JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ January IS, 1870. 



in action during the winter, it is obvious thatif moisture is entirely with- 

 held, the want of it must be injurious. Vine bordcra do not require top- 

 dressing in spring until Vines are in active progress, say the frnit just 

 set ; then any good fresh manure will do, which can be washed down to 

 the roots by water. Ground bones are excellent. 



Best Late Pear as a Standard (H. A. B.).— We believe Glon Morceau 

 will suit your purpose if the situation is pretty warm and sheltered. If 

 exposed, then we would recommend Ne Plus Menris as a hardier sort. 

 We cannot recommend one tradesman in preference to another. Haut- 

 bois Strawberries may be procured from any respectatle nurseryman. 



Unhealthy Peach Trees ( Vicar).— We are inclined to think from the 

 examples of the shoots sent us, that your trees nre greatly wanting in 

 health and vigour, and make but very feeble growths, which consequently 

 soon become a prey to insects, Ac. We would recommend yon to prune 

 these weakly shoots back rather hard, and by mulching and watering in 

 summer try to induce more vigour. The fact of the borders being so 

 shallow and resting on paving stones, suggests the idea that the roots are 

 frequently too dry — an excellent condition for the propagation of red 

 spider, the effect of which is seen by the leaves becoming of a whitish 

 appearance and covered with small woolly webs. The insects themselves 

 may alBo generally be seen on the backs of the leaves. As yon say you 

 have tried all sorts of means to cleanse yonr trees in summer from the 

 green and brown aphis which attack them, we can only recommend 

 further perseverance, which must triumph. Procure some Gishurst com- 

 pound or Fowler's insecticide, and paint your trees with it now, making 

 it up to the consistency of paint by the addition of some soil ; also pro- 

 cure some of Pooley's tobacco powder, and in the spring, when the young 

 leaves appear, dust them over with the powder. Do this while they are 

 wet, so that the powder may adhere ; then, after an interval of a few days, 

 syringe with clear water, and again if any aphis appear repeat the same 

 operations throughout the summer. By persevering in this way you 

 must overcome them. Dust the powder over every part of the tree. The 

 ants follow the aphides, and come to feast upon them. With respect to your 

 maiden Peach trees, we recommend you not to pot them this season, but 

 to plant them out in some good ground, and grow them there for one 

 season more. Cut them down to where you can observe buds situated on 

 the main stem, which will most likely bo about a foot above the bud. All 

 these side branches or laterals, so pretty on the maiden plant, are of no 

 use for the future formation of the tree; they must be cut back to the 

 lowest bud, and in summer attend to the regnlar pinching of the young 

 shoots. We can scarcely UV you how to water pot plants. Pots 10 inches 

 in diameter are a very good size, and the most suitable soil fresh yellow 

 turfy loam with some charcoal or burnt ashes. Put 2 inches of drainage 

 in each pot. 



Premature Shoots on Potatoes (H. T. H.).—" You have what is 

 commonly termed ■ sprung ' the Potatoes without knowing it. They are 

 an early sort, as far as I can judge from the young shoots sent, which 

 are about 2 inches long; therefore let the tubers be carefully handled, 

 and ruboff every shoot excepting one, which should be the strongest and 

 the ' stockiest." This mn^t not be moved in the least, for the slightest touch 

 is almost sufficient to displace or knock off prematurelv forced shoots 

 from an early Kidney Potato. The tubers should then be placed in single 

 layers on boards or a dry floor— say in a loft or outhouse quite secure from 

 frost, and where there is a subdued light. In such a place the cadaverous 

 shoots on the sets will become green, and attached firmly to the tubers. 

 After about a month they will be fit for planting, and little harm will 

 have been done to them. If the case were mine I would, a few days 



before they 



eye and eve 



would grow from thence merely to produce tubers about the siz 

 marbles, to the inevitable detriment of the fine large fellows around the 

 single shoot, which would renuire all the room and all the nourishment. 

 —Robert Fenn." 



Eablt Butterfly (T. M.)— A small tortoiseshell butterfly on the wing 

 during Christmas Day is, of course, unseasonably earlv. As it was in 

 your drawing-room, an egg, accidentally introduced," was artificially 

 hatched by the warmth. We know of no one book that will define the 

 meaning of the names of the whole animal kingdom. 



Figs ( ).— We shall soon publish some notes on this fruit. 



Beard's Wall Tree Screens (A Reader).— You can obtain them at 

 Mr. Beard's, Victoria Works, Bury St. Edmunds. 



Dessert Fruit Trees for Yorkshire (Bradford'.— Apples : Kerry 

 Pippin, Summer Pearmain, Yellow Xngestrie, Court of Wick, Sykehouse 

 Russet, Wyken Pippin. Peers : Jargonelle, Beurre d'Amanlis, Louise 

 Bonne of Jersey, Bed Doyenne, Thompson's, Knight's Monarch. Plums ; 

 Green Gage, Purple Gage, Jefferson, Coe's Golden Drop, Reine Claude de 

 Bavay, Late Rivers. 



Destroying Rats (B. D. C.).— The rats will do great injury to the roots 

 by their burrowing in the border, making it loose, and forming passages. 

 Tney will also devour every root they come across. The rats are un- 

 doubtedly attracted by the fuod given, and perhaps wasted bv the supply 

 being too great for the dog. Rats are too cunning to take poison, unless 

 it be mixed with something from which it cannot be known. Lav down a 

 good supply of oatmeal mixed with a little melted lard, to make'it rather 

 lumpy, and continue to place this mixture every night for three or four 

 nights ; this will attract them. Omit it one night, and the next night mix 

 equal quantities of oatmeal and arsenic, making it rather Jumpy as before 

 by mixing it with some me'.t*d lard ; this put where the meals" had been 

 before will be greedily partaken of by the rats. Remove what remains of 

 the poison in the morning, and if you wish any remaining rats to take 

 poison entice them with sweet food for a few nights. 



Ornamental and Flowering Shrubs and Perennials (J. BX— In 



?,, fV ; a ? d XV -« Xew Series, are extensive lists of all the best shrnbs, 

 with brief descriptions, and some notes on cultivation ; ?nd articles on 

 their arrangement and planting will be found in the latter volume. 

 Herbaceous and alpine plants have been fully treated of in former 

 Tolumes. We quite agree with your view on the subject— that thev are 

 deserving of more extended cultivation, and nothing would conduce so 

 much to that end as cultivators giving their experiences of the plants 

 cultivated with descriptions, height, time of flowering, continuance of 

 bloom, soil, and particulars of cultivation. 



Pips. Plants, and Cuttings of the Wild English Crab.— F. Crow- 

 iner, aalijax, lorkshtrc, wishes to have these for some friends in Aus- 



tralia ; if any of our readers can supply him they will oblige by writing to 

 him. CuttiugB taken off now and despatched at once, packed in powdered 

 charcoal in a hermetically closed tin case, enclosed in a wooden box, will 

 travel to Australia quite safely. This is the mode adopted by the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, which has sent out many hundreds of cuttings, as 

 noticed in our pages a week ago. 



Various (Amateur). — 1, Vine*. — If you mean to confine the roots of the 

 Vines entirely within the space 3 feet in width, it will in some degree 

 resemble a big flower pot, and must be treated accordingly. The Vine 

 will, of course, require more water, and if this be not given the plant will 

 not reap the benefit. If it is merely a hole dug out and so much fresh 

 soil put in, it will be best to raise it but little above the surrounding level, 

 as the roots will soon ramble down and away. 2, The Peach Trees them- 

 selves would derive no benefit from being untied at this season. It is 

 done sometimes to allow of a better exposure to the weather, in order to 

 cleanse them from all insects, Ac, and sometimes to retard their flower- 

 ing in spring, so as to avoid the danger of late spring frosts. 3, Miniature 

 Apple Trees. — Fresh bones are usually applied as fertilisers to give vigour 

 — quite the opposite of what is required for the cultivation of miniature 

 Apple trees. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



EXHIBITION PENS. 



The correspondents who have sent yon accounts of the 

 recent shows have on Beveral occasions dwelt on the pens 

 provided for the accommodation of the birds, and the thanks 

 of all poultry fanciers are due to them for directing attention 

 to what really is a very important point. I remember in 

 particular that in your account of the Dorking Show it was 

 Btated that the pens were large and good in every way, a state- 

 ment which interested me, because I happened to have sent 

 one or two pens to that nursing mother of our great English 

 breed. When my birds returned, I found that their feathers 

 were in no wise injured, so that they were ready, if required, 

 to go elsewhere before long. At Aylesbury, on the other hand, 

 the case was very different. The pens had wire backs as well 

 as wire fronts ; 1 had therefore an opportunity of seeing a bird 

 of mine which happened to be among the winners, " backing" 

 every few minutes whenever anyone came to inspect him, and 

 running hi3 tail feathers into the wire. When he returned, 

 of course his plumage was so injured that he could not be 

 shown for some time. I do not know what pens they had at 

 Whitehaven, but I find that a bird which I sent to that Show 

 has returned with his tail feathers more injured by this one 

 visit than by two or three trips elsewhere. I for one should be 

 glad if committees would state in their programmes what pens 

 planted, take a penknifeand "scoop* o'ut"ev'ery dormant I they propose to use, as I certainly should not send to a show 

 eye that had been ' sprung/ as a forest of young greenery where the pens had wire behind as well as in front. 



Can any experienced exhibitor inform me what should be 

 done when the tail feathers, or any of them are broken ? 

 Should they be pulled out ? If so, how long is it before they 

 grow again ? And does it ever, or often, happen that black 

 feathers become white ? — E. II. B. A. 



BLACK GAME. 



Like your correspondent, " Y. B. A. Z.," may I be permitted 

 through your Journal to advocate the claims of another neg- 

 lected class of fowls ? Why is it that the Black Game are not 

 more encouraged at the principal shows ? Birmingham, as in 

 the case of the Malays, is the only place that offers them a refuge. 

 Many of the leading shows give classes for Black lieds, Brown 

 Beds, and Duckwings, and in those cases the Piles are their 

 chief opponents in the " Any other variety " class, but even 

 then the Blacks are nowhere. They do not deserve to be such 

 outcasts. Can the Piles be so much their superior that they 

 should always carry off the palm ? It cannot he their unfitness 

 for table. From my own experience as a breeder of Black 

 Game for several years, I can testify to their excellence on that 

 score, both for flavour and quickly-acquired weight. 



I speak on behalf of the breeders and admirers of Black 

 Game, who are far more numerous than is generally supposed ; 

 and I feel certain if some of the leading shows would follow 

 the example of Birmingham and open a class for them, the 

 funds would not suffer, and they would do everything for a 

 most deserving class of fowls. 



I quite think with " Y. B. A. Z.," that every known breed of 

 fowls should, if possible, be represented at all the large shows. 

 — W. G. W. 



A CAUTION 

 To parties having poultry, Pigeons, dogs, &c, for sale. Hav- 

 ing lately been victimised by different parties writing to me 



