March 22, 1877. J 



journaij op horticulture and cottage gardener. 



ably. We requeat that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Correspondents should not mix up on the same^sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one aide of the paper only. We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 



Petunias.— Iq the article on Petunias, page 17."*. the illuBtration of a 

 ■doable- fringed variety repre gents the strain of Mr. Ernest Benary, Erfart, 

 Germany. 



Tenant Leaving (Servant], — "We muat decline giving an opinion. The 

 moat straight for ward course wonld be to speak to yoor landlord and make 

 an equitable arrangement with him. 



Neffiek du Japon (M. R. D.).— It is the MespUns japonica, or Japanese 

 Medlar. 



Golden PniETHRusr for Carpet Beddino (A. P.).— The eeefls are 

 generally sown too early, and the plants are too large when planted in the 

 beds. Do not sow until the middle of April, and prick the seedlin-^s direct 

 from the pans into the bsds where they are required to remain. They should 

 be quite small, only jast large enough to be handled when placed in the beds 

 in May, pricking them only an inch apart. You can afterwards thin them 

 oat if required. The only means of keeping the plants dwarf is by sowing 

 late and planting the seedlings closely together when they are quite small. 

 If other and still dwarfer plants are associated with the Pyrethrum the 

 panels intended for the latter should be excavated an inch or two, and then 

 with a little pinching the Golden Feather will not " overtop "' the other plants. 



Mealy Bug {T. S., ffnoici*).— Your plant is infested with Coccus adoni- 

 dum. Your remedy ia to dissolve -i ozs. of soft soap in a gallon of water, and 

 thoroughly wash every portion of yoor plant with a sp ingo, applying the 

 solution as hot as can be endured by the hand, then lay your plant on a mat 

 and syringe it violently with the same solution at a temperature of 120'^. It 

 ehonld afterwards he syringed twice daily with clear water to prevent the 

 pest again increasing on the plant. A moist atmosphere merely will not 

 prevent the increase of these insects, bat they cannot flourish under regular 

 drenchings from the syringe. 



Apples {J. M.).—la your eitaation, Surrey, pl&nt—Applcif Dessert— 

 Joanneting, Devonshire Quarrenden, King of the Pippins, Kerry Pippin, 

 Gravens'.ein, Coi's Orange Pippin, Margil, Aromatic Russet, Cornish GiUi- 

 flower, Nonpareil, Court Panda Plat, and Sturmer Pippin. Kitchen— CatUsIb 

 Codlin, Stirling Ctistle, Nonesuch, Golden Noble, H tUandbary, Beauty of 

 Kent, Blenheim Pippin, Alfriston, Winter Greening and Norfolk Beefing. 



Primula Flowers {J. R Cotton).— They are most peculiarly variegated, 

 but whether they are handsome when growing we cannot judge. 



Heating by a Baker's Oven {C. F. B.).— Water will flow without 

 being at a boiling temperature. The oven on which you purpose placing the 

 boiler might not be heated when yoa most require heat. 



Treatment of Amaryllis after Floweeisg (B. T'.). — To leave off 

 watering and to crowd the pots together into any out-of-the-way comer 

 immediately after the flowers fade, as is frequently done, is bad practice. It 

 should never be forgotten that a full and healthy de7elopment of the foliage 

 is of the utmost cooseqaence, for without it we shall look in vain for good 

 flowers, and no subsequent treatment will atouefor negligence or carelessness 

 in this respect. Continue therefore to afford the plants every advantage of 

 light, air, and water till the foliage has attained its full growth and shows 

 indications of decay, then gradually withhold water; aud when the foliage 

 by its yellow hue shows clearly that its tissues have quite done their work 

 then lay the pots on their sides if space is an object, and if repotting is 

 necessary let it be done just before the season for a new growth, using a rich 

 gritty loam. 



Arbutcs Barren (Constance).— ThQ Arbutus is dicocious, the male aud 

 female flowers being produced on separate shrubs. Plant a male plant 

 among your shrubs. Any nurserymaa could supply yau with one. 



Salt to Kill Moss [J. 3/.).— Rake the lawn, and sow over it common 

 salt, at the rate of twenty bushels per acre. Apply it uow. If your lawn is 

 on a heavy soil draining would permanently diminish the moss. 



Wireworm iSigma).—Vfe know of no radical cure, except paring aud burn- 

 ing 6 inches of the entire surface soil. 



Nitrate of Soda (Idem).— It is a good manure for Potatoes, 1 lb. per 

 eqoare rod, sown over the surface immediately after planting. 



Cabbage Roots Knobbed I A. A.).— The grabs in the knobs are the off- 

 spring of a weevil. The only preventive is to dip the plants at planting time 

 into a creamy mixture of soot, aud to sow soot on the surface afterwards. 



Bhttbarb not Growing [C. R). — We arc unable to account for the Rhu- 

 barb not growing; the kind may have been unsuitable for forcing. We have 

 had late kinds taken up early decay at the crown, and not unfrequently had the 

 crowns eaten out by mice. There ia nothing wrong in your treatment, but 

 it is not desirable to water until the leaves are appearing from the crown, 

 growth having taken place. Bottom heat is not necessary. All that is re- 

 quired is to place the roots in mois^ rich soil and maintain a temperature of 

 55" to GO^. The best kind for forcing is Johnstone's St. Martin's; Liuuffius 

 is also excellent. 



Planting Seakale (IiUm). — Theside roots should not be removed but be 

 planted a foot apart in rich light soil in au open eituation, planting so that 

 the crowns are just covered with soil- 



PauNiNG Statice (IiUm).—Yoii do not inform as of the species. Oat 

 away all the flower stems and such parts as present a straggling appearance. 

 Bepot in about three weeks, keeping rather dry and cool during that time, 

 removing any loose soil and reducing the ball a little, returning to the same 

 or a slightly increased size of pot, watering carefully. A compost of three 

 parts turfy loam, one part fibrous peat, half a part of leaf soil, aud half a part 

 in eqnal proportions of silver sand, pieces of charcoal, and old dry cow dung 

 well incorporated will grow Statices well. Good draiuage must be provided. 

 None of the .Statices require a hothouse, but those not hardy should be 

 grown in a greenhouse temperature. 



Green Slime— "W.H. P." wishes to know how he can prevent a green 

 elimc forming and floating In bis water tanks. 



Summer House (J.Rogers). — We cannot furnish designs. Ri c ant i's book, 

 "Sketches for Rustic Work," might help you. It is publiaheii by Mr. Car- 

 penter, Old Bond Street. 



Peach, Melon, and Propagating House (G. C. H.). — Your lean-to 

 house ought at least to be 12 feet wide, which will allow 4 feet at the back 

 wall for a Peach border, 2 feet 6 inches for path, and 4 feet for a bed to bo sup- 

 plied with bottom heat from hot-water pipes. The front 2 feet for Melons 

 should admit of a depth of 18 inches for loam ; the 2 feet space between the 

 path and Melon bed will be further reduced 4i inches to allow of a low wall 

 one brick thick to support the bed ; this may be 30 inches or 3 feet above the 

 floor line to be used for a propagating bed ; this you can fill with tan, fer- 

 menting manure, or leaves. 



Bryony Propagation (E. 0. 0.).— It is best propagated by sowing the 

 berries, which should be gathered in late summer or when they become qaite 

 red, keeping in sand over the winter, and sowing in March in light sandy soil 

 in the open ^'-ound, covering about half au inch deep. It may also be in- 

 creased by suckers, either with or without a portion of the fleshy roots. You 

 will be able to had the roots by tracing the bines iu the hedges where the 

 plants grow. It will not be long, however, before fre^h bines come up, aud 

 before the growth is far aivauced the plants should be removed. 



Converting Greemhouse into a Vinery (C. C. .1/.).— It will be neces- 

 sary to remove the front pipes, bringing them 3 feet further into the interior 

 of the house. The pipe3 at the back are as good as they can be, unless you 

 wish to have somethiug growing against tho waU, in which case the i)ipe3 

 will need to be brought 2 feet from it. We should now divide the house into 

 two by a division iu the middle, at least arrange the pipes for it so that you 

 can heat one house or both, separately or together. In the early house we 

 should have Mill Hill Hamburgb, Foster's Seedling, Troveren Frontignan 

 (Muscat Troveren), and Trentham Black. In the second house Golden 

 Queen, Uadresfield Court, Muscat of Alesaudria, and Lady Downe's. You may 

 plant in the order named, commencing at one eni, and put in the division 

 afterwards. We should not have any Peaches in the house, the Vines would 

 soon shade them too much to be profitable. Our " Vine Manual " treats of 

 the preparation of the soil and cultivation. It maybe had from our office 

 for 2s. Ihi. 



Name of Violet (8iibscrihcr).~~JadgiQg from the flowers alone (foliage 

 would have aided us in the more certain identification of the variety) wo 

 think it is the double red (reddish purple) variety of the Russian— viz., Viola 

 suavis rubra flore-plena, a very free-flowering kind, aud good for pot culture. 

 The flowers sent are very attractive. 



Beet for Bedding Purposes (Beta), — The two small leaves sent were 

 much withered. The colour appears to be rich magenta with red veins ; but 

 matured plants are necessary to enable a correct judgment being formed on 

 the merits of the strain. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHRONIOLE. 



WESTMINSTER AQUARIUM POULTRY SHOW. 



The management of the WostminsterAqaarinm Poultry Show 

 has been rather sharply criticised. In justice to the executive 

 of that Show I send you my experience of their management. 



I am one of those poultry fanciers whose homes are situated 

 " in remote and inaccessible country places." I was unable to 

 attend the Aquarium Show, unacquainted with any of its officials, 

 unrepresented by any person to guard my interests. On the 

 morning of Saturday, February 2ith (the Show had then been 

 closed only a few hours), one of two birds I had exhibited 

 arrived at Farnham station. On the same day I received a post 

 card stating that my other bird had been claimed. Within a 

 fortnight I received a cheque for tho amount due to me, enclosed 

 with a very ornamental highly commended card. I may mention 

 that my bird which was returned had improved in condition 

 during his absence. For the last eight or ten years I have been 

 an occasional exhibitor of poultry; during that time no com- 

 mittee, as far as my experience goes, has behaved in a more 

 businesslike and considerate manner to exhibitors than the 

 gentlemen who promoted and conducted the Aquarium Show. 

 I am sorry to hear that their venture was financially a failure. 

 Surely they have been hardly treated in receiving such severe 

 censure for backwardness in their arrangements on the opening 

 day of the Show, the delay having been caused by oircumstanoes 

 beyond their control. — H. Seymour Fbaseb. 



WING DISEASE IN PIGEONS. 

 Are wing disease and goat forms of the same malady ? Is it 

 infectious ? My reason for thinking it must be is that until 

 December last I had not a single case, but since then it has been 

 going through two lofts, the conditions of which are totally 

 different, but where the occupants generally mingle during the 

 day. Thinking it might arise, as suggested in the books, from 

 striking the wings against some sharp corner I was careful to 

 remove all such; but the spread of the disease has not been 

 stopped, and I have now about a dozen birds affeotsd with one or 

 other of the forms of the disease. Till about a fortnight ago it 

 was confined to the wings, but now there are several birds lame; 

 and although there is no swelling I an only attribute it to the 

 same disease. Two of these oases I am treating with spirits of 

 turpentine. In the case of the wings, where there are swellinga 

 I treat with iodine, with which I have cured one ; where there 

 are no swellings I have used the cold-water tap, and in that way 

 I have also cured one case. Most of the birds attacked are hip;hly 

 bred Barbs, the last one which I found bad both in wing and leg 



