April 7, 1870. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



267 



that of the leaves. It is well, after the bulbs are taken from the plunging 

 material, to keep them covered with an inverted flower-pot until the 

 spike is clear of the bulb, when it cannot be kept too near the glaBS. 

 We advise you to invert over them flower pots nf a size that will fit 

 immediately within the rims of the others, and to keep them on until the 

 spikes be clear of the bulh, then remove the pots, and by exposure to 

 light and air the flowers and leaves will soon assume their proper colours. 

 Pelargonium Buds not Opening (J. Z. Jtf. ).— We think the cause of 

 the flowers not expanding is burning the paraffin lamp in the frame. The 

 remedy is to have a funnel, which would take the fumes into the outer 



Resurrection Plant {Goddess). — Selasinella (Lycopodium) lepido- 

 phylla is a small-growiu g stove Moss, and, so far as we are aware, it has 

 none of the characteristics of the Resurrection Plant, the Rose of Jericho 

 (Anastatica hierochontica). The Selaginella requires a temperature of 

 from 6u & to 65 at night, and from 70- to 85° by day. A compost of rather 

 rough sponsy peat, and a free admixture of pieces of grit, or sandstone, 

 and silver sand will grow it well. It should have a position rather near 

 the glass, and needs shade from sun from March to October, and a moist 

 atmosphero, with constant and regular moisture at the root. The pot 

 ought to hive good drainage. 



Ants in a Pinery (Idem). — '■ We think you intended pinetum when you 

 wrote pinery. You may drive them away by sprinkling cuano over their 

 nests, or give them a good drenching with ammoniacal liquor from the 

 gas works ; and another good remedy is to pour over the n^sts a solution 

 of 2 ozs. of Clarke's compound in a gallon of water, and it will destroy 

 all it touches. 



Fungus on Lawn (J. Lock). — The fungus spawn, or mycelium, may 

 probably be destroyed by dressing with salt, at the rate of one gallon 

 per rod, or SO.} squaro yards, and it ought to be applied in showery but 

 not very wet weather. If the fundus appear in the form of fairy rings, 

 then your best plan will be to make holes with a crowbar about 9 inches 

 apart and 6 inches deep, and fill ouch several times with lime water, 

 made by stirring-up 12 lbs. of fresh lime in thirty gallons of water. Stir 

 well up, let it stand forty-eight hours, and then water with the clear liquid. 

 After the watering, drop into each hole a pinch of salt, and then fill them 

 up with soil. 



Cytisus Bloom-spikes Failing (Idem). — This generally arises from 

 the plants being grown at too great a distance from the glass, and then 

 being exposed too much or too suddenly tolight and air, with a deficiency 

 of water at the time the buds are forming. Sometimes it arises from the 

 plants being kept too close for a time, and a sudden check being subse- 

 quently given by exposure to cold air. From the growth, we should say 

 your plants are weak and require repotting. 



Cottony Blight on Apple Trees (P. C, Herts'*. — It is the American 

 blight (Aphis lanigera). The gouty swellings on the shoots are not the 

 places where their young are placed, but the result of the formation of 

 an increase of bark over the wounds made by the insects. They are now 

 about the roots; try if pouring gas ammoniacal liquor frequently around 

 the stems of the trees will prevent their ascending. Brush with paraffin 

 oil every cottony spot that may appear on the branches. 



Cocoa-nut Fibre Refuse (R. S. S.).— The dust is the only part to be 

 mixed with the soil for the culture of Ferns and other plants. This may 

 be obtained by siftius the refuse. The fibres do for putting over the 

 drainage of pots, and for mulching 



Names op Plants (W. 8.).—l, Acacia dealhata ; 2, A. linearis ; 3, Tre- 

 mandra verticillata ; 4, Specimen very much crushed, apparently Daphne 

 Mezereum. (A. B. C.).— Genista Spachiana. (Marten Cat).— We do not 

 recognise your shrub in its present condition. Perhaps a spray in full 

 leaf might assist us. Send under your present signature. 



POULTRY, bee, and pigeon chronicle. 



FEATHER-EATING FOWLS. 

 I see in your Journal that some one suggests " a bitter oint- 

 ment," to cure fowls of feather-eating, but he does not say 

 what it is to be. Could you give us a receipt in your "Letter 

 Box," or otherwise, for something which would not hurt the 

 fowls, and at the same time cure them of this most tiresome 

 and, I may say, disgusting propensity, for the poor bare bodies 

 are not a pleasant sight? If the habit continue, instead of 

 being able to show my fowls to my lady friends as a sight worth 

 seeing, no one will care to look at them, but all will rather 

 turn away from them. I read much about it in your Journal 

 last year, but I was then able to congratulate myself on my 

 fowls being nearly free from it ; but to my dismay now, several 

 of my hens are quite bare behind, and a beautiful Partridge 

 Cochin cock, weighing 12 lbs., which I was most anxious to 

 exhibit at the first opportunity, is in the same plight. I also 

 found a Creye-Cceur hen submitting quite quietly while a Buff 

 Cochin hen picked the feathers from her face. I have kept 

 fowls for several years, but never was troubled with feather- 

 eating before. I cannot help thinking that some bitter stuff 

 rubbed on would cure it, only, of course, it would have to 

 be something that would do the fowls no harm. If you could 

 suggest anything, or induce some one else to tell us, it 

 would be a great boon. — F. T. H. 



appear to establish the fact, that " fowls eat feathers as a 

 substitute for some sort of matter (I will not with him say 

 ' medicine'), which is obtainable in a farmyard," or by scratch- 

 ing in moist earth. Now what are the substances so found, 

 of which feathers are the correlative ? Clearly nitrogenous 

 matters — that is, substances of animal origin. It is, there- 

 fore, a want of animal food which is the source of the evil. It 

 may be that the morbid craving is accompanied by disease of 

 the ovary. This is, doubtless, an effect, and not the cause ; for, 

 indeed, how can the ovary be in a healthy state and perform its 

 natural function, that of secreting and furnishing to the egg 

 a large mass of albuminous fluids, if a due supply of the azotic 

 element be withheld from the system ? If this supposition be 

 correct, it would seem to follow as a natural consequence, that 

 the breeds of fowl which are the best layers should be the most 

 prone to feather-eating when kept in a confined space. Has 

 this been observed? 



It may be, also, that a special food is required, and that 

 solid flesh, such as is often given to fowls, may not be a satis- 

 factory equivalent. The French breeders do not trust to this 

 mode of feeding their birds. A very common addition to all 

 well-kept hassc-cours, is a " vaminiire," or insect-breeding 

 bed. In some warm, sheltered, but shady spot, is put a layer 

 of stable litter, often of considerable dimensions. Upon this 

 are poured all kinds of animal matter. If the refuse of a 

 butcher's yard is obtainable, so much the better ; the blood, 

 entrails, and their contents, being the best materials for the 

 purpose. In a few days swarms of insects feed upon the 

 garbage, and deposit in it their eggs innumerable. It is then 

 covered with a layer of dry earth, and upon this is laid a fresh 

 bed of litter and animal refuse, and so on until a bed some feet 

 in thickness has been formed, and the whole has become a 

 moving mass of animal life. A portion of this is now taken 

 daily from one end and served out to the fowls, who thus have 

 supplied to them in their confined space what they naturally 

 find when roaming and scratching over a considerable area — 

 viz., the eggs and larva? of various insects. This is beyond 

 doubt the true food of all the scratching birds, and of which 

 they cannot be deprived consistently with health. 



It is probable that access to a large dunghill receiving daily 

 accretions from the stable is the next best substitute. This is 

 a verminiere to some extent, but possibly owes its chief value 

 to the fact that the panicles of partly digested matter saturated 

 with animal flui.l found therein, have considerable analogy 

 with the juicy morsels for which the poor birds bo diligently 

 and laboriously search, notwithstanding that they may have 

 just received a sufficient supply of vegetable food.— Chemicus. 



I ageee with your correspondent " W.," that he will be likely 

 to find the use of mangold wurtzel in his pens a preventive, 

 in some measure at least, of the feather-eating propensity. 

 I never possessed a feather-eating Houdan, and, indeed, 

 Ehould be surprised to find one exhibiting this propensity, 

 unless sent to me with it. My birds, with a good run, an un- 

 limited supply of green food, with mangold wurtzel always at 

 command, show no symptoms of this disease. I know of no 

 fowls showing so much preference for mangold wurtzel as the 

 Houdans. They will hollow out the root, leaving a sort of shell 

 only. Their eating each other's feathers is a morbid appetite, 

 caused, I believe, entirely by the lack of the simple require- 

 ments of fowls — viz , the dry dust bath, daily-cleaned houses, 

 and clean fresh water, with an abundant supply of green food. 

 It is also necessary that they should be enabled to have what 

 is termed "their ssratch," in loose earth, gravel, and old 

 mortar. 



Fowls in confinement are mostly overfed, and become fat 

 and lazy. I like mine as much as possible to work for their 

 livelihood. I have lately given some gleaned corn in the ear, 

 purchased of cottagers, and the exercise it affords them in 

 finding their food I consider very beneficial to their health. 



I am no advocate for the use of " prepared " foods or too 

 high feeding. Of the two evils I would rather under than over- 

 feed. Let poultry in confinement be allowed to indulge as 

 nearly as possible in their natural feeding and habils, and I 

 believe the feather-eating propensity will not be so frequently 

 heard of. — W. Massey. 



I was much struck by the note on this subject in your 

 number of March 21th, contributed by Mr. H. Seymour Fraser. 

 His careful observations, extending over a considerable period, 



trimming fowls. 



Something ought to be done to effectually stop such fraudu- 

 lent practices, or all honest exhibitors will refrain from exhibit- 

 ing, in consequence of which shows will greatly suffer. Allow 



