JOUHNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ April 21, 1870. 



should be removed to a shelf in the greenhouse and potted if necessary ; 

 bat if they are nut [Trowing very freely it is well not to repot at that 

 period of the venr. The drainage «f the pots should be t,ood. and the 

 corm covered from on^-half to three-quarters of an inch. In potting, the 

 roots should not be disturbed ; it is sufficient to remove the drainage and 

 the old soil. Water ought not to be given until the soil becomes dry, and 

 yet the foliage must not suffer from want of moisture. 

 Gardeners' Aprons {B. E.).— Sec page 212. 



Dwarf Pfa for Present Sowing, &c. {It. H.).— The best dwarf Pea 

 for present sowing is Bishop's Long-podded. There is nn necessity for 

 watering Peas now: wait until the weather becomes hotter and the 

 ground dry. To insure speedy germination it is a good plan to water 

 where lawn gva c s seeds have been soivn on a patchy lawn, hut if the 

 "st it is not necessary. It would be best to scatter the 

 id Carrot beds before the plants come up. 

 a Greenhouse (Hopeful Amateur).— The plants 

 I in a greenhouse as they would in a cold frame 

 lear the front lights as you propose, and with 

 d night, they will no doubt succeed tolerably 

 " d on wire trellises. You will or 

 ht but that the Pansy would 



ashes over the Onion 



Growing Pansies 

 will not succeed so y 

 but bv keeping then 

 abundance of air da 

 well. The plants must not be trai 



ught to be disqualified 



submit to it. hut it ought to be discountenanced 



Verbena Culture (Live find Learn).— The best solid manure for Ver- 

 benas isoldcowdnng Two-fifths nf fibrous loam, one-fifth of leaf soil, one- 

 fifth of old cow dung, and one-fifth of sharp sand will grow them well- 

 They are best grown on flat trellises on which, when fully grown, they 

 will be highest in the centre owing to the shoots that come from the base 

 being strongest. They are best grown in cold frames, as they can then be 

 protected from heavy rains, strong winds, &c. 



Roses for August Blooming (Idem) —Defer pruning the standard 

 Rose trees for blooming at the end of August until May ; therefore you 

 will need to leave them as they aie with their shoots at full length, and 

 the shoots coming from the highest buds will ta*e the sap, and the 

 lowest two or three buds of each shoot may remain dormant. At the 

 beginning of May cut the shoots back to within two or three buds of 

 their base, and the plants will bloom late. But it may be necessary to 

 retard them, which may be done by a canvas awning placed over them by 

 day in very hot, dry, bright weather, removing it every night. 



Plants for a Window (S. A. L. D. Y.).— For a window faeing the 

 south we should advise Fuchsias, Pelargoniums, and Petunias for sum- 

 mer ; in winter they would not succeed, but you could accommodate 

 them with a window in a room from which frost is excluded. In winter 

 we wonld grow such bulbous plants as Hyacinths, Narcissuses, and 

 Tulips, which would flower in spring. 



Gloxinia Seedlings (A Constant Pnith-r).— The nlants should be con- 

 tinued in a hothed. or on a shelf near the glass in a house with a tem- 

 perature of from 60° to 65^ at night, and from 70' : to 75' by dav, with a 

 rise to 8C° or 85- with sun aud abundance of air. They are the better of 

 being grown in a slightly shaded position, and the shade of Vines is very 

 agreeable to them, snd a vinery answers well for »heir culture after they 

 have been potted off, but a frame suits thera best until they are placed 

 m their blooming-pots. Continue them, therefore, in the hotbed, and 

 keep the soil moist, but avoid making it very wet : find when they can b« 

 taken hold of place them singly in small pots filled with a well-mixed 

 compost of equal parts of fibrous light loam, Bandy pent, leaf soil, or old 

 COW dung, and a fourth part of silver sand. Keep them moist and 

 shaded from bright sun, aud when the pots are tilled with roots shift the 

 plants into others a size larger— say from a 8-inch into 44,-ineh pot, and 

 finally into one G inches in diameter, which will be sufficiently large for 

 blooming. With a moist atmosphere and Good heat the plants will bloom 

 in autumn. Mter flowering keep them dry, giving no more water than 

 enough to prevent the leaves from flagging, and in November withhold 

 it altogether, the pots being set on a damp surface, whence enough of 

 moisture rises to keep the bulbs from shrivelling. A temperature of 

 between 5fl c and 55 r is suitable in winter. 



Canna Seeds Germinating (Idem).— It would be difficult to say how 

 long the seed will be in germinating; but if it be sown in a hotbed of 

 from 70° to 75", the plants ought to ho up in three weeks. It is well to 

 soak the seeds in water at a temperature of from 120- t> 125 : for twelve 

 hours before sowing, and then to sow in light soil on a ffentle hotbed, 

 where the seedlings should be continued until potted off singly when 

 they show the second leaf; and keen ibem in bent until they are esta- 

 blished and have grown considerably. th*m harden them off aud plant 

 them out in June. They will afford some fine leaves this season. 



Frame-heating for Melons (Idem).-- A pipe uncovered along the 

 front and above the surface of the bed for top beat, and another beneath 

 the bed for bottom heat, would answer well, and the frame would be suit- 

 able for bedding plants in winter. 



Watering Vines with Liquid Manure (Idem),— You may water the 

 border with liquid manure when the berries are set and swelling freely, 

 not before; and as the border is outside it ought not to be given except 

 in dry weather, and not after the Grapes change colour for ripening. It 

 would be well to have the water 5" warmer than the soil; 70- will be too 

 high a temper iture at nieht ; one of from 60° to 65° is quite sufficient, 

 with a rise of 5 a bv dnv without sun. and from 10" to 20° with sun and air. 

 Potted Shrubby Calceolarias (frmorance).— The plants, we presume, 

 are now in small pots, bnt of good size. Fot them, sav into 7-inch pots, 

 draining well, and using a compost of two parts loam from decayed turf, 

 one part old cow dung, well-decomposed manure, or leaf soil, with a free 

 admixture of sharp sand. Place them in a eold frame or pit, and water 

 so as to keep the soil moist, giving a sprinkling overhead every morning 

 ather. The plants cannot have too "much 



bright i 



and 



but protect them from frost. When the pots fill with roo"ts'transfer th 

 plants to fi-inch pots, stopping any irregular growths up to witbin 

 weeks of the time at which they are to flower. The shoots should be 

 tied-out so as to produce neat, evenly-formed plants. After May the 

 lights may be drawn down, and afford partial shade during the day, with a 

 eopiouB flilpp'y of water. 



CvANornvLLUM magnificum and CissfsJdiscoior Compost (Idem).— 

 Two parts fibrous loam, one part sandy fibrous peat, one part old cow 

 dung, or one part, leaf soil, with one part of charcoal in pieces from the 

 size of a pea to that of a hazel nut, and one part of silver s-i nd will grow 

 both well. Good drainage is necessary. Tbe loam and peat should be 

 torn to pieces, and the whole of the compost well mixed but not sifted. 



Low Temperatures (J. B.).— We have made irquiries, and have no 

 reason to believe them incorrect. 



Broom for Game Covep.t (W. IT. B.).~ The ground should be brought 

 to a fine surface by first ploughing, then harrowing, and using a clod- 

 crusher if necessary; then sow at the rate of 20 lbs. of seed per acre for 

 a thick covert, and in an exposed situation; but for a sheltered position 

 from 12 to 14 lbs. per acre will be sufficient. It ought to be sown now, 

 giving a light harrowing afterwards, aud a rolling, if rough, with a 

 wooden roller. Broom does best in a rather light sandy Boil, but will 

 succeed in almost all soils and situations, except undra'med ground. 



Various (C. A. I).— Paint the ineode of the glass with whiting and a 

 littlo size in the water. See, also, " Doings of the List Week" to-day. 

 Lime water may be made by putting a spideful of fresh lime into about 

 fifty gallons of water, to be stirred well, allowed to remain twenty-four 

 hours, and used when clearly settled. You will have seeu what was said 

 in our columns about the lawn-mower. 



Names of Plants [W. B ).— We cannot name plants from their leaves 

 only. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



ANNALS OF MY POULTRY- YARD.— No. 2. 

 I was so encouraged by the success of my first year's ex- 

 periment in poultry, as stated in last week's paper, that, like 

 the gambler, whom one "lucky hit" only urges to plunge 

 deeper, I began dabbling mare amongst the feathers with a 

 stook of fourteen head. These consisted of seven mixed Ham- 

 burgh hens, two Cochin-Cbina hens, two Dorking hens, and 

 two Hamburgh cocks. I obtained from these, during the first 

 half of the year, an average of thirty-six eggs per week, such 

 being a fair quantity ; but my average iu the latter part of the 

 year dwindled down most sadly to fourteen a-week. Much 

 time was taken up with twelve hatches of chickens, doubtless ; 

 but the real solution is contained in a foot-note. " I had 

 disease amongst my poultry." There was, I well remember, 

 a long-continued wet season, and nearly all my stock had the 

 " blacks " or " snuffles " — in fact, a running cold in the head. 

 I had not then an out-door protection for them, which I sub- 

 sequently made — viz., a small shed cut into tbe slope of a south 

 bank, roofed with old pea-sticks and fern. This little place, 

 of not more than G feet by 4, was a great refuge from north 

 winds and rain ; for the back and sides, being cut in the solid 

 earth, admitted no draughts. In summer, with a few inches of 

 sand and wood ashes, it was always a favourite bath. I reared 

 only sixty-five chickens to maturity out of all my twelve sit- 

 tings ; for besides the ordinary ailments and accidents which 

 annually carry off a large number of chickens when very young, 

 a most carnivorous pig made great havoc. On one occasion he 

 waited quietly in bis den till four inquisitive youngsters had 

 crept well into his enclosure, and then mercilessly slew them 

 all. In spite of all these disasters, my Dr. and Cr. account 

 — without any charge for labour, rent, taxes, fuel, &c, which 

 I never lay to the charge of poultry — presented a respectable 

 appearance. 



Dr. £ s. 

 14— Stock of poultry at be- 

 ginning -of year, valued 



at Is. 6rf. each 1 1 



2 Ham burghs bought 2 



1 20 lbs. of IndiBU corn 9 



70 lbs. of wheat 5 



Medicine 2 



1 sack of oatmeal 1 10 



10 lbs. of malt 2 



Profit . 



6 4 



Cr. £ s. d 



4f> Chickens killed, at 1.- 6rf. S 9 

 13D) Frets at 15 n-shilling, 



less 170 used for sitting 3 15 4 



11 Pullets sold at Is. 6rf. . . IB 6 



S Old stock killed off S 



19— Stock of poultry in hand 

 at end of year, valued at 



ls.6tf.each 18 6 



£9 12 4 £0 12 



In one year my profits came rapidly down from nearly 300 

 per cent, to under 200 per cent., owing to the disease in the 

 latter part of the year, the voracious pig, and the following 

 reasons : — Whereas, in the previous year seven hens contri- 

 buted to the support of one cock, this year only twelve hens had 

 to support two cocks. In fact, a note reminds me that one hen, 

 though handsome and showy, was barren and never laid an 

 egg. Later in the year, while hoping for an improvement, she 

 began to crow and assume tbe plumage, in part, of a cock bird. 

 This, of course, threw the maintenance of three unproductive 

 birds on the remaining eleven. The value of the four little 

 things devoured is slight, one may say ; but the three weeks of 

 sitting, and six weeks of rearing, were simply time unprofitably 

 spent, for the four were the entire brood ! These facts explain, 

 in a great measure, the rapid diminution of profits. The in- 

 crease of food will explain the remainder. — W. W. B. H. 



THE DRAGOON PIGEON. 



Followino upon our descriptions and portraits of prize 



Antwerps and Carriers, we now have the satisfaction of calling 



