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JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ October 17, 1867. 



of the plants, it would be nnfair to give qnotations. Half fill the pots 

 with broken pots or crocks, and upon that place a mixture of chopped 

 ■^hagnmn or moss, fibroua peat, and pieces of charcoal in equal parts' 

 adding a little silver sand. Press the compost firmly, and raise it in the 

 form of a cone above the rim of the pot. Place the plant on the top, and 

 cover the roots, but not part of the stems or pseudo-bulbs, with the com- 

 post. A suitable temperature for a greenhoase from November to April 

 is40° at nijrbt froiu lire heat, and from 45- to 50- by day, air beinr; Riven 

 freely on all favourable occasions. The temperature will of course vary 

 much, and considerably exceed those named during mild weather, and 

 ©specially on sunny days. The temperatures named are for dull days 

 and during frosty periods, being the maximum and minimom from fire 

 heat. 



Covering for Frasie (Alpha). — The best covering for a frame in 

 winter is mats, and, if necessary, clean dry straw upon the mats. A 

 double covering of mats and 6 inches of straw upon them will keep out 

 frost, the sides of the frame being protected. 



Bone Dust for Strawberries iIdevj).—Yon may apply bone dust to 

 Strawberry plaatfitions at the rate of 2i cwt. to one-eighth of an acre of 

 ground, and now is a good time to apply it. 



Shrubs for Planting at the Corners of a House (Subscriber'^. — 

 We should prefer evergi-eens to deciduous trees, and om* choice would be 

 a good plant at each corner of Thujopsis borealis. American or Siberian 

 Arbor Vitje, or something that would be dense in habit, afford shelter 

 in winter, and, above all, be conical in growtb. By all means have a pair. 

 A Thorn and a Beech would be incongruous and far too spreading. A 

 pair of the Silver-ed^'cd Hollies would be extremely handsome, only they 

 are of slow fri'owth. Any of those named will suit you, and they will 

 stand as much cutting as a Privet hedge. 



Walks Becoming Green ildevi).— The best plan to adopt with your 

 walks is to have the gravel turned ; and the next best is, when the walk is 

 frozen to scrub well with a half-worn broom or whalebone brush. If the 

 walk be well swept when the ground thaws, most of the moss will be 

 cleared away, and the first heavj- rain ynU make the walk clean. Strew- 

 ing salt upon the walks will also destroy moss, but salt renders the walks 

 damp and makes them soft, especially in winter. 



PL.iNT-cASE FOR WINTERING Bedding Plants (Pansy).~YouT casc 

 will answer for keeping bedding plants over the winter, and you will have 

 no necessity to keep it fiUed with hot water, except during severe frosts. 

 Calceolaria cuttings will strike freely in it without heat, but the case 

 itself will not keep the plants from frost. It will suftice. however, if the 

 case be kept in a room where there is a fire. The four cuttings of Verbena 

 venosa should be left in the pot, as they are, over the winter, and they 

 ■will give yon a number of cuttings in spring. When you have taken all 

 the cuttings you may then cut-in the plants and pot them off separately. 

 They will mnke good plants for bedding-out nest year, and so will the 

 cuttings yon make in spring. 



Pansies from Seei> (Idem).~The Pansies from seed sown in Augu=:t, 

 now planted out, will flower next May, and will continue in flower the 

 greater part of the summer, water being given freely in dry weather. 



Wintering Fuchsias under a Greenhouse Stage iA. 5.).— The 

 Fuchsias may be wintered under the stage as you propose, beueath other 

 plants, and the drip from the plants on the stage above them will not 

 destroy the Fuchsias if these are watered, and the pots are set on rough 

 open stages or shelves. If the pots were set on the floor the soil might 



absorb too much moisture, and that would either induce growth or cause 

 decay. 



Mathiola TRISTI8 AND SoLLYA LINEARIS (E. A. CV.).— Mathiola tristis 

 is a low-growing undershruli with narrow leaves like a Stock. It grows 

 about 1\ foot high, produces dark lilac-colonred flowers from May to 

 July, and is a greenhouse perennial. Sollya linearis is a climbing plant, 

 having very small loaves and long wiry stems, having a profusion of very 

 handsome, small, drooping, bell-shaped, bright blue flowers in May or 

 early in summer. 



Oleander Flower-buds Falling (Idem). — The chief cause of the 

 buds falling is not affording the plant a position where it can receive 

 the sun's rays fully, combined with a deficiency of water. When the 

 plant is growing, and swelling its flower-buds, the pot should be set in a 

 saucer kept full of water, and be fully exposed to the sun's rays— that is, 

 it should not be shaded by climbers or plants overhead or near it. 



Hardiness of Andropogon formosus, Sorghum nankinensis, and 

 Arundo conspicua (F. O.).— Andropo?on formosus is only hardy in very 

 mild parts of the south of England, but elsewhere requires the protection 

 of a greenhouse. Sorghum nankinensis is not hardy except as above. 

 Arundo conspicua, though hardy in sheltered situations, also requires 

 protection generally. It does admirably in a cool greenhouse or conser- 

 vatory, and has very omJimental foliage. 



Echeveria pul-^'erulenta Culture (rrffm).~It succeeds in a com- 

 post of light turfy loam, broken pots, sand, pieces of charcoal, and sandy 

 peat in equal parts. Good drainage is essential, and not less important 

 is a situation in the full sun. Dryness in winter suits it. with an abun- 

 dant supply of moisture wlien it is growing. It thrives in a greenhouse 

 with fire heat in winter snfiicient to keep out frost. 



Wintering Pelargoniums, Fuchsias, &c., in a Stable (A'.).— There 

 is no difficulty in this if you can exclude frost and keep them dry. The 

 plants must have the soil in the x>ots dry. and all decayed and mouldy 

 leaves and stems must be picked or cut off as soon as thev are perceived. 

 Too much ventilation cannot be given in mild weather. Upon the setting 

 in of severe frost a good covering of dry litter or hay over the plants will 

 be necessary ; and the windows, doors, and other places by which the 

 cold air is likely to find a way in should be closed with straw shutters. 

 It will not matter if the plants aro kept in the dark for weeks when the 

 weather is frosty ; but upon a change of temperature they must have air 

 and light. 



Early and Lite Potatoes (IfZ^m).— We like Veitch's Prolific Ash- 

 leaved Kidney, for very early, Lapstone and Jlilky White to succeed the 

 Asbleaf, and Skerry Blue for late crops. Shaws arc a large coarse kind 

 of Potato, of no value except for cattle. 



Fruit Tkees for North Durham (A. TT.).— For early ripening procm-e 

 of Dessert Apples — Devonshire Quarenden. Early Julien. Kerry Pippin, 

 Oslin, Summer Pearmaiu, Yellow Ingestrie. Kitchen AppJex. — Carlisle 

 Codlin, Hawthornden, Keswick Oodlin. Pears. — Citron des Carmes, Jar- 

 gonelle, Hessle. Bearrn d'Amanlis, Jersey Gratioli, Red Doyenne. Plums 

 — Early Mirabelle, Early Green Gage, July Green Gage, and St. Etienne. 



Book (Di.r). — "The Garden Manual" may suit you. It can be had free 

 by post from our office if you enclose twenty postage stamps with your 

 address. 



Names of Plants (Old Subscriber, Holme). — Too withered to be cer- 

 tain ; but probably Acorus calamus, or Sweet Flag. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending Octsber loth. 



POTJITRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



THE BIRMINGHAM SCHEDULE. 



The Birmingham folks generally prepare some " novelty for 

 the season," and the unusual delay in the appearance of the 

 prize Ust this year of course led to a general expectation of 

 important changes. The expectation will not be disappointed, 

 as the schedule differs in many particulars from that of last 

 year ; and though every one could, doubtless, pick numerous 

 " holes " in it, I am inclined to think that the general opinion 

 will be pretty unanimous concerning its eminently satisfactory 

 character. 



The first thing that strikes all intending exhibitors is 

 the general introduction of cups in addition to the money 

 prizes. Formerly these were confined to the few given by 

 amateurs, but on this occasion the Committee have liberally 

 seconded such efforts by adding cups to many other classes. 

 These are, throughout, offered to cockerels of 1SG7, and the total 

 result is a live-guinea cup for the beat cockerel in Coloured 



Dorkings, Buff Cochins, Dark Brahmas, Spanish, Silver- 

 spangled Hamburghs, Black Red Game, and Brown Red Game. 

 A five-guinea cup is also offered for the best cock or cockerel 

 in Light Brahmas, and another for the best pair of hens or 

 pullets of the same breed; whilst a cup of three guineas is 

 offered to each sex amongst the French fowls. These additions, 

 I venture to predict, will be appreciated by amateurs, and more 

 than pay for themselves in increased entries. People like to 

 have now-a-days a sort of "blue riband" in addition to the 

 bare money prize, and Birmingham was, but is no longer, 

 decidedly behind the age. 



There are also several extra classes. Notably, a class oaeh 

 is now allotted to Houdan and La Fliiche, in addition to CroTe 

 Ctt'urs, and separate classes are also given to old and young 

 birds of Dark Brahmas, instead of all ages having to be shown 

 together. This last change was specially needed, for in no 

 breed can hens and pullets be shown against each other with 

 such utter impossibility of justice to either. In Pigeons a cup 

 is offered to the exhibitor taking the greatest number of prizes ; 

 and I may also note that iu the class for Any other variety, 

 instead of first, second, and third prizes, three first and three 



