282 



JOUBNAL OP HORTIC0LTUKE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



[ April 22, 1SC9. 



not arrange with some one to shnt up the frame if the day prove cold, or 

 if the ruorniDg ^e cold or dull to open the lights in case of the day 

 turning out fiup ? You will do no good by shadiog the lights. One plant 

 will be fcuffitient to put under each light of G feet by 3 feet. Two plants 

 Would, rentier the frame tcio crowded. 



Pit Constbucting (J. T. iS.).— The famace may lie 2 feet long, and 

 have l-foot-6-inch tire bars, and moj be H inches wide and the same in 

 height, with nn arched top ; nil the parts in contuct with the fire should 

 be of fire bricks, nt least the furnace should be cased with them, and the 

 flue for about a yard at Ihc &ides from the furnace should be built of iire 

 brick and covered with 8-incb fire tiles. The height of the bottom of the 

 flue above the furnace should be from 1 foot to 15 inchc?, and the flue 

 should run across one end, along the front, and return along the back 

 to the place it started from, havirg a slight ascent the whole way. It 

 may then be taken up about 3 ftet alJove the pit lights, and have a chim- 

 ney pot. You may have an opeuing at the side for cleaning out the flue, 

 bnt it is belter to t'ko ofl" a covering tilo at the corners when the flue 

 requires cleaning. The lighls maybe 3 feet wide for the length you 

 name (8 feet), and should be n^bated for glass on one side only. The 

 &ame for the lights may be 3 inches t.y 2( inchcy, the bottom rail y inches 

 by 14 inch, and 'he fash bars 2 inches by 1 inch, having two to each light, 

 80 that you will have s^uarts of glats neiily 10 inches wade, and they 

 may be 15 inches long, which are the sizes we recommend. The timber 

 should be of the bett yellow pine, though for durability red deal is best. 

 The wall plates should be fully the width ol tho walls, which may be 

 4i inches thick abuve the ground, and we would sink it 3 feet in the 

 ground if we could without striking water. 



Preparing a Rhododendron and CAStELLiA Border (Corni(&m).— It 

 is likeh that your heavy clayey loam is of that description in which 

 Khododendions flourish, as they do in that overlying freestone; and in 

 this cate we would only trench the border deeply without turning up too 

 much of thtt clay, and in plnnting make a hole large enough to admit of 

 about half a barrowiul of peat being placed round the ball^ of each plant 



— indeed, planting in the peat boII. If, howfver, it is of a character in- 

 jurious to tho tvhododendron, then wc would tukeoutthe soil of the border 

 to the depth of 2 feet, and replace it entirely with peat. We fear you 'will 

 not be able to grow Rbododendrons and Camellias in the same border; 

 but if you do, the CameUias should be at the b:u k aud the Ehododendrons 

 in front. For the Camellias use a compost of light tuifyloam, the top 

 1^ or 2 inches of a pasture chopped up rather finely; to 1 w-c-thirds of this 

 add one-third of fibrous peat, and well mix the whole. The border should 

 be increased in width to 6 feet, and that would accommodate two rows of 

 plants, and wo tliould have them all Camellias or all Khododcndron?. 

 If you prefer it, place the Camelliasin tbn centre, with the Rhododendrons 

 a' the sides, iu tho form of two wings, dividing the border into three parts, 

 using soil suitable for each plant. You will find a list of Camellias smt- 

 able for out-door culture at pnge 256 of the present volume, and yon can 

 arrange the colours to suit your tatte. We ciinuot plant, but are'alwayB 

 willing to criticise proposed phmting. Some of the best Rhododendroua 

 are :— AtrosMnguineum, blood red ; Barclayauum, reddish rose ; Blanche 

 Superbe, white, green eye; Blandyanum, reddish crimson; Elatteum, 

 rosy lilac ; Erayanum, rosy scarlet; Bride, whits ; Chloe, crimson lake; 

 Comet, pcnrlet ; Faust, lilac; Hogarth, rosy crimson; John Watcrer, 

 crimson ; Lndy Dorothy Nevill. purp c, spotted black ; Lefevreannm, pur- 

 plish crimson ; Macnlatum purpureum, purplish rose, spotted; Madame 

 Miolau C'uvalho, white : Neilsoni, ro.sy lake ; OchToleucnm, pale yellow, 

 shaded ofi'to straw-brown spots ; Papiiionaceum, lilac, changing to white ; 

 Pardoloton, claret ; Perryanum, rose, spotted; Pluto, purplish crimson; 

 Sydney Herbert, crimson, with black spots; T^wardi, rosv lilac ; Victoria, 

 plum ; Victoria (Pince's), claret ; and William Downing, dark puce, 

 blotched. 



Names or Plants (G. S.).— "We think it is Primula decora, bnt tho 

 Rpecimen was quite withered and injured. (Juiin).— Ruscusaciileatus, or 

 Butbor's Broom. {J. IK. J?".). — We cannot name your Azalea, nor any 

 varie'ics of florists' flowers, they are in legions with mere shades of 

 dilTerenco. 



METEOEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending April 20th. 



POniTRY. B3S, AHD PIGEON CaRONICLE. 



FEATHER-EATING FOWLS. 



I QUITE ai?ree with your correspondent respecting the evil of 

 giving fowls too much meat ; in fact, I believe it a mistake to 

 give fowls in a confined space animal food at all, for in my 

 opinion it vitiates the blood and renders them extremely uu- 

 healtliy. A friend of mine, a keeper of a very large number 

 of Spanish fowls, was troubled by their having the same pro- 

 pensity. He used to feed his fowls on sheep's paunch until 

 they became literally naked, like birds dropped from the hooks 

 of a poulterer's shop. He certainly succeeded in obtaining a 

 great quantity of eggs at the expense of ageing his birds, but 

 after a little persuasion he discontinued the practice, and at 

 the present time they are in perfect health and plumage. 



Persons keeping poultry must not be afraid of a little trouble ; 

 good corn, a plentiful supply of green food, clean water, and a fre- 

 quent change of earth in the run are everything that is required. 

 I have adopted with great success the following plan — namely, 

 placing a litter of long straw in a covered part of the run ; a few 

 handfuls of corn will afford the birds an endless source of 

 amusement, and when tired they -will nestle down, showing a 

 striking contrast with their white faces, red combs, aud beauti- 

 ful black plumage. I believe that if this plan were adopted 

 by persona having small places, we should hear no more of this 

 much-vexed question of feather-eating fowls. — W. Poole Hix. 



laid in January 147, in February 203, aud in March 339 eggs. 

 Out of the sixteen hens two were set on thirteen eggs each on 

 the 7th of March and one on the 15th, reducing the laying 

 fowls after that to thirteen. One old fowl, three years old now, 

 which ■ mmenoed laying in Ontober, 1806, and of which yon 

 have heard before, has laid 480 eggs up to to-day ! The food 

 they have consists of white peas, barley, and barleymeal mixed 

 with brewers' grains. Peas I hold to be good, if not the Tery 

 best, hard food for egg-prodnoing. — J. P. 



PRODUCE OF EGGS. 



I r.EAD with great pleasure the account from " C. B., War- 

 riniiton," of the number of eggs laid by his thirty hens. You 

 will recollect that I some time ago expressed a hope that 

 poultry-keepers would wiite and you insert any authentic 

 statements relative to the laying capabilities of the different 

 breeds. " C. E." does not claesif j them so that we might be able 

 to judge which is most productive of the sorts he enumerates. 



1 teep nothing but Brahmas. I have eixteen hens, which 



DUBLIN POULTRY SHOW. 



As a whole this Show was of unusually good quality ; and, sonie- 

 wliat remarkably, many classes that in Enjiland are commonly deficient 

 in close-breeding, were here represented far better throuj^hout than at 

 the longest-established of our principal meetings. The taste for 

 poultry is evidently greatly on the increase in Ireland, both for table 

 use and as regards fincy breeds. No doubt this progress has been 

 induced by the enthusiasm of such eminent local breeders as are 

 noticed in the snljoiued prize list, and we do not doubt if the impe- 

 rative rule were relaxed at Dublin, that every exhibitor must send an 

 attendant to see to the poultry during the continnance of the Show, 

 entries would be much more numerous even among tho;e intimately 

 connected with the Show, whilst the increased number of pens from 

 Scotland, England, and Wales would as surely produce a greatly- 

 increased revenue. A Uttle different arranc;ement as to the opening of 

 the pens themselves would also be a step forwards in the path to 

 perfection ; for as now constructed, with the doors to take down com- 

 pletely, the chance of the escape of a second fowl is imminent, even 

 during arbitration, and equally so in repackhig. If the doors were 

 hinged in anv way to either side, the chance of escape might be rendered 

 far less probable. 



Both Grey and Silver-Grey Dorlnngs were exceedingly well shown. 

 The Spanish class was also escGllent. Dark Brahmas were really 

 first-rate, but the Light-coloured wero deficient in quality. The 

 White ones excepted, neither variety of Cochinit was so ^ood as might 

 have been expected ; nor were the Game fowls and Hamhurghs as 

 good as we hoped for. Folaiids, however, which in England are now so 

 fast failing, here most unexpectedly proved one of the very best classes 

 in the Show. They have very rarely teen equalled, particularly the 

 Black with White Crests. The Dublin Committee, however, add 

 prizes for Wliite Polands with Black Crests, a breed, we fear, long 



