October 15, 1868. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



289 



growth of the current yonr BlionM ho tnken with a joint or two of tho 

 old wood, nnd should bo cut ficrosa below tho lowet^t joint, nnd tho leavoH 

 removed half wuy up tho cuttinRs, though thtit is not material. They 

 iiro then to ho iusertod iu ii aholtorod Hituiition, making a trent^h iis for 

 planting' Box, and placing tho cultintja agaiufit tho side of the trench, at 

 about 3 inches apart, and so that tlioy will ho one-half or two-thirda of 

 thoir Icngtti in tho soil. Tho soil in then to ho placed against thmi, and 

 la to be uirtdo Hrni. Tho next row may then ho put in at 6 indues distiiuco 

 from tho hiwt, and so on to tho sixth row, when 2 feet muHt \w allowed for 

 an alley, so that you will have tho cuttings in 4-fcet bodH, and six rows in 

 a bed, witli a narrow alley of 1 foot wide between the beds. Privet cut- 

 tings may be put in in tho same way, but not until November, aud it is 

 not necessary to take them oil with a portion of old wood ; they should 

 have only two or three joints above the soil, fully two-thirds of their 

 length being covered. The shoots should ho cut into lengths of it or 

 10 inches, and ought all to be of uniform length, or have their tops cut 

 oflf. Arbor-Vitie is best raised from seed, but cuttings of the cuiTeut 

 year's growth will strike if inserted in sandy soil in a cold franio. Sep- 

 tember is a good time. There is no cheap work on the subject you 

 name. 



Strawberries too Dt.evly Planted (Idem),— you may now take up 

 the plants with good balls of earth, aud plant them higher. They will 

 not be injured to any great extent ; indeed, if the operation be carefully 

 performed it will not interfere with next year's crop. 



Pine Apple Ctltcre (7?. F. Wh>\ler).—Piuo Apples maybe grown 

 cheaply and to pay, hut you cannot do it without a house specially 

 devoted to thorn, and we fear your prejudice against tho present mode of 

 Pine-growing will deter you from the undertaking. They are not worth 

 OTOwing if not grown well. Small inferior Pines are not worth eating. 

 Read the '* Pine Apple Manual," which you can have post free from our 

 office for 2s. 8rf. 



Sowing Leucadendron argentecm Seed [Amateur). —Tho seeds sent 

 you are those of Leucadendron argenteum, tho Silver tree of South Africa, 

 an evergreen. The seeds should be sown in March in a compost of sandy 

 peat ami loam in pots well drained, covering with soil to a depth equal 

 to the diameter of the seeds. Give a gentle watering, and plunge the 

 pots in a hotbed of from 70° to 75-^. When the plants are a few inches 

 high they should be gradually hardeued-off. and removed to an airy green- 

 house. When the pots are full of roots the plants should bo shifted into 

 others of larger size, using the same compost as before, and the soil 

 should at all times be kept sufficiently moist. The plant succeeds well in 

 an airy greenhouse. 



Griffinia hyacinthina not Flowering (Jrfi m).— We can only account 

 for your large bulb not flowering from your not ripening-off the growth 

 well, and the size of pot is perhaps too great. We would advise you not 



to pot tho bulb, but to lot it be pot-hound, still keeping tho drainage 

 clear, and removing all ofl'scts. Kncourago tho plant when it makes new 

 leaves, by plentiful supplies of water and a moist atmosphere, and when a 

 good growth has been obtained, aud tlio foliage is Arm, place tho plant on 

 a shelf in tho stove, and in tho full sun, giving no more water than enough 

 to keep tho leaves from flagging. Hardly any water will bo needed from 

 October to February ; indeed, the Imlb can hardly ho kept too dry. Thia 

 we think will give you llowurs. It is a stove plant. 



I'OTTiNa LiLiOM GKiANTEUM (T'lriii).—ln potting, tho bulbs flhoold he 

 covered to the nock with soil. They are no hotter of being more deeply 

 buried, nor of being left further out of tho soil. 



Lists ov Pears (II. J. C). — For pj/ramidji in North Hants — Jargonelle, 

 Doyeuui- d'Ete, Baronne do Mello, UrbauiBte, Louise Bonne of Jersey- 

 Huyshe's Victoria, and Forelle. For tho U'i-nt. wall — Louise Bonne of 

 Jersey, Bergamot, Gansol's Late, Colmar d'Etc, Alexandre Lambre, 

 BeniTe Superfin, and Thompson's. For south wall — Uarie Louise, Fon* 

 dante d'Automnu, Winter Nelis, Ecurr«'- de Uance, Beurr6 Sterckmans, 

 and Gansol's Borgamot. For east wall — Thompson's, lied Doyenn6, 

 Napolton, Glou Mori*eau, Van Mens L6on Le Clorc, and Duchosae d'An- 

 gouh-me. 



Names of Fruits (G. H. D.).— Your Apples are— 1, Yorkshire Green- 

 ing; 2, IJraddick's Nonpareil ; S, Autumn Pearmain ; 4, White Nonpareil; 

 f), Nonpareil. The "g" in Margil is pronounced soft. (J. D., Il/ord). — 

 1, Fall Pippin; 2, Beurrt- Blanc des Capucins ; 3, Beurre Bosc ; 4, Not 

 known ; 5, Grand Soleil ; 6, Doyenne Blanc. (M. C, London).— Your Pear 

 is Beurre d'Amanlis. (W. H. C.).— The seedling Apple is a very pretty 

 aud nicely-flavoured fruit. We do not recognise it as being the same as 

 any known variety. {J. Scott).— Tho Apple is Cos's Orange Pippin, and 

 we cannot identify the Pear. (Sovierset), — Your Pear is evidently the 

 Marie Louise. 



Names of Plants (W. L.).—1, Crataegus punctata; 2, Crata;guB pur- 

 purea altaiea ; 3, Carya roicrocarpa. (P. D. M.).— Rhamnus latifolius, 

 (M. K.).— Mentha rotundifolia and Aster dumosus. (E. C.).— Cincinalis 

 flavens, or Nothola-na chrysophylla. {A Nnc Subscriber). — 1, Doodia 

 caudata ; 2, Lastrea Filix-mas cristata ; 3, Pteris serrulata; 4, Doodia 

 lunulata ; 5, Asplenium (Cyrtomium) falcatum. (Dhciijulits Milneri). — 

 Coha?a 8eandens and Aster amelloides (Agathoa cselestis). (C. O.}.— Poly- 

 stichum angulare. [C. P.).— Nicotiana uudulata, (J. C.).—\, Acacia 

 Drnmniondi; 2, Genista canariensis ; 3, Cytisos candicaos; 4, Acacia 

 armata. (CcTiiHrion).— Phycella llcrbertiana. (J. S.).~l, Gymnogramma 

 chrysophylla variety, very beautifully crested ; 2, Lastrea glabella? 

 3, Adiantum tenerum ; 4, A. capillus- Veneris. (J. C. C. S.).—l, Asplenium 

 auritum ; 2, Hypolepis distans ; 3, Doodia caudata ; 4, Pelhea falcata ; 

 5, Aspleuium adiantum nigrum ; 6, Pteris cretica ; 7, Trichomanes pyxidi* 

 ferum ; 9, Adiantum formosum. (M. I*.).— Digitaria sanguinalis. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending October 13th. 



POULTIIY, BEE, and HOTJSEHOLI) CHRONICLE. 



POULTRY AT THE YEARS DECLINE. 



Shorter days, colder nights, and damp weather call for the 

 exercise of rather more attention towards our poultry. The 

 quantity of food may be increased, and as the night is now 

 nearly twelve hours long, care should be taken to give food 

 just before roosting, and as soon as the birds are out in the 

 morning. 



Birds that have roosted out of doors ever since they were 

 hatched, must now be brought in to roost in a house. Where 

 there are many cocks, the young ones should be removed and 

 shut up by themselves ; or, if they are not wanted for stock, 

 they should be fattened and killed. 



Where space and conveniences permit, it is not too soon to 

 begin thinking of the breeding pens, and while they are being 

 put in order, scan the birds narrowly every day while they 

 are feeding, that they may be easily recogriised and caught 

 when at roost at night. We are great enemies to the confusion 

 and injury that ensue from nmning fowls doum when they are 

 wanted. 



HOUDANS. 

 I HAVE reared an average of nine chicks from every sitting of 

 thirteen eggs during the past two seasons. Some breeders 

 would call this good luck, but iu my opinion it is what any 



person by the commonest attention might do with Houdans in 

 the most limited space for rearing chickens. 



I reared all my birds in a sandy yard for the first three days, 

 giving chopped egg boiled hard, with bread crumb and lettuce, 

 and after the third day their staple food was middlings and 

 lettuce, with an occasional handful of shelled oats. With thia 

 food, supplied little and often, the birds grew with wonderful 

 rapidity, and an aptitude to make flesh is a strong argument 

 iu favour of the breed for table purposes. Its flesh is delicate, 

 tender, and nutritious. My Houdans hatched iu AprU were fit 

 to kill a month before Dorking chickens of the same age ; but 

 unlike other fowls, the hen birds are the most rapid of growth, 

 and when only a few hours old m^y be distinguished from the 

 cockerels by their superior vigour and larger crests. 



As layers the Houdans will hold their own against any fowls 

 with which I am acquainted ; their eggs are large, of a fine 

 rich flavour, and equal iu weight to those laid by the famous 

 Spanish. 



The Houdans never sit, which is another strong argument 

 iu their favour, for cooping, aud all its attendant trouble, are 

 thus saved, and these birds after a couple of days' rest recom- 

 mence laying, whereas " clacking hens " are the pest of the 

 amateur's life. 



The Houdan is gentle, very tame, and of a contented stay-at- 

 home disposition ; not at all a dainty feeder, and not addicted 

 to scratching. As a proof that fanciers are becoming alive to 

 the increasing popularity of Houdans, I may point to the fact 

 that the late National Poultry Company at their sale obtained 

 £8 10s. for their prize cock and hen, which was the highest 



