AprU 26, 1877 ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



Plants for Hanging Baskets (May). —We presume frost is excluded 

 from your cool greenhonse. Sasifraga Fortonei fol. var., S. sarmentosa, 

 Tradescantia zebriua, Lithospermum prostratum. Mesembry anthem ums 

 davellatum, repens, and candens, Cereas flagelliformis, C. splendens, Antir- 

 rhionm prootimbens, AJyesum variegatum, and Ivy-leaved Geraniums are 

 suitable. 



White CAiTELLiA for Back of Vinery (Idem). — Alba plena, thougU 

 old, iR one of the best; Mathotiana alba is very good, as also is Flmbriata, 

 which ha^? the margin of the petals beautifolly fringed. Any of the three 

 would suit. Plant ihem out, which ia preferable to growing them in pots, 

 keeping well supplied with water, and trained to a trellis. 



Moss IN Seed Pan {Idem}.— Do not attempt to remove the moss from 

 the psn containing Begonia seed, bat continue the pan in gentle heat, keep- 

 ing moist. It is not unlikely that the seed will yet vegetate, if it baa not 

 already done so. 



Pruning Outdoor Vines (Tyro'). — The Vines ought to have been pruned 

 gome time ago, but we should yet do so, cutting back the growths of last year 

 to within two eyes of their base, and the extension of the canes or rods to 

 about Bis eyes. If the Vines have been neglected we should thin-out the 

 rods, and lay-in fresh canes at about IS inches distance apart, and rub out 

 the eyes as they break where they are closer together than 18 inches, depress- 

 ing the canes eo as to induce their breaking well at the base, and after they 

 have broken and are about an iach long secure the shoots to the wall. 



Wintering Carnations (Idem). — Ours have wintered well in the open 

 ground, the soil being light and well drained, but they have been much 

 preyed upon by slugs. We should pot the plants ia September as you pro- 

 pose, and place them in a cold frame on ashes in a sheltered situation, ad- 

 mitting air freely during mild weather, the object being to keep them cool and 

 dry : and at the same time afford them protection in severe weather by placing 

 mats over the lights. Very little water will be required during the winter. 

 Harden well off, and plant out from the pots about the middle of April. They 

 will flower finely during the summer. 



Pit for Cucumbers (Amateur). — The idea we presume is to grow Cu- 

 onmberi in summer only, having a pit for hot dung to give the plants a start, 

 planting not being done until March or April. It wiU suffice in that case 

 if the front wall be 3 feet high, 2 feet within and 1 foot above ground, the 

 back wall being 2 feet higher or 5 feet, and upon these will be the wall plates. 

 The pit should face tho south, and be in a sheltered position, but not shaded 

 by trees or other objects. 



Plants foe a Shaded Border (Idem). — The border will he most suit- 

 able for Fern?, but we have had the following plants do fairly in such a 

 position: — Lily of the Valley, Ajuga orientalia, Anemone apennina, Arabia 

 albida, Aubrietia deltoidea, Hemerocallis lutea, Meconopsis cambrica. Mirau- 

 Ina cupreus, Myosotis dissitiflora, double varieties of Primrose, TroUius 

 europ.qeue, Vinca major, V. minor, and Violets in varietv. The wall may be 

 clothed with Ivy, Jasroinum nudiflorum, and Virginian Creeper. 



Tbeathent of Orchids f^l/ P, D.).— All the Orchids you name will suc- 

 Med in a cool stove — that is about 55*^ at night. The plant has been eaten by 

 some insect. Take a lantern and search for it at night. 



Peach Tree on Shadv Side of House (J. IF.). — If a Barriugton 

 Peach will not succeed owing to too much shade, a Fig tree would not givo 

 satisfaction. Try au Early York Peach tree ; it is a freer setter, and ripens 

 much easier and earlier than Barrington. The best Rose for your purpose is 

 H.P. Duke of Edinburgh. 



Propagating Carnations and Cloves (A. H.). — Cloves and many 

 varieties of Carnations are not easily propagated from cuttings, but some 

 sorts are, and the small side growths of them strike well in a little bottom 

 heat ; but after all the best way is to layer them in August, you are then sure 

 of good strong flowering plants for next year. 



_AiE Roots from Vines (Jf. C). — This is a very common occurrence 

 with early forced Vines, and it is owing to deficient root action combined 

 with a moist atmosphere. You may either leave them on or cut them off 

 as you please. We have tried both ways, and have not seen the Vines suffer 

 in the least. 



Treatmbnt of Vines (J. B.). — As the young Vines had only started 

 about 8 inches, it would not have checked the growth to have shaken the soil 

 from the roots ; but it would have been better still to have shaken them out 

 as eoon as they started, and laid the roots out in shallow boxes made roughly, 

 and at the time o( planting the boxes might have been dropped into the place 

 where tho Vines were to be planted, pulling the boxes to pieces without dis- 

 turbing the roots. As you say the old ball of roots is " quite solid " and few 

 roots started from it, we do not think the Vines will do well until these halls 

 are broken up. It was a mistake not to have done this in the first instance. 



Reinette Grise Apple (A. K. B.) —Avery fine dessert Apple of first-rate 

 qnality. Our '* Garden Manual" will suit you. Free by post for twenty 

 postage stamps. 



Pansies peosi Seed (Tyro).— Mr. Mcintosh gives the following excellent 

 directions : — " The beginning of May, August, and September are the best 

 seasons for sowing tho seed saved the preceding autumn, spriug, and summer. 

 All seed procured afttr the middle of September should be kept till the May 

 following. Sow in pans in a compost passed through a half-inch nieve. Sow 

 thinly and place the seed pans in a gentle heat. When the seedlings appear 

 grtat care must be taken in watering, as the young plants are apt to damp off 

 close by tho surface. Abundance of air is necessary, and the operation of 

 priokiog off into nurtc-ry bedu should be attended to as soon as the plants 

 are fit to handle. A partially shaded border is the best place for them, and 

 U covered for ten days after removal with a glass frame so much sooner will 

 they become eatablished." 



Vine Leaves Scorched (J. M.). — Your letter does not afford sufficient 

 data to enable us to trace the cause of the scorching of one Vine, the remain- 

 iog Vines being in good condition. The leaves Fcut are flimsy, and suggest 

 that the Vine is not adcjuately supported. We think if you were to care- 

 fully remove the surface soil and replace it with a mixture of rather strong 

 loam and bones, and give rather more water, the effect would he beneficial. 



Pelargonium Seedling (W. Q. Sutton).— The colour Is rich, but the 

 petals had ail falles. The Cinerarias are of average merit. 



Insects in Vinerv (J. St. Johns).— The pretty green lly yon have sent as 

 infesting yonr vinery is a species of Sargus (Chrysomyia), the Iar\ffi of which 

 are dirty lootleee maggots found in the earth, which feed on decaying vege- 



ta ble matters. The flies are in no way injiuioua to the Vines, which mast 

 have suffered from some other cause. — I. O. W. 



Names of Plants (S. M. 17.1.— Erica mediterrauea. (H. J. i?.).— Berberia 

 Darwiaii. {A Constant Header).— Vfe cannot name from leaves only. 



POULTET, BEE, AM) PIGEON OHRONIOLE. 



POULTRY AND BIRD NEWS. 



We ara sorry to auaonnce the death of another loyal ponltry 

 fancier — Mrs. Julia Wylde of Uckfield has passed away from 

 us. She was, perhaps, not generally known as a Cochin braeder, 

 but visitors at the southern shows will have often noticed her 

 White Cochins at the difierent exhibitions. She was a thorough 

 fancier, and knew well the points of a Cochiu-China fowl, and 

 will be much missed by a large circle of friends. 



We have to-day received the schedule of a small ponltry show 

 to be held on August 8th at Malton (Yorkshire). We notice 

 that in this apparently local schedule there is a class for Silkies. 

 We ara glad to see it, and to find the culture of this useful 

 breed is gaining ground, as hitherto we believe the classes for 

 the variety have been confined alone to the large exhibitions. 



It will be, perhaps, remembered that after the Crystal Palace 

 Show in November last a gentleman claimed £50 for his Houdau 

 cock, as the bird had been entered at this price, but sold for 

 30s. by the Committee. The reason of this, however, they 

 alleged was because they had been advised by letter to reduce 

 the price from £50 to 30s. The sender of this missive has not 

 come to light, and the owner of the bird summoned the Com- 

 mittee. They, however, paid £6 into Cuurt, and this was ao- 

 ceptad. It is surely a great lesson to all committees to be very 

 careful how they accept the reduction of the price of a pen of 

 birdj by writing or telegram, as it would be the means of un- 

 principled people obtaining valuable specimens at a low price. 

 In this case the Hoadan was unnoticed, and therefore it makes 

 the transaction the more mystifying. 



Mr. Rule of Harrogate, Torks, the other evening at a meeting 

 of Pigeon fanciers at Evans's Hotel, Covent Garden, explained 

 a new method which he has lately invented for marking young 

 Pigeons. He proposes to place round the leg of the bird an 

 indiarubber ring, which is to have a metal wire in the middle 

 of it to prevent its being cut through or removed to another 

 bird. This ring is to be closed by nippers, which will be able 

 to impress on the band a date and a mark of a private nature 

 where the two ends join. Mr. Rule then proposes to license 

 this invention to societies and fanciers. We should imagine 

 that the system will be of much value if the stamp or impression 

 made by the nippers is unable to be copied and used by un- 

 principled people. Several influential fanciers were present at 

 the meeting and discussed the matter. 



The entries for the Tavistock Show close on Saturday next, 

 those for the centennial meeting at Bath on May 2nd, and for 

 Banbury on May 5th. The latter show is still to be held, we 

 understand, though the Oxfordshire Agricultural Society have 

 postponed their meeting until September in consequence of tho 

 outbreak of the cattle plague. We hope all will patronise Mr. 

 Herrieff's endeavour to make his show a good one. 



The entries for the Bath and West of England Show are th& 

 largest that the Society has ever had. 



We have long wished that the Royal Agricultural Society 

 embraced poultry and Pigeons in their meetings. They are to 

 hold their annual show this year at Liverpool, and as this is a 

 neighbourhood where many good fanciers reside we should lik& 

 to see them take the matter up and see what they can do. — W. 



A PERSISTENT SITTER. 



I HAVE a common hen under which I placed a batch of eggs 

 on January 22Qd ; these were duly hatched on February l'2th. 

 The brood was carefully reared for six weeks, and on the 26th of 

 March the hen laid her first egg again. Since that day until 

 Saturday last (lith of April) she has laid seventeen fine eggs, 

 and to-day is now on her second batch of eggs, which she will 

 steadily sit over. Not one of my Brahma hens has been broody 

 as yet, although some have laid since December. — E. D. 



[The Editors know of more than one hen that will sit at any 

 time that they are placed on eggs in a nest.] 



CocK-DuBDiNO. — The Sittiagbourno Justices sitting in petty 

 sessions had again before them, April 18th, the case of " Murphy 

 V. Manning and another," which had been remitted to them from 

 the Divisional Court of Appeal of the High Court of Justice, in 

 order th.it they might reverse their decision given in January, 

 1870. Originally the defendants, John Manning, farrier, and 

 Charles Sayers, publican, were summoned by an inspector of 

 the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the 

 former for cruelly ill-treating, abasing, and torturing three cocks 



