346 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



such as not interfering with the outline of flower beds, we seldom take 

 cuttings earlier than the end of September, but as yon are rather inex- 

 perienced and your helper needs to be told, we would advise you to take 

 off your cuttings early — say in the end of August, so as to hare khem 

 struck and established in small pots before winter. Then, if kept from 

 frost, air given in suitable weather, and water when required, they can 

 scarcely go wrong. A temperature of from 40 1 to 45' at night will suit 

 them, with a rise of from 5^ to 10° from sunshine, but in severe |frost we 

 would rather have the house at from 35 3 to 38° than above 45 ". The want of 

 salads in winter and spring, when you have two large frames and hand- 

 lights, must be owing to want of definiteness of directions, or to the places 

 being otherwise occupied. Mustard and Cress could he had constantly 

 in such a house if sown every eight days. Some portable boxes might be 

 filled with Lettuces, and set in the greenhouse to hasten them on. En- 

 dive would stand with a little protection out of doors until Christmas. 

 One frame might be filled* in November, partly with nearly full-grown, 

 and the other part with half-grown Lettuces ; the* other frame with ounger 

 ones to grow slowlv all tbe'wintor to come in early in spring. Tbe hand- 

 lights might be filled with young Lettuces to be thinned out in spring; 

 those left, to come in before those planted out. Of course the frames must 

 be devoted to this purpose, and protection in addition must be given to 

 them in frosty nights. The very protection of the frame makes the 

 plants more tender, and therefore more sensitive to frost ; hence we have 

 known Lettuces in a frame destroyed by frost, when plants at the front of 

 a wall or fence, or even exposed in the open ground, passed uninjured. Re- 

 collect that with early snlading, as Lettuces, one night's inattention in 

 severe weather may render all previous attention nugatory. When we 

 know more definitely what you want, we will do our best to serve you. 



Flower Beds (Lilian).— There were no flowers enclosed in the letter. 

 Then as to the questions— the finest flower for a white bed, seed to be 

 sown now, is the White Candytuft, but it will not last long. The next 

 best is Alyssum maritimum or Sweet Alyssum, which with a little cutting 

 will last the season if the plants are not too close together. Nemophila 

 insignis alba, and Nemophila atomaria, would be dwarf and pretty, but 

 they would not bloom so long as the Alyssum. Silene pendula alha would 

 also do. For a month or six weeks the White Candytuft would be best, and 

 you could have a succession by sowing in pots a month hence, and 

 turning out potfuls after the first began to wane. We do not knowLinum 

 candidissirnum and, therefore, cannot say if plants from seed sown 

 now will bloom this summer. Linum grandiflorum rubrum or coccineam 

 would do bo, but to have it early from seeds sown now, it would be best 

 to sow in pots under protection, and turn out the potsful of plants when 

 pretty strong. Linum flavum makes a pretty dwarf yellow bed ; the seed 

 sown now will not produce plants that will bloom this year, unless they 

 are assisted at first with a mild hotbed. It blooms best from plants raised 

 the previous season and kept over the winter. The fourth question, " Is 

 the enclosed plan effectively filled ?" is more difficult to answer, aB we do 

 not quite understand the arrangement. As we have nothing placed be- 

 fore 3 and 9. and 5 and 11, we do not know what you have, and, therefore, 

 muBt leave it. Your main group consists of a circle in the centre, rather 

 massive for the other figures, six ovals, and six circles— that is, twelve 

 clumps round the central one. Your mode of pairing these is correct; 

 the central circle would be better if it had scarlet for the centre, and a 

 broad white margin. Then, as you have a pair of ovals of pink Saponaria, 

 another pair of yellow Tagetes", we would make the other pair of crimson 

 or scarlet ; and we would have three pairs of circles — one pair with blue 

 Lobelia, one pair with purple, as Verbena, and one pair with Viola coinnta, 

 which you have. These beds are rather too small for edgings, but they 

 would all be improved with a line of contrasting colour along the centre. 

 These are the landmarks to plant simply and well, by keeping bright 

 colours to the ovals, and subdued colours to the circles. We have no 

 doubt your own proposed arrangement would look well. Since you depend 

 mostly on seeds, you would have done bettor to have sown earlier and 

 protected with pots or other means, as frequently referred to. 



Diseased Pear Leaves (F. E. M. and A Suffrrer).— The rusty affection 

 on the leaves and shoots of yonr Pears is not at all an uncommon occur- 

 rence. Many of the shoots of our trees are affected in the same manner. 

 We have ascribed the canse to cold, cold winds, and a little unhealthy 

 fiction of the flow of the sap. It is of much the same character as the 

 blister or curl of the leaves of Peach trees. In a short time, should the 

 weather prove mild, the trees will outgrow it. Trees growing in cold 

 damp soil aro also, we have observed, somewhat subject to it. 



Wood Ants (Miss H.).—To destroy or dislodge the huge colony of wood 

 ants that have taken possession of the fissures of a limestone rock, we 

 know of nothing better than pouring naptha into and round the fissures. 

 Tar would also, we presume, be effectual. If you cannot do this in your 

 neighbour's ground, painting the bottom of your wall, say 3 inches wide, 

 with tar and oil, will prevent them climbing up the wall. The oil keeps 

 the tar moist and sticky. 



Insect in Orchard House (Oak Bank\—lt is one of the Weevils, 

 Curculio picipes. It feeds at night, and your only remedy is then to 

 place a white cloth beneath each tree, shake it, and destroy the fallen 

 enemies. If this be repeated for a few successive nights you may subdue 

 the marauders. 



Insects (Centurion).— The flies seen hovering in the air and darting 

 about with a jerky kind of flight, are the common Bombylius major, 

 which is parasitic in the larva state on other underground living insects. 

 They are quite harmless as flies. We think you have accused two at 

 least, if not all three of the other flies sent us, without good gTounds, of 

 eating the young blooms of the Pear. The largest is a saw-fly, Dolerus 

 opacus, wbich may possibly eat the pollen of different flowers; the two 

 smaller are Bibio "hortulana, male, and one of the many species of two- 

 winged fiies belonging to the genus Anthomyia ; both feed in the larva 

 •ctate on vegetable matter underground, and we believe they are quite 

 harmless in the fly state:— W. (F. Manning).— The insect eating your 

 Pea leaves in scollops is the Curculio lineatus, Striped Pea Weevil. We 

 know of no remedy but paring and burning the soil and the crop on 

 which it grows. 



Names of Plants CB. G. 3/.).— The Edible Morel, Morchella esculents. 

 (IF. H. Costinqton).— -It is the Pyrus spectabilis, Chinese Apple Tree. It 

 is a native of China, and was first cultivated in thi3 country by Dr. 

 Fothergill, in 1780. (M. H. {?.).— Amelanchier Botryapium. (3. D.).— 

 I, Erica campannlata ; 2. E. ventricosa ; 3, E.perspicua nana. The semi- 

 Uouble Polyanthus we regard as good. The tendency to become semi- 

 double is by no means new, several varieties being already in cultivation. 



(C. Bark). — Polystichum aculeatum. (H. W.).—l, Hovea Celsii; 2, Da- 

 viesia ulicina ; 3 and 4, Send again when in bloom, not recognised by us 

 in present condition. (Stafford).— Calceolaria Fothergillii. (James Reid). 

 —Apparently an upper shoot of Cupressua Lawsomana, or if not, of a 

 closely-allied species. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



FOWLS FOR LIMITED SPACES.— No. 2. 



To keep birds in good health and condition they must ba 

 regularly fed, not crammed one day and neglected the next ; for 

 remember, they are entirely dependant on you for their food, as 

 they have no chance of picking up a living like those which 

 have their liberty. Too much food should not be given at one 

 meal, to cause it to be left and trodden under foot. Food may 

 be seen lying about, still it is possible for the fowls to be 

 hungry — perhaps they are tired of that particular kind of food, 

 and require a change. You should try them with some dainty 

 morsel, as a little fresh bread and milk, some crushed bones, 

 cooked meat, a little hempseed, a handful of good wheat, or 

 even a broken oyster shell or egg shell, if neither of the last 

 two are easy for them to get at, and I venture to say tbe fowls 

 will seldom refuse any of these if they are healthy. People 

 often say, " Oh, my fowls are too fat to lay." I beg to differ 

 from them ; at least, when they allude to Spanish, for I have 

 never, in the whole of my eight years' experience, found a hen of 

 this variety become too fat to prevent her laying, and I think it 

 is hardly possible to over-feed, or to give them too nourishing 

 food. If they will not eat one thing you must endeavour to 

 tempt them with another, just as much as they will eat at ence. 

 Above all, let their runs and the straw amongst which their 

 corn is thrown be quite clean ; if otherwise, they must eat some 

 of the dirt. Disagreeable smells will be sure to hang about the 

 straw ; these will very quickly be followed by all kinds of dis- 

 eases, and your stock will soon be destroyed. 



I aiways let the first meal consist of either barley alone or 

 mixed with Indian corn, occasionally wheat. I prefer giving 

 them corn first, as I fancy it affords more warmth than soft food, 

 especially during the winter months. They should have their 

 first food as early as possible, for they are up and about almost 

 as soon as it is day. This is the time when they commence 

 plucking one another's feathers, if there is no food for them. 

 They are hungry and fresh after their night's rest, and natu- 

 rally anxious to satisfy their hunger, and so begin eating each 

 other. I have had them almost entirely stripped of their 

 feathers in one morning when it has been late before they 

 have had their breakfast, more particularly in the case of 

 chickens, when they get about three months old, and their 

 feathers are young and soft, and full of blood. At the second 

 meal, given about the middle of the day, they have soft food, as 

 barleymeal mixed with milk or boiled water — I do not like to 

 mix it with water, as it has a tendency to relax them — or bread 

 soaked in milk or water. When able I always give them milk, 

 for they then seem to thrive much better, and it keeps them in 

 splendid condition. 



The barleymeal should not be too soft, but so that it will 

 crumble easily in the hand, or when thrown on the ground 

 break into small pieces. If the floor is at all dirty, put the food 

 into a saucer, plate, or on a piece of board, so as to keep it free 

 fiom all injurious matter. At night the hour depends upon 

 the season of the year) they have wheat, barley, Indian corn, 

 or if you wish to give them an extra treat, a little hempseed 

 mixed with any of these. Some fancy that in giving corn the 

 last thing before the fowls go to roost, it causes their crops to 

 become bound. I have never found it so, but believe it is very 

 beneficial, as it takes longer to digest, and so keeps up the 

 warmth, and nourishes the body a much longer time. 



These foods should be supplemented with a plentiful supply 

 of all kinds of green stuff, and vegetables either cooked or raw, 

 any refuse or leavingB from the table, occasionally a little 

 cooked meat, or a bone with a little meat on it, as they are 

 very fond of picking a bone, and it will amuse them a long 

 time — a thing you must endeavour to do as much as possible 

 where poultry are kept in confinement. The bones should 

 then be crushed, and they will very quickly be eaten with 

 evident relish. There should always be plenty of clean fresh 

 water easy of access. Use no artificial foods, as they are quite 

 unnecessary. Have nothing to do with bread soaked in old ale ; 

 it may stimulate for a time, but ultimately it injures them, and 

 to say the least, it is a most unnatural food for fowls, but do 



