December 5, 1667. ] 



JOUBNAL OF HOETICUIiTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



429 



GBfnrmiA zebrtna Restino (Rector, Kent). —Yon rany nowalmoBt tatallv 

 cease waterinR them, but it would bo well to give ii little w:iter (tconKion- 

 ally, Hfiy onco a-wook, until tho fnlinKe decays. Tho stemR should not be 

 cat down until the tlowor-Btoms docny or become dried up. You will do 

 well toaHsiKu to thorn a licht and airy situation, and if you can jfivotliem 

 beat do ho. as tho hotter this year's growths aro matured Iho stronjjer will 

 be tho roots. Ynu nmy have them in bloom earlier by pottin;^ tho ro'its 

 Id March and phuii-'int,' the pots in a Cncumhtr-frame or other hotbed, 

 and by thti.i^ furwardinR them in heat thoy will bloom by September or 

 even earlier accorcling to the temperature. They require a stove or 

 vinery, which is only a sort of etovo where forcing' is carried on. 



GoOfiKnERRY AND ClIRRANT BlTSIIKH PrITNINO (J. D., M.D.). — YoU 



shonld well thin out the shoots from tlio centre of tho bushes, nnd cut-iu 

 all the Hide shoots upon tho main branches to within half an inch of 

 their base. Tho main branches should bo left from 9 inches to 1 foot 

 apart. Tho tcrratniil shoot of tho bruicli miy ho. rediicod two-thirds of 

 its Icnffth. and only have tlio end taken "IT if the shoot be rightly disposed 

 and extension required. Tho soil slmuld bo taken out with a spado from 

 aronnd tho fitenis of the bushes, and down to tho roots, without cutting 

 or diflturbini? these. It may bo removed for a distance of from 18 inches 

 to 2 (eel from the Htom. Into this sort of trench you may place a layer 

 of well-rottod munure 8 inches thick all over, and thou cover it with soil 

 an inch or two tlcop. Ynu may then manure the remain'ler of the (,'round 

 between the rows and diR tho manure neitly in, not coink' so deep as to 

 Injuro tho roots. In summer you may water liberally during dry weather 

 with lifiuid manure. 



Plants for a North IJorder (Frfd'ii. — You mav plant in your north 

 border sinale and double red and blue, and sini?lo wbitu Hopaticas, Winter 

 Aconite, Snowdrops, Scilla sibirica, the common Primroso, and its double 

 white, lilac, and crimson varieties. These will render the border gay for 

 the early spring months. 



Soot as SIanitrf. for Bulbs {Idem). — Soot is an excellent manure for 

 almost all plants and bulbs. It may be apolied to plants in borders when 

 they are in active growth or aro rommcncinff Rrowth, and should bo 

 sprinkled around them Rn as to blacken tho soil, or just cover the (jround; 

 it may be pointed in with a fork. Plants or bulbs in pots mav bo watered 

 twice a-week with soot water, and that is tho best means of appljinii it 

 to plants iu pots. Use a peck of soot to thirty gallons of rain water, stir 

 welli allow the Injuor to gettle, and use the clear liquid for wateiinj* with. 



Wat.tonian Cases (7(f«m).— These ore not now eo much sought after as 

 they formerly were by amateurs, but those now advertised in our columns 

 are improvements upon the original. We do not know where the old 

 ones are to be obtained. Mr. Gray, Horticultural Builder. Danvers Street, 

 Chelsoa, London, would be likely to furnish you with the information you 

 reqoiro. 



Hardy and Halp-hardy Plants for BorguETS (.4 Cottarjc Gardener).— 

 Yoa should jilant Sweet Williams. Pinks, Carnations, and especially the 

 old Clove, pretty extensively ; and you cannot have too many Roses ; and 

 a few plants of Sweot Briar and tho common Southernwood will be found 

 useful Campanula aggregiita.Ditphnecneorum ; Delphinium Belladonna, 

 formosum, alopornroidos, and Wheeleri ; Oladiolusg.indavonsisin variety, 

 Gynorinm argonteum. Hyporicuin ealycinuin. Lathyru? graudiftorus and 

 L. latifolins ; Lilium chaloodonicuin, lancifolium superbum, and anran- 

 tiaonm ; Lychnis Haageana, borbaceous Phlox in variety, double Py- 

 rothmms : Salvia argentca for its foliago, S. nemorosa. Tritoma uvaria, 

 Tritonia auren, and double Kocket. Of half-hardy plants, bedding Pelir- 



poniums, shrubby Calceolarias, Salvia patens and splendens. Verbenas, 

 Heliotrope, (iorman Ten-week Stocks; German Aster, Phlox Driiin- 

 mondi, Branching Larkspur, and plenty of Mignonette. 



FiLnnuT CoLTURE (A Cottage Oarri^-iirr).— Refer to what was said in 

 reply to a correspondent at page 410, which will meet your case, we thinlt, 

 nnd which you doubtless have seen. 



WiNfRRiNfJ AND Propaoatino HOLLYHOCKS [Htrfatham Common).— It 

 your sol is dry and light you may leave the plants where planted during 

 tho winter, protecting them with cocoa-nut fibre and ashes as you pro- 

 pose ; but if the soil is heavy, wet, and cold, it will be well to take them 

 up and store them in cocoa-nut fibre and ashes in a cold frame for 

 the winter. By inaking cuttings in spring, as proposed, you will obtain a 

 lato bloom. For cuttings choose the young shoots, taking them off close 

 to tho old root as soon as thoy are :i or 3 inches In length, potting them 

 singly and (irmly iti three-inch pots, placing thorn in a cold frame, draw- 

 ing the lights on closely, and affnrding them shade from sun. The cuttings 

 ought to bo carefully watered. In a week or ten days a little air may be 

 admitted, and when well rooted they may be freely exposed whenever tbe 

 weather is ftivourablo. If you take cuttings in February or March they 

 shonld have the benefit of a mild hotbed. 



Dissolved Bones for PF.LAROoNruMs (Thornton-U-Uo'ir^.—Thc super- 

 phosphate of lime formed by dissolving bones for manuring Turnips is 

 equally employable for Pelargoniums. It should bo used sparingly to the 

 Tricoloured, for excessive luxuriance will detoriorato the colours. Two 

 parts sand and one part light turfy loam, with a little half-inch bones of 

 rubbly charcoal, mixed together, are employed for striking tbe cuttings. 



Winter Flower Gardes {A Flotcrr Gardf.ner). — As wc do not know 

 the "Ashwicken Rector." we cannot ask for a list of tho "variegated 

 herbaceous plants " he employs. 



HoT-DED Thermometer. H. H.).— Thermometers for ascertaining the 

 interior toinporature of hot-beds are now obtainable at any philosophical 

 instrument maker's. The price is about five shillings, we believe. 



SEEDLtNo Pears (J. Wiphton). — Yom- large green seedling is very pro- 

 raising, but we cannot say much for the small ono. 



Pelargoniums (\y. A. Olifnti).—'Sos. '2 and ii appear to be the same 

 variety. No. 1 seems to be new, and is certainly pretty : but we always 

 decline naming or identifjring florists' flowers. The leaf you enclosed 

 is that of Gymnostachyum Verschaflelti, also called Eranthemum rubro- 

 vcnium. 



Seedling Chorozema [A Suhscribcr]. — Tho flowers are more richly 

 coloured than those of its parent. Chorozema varium, and if, as you say, 

 they arc produced *' very freely all tbe winter," it will be an acquisition. 



Seedling Pelargoniums (W. M. Bradlry). — \o one can form an 

 opinion of the merits of a Pelargonium from a single pip and single leaf. 



Names of Fruits f.7. E/--omc). — 3, Uvedale's St. Germain ; 4, Calebassc ; 

 5. Mario Louise; 6, Glou Mor<.-eau : 7. Winter Nelis. (FT. /f. AM.— 1, Beurre 

 Diel; 2. Forelle ; S, Passe Colmar. {Wymidf-). — It is impossible to name 

 your Vine from a piece of the young wood. The fruit always, and a 

 mature leaf often, is necessary to be seen for identification. 



Names of Plants lA Younn Gardener). — We connotname a plant from 

 seeing a single leaf of it. (Q. iiiJdj. — 1, Selaginella Kraussiana : 2, S. Mar- 

 tensii; 8, Adiantura sffine ; 4. A. formosum; 5, Oyranogranima chryso- 

 phylla ; 6, Erica colorans. (TT. F. il/.).— Aralia canescens. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending December 3rd. 



POULTRY. BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



JUDCxING rOULTRY. 

 " An Exhieitop.," in iioticins my remarks on this subject in 

 the report of the Bristol and Clifton Show, snggests that it 

 would be wiser to assign to each judge the classes with which 

 he is most conversant. This, I believe, is often done; but in 

 this case, I think, it would bo a still better plan to let each 

 judge, after having judged his portion, criticise the other's deci- 

 sions. If it is simply want of time, let more time be given ; 

 but recollect that at Bristol a whole day was given up to judg- 

 ing, yet certainly one or two glaring errors were committed. 1 

 can understand that the reasons which first induced a judge to 

 seleot a given pen for a cup always press upon him when he 

 eiamines the pen, but might be modified by fresh criticism. 

 V/e are disposed to let our first opinions retain their hold on 

 ns. Moreover, it is quite possible that a deformity may be 



overlooked, especially when, as in the case of one or two a 

 Bristol, the pen is otherwise most magnificent. In the de 

 formities of the tail, this latter is not always carried wrongly 

 but very often assumes its correct position. As I mentioned 

 in my " Dottings," this was observed in the single Cochin cock 

 that was awarded first prize ; the carriage of tail was noticed, 

 but the bird appeared to have the power of holding it correctly 

 if he pleased. Later, many agreed as to the deformity. 



" An ExniniTor, " says the plan I propose would require 

 more time. I do not see that this is made out ; and even if so, 

 better have more time and less dissatisfaction afterwards. I 

 am well aware that jujdRcs will difTer as to the merits of given 

 pens ; but my suggestion for a third judge was only intended 

 to avoid glaring cases ; and in case of difference it would then 

 be not "over-ruling" the decision, but reconsidering it, and 

 allowing the majority to decide. 



" An ExniPiTOR" then says that, judging from my own case, 

 it would fail, as I fell into errors ! Well, my error was so 

 glaring that it would not have taken a lengthened consultation 

 to convince me. A look at the pen would have been sufficient 



