe the foliage fre- 

 (luontly. but not the fl..wer8. Tbo plant is very luible to be attacked bj 

 red spider and thrips when grown under glass. 



Cordtline ixDnisA Dampino ofp(Z/. M. G.).— Cordylines, IJracionae, 

 and Tree Ferns, are liable to die off by the decay of the stem near the 

 surface of the soQ. This is the result of potting the pUnt with the collar 

 sunk in the centre of the pot or tub mui'h deeper than it was before. 

 Watering keeps the collar very wet, and decay sets in from the base of 

 the leaves that were removed. Pulling off the leaves is a very common 

 cause of tbo stems decaying, and is a practice that should bo avoided as 

 much as possible. Tbo decayed leaves should bo cut off with a sharp 

 knife instead of being torn off, which can hardly bo done without damage 

 to the stem of the plant. 



Definition of Greenhoose asd Con8EKvatorv,.ahd of Loam (OM 

 7?iij;;/fc(on).— Greenhouse and conservatory are often used synonymously ; 

 but the first is intended to convoy the idea of a structure principally de- 

 voted to plants in pots or boxes; the second, to those for the most part 

 planted out. In both the temperature is suitable for exotic plants not 

 sufHciently hardy to withstand our winters, but not so tender as to 

 require the heat of a stove or intermediate house. The term loam^is 

 applied in a vcrv indefinite manner. Hy loam wo should nodcrstand tke 

 accumulated washings of any soil of an aluminous nature, and when 

 mixed with other soil naturally or artificially, the mixtnre is then distin- 

 guished as chalky, peaty, or turfy loam, 4c. 



Helichryscms (-J. .v., (I Conilant .Suincndfr).— Gather the flowers 

 when they are just opening ; they will then keep for a long time. Evi- 

 dently you cut them when too far expanded. 



Name of Fruit (T/ios. Baaj/arrf <(> Son).— Wo believo your Pear to be 

 highly-coloured specimens of the Peach Pear. 



Names of Plants (J. C. .S.).— 1, P>Tethrum, garden var.; 2, Ocntiana 

 asclepiadea; 3, Oatananche cterulea. (f. if 1.— Francoa sonchilolia. 

 (P. v. F.).—l, Hypericum androsiemum ; '2, Adiantum capillus- Veneris; 

 3 Ptoris aerrulata ; 4, Artemisia vulgaris; 5, Linaria vulgaris. ( J. £.).— 

 Nos 1-5 all Lastrea Filix mas. Wo have searched m vain for such an 

 article as that which you say appeared. (Cirni »•.).— PmnellaviUgarM 

 (Self-heal). (A. ii.l.— Lastrea FiUx-mas cristata. {J. E. i.).— I, Jelliea 

 gerauiilolis ; 2, Cheilanthcs hirta. (D. D.)-l, Lastrea Fihx-mas ; 2, I^- 

 treasp. :3, Polypodium phegoptcris : 4, Athvrnim Filix-ffimina. iC.A.M.). 

 —1, NothochlKua Maranta; ; 2, Asplonium fontannm ; 3, Chellanthes 

 odora. We could not undertake the labour of iminiug a whole book of 

 dried Ferns. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending August 20th. 



Wed. . 14 

 Tlmrs. I.'') 

 Frl, ., IG 

 Sat, .. 17 

 Snn... 18 

 Mon,.. I'J 

 Toes, . 20 



Mean 



BABOHETBB. 



Max. 



29.948 

 3U.131 

 2fl SOO 

 29.860 

 8U.O00 

 80.U71 

 30.073 



39.982 



Min. 



29.736 

 29.887 

 29.015 

 29.8)2 

 29.986 

 30.014 

 29.990 



29.867 79.14 



tsbrmomrter. 



1ft. dp. 



66 

 67 

 66 

 66 

 65 

 65 



65.86 



2 ft. dp. 



62 



63 

 C2 

 61 

 61 

 62 



62.00 



Wind. 



Rain In 



I inohoa. 



General Rxuaszb. 



1JJ6 



Very fine and hot ; cloudless ; overcast, thanderstorm and heavy 

 Raii ; showery ; slight rain at night. [rain at night. 



Densely overcast ; fine throughout. 

 Cloudy ; partially overcast and fine ; olondy. 



Overcast ; cloudy ; verj- fine at night. 



Very fine ■ exceedingly fine and hot; contmnons storm of thnnder, 

 Densely clouded ; ver>- fine ; clear. [Ughtning, and heavy rain. 



POULTRY. BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



Fia:\CH BREEDS OF POULTRY. 

 Having imported and disposed of for the National Poultry 

 Company many hundreds of the French varieties of fowls, I 

 think that this experience may be of some interest to your 

 readers. The three breeds arc, I consider, very useful intro- 

 ductions to our poultry yards, and I rank them in order of 

 merit — lirst, HouJau ; second, Cieve Ccuur ; and third, I^a 

 Fli>che. The two latter are more especially suited to a genial 

 climate and dry situation. The greatest drawback in this 

 country to Cn" ve Caiurs is that they ore subject in chauRe of 

 tenipeiature to attacks of cold, approaching to, and not uufre- 

 quently ending in, roup. The ssme, in a certain degree, may 

 ^e said of the La Fleohe ; and there is in this variety an on- 



accountable mortality amongst the cocks, with great difficulty 

 in keeping them in good health on the same run where the 

 hens are doing well. ., 



It is to the Houdans, which, for commercial purposes 1 con- 

 sider stand first, that I purpose more particularly to refer. 

 They are a very hardv race, easily acclimatised, showing great 

 vigour of constitution, and bear almost any confinement; pro- 

 lific layers of large eggs, which they continue to produce nearly 

 throughout the year. They are very fertile, much more so 

 than the other varieties of French fowls, and equal m this 

 respect to any of our exhibition breeds, consequently there is 

 a large proportion of chickens, which are particularly hardy 

 and easily reared. It is a common faying at the National 

 Poulti-y Company's establishment, " You cannot kill a Uondan 

 chicken " Being non-sitters it will, of course, be necessary to 

 incubate their eggs bv some other breed. Cochin or Brahma 

 hens accompUsh this in the best possible manner. An adolt 



