AprU 1, 1669. ) 



JOURNAL OP HOBTICULTUBE AND OOTTAGE QABDENEH. 



231 



nicU/ Ko. I, page Ifil). ' Seamroyt Clover, Trefoil, worn bf Iriahmen in 

 their hats, by way of a croso, on St- Partrick's-day, la memory of that 

 groat saiut ' (' Irish-EngliBh Dictionary,' in v.)" 



Cliantiius Dampieri Colture (CTian/'iiM Damp-o/). —Thifl is not in 

 any sense nn iinuual, but a biennial, if not perennial, flowering in March 

 and later. The seeds nhould be sown in March or April, singly in 2k or 

 3-lQch potfi, and placed in a hou^e having a night temperatare of from 

 50" to 55- in a pubilion near the glass, as on a shelf or the corb-stone of a 

 pit. Take care not to allow the pots to become very full of roots before 

 the plants are shifted into pots two sizes larger ; indeed the plants shoald 

 be snifted as soon as the roots are found coiled round the base of the 

 soil, and this should be repeated as required throughout the summer and 

 autumn mouths, which will prevent the plants froui being checked by 

 the maintenance of a slow but progressive growth throughout the 

 autumn and winter months, the temperature ranging from 45' to od'^ at 

 that period. Transfer the plants to a cool and well-ventilated greenhouse as 

 tho summer advances. lu the case of early-sown seeds, say in March, the 

 plants may safely bo placed in a hotbed or Cucumber frame, and be partially 

 plunged. They may be removed in May or June to a warm greenhouse, 

 and finally placed in a cool, airy honee for blooming. A compost of turfy 

 yellow loam two-thirds, and the remaining third silver sand, charcoal 

 broken, and leaf mould lu equal proportions, the whole well raised, will 

 grow it well, good drainage being given. If the loam is not very fibrous, and 

 it ought to be, one-third part of sandy fibrous peat should be added and 

 intermixed. The seedlings have a tendency to elongate the stem above 

 the soil, and it ought not to be buried, but at each successive shift to 

 larger pots allow the base of the stem proper to be exposed above the 

 sarface of the soil. This will keep the plants in most cases from damping 

 off, by bringing the root organs within the influence of the atmospheric 

 agencies of light and heat, and Is an essential of healthy growth. 



Sowing Gl.^diolus Seed (B. B.).— The seed ought to be sown now in 

 a seed pan rather thinly, in a compost of two parts sandy loam, one part 

 sandy peat, and one part of sharp sand ; place in a hotbed or house with 

 a gentle heat of from dO to 63 or 7U-, admitting air freely when the seed- 



' lings are np. In Juno remove to the open ground, water freely in dry 

 weather, and if very wot weather set in, protect from it, but allow the 

 ; plants the full benefit of gentle showers. Take up the bulbs in aatama 

 after the leaves decay, keep them in a cuol dry place during the winter, 

 and plant out in March in well-prepared beds in a warm situation, allow- 

 ing 4 inches from bulb to bulb every way. The seed does not generallj 

 succeed well sown in the open ground, but it may be so sown in April. 



GocRDs FOE OcT-Doou CcLTUttE (J. A.).— The best Gourds for eating 

 are the Ohio Squash and L%rge Yellow ; Mammoth and Large Green are 

 also good. Garibaldi and Turk's Cap are ornamental sorts, of whose 

 eating qualities we have no experience, and have no faith in them for 

 such puri>oses, as our climate is much too cold for their rapid growth 

 and full maturity, wliich are essentials in the culture of Gourds for 

 culinary purposes. 



Magnolia Unhealthy [L. R.). — The roots we should think had pene- 

 trated too deeply and into bad soil, the drainage at that depth not being 

 efficient. We would lift the tree early next autumn— in tho end of Sep- 

 tember or beginning of October, preserving as large a ball as possible, 

 and replant. Previous to doing so take out the soil ti feot 6 inches deep, 

 concrete the bottom, or place slates over it, to keep the roots from pene- 

 trating straight downwards, put in 6 to inches of rubble for drainage, 

 and use a compost of two parts loam, one part peat, and one part old cow 

 dang, well mixed, for planting with. 



Beech for Hedge (G, D. B.].—The plants we should permit to grow 

 at will, as far as regards height, trimming the sides every winter or spring, 

 so as to keep the side shoots within bounds; and cut off the tops of the 

 plants when within 1 foot of the height you require the hedge ultimately 

 to be. 



Names of Plants iVentnor).—V>e cannot name plants from leaves only. 

 Send a sprig when in flower. (J. W. Dicki.—l and 2. Genista canariensis; 

 3, Genista Spachiana ; 4, Acacia hybrida; 5, Platyloma rotundifolia. 

 {J. FleminoK — 1, Epacris impressa ; 2, Libonia floribunda. (L. C. A. A,), 

 —A Melaleuca, near M. h>-pericifolia. {Bellegardej.—XihaiTis unedo. 

 (G. S}.— Thnja occidentiUs. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending March :iOtb. 



Gei^oal Reuabes. 



Fine and frostv ; overcast ; cloudy, but fine. 



Overcast ; c'oudy and fine : densely clouded at night. 



Overcast ; densely overcast ; clear and fine. 



Fine ; cloudy, cold wind ; cloudy, but fine. 



Overcast, very dull ; foggy, very dark ; densely overcast. 



Clear and cold : boisterous and stormy ; clear and fine. 



Densely overcast ; cloudy, brisk wind; overcast. 



POULTRY. BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



VULTTTRE-HOCKED. 



Allow me to correct a very general and popular mistake in 

 your reply to " W. H." in last week's Journal, respecting 

 vulture-hocked Brahmas. It is stated in reply: — "The vulture 

 hock is a term applied when the thigh feathers project much 

 beyond the knee-joint, as they do in the Vulture." I have 

 invariably, when myself writing on this subject, taken care to 

 steer far from this too-generally-mistaken notion, for the 

 feathers of the thigh of the Vulture, as any visitant to a 

 zoological garden can himself determine, and most naturalists 

 themselves know, do not extend beyond the junction of the 

 tibia and the tarsus. It is in the Falcon tribe only that among 

 birds of prey this peculiarity exists ; and I really feel that, 

 to make things understood as realities as well as by name, 

 this misnomer of " vulture-hock" is far more wisely honoured 

 in the breach than by the observance. I am assured that 

 everyone, now poultry-breeding is really becoming a science 

 and matter of prominent importance, will excuse my thus 

 correcting an error of so general an acceptance, and one calcu- 

 lated rather to mislead than encourage a desire for poultry 

 culture. — Edward Hewitt, Sjiarkbrook, Birmin^liain. 



[It is quite true that most of the Falconida? have what is 

 popularly called the " vulture hock," but some of them have 

 not — as Falco bidentatus, F. cajrulescens, &o. It is also true 

 that some of the Vultures are not " vulture-hocked," but many 

 of them are. The Bearded Vulture, the Maltese Vulture, 

 the Pondicherry Vulture, the Egyptian Vulture, Sea., are 

 examples. — Eds.] 



I of a hen, but have often met with hens that take a pride in 



I "trimming" up a cock, and this is generally done by one 



I particular hen. Watch for the right hen, and at once destroy 



! her, unless she is a valuable one ; if so, see that the fowls have 



j a plentiful supply of green food, and also some sheep's bellies 



or paunches boiled with bullock's liver, and chopped fine with 



j a little suet ; a little should be given every day, taking care 



I not to overdo it. Make a strong solution of bitter aloes of 



I the thickness of cream, and take two or three wing feathers 



and smear or daub it over the parts of the cock that the hens 



are in the habit of picking. I have recommended this method 



to several fanciers, and have tried it several times myself, and 



! have never known it to fail. — S. 'W. Smith. 



FOWLS EATING EACH OTHEU'S FEATHERS. 

 Mt advice to fanciers having fowls that eat each other's 

 feathers is at once to break the neck of the hen or hens so 

 doing. I have scarcely ever known a cock pluck the feathers 



POULTRY AND THEIR MANAGEMENT. 



{Concluded from page 218.) 

 ■We now come to the domestic Duck, which was derived from 

 the wild Duck. Ducks of all kinds should be kept in a house 

 separate from other poultry, and with a brick floor to admit of 

 its frequent washing ; give them plenty of room. They are the 

 least expensive of any fowl to keep, as they soon find food for 

 themselves. Boiled roots, with a little barleymeal, are good for 

 them. When fattening add milk and Dear's food, to which I 

 before alluded. Eleven eggs are enough for an ordinary-sized 

 Duck to sit upon. Their eggs do not keep so well as the com- 

 mon hen's, so thev require to be set as fresh as possible. The 

 nest should be on"the ground in a damp place. Feed the Dnok 

 every morning and evening whOst sitting. Boiled but cold 

 oatmeal porridge is verv good for ducklings until they are ten 

 davs old ; afterwards barley or poultry meal, oats, and pollard, 

 with plenty of green food. They are ready for table in eight 

 to twelve weeks if well fed. Never give hard spring water, but 

 that from a pond. The Aylesbury Duck is a good layer, and 

 has been known to produce K'lO eggs within a year, each 

 weighing fully 3 ozs. They are of the purest white plumage, 

 pale flesh-coloured bill, and orange-coloured legs. The Kouen, 

 or Rhine Duck, as the name indicates, is of foreign origin; it 



