JOUKNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ Januaij 4, 1877. 



plants under unfuToarablo oircnmetances, finda that ho can keep 

 them free from f^i>ot- hy piuoifg the pots ttii boerda and raieiog 

 the frame a iittle cff itia ground, thus allowing the air to circu- 

 late freely amontjat ihu plants night and day. He eaya they do 

 net suffer anything from frott if the soil is as it onsht to be^ 

 moderately dry. Pinks are looking very healthy in the beds, but 

 the ground is t-pongy with eo much wet, and frosty weather 

 would throw many plants oat of the ground. Dahlias should 

 now be examined, and all decaying portions of the tubers be 

 removed.— J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



Charles Turner, Royal Nurseries, Slough. — Descriptive List 

 of Nev; Dahlias. 



S. Dison & Co., 34, Moorgate Street, London, and Amhnrst 

 Norseries, Acton. — Select List of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, 

 Potatoes, <ff. 



B. S. Williams, Victoria and Paradise Nurseries, Upper 

 Holloway, London, N. — Descriptive Catalogue of Flower, Vege- 

 table, and Agricultural Seeds. 



Dauirla Broihere, Norwich. — Illustrated G-uide for Amateur 

 Gardeners and General Seed Catalogue. 



WiUiam Rnmsey , Joyniugs Nurseries, Waltham Cross, London. 

 — Catalogue of Select Garden and Farm Seeds, Potatoes, cOc. 



Francis & Arthur Dic^kson & Sons. 106, Eistgale Street, 

 Chester.— Catalogtie of Vegetable and Flower Seeds, d-c. 



Little & Ballantyne, KnowtieldNur8eriea,Carliale. — Catalogue 

 of Stove and Greenhouse Plants, Hoses, Rhododendrons, d-c. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 *,* AI! correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to " The Pabliaber." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Jobnaon or Dr. Hogg of tea remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no ona will write privately to any 

 of our oorreapondects, as doing so Bubjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble ani expense. 

 Correspondents should not mis np on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and thoae on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and ahoaM never soad mora than two or three 

 questions at ono3. AH articles intended for insertion 

 Bhould be written on one side of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to qaeationa through the post. 

 Books (Bcc(or).— " Thorarson's Gardeners' Asiiotant" contains in one 

 volame all that yon requiie. ill.. BtunhainK — Any book^.eUor can obtain the 

 book for you and tell you the price. 



Plants for Glass Case in Window (IlovocastriaH).—ks snch plants as 

 Primnla sinensis are kil cii by frost we advise you to grow some Datch bulbg, 

 Bueh as Hyacinths, Crocus, Tulips, Narcissus, &o., and fill Iho case wiih 

 greenhouse plants daring the summer and autumn months. 



EvEBGREENs FOR RaiLWAY E.MBANFiiBNT IE.).—V/a would advise plant- 

 ing it with Spruoo and Scotch Firs, with an undergrowth of common Laurels. 

 Or if you felt inclined tor more eipensiva trees there are many coniferous 

 trees adapted for your pnrpof^e. Piuus insignis grows rapidly and f jrmg a 

 dense screen, but it is not sofflciently hardy in exposed placps. Your soil is 

 a good one for fruit trees, and if they havo become covered with moss the 

 prolable cause is that thegrouudis not well drained; this might also account 

 for the bark crackirg. The roots may have gone deep in the subsoil, and 

 lifting th^m out of this might check the growth of the moS3. Try draining 

 if the soil is wet. 



Mildew on Vises IE. S.).— We had a case timilar to yonrs some jeors 

 ago, when Bulphnr failed to keep the parasiti in check. The roots had 

 worked into an unsuilable subsoil, nod when tUey were lifted out and some 

 turfy loAm had been placed round thorn the mildew disappeared. You may 

 try this if you find the roots are not in good condition. 



FoHciNQ Strawberries {Captain Lyon).— It you have good plants of 

 Keens' Seedling in the open gruuud from young" runners last season, lift 

 them at once ano pot in 6 or viuch pots, and plase the pots in a cold frame 

 or cool house. They will require very litlla forcing to havo fruit ripe by tho 

 time you name. We have galhered British Queen from ti;e open ground 

 about tho middle of .Tune. Joung plants will produce most ruuntrs nest 

 season if they aro potted now and grown-on in pots to be planted out iu 

 April. You niiyot put the Keens' Seedling in a forcing houee about the 

 midiUe of April. 



Hyacinths Failiho (Wcml.— We cannot account for th<) Hyacinths doing 

 badly unless tho bulbs were of interior quality. As tho p)ts are well tilled 

 with roots it could not bo the soil that is at fault. Tho treatment bas been 

 right. 



List of Evergreen SHRrDS and Hydrid Ehododendrons U. C. H.).— 

 Elwilodendrons : Alorm, Album elegans. Amilca, Arcbiluo Etienne, Atro- 

 saigninenm, Baron Oay, Barclnyaunm, Blandyanum. Comtfsse Solvi, Con- 

 oessom, Chianoides, Elfrida, Frederick Waterer, II. W. Sargeant, John 

 Waterer, Joseph Whitworth, Minnie, Schiller, Tho gueen, Tippoo Sshib, 

 luwordil, and Vandyke. Svcrprem Shrubs ; Juoipcrns i-ineusis, English Yew, 

 commoii ond Portugal Laurel, Sweet Bay, Aueuba jnponioa in variety, vaiic- 

 tles of Box »ud Privet, Phlllyrea, Mahouin, and Holly. 



BcssiAN Transparent Apple (W. S.}.—\fa hope shortly to be able to 

 give tho mformatiou you desire. 



Keepino Onions iSlapenhUll—Tloat Onions were probably exposed to 

 rain after they wero barvostul, which would much affect their keeping. 

 Tho vei7 best method of keeping Onions is lo string them iu bunches and 

 hang them in an open lodge where they are dry yet fully exposed to air and 



Bhododendron Layers (J. C). — Cut the branches iaomediately and plant 

 on the fir.it favourable opportunity. You may be glad to leain that any 

 Rbododen.irou having a good b.Ml of roots and soil may b9 transplanted in 

 perfect safety at any period of the year. 



Notice to Leave I A Constant ReatUr). — If a gardener lives in his em- 

 ployer's cottage, has bis wages p.iid weekly.and the cottage is considered part 

 of the gardener's wages, his employer can tarn him out after a week's notice. 



Selection of Strawberries (Amateur, Norivich). — We published very 

 full soleclions in our numbers 608 and 610. 



Newtown Pippin {J. E ). — Fruit medium-sized, roundish, broadest at the 

 ba<*e, with broad obscure ribs extending to the apex, which give it an irregu- 

 larity iu its outline. Skiu at first dull green, but ohauyiug as it ripens tu a 

 fine olive green or greenish yellow, with a reddish brown tinge Kext the sun, 

 snd dotted a 1 over with pmall grey russety dots. Eye small and cloaod, set 

 in a small and ratljer shallow basin. Stalk half an inch long, slender, aud 

 inserted all its length in a deep round cavity lined with delicate russer, which 

 extends over a portion of the base. Flesh yellowish white tinged witti green, 

 firm, crisp, very juioy, with a rich and highly aromatic flavour. A dessert 

 Apple which, when in perfection, is not to be surpassed. It is in use from 

 December to April. This description being taken from an imported specimen 

 it must not be expected that fruit grown in this country will attain the same 

 perfection, for like moat of the beet American Apples it does not succeed in 

 this climate. Even with the protection of a wall and in the most favourable 

 situation it does not possess that peculiarly rich aroma which characterises- 

 the imported fruit. 



Mas. Pollock Geranium (P. Bourkc). — The lady iu whose honour it was 

 named lived, perhaps lives, somewhere near Belfast. There is no later 

 edition of the dictionary. 



Watering (ilfr. BoclfciK).— Water from a metal tank is not injurious to 

 pUnts. No one could advise decidedly about diluting liquid manure not 

 knowing what it is. The draining from a stable may have seven times its 

 bulk of water added. 



Anti-mildew Liquor (J. Mackenzie). — The ammonia is the most potent 

 ingredient, but soma of the saline conatltueats are destroyers of fungi. 



CoLLECTiNQ SPECIMENS (C F. W.). — Tho most coutteous aud most effec- 

 tual way is to write for permission. 



Bulbs in Beds (Alpha). — Your bulbs by the addition of 4 to 6 inches of 

 fresh soil will ue 7 to 9 iochos beneath the surface. They will be much later 

 iu flowering by the additional soil, but wo do not think they v,-!!! bo materially 

 iujured, the bulbs being taken up after floweriu.;. Any small plants of an 

 ever^treen character will from covering up become llauctied, aud in a majority 

 of instances be ruined. We should remove the soil at once, as it can do na 

 good even to the bulbs, and will certainly injure herbaceous plants. 



Names of Fruits (A ftuh^cribar). — 1, Black Hamburgh; 2, judging from 

 its shape, is Mill Hill Hamburgh ; S is much like Butch Hamburgh, but 

 richer lo flavour than we usually find it. How can anyone expect us to namo 

 Grapes from three miserable berrie i ? A bunch aud leaves of each variety 

 should be sent. 



Names of Plants (H. rcnfjwr).— Rusooa racemosus. (H. S. iS,).— 'W» 

 cannot name from leaves only. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



1876. 



There is always the fear when underttiking an annnal tasb 

 for the twentieth time that the siyings aud opinions of previous 

 years will repettt themselves, and that the whole will become 

 "tedious as a iliricetold tale." But our task is a kindly one, 

 aud the kindlier feelings of our nature never grow old, in th& 

 ordinary sense of the word. They, like generous wine, mellow 

 and beoome better as time steals on. This is especially tbe case 

 when wo have to review the past, and to address tho^e who, we 

 believe, share our feelings, and with common gratitude praise 

 the Goodness that has spared us to exchange our kindly greet- 

 ings once more. 



A review of tho past is of necessity full of anticipations of th9 

 future. All be.ieve none of the trials and shortcomings of 1876- 

 wiU repeat tbetnaelves in 1877. Experience sUoiild enable us to 

 avoid the rooks on which we split, and should be a constant 

 beacon warning us when we approach danger. 



It appears t ) us that poultry has a twofidd mission to fulfil. 

 First, it has to help to produce food, next it is calculated to 

 afford a harmless, healthful, and plea-iug recreation. We 

 beli-^ve these purposes have not been fnltiUud, tho ([uantity of 

 poultry has not increased, and shows have in too many iustances 

 been very losing speculations. We will eodeavour to trace these 

 facts to their origin, and to point out a remedy. 



It, is au established fact that the supply of choice poultry does 

 not increase; that during tho scarce limo cf year, April, May, 

 and June, it seems to diminish. It cannot be from lack of en- 

 couragement in the way of price. Thousrinds of fowls were last 

 year sold at 7s. (jd. and Ss. each. A mtrii many years ago made 

 a bet that six hens should iu a year pay better than SiX ewes. 

 Ho won easily. T«"o things are needed — lirft, to have the beat 

 breed, next to produce tho chickoLS at Che niostpri.'fitable time. 

 It was hardly necessary to seek the best breetl ; that was and is 

 known. Practical tuition was required, aud that has often been 

 given in our pagen. We might take a leaf out of the book of our 

 trrst great agriculturists. They soneht to produce at once the 

 most symmetrioal and the most profitable animals whether for 

 food or inilk. They persevered, and they succeeded not by 

 seeking all sorts of slrtiugo breeds and auimal.s, but by improving 

 thoae they had. Xhis was done so judiciously that the qualitisa 



