JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



joints, keeping them closely pinched to one throughout the summer. The 

 leader must not, of course, he interfered with, but Bhould be trained 

 erect to a stake until it is of the height required; then if it be cnt back 

 in spring, you will have Bhoots from the upper part that we would reduce 

 to three, and Btop them at the' sixth joint; the shoots on the stem being 

 by degrees removed during the summer, and in the followiug March 

 altogether cut off close to the stem. The shootB will need to be tied 

 down, stopped, and regulated bo as to form a compact close head. Why 

 have standards? Surely bushes and pyramids are far more beautiful. 

 SEEDLmo CrNERARIAS AND CALCEOLARIAS AFTER FLOWERING (T. C). 



—After they have flowered cut off the stems, place the plants in a cold 

 frame on an east border, and shade them from very powerful sun, 

 keeping them moist but not very wet. After June the lights may remain 

 off at night, and in dull showery weather, but in hot dry weather keep the 

 plants cool and moist hy shading and sprinkling with water. At the end 

 of August place the offsets singly in small pots, and return them to the 

 cold frame, keeping them cool, but close and shaded for a few days, then 

 harden them off and treat them as before. Shift into larger pots as those 

 in which the plant3 are become filled with roots, and before frost remove 

 them to a shelf in the greenhouse. Cinerarias do well in that way, but 

 Calceolarias do not eucceed so well ; indeed, they are not worth keeping 

 for the second year's bloom. 



Liquid Manure for Vines and Zonal Pelargoniums (A Novice) — 

 Guano at the rate of 1 lb. to twenty gallons of water, is sufficiently 

 strong for Vines in borders, and Zonal Pelargoniums in pots. To the 

 latter it may be given two or three times a-week. The Vines will not 

 need any until the berries are well set, and then it may be given every 

 fortnight or three weeks up to their changing colour, when it should be 

 discontinued. If the border be outside, the watering will only be needed 

 in dry weather. 



Cut Flowers of Pelargoniums (Idem).— It is hard to tell which is 

 the proper way ; but we think the stem and leaves that accompany the 

 truss on the plant should he those exhibited, and yet thev are shown with 

 the truss and leaves around; indeed, as a bouquet. Consult the secretary 

 of the show at which yon intend exhibiting. 



Grafting Vines (John Anderson).— You may graft your Vines now as 

 described at page SIS. They will dn well grafted, and be far in advance 

 of any Vines you might plant out. Although the grafts may succeed, 

 they will do better, and you will obtain far finer rods for next season by 

 not allowing them to bear fruit beyond the gratt this season. The stock 

 should he headed down to where you intend putting in the graft, leaving 

 only one shoot and a few leave* to draw up the superabundant sap, which, 

 after the graft has taken, should also be removed. By all means graft. 



Dttng of Large Plum Trees (W. J. S.).— We are quite unable to 

 assign the cause of your Flam trees dying in the way you mention. We 

 have observed the same peculiarity ourselves, and ha've in vain attempted 

 to understand the reasons. At page 897, vol. sv., there was some allusion 

 to this in noticing the Plum trees of Mr. Dancer, of Chiswick, who loses 

 many trees in the same way. Can any of our correspondents assist ns 1 



Various (One that intends to do his duty).— I. With respect to keeping 

 the horse droppings by themselves, we think there is no necessity for it 

 except for very early forcing. Mixing them with leaves and pig's dung, 

 and throwing them into a heap along with the horse dung, is no doubt 

 the best plan for general purposes. 2. Liquid manure is a very good 

 fertiliser; yon do right to use it, but remember "Discretion is often the 

 better part of effort." Take care that it is not too strong. 3. Cutting 

 the edges of grass with the edging iron ought only to be done to keep 

 the proper line ; when the edges becomes crooked, irregular, or jagged the 

 edging iron may he employed to straighten them, but inches should 

 not be taken off. If so much must be cut off there has been great neglect. 

 4. You are quite right with respect to the thrips ; we cannot, however, 

 see tho propriety of fumigating where there are no insects, nor do we 

 think Pelargoniums are better of it ; if you fumigate when the first insect 

 is seen you will be in time. It is when the insects are allowed to obtain 

 a hold of the plants that the great mischief is done. We concur in most 

 of your conclusions, and in those we do not we have pointed out the fact. 

 Do your duty, but you will not advance your own interests by finding 

 fault with your predecessor. Be charitable, especially to members of 

 your own profession. 



Camellias Infested with Black Aphis (Mac).— It may be destroyed 

 by fumigation with tobacco, the house being shut up close, and a calm 

 evening being chosen, lhe house should be so filled with smoke that a 

 plant cannot be seen from the outside. The foliage should be dry, but 

 the floors, &c, may bo wet. It will not injure the Camellias if care be 

 taken to deliver the smoke cool, and the material used be of good quality. 

 It may be necessary to repeat the fumigation ; you must persevere until 

 the plants are free from the insects. 



Sulphuring Pipes to Keep off Red Spider (Hem).— The pipes may 

 be sulphured as soon as the flowering is over and the berries are swelling 

 freely. The sulphur will not adhere to the pipes unless you mix it with 

 a solution of 2 ozs. of soft soap to the gallon. For Melons it is well to 

 apply the sulphur to the pipes at an earlier stage-before tho flowers 

 expand, or earlier, as the red spider often attacks the Melons in a young 



Red Spider on Peach Trees out of Doors (Idem).— Syringe the 

 trees, as soon as the blooming is over and the fruit fairly set, with a 

 solution of 1 07.. of soft soap to a gallon of water, and this you mav repeat 

 every fortnight until the fruit is full-sized. It would also be well if 

 the trees were syringed by a garden engine every evening durin" hot 

 weather, and had in addition a good waterirg at the roots every week in 

 dry weather; every alternate watering maybe of liquid manure. Good 

 soakings of water only are of use ; merely wetting the surface does more 

 harm than good. 



u.:i 



Thunbebgia Harrisi (M.-ml.-The colour of the flowers is deep bl 

 or violet, with a yellowish white throat. It is one of the best It w 

 not injure Fuchsias to fumigate them with tobacco. 



Diamant Traube Vine (O. F.).—ll is the old Scotch White Cluster a 

 very good second early White Grape. The berries are large very pure 

 in colour, and very pleasant. It is sometimes a little shy in setting- 

 therefore, when in flower draw the hand gently over the bunch to assist 

 the setting. It will force well. We shonld advise vou certainly to un- 

 cover your Vine borders now, and mulch them slightlv with a coating of 

 manure instead. ^aiuig or 



Camellias Unhealthy (D. D.).— Ton do not say whether or no the 

 stove heating your conservatory has a funnel or chimney communicating 

 with the external air, or if you keep a vessel of water upon it so as to 

 prevent the atmosphere from becoming too dry. If it has not, that alone 

 is sufficient to account for the Camellia leaves being yellow, brown, and 

 curled, and the buds dropping when of the size of nuts. We advise you 

 to have a chimney to take off the fumes, and a vessel of water on the top 

 of the stove before another winter. Pot the plants in turf taken from a 

 pasture where the soil is a sandy or light loam cutting it off an inch 

 thick, tearing it rather finely to pieces with the hand, and in turning out 

 the plants remove as much of the old soil as yon can without injury to 

 the roots. Drain the pots well, and as the compost will be rough pot 

 rather firmly, and do not use too large pot3 ; if they hold the roots with- 

 out cramping, and admit of about an inch of anil all round they are large 

 enough. Do not water too much for a time, but keep the plants moist 

 bv sprinklings overhead, also rather clu3e and shaded from bright Bun. 

 When the plants are growing freely water copiously, and admit ail 

 moderately. 



Insects (F. Manning).— Not an insect was in the box. It was crushed 

 and " the flying insects " had flown. 



Names of Plants (F. Fowler).— Erica herbacea. (IF. B.).— Cydonia 

 japouica, Japan Quince. It may be propagated now by layers or cuttings. 

 (Ignoramus), — Probably Iris pumila ; but the specimen was smashed. 

 (Seedling).— We never name plants from their leaves only. The Cineraria 

 pip is large, but not superior as a florists' flower. (W. B.) — 1, Polypodium 

 Dryopteris; 2. Davallia solid* ; 3, Dicksonia antarctica; 4, Blechnam 

 boreale ; 5, Microlepia novre-zelandiaj ; 6, Selaginella robusta. (South 

 Devon). — 1, Tetratheca ericiefolia ; 2, Correa a-mula ; 3, Acacia pulchella ; 

 4, Templetonia retusa ; 5, Grevillea ovata ; 6, Gnidia imberbis ; 7, Fnchsia 

 microphylla. (West Cornwall Reader).— Thymus Serpyllum, var. lanu- 

 ginosum. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



RATIONAL POULTRY-KEEPING.— No. 1. 



GARDENING FOR CHICKENS. 



" We have been frightened from our propriety — sensational 

 articles in poultry matters ; gentlemen hitherto respectable 

 suspected of trimming their fowls ; others equally correct, 

 openly charged with borrowing fowls for the sake of winning 

 prizes. Dear! dear! our old twaddle will amount to nothing. 

 We have not spice enough. We walk about with our eyes shut 

 — we do not seek for tricks. We are very Gorry when we see a 

 ' disqualified ' ticket stuck up ; and we have known many 

 disqualification cards put up that have been great injustices. 

 On one point we will go any length, and that is, to discourage 

 anything like betting or gambling on poultry events." 



Such were our cogitations as we wandered among our chickens, 

 but our conclusion was — " We do not care, they may do as 

 they like. Poultry were made to breed and to eat ; and after 

 all, showing is not all pleasure or profit, and — we repeat — we 

 do not care." 



Therefore, we still walked on among onr chickens, and noted 

 them. There were many good ones. We looked at them with 

 pride, and gradually settled down to "pure and simple poultry," 

 such as it was before Bhowing was a fashion. 



We will describe our walk, and our experiences. We began 

 by visiting our favourite walk for chickens. It is a Bmall en- 

 closure used for putting up a haystack or two, and having 

 always some stumps of hay, also the faggots and rubbish that 

 formed the bottom of the rick left. It is sheltered by trees, 

 and surrounded by a dry ditch. There are nettles, sow-thistles, 

 docks, and wild parsley, growing in profusion, and now just 

 high enough to afford covert. Being surrounded by a dry ditch 

 it will easily be understood there is a high bank, and banks are 

 always dry. We were on bad terms with ourselves when we 

 reached there, but as we leaned on the rail and watched the 

 whole scene, we fancy the wrinkles disappeared from our brow, 

 and we think we imbibed some of the spirit of enjoyment we 

 were witnessing. They were stout-growing rogues, and as they 

 lay in the sun, they seemed to help Nature by blowing them- 

 selves out. They were playing at " king of the castle" — every 

 part of the bank was occupied by chickens, holding it against 

 all comers from below ; others were squatted under a waving 

 dock leaf, the monotonous motion of which seemed to mes- 

 merise them; others were buried in dust; some lay on their 

 sides, and put up their apologies for wings, that the heat of the 

 sun might thoroughly warm them. All were growing, and in 

 the height of enjoyment. At this walk no chickens ever die — 

 none cease to grow. For these reasons we have given a full 

 description of the place, hoping some will learn from it. 



We some time since walked over a very small garden in semi- 

 darkness. It seemed to us we were going over a large space, 

 but when we saw it by daylight we found it was very small, 

 but that it was admirably arranged. On making the remark to 

 our host, he laughed and said it was surface-gardening, and 



