July 2, 1868. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



13 



Tho following Ferns would probably succpod, providing tbe rockery is 

 not subjected to tho aun's riijfl, but Hhaded from thorn, and can be kept 

 moist :— Allosorus crispus, Aaplonium ndiautum niKTiim, A. ruta-muraria, 

 A. trichomanos, A. virido, ('yHtoptcris fratfilifl, P.dypodium iilpestre. 

 P. vulRftro, P. dryoptoris, Bldohnuni Bpicant, PolyHticbum aculeatuin, 

 P. annulare, and itn varictioH proliltrum and cristatura, and Pulystichum 

 lonchitis. The rockwork, on tlio othi-r band, huiuR in tho full huu, will 

 need plants aceordinsly, and n<.t I'mis— js Anbrititift doltoidca, Aronaria 

 verna, Arabia iilbida, iJampanuIu f'arctanica, Coraatium tomentoBum, 

 Cbeiranthus alpinuH, Druba aizoidoH, Erinus alpinus (slionld be planted 

 liberally), Linaria cymbalaria, Oxaiia tropieoloides, Polyj^alu vulparis, 

 Saxifraga affinis, S. aizoon, H, cymbalaria, and S. juniperina; Sedum 

 acre, S. aunlicura, S. For.sterianuni. and S. kmntHclmticnm ; and Sem- 

 pervivum aracbnoideum, S. Rlobulilerum, and S. calif oraicum. They 

 can be procured throuKb any of the principal nurBeryniou. 



Fern Frokds Mildf.wkd (O. A. S.).— We nro obliged by tho Fern 

 fronds. The plants should have thorough and frequent syringings. The 

 mildew or fundus would then disappear. 



L\DY DowNE's GRAPF.fl Skttino Badly (S. C.).— The Lady Downe*s 

 Vine should bavo ii higher teniponture to set its fruit well, and the floors 

 and other surfaces should bo sjirinkled with water twice or tbriee a-day. 

 Rocjuiring a higher temperature than tho Black H;iinburghs. I.ady Downe's 

 Vine onght not to be p-own in the same house, but the Hauiburghs will 

 succeed with the treatment required for the Laily Dnwne's, only the fruit 

 owing to the temperature may be ripe earlier thau desired. 



Gansel's Beroamot Pear (A Subscribt'r).—li would not succeed as a 

 standard if you reside in tho northern counties. Your planting it in a 

 warm sunny orchard would be feuccessfnl if your locality is mild and not 

 far north. 



CuTTiNo-iN Oleanders (C M. Jl/.).— Xow is a good time to cut-in tbe 

 old Oleander trees, but we should have preferred doing so a month or 

 six weeks earlier. In pruning leave some young wood if you can, as they 

 do not push freely from such thick stems as you describe. We should 

 prefer putting in cuttings, shoots of the current year that have com- 

 pleted their growth being taken off when the wood is rather firm. Cut 

 them below a joint, take oif tbe lower leaves for about two-thirds the 

 length of the cutting, and insert the cuttings in a compost of equal parts 

 of turfy loam, sandy peat, and silver sand, with an inch in depth of silver 

 sand on tbe surface. Place tho cuttings in a hotbed, and they will be 

 well rooted in about six weeks, and may then be potted-oflF. The young 

 plants will serve your purpose better than cutting down the old plants. 



Watering Amaryllis (Idein).-— Watering shouhl be continued until 

 the plants show signs of going to rest, which you will notice by the alter- 

 ation in tbe colour of the leaves. The seed wiU ripen fully without 

 giving water specially on their account. As a rule, watering will bo re- 

 quired until September. We fear vou have destroyed the seed pods by 

 too liberal supplies of water overhead. Give only enough water to keep 

 the foliage from flagging, and when tbe leaves turn yellow ceise watering 

 altogether, placing the plants near the glass in the full sun. 



Vallota purpurea PoTTiNr, {Idem) — For autumn fiowering no time 

 should be lost in having tho plants repotted ; but unless tbe drainage is 

 bad we would not repot, but leave tho bulbs as they are. If the drainage 

 is bad repot, but do not give a largo shift, as Vallotas and all bulbs never 

 do so well as when tho roots are confined and touching the sides of the pot. 

 Ipomjea heoer.efolia (A. CI/.).— Yon have the plant we meant by 

 German Ivy, and when it flowers we will thank you for a specimen. The 



I true Ipomipa hedertefolia has paie lilac flowerw, and i» very like a Con- 

 I volvulus.— G. A. 



I Passies for Flowerino at the Esn or June (^■'nfiirMn).- To have 

 I Pansics in flower at tbe end of June cuttings should be put in late in the 

 I previous autumn, and planted at tho end of Miirch or early in April. 

 I These plants should be kept well supplied with water, and shaded from 

 j bright sun during hot dry pcriofls. so that thny may grow well during 

 Jliiy and the early part of June. Instead of flowering. To prevent their 

 exhauhting theni'aelvcs pick ofi" tho early blooran. Top-dreHsiJigs of rich 

 , compost should bo given in April and iMay. 



i Asters for Exhiuition (fi. C.j.- Tbpy must be grown in good, rich 

 well-manured, and deeply-dug ground. The aeed should be sown at such 

 ' ft time that they will be in flower at the time required. Sow in gentle 

 heat, keep the seedlings near the glass, prick tbem off when large enough 

 to handle, and plant them out when of gufficient size. Afterwards 

 attend well to them with water, shade from bright snn, nnd take every 

 means to encounigo free vigorous growth, giving libera! supplies of 

 liquid manure, and a top-dressing of rich compost when the flower buds 

 are formed. The treatment is not difi'erent from thac for Asters grown 

 ' in borders, only moro pains are taken with tlicm. 



Traisino Melons (/rfcni).— It is impossible for us to tell how many 

 shoots ought to bo left on a plant. The main hranches should be trained 

 about 1 f.)ot iipart, and from them you will have lateral or secondary 

 shoots, on which the fruit is produced. The surface of the bed, therefore, 

 should be covered with main branches not nearer than 9 inches, nor ex- 

 ceeding a foot apart, which will be equal to about three main shoots per 

 plant, two plants being planted under a light. One fruit will be sufficient 

 on each branch, but we never leave more than two fruits on a plant, or 

 three at tho most when it is exceedingly vigorous, and only one on a 

 main shoot or branch. 



OuT-DOOR ViNE-GROWiNO {All Amateur Vine-ffroii-rr). — " Hoare on tbe 

 Vine " is a good work on out-door Grape-growing. It chiefly refers to the 

 cultivation of Vines on walls. Mr. iioare's system is practically that of 

 the rod, now so much written about under the title of the " extending 

 system of Vine-growing," as if it were a novelty. Tbe information in 

 air. Hoare's book is sound ; but with tho introduction of cheap glass has 

 come superior and extended culture of all fruits. We shall have an 

 article on the culture of Vines in the open air in an early number. 



Turf Pits (L J. P.).— We shall publish some notes on these shortly. 

 Your letter we reuret having mislaid. 



Insects (F.) — The small snail-like insects on your Jargonelle Pear 

 leaves are the slimy larva.' of a black-winged Sawfly, Tonthredo ..EthiopSi 

 Dust the leaves well with powdered lime, or syringe them well with strong 

 lime water. (Centurion). — Your Pear leaves are attacked by the slimy 

 larvie of a small black-winged Sawfly ; your Rose leaves by those of 

 another kind of Sawfly; and one of the leaves sent enclosed the empty 

 chrysalis skin of a small Moth (Tortrix sp.). Lime water and powdered 

 lime will destroy the former. For the latter, in addition to hand-picking, 

 we would sprinkle or dust the bushes with white hellebore powder, or 

 they may be syringed with a solution of one peck of lime and 2 lbs. of 

 soft-soap to thirty gallons of rain water. The Pear trees may be treated 

 in the ?ame wav, svringing them in the evening. The Pear leaf is 

 evidently that of Winter Nelis, but we cannot name fruit trees from 

 leaves. 



Names of Plants (J*7norrtmws).— We have repeatedly stated that we 

 cannot name plants from leaves, nor florists' varieties. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending June 30th. 



POULTR Y . BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CaRONICLE. 



HOUDANS. 



EEDEEsnsG tbe promise we vanie last week, we continue onr 

 notice of tbe Frencb breeds. We dtj so, repeating we are re- 

 sponsible only for translation, the description still belongs to 

 M. .Jacque. Nevertheless, as very old breeders, we will guaran- 

 tee tbe truth of tbe description be gives. 



It may be that when we speak of ourselves as very old 

 breeders it will be thought we should say something of our 

 own experience. It is that tbe Houdan is tbe hardiest of all 

 the Frencb fowls introduced to us of late years. It is an ex- 

 cellent layer, a fowl easily and cheaply kept, bearing any 

 amount of confinement, but determined to have its own way, 

 and to seek a substitute for anything that is lacking. Thus, ! 

 we cannot tell whether it was from drought and consequent j 

 lack of green food, or that tbe efforts of our English feeder 

 were unpalatable to tbe French taste of our imported stock, 

 but they certainly lacked something, spite of grass and lettuces. 



and from results it would appear that the nearest approach to 

 a substitute was feathers. The hens have eaten all tbe cock's 

 feathers, tbe cock has eaten tbe ben's. It is lucky the moult- 

 ing time is at hand, that the damage may be repaired. 



'There is a peculiarity in tbe French breeds, which will be 

 understood by all who keep them : the difficulty, almost im- 

 possibility, of keeping tbe cocks healthy. We have given it up 

 with tbe unfortunate La Fl'^-che. Tbe cocks will be well in the 

 morning, moribund in tbe evening. Who has not read Sponge's 

 sporting tour? Who has not noted the difference between 

 .Jawle^ford addressing his tenantry, and tbe same .Jawleyford 

 getting himself up to put off that " horrid Mr. Spraggon." 

 The unlimited costume and great flow of spirits in the first 

 place, the downcast face and handkerchief-bound head in tbe 

 second, are fair representatives of the Frencb cocks. In the 

 morning they are seen gay and cheerful, and you are tempted 

 to believe they are greatly libelled, or (and this is the most 

 pleasing interpretation), that others do not understand the 

 management of them so well as you do. You give your opinion 

 freely during tbe day to your friends, and offer one of them 

 an unUmited supply of strawberries and cream if be will go 



