December 17, 1868. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDKNEii. 



467 



dwellin^-honse ColenRcfl do not winter; indeed, to winter tbom safely a 

 boaso with a toinpornture of 45° or TiO' ia nocessurv. 



Grafting RnononrNnnoNs (A Constant Iifa<lfr).~The bent time for 

 Rrafting Hhotloilmulrnns is at tho end of AiiRiiat or bei^lnninR of Septem- 

 ber, nftor t,'ro\vtIi in ci>in|)li4o. Whip or sido prafting in tho mode em- 

 ployed. Tho sttii'Us should be plaeod in a cold fniuio aw workod, aud 

 kopt close, mniHt, and whadod from powerful enn until tho (jfrafta have 

 takou. Gniftiu^' may also be very BucoossfiiUy performed in April, just 

 before thn plants boffiu to grow, tho stocks liuinp placed in a frame over 

 ft mild bottom lu'at of about 70 . Keep close and shaded until tho grafts 

 begin to grow, tlioii gradually harden off. 



Pruning Trisr Yews (A. P.).— Wo do not advise rntting Irish Ycwfl' 

 for they are so slow-growing that a very long time must elapse before tho 

 gaps are filled up, and until then the trees will bo very unsightly. If you 

 can, by shortcniu'^ the long Bhoota and other ])ruuing, preserve tho 

 symmetry of the trees, by all moans pruno, for they will boar any amount 

 of pruning. Could not tho branches be tied with tamul ropo not very 

 closely together, eo as to improve their appearance? Thoy will then 

 become more compact, but do not crowd the branches very closely, bat 

 leave room between for the young shoots. 



SowiNo Wallflo'wers for Spring Fr^owERixa (North Yorkshire- 

 man). — The best time to sow Wallflowers for planting in flower beds for 

 winter and spring flowering is from April to Juno. Sow in light rich 

 sandy soil, and in an open situation. Wliou tho seedlings are largo 

 enough to handle they should be priclced oft" in bods, allowing each plant 

 ft space of about 3 inches. In October take up with good balls, and plant 

 in the flower be.ls.or i)lautinff may be deferred until the beds are cleared 

 of tho .summer-fluwering plants. There are several colours ; the best are 

 the blood red, brown, purple, and yellow. We prefer aud employ Cheirau- 

 thns Marshalli (yelluwi. which is propagated by cuttings or slips. Wo 

 also nse the common garden Wallflower seedlings for borders ; but they 

 vary so much in colour that for beds thoy cannot be depended on, other- 

 wise they aro of the sweetest and most useful of winter and spring- 

 flowering plants. The flowering will be over by the time tho beds aro 

 required for bedding plants. 



Cucumber Forcing (Wcm).— Your proposed plan of a tan bed enclosed 

 by a sort of wicker-like frame to keep it up will answer very well ; but the 

 frame must not rest on the stakes, but be set on the tan, placing a brick 

 nnder each corner. If you set the frame on the stakes the tan will sink, 

 leaving the frame too high, and the soil and plants settling with the tan 

 will be at too great a distance from the glass; the soil, too. will most 

 likely crack, and there will be a space between the soil and frame through 

 which air will pass ; and though that might be prevented by the dung 

 lining, yet steam from the latter cannot be kept from entering, and in 

 a single night a part, or the whole, of the plants may be destroyed. The 

 dung linings will be excellent for keeping up the heat. Wo should not 

 begin until February, aud we think a better result will follow than by 

 commencing in January. 



Potting Heaths (Idem).— The best time to pot Heaths is early in 

 March, and, if the plants are young, again in Jime, but the shifts should 

 be small. 



Clarke's Compodnp (n'. H. H.).— The places where it can be purchased 

 are stated in his advertisement in our Journal of December Gth. 



Stocks for Epiphyllums (H. D.).— Pcreskia aculeata is the stock 

 most commonly employed, and it answers very well. P. portulacaifolia 

 is sometimes used, and is good for the purpose. We do not know where 

 you can obtain the stocks, but if you were to write to the principal 

 nurserymen they would probably be able to serve you. The stocks are 

 usually raised from cuttings, which strike freely in sandy soil, and in one 

 or two years make plants fit for grafting. They should be trained with 

 one shoot until of the height required ; then cut off the head of the stock 



and pat upon it a scion or graft of the Epiphyllum In tho manner of 

 tongue or whip-grafting, securing with matliug, and placing a little moBB 

 over the junction. 



Soir, FOR SANcnKziA Nonn.is varieoata (Idem). — It succoodB in a 

 compost of equal parts of turfy loam, sandy libroua peat, with one-sixtU 

 of old dry cow duug aud silver sand. 



Elephant's Foot {Testudinaria elfprantipes) Colturk (TV.). — 

 The preceding is the proper name of the plant called Klephant's Paw UT 

 Foot. It does not require any peculiar treatment beyond that of a green- 

 house climber. It dies down in winter, and should then be kept dry. A 

 compost of two-thirds sandy turfy loam, and one-tbird sandy peat, with 

 good drainage, will grow it well. Tlie shoots should bo trained near the 

 glass, and tho plants well supplied with water when growing. 



Wintering Pelargoniums in Spare Room (S.E. C.).— Your mode ol 

 treatment is right. Tho plants will winter safely without water, though 

 you may give a little to prevent the woodsbrivelling. Those in the frame 

 should not bo watereil, but must have all the air possible. Pick off aJI 

 dead yoUow leaves, and cut away any stems that aro damping ofl". The 

 Fuchsias will do well if kept from frost. The soil should be kept dry. 

 Camellias and Azaleas should have the soil moist in winter, but they 

 will not then require water so often as in summer, the soil, howoTer, 

 ought to be moistened through. You should have the stove made to draw 

 so as to prevent the smoke coming into the house, and dust may b© 

 avoided by sprinkling water over the ashes or fire before raking it ont. 

 Tho Roses in pots should bo removed to the greenhouse before sever© 

 frost, and placed in the coolest aud most airy situation that is well 

 exposed to the light. 



Ground Vinery (St. Denis).— If it is span-roofed aud its ends placed 

 north and south, and two Vines planted at each end, it would be possible, 

 as it is 8j feet wide, to ripen Grapes in it on the four Vines for one year. 

 The Early Black Bordeaux, Chasselas Vihert, and Black Hamburgh are 

 suitable. Of tho other we know nothing. 



Cockscomb Stra^vberry (TT. £.).— The Rev. Mr. Radclyfl'e's testimony 

 to the large size of the Cockscomb Strawberry was published in onr 

 Journal on August '27th. Of the statement'-' truth there is not a shadow 

 of doubt. We cannot republish it, and any one wishing to see the 

 account can have the number by enclosing four postage stamps with his 

 address. 



Heating Apparatus {A Constant Subscriber).— We ha.ve not tried the 

 apparatus you mention. The Index will not be ready until the second 

 week in January. 



Names of Fruits (J Lover of FTuU).~The Cockscomb Strawberry 

 was described in our last number. Semper fidelis Raspberry is not known 

 to us by that name. There being hundreds of named Gooseberries no 

 one can identify any by mere description. We do not think that Walnute 

 could be bush-grown. 



Names of Plants (D. H.).— Atriplex portulacoides. (O. P.).— 1, Selapf- 

 nella Martensii ; 'J, Aspidium coriaceum ; 3, Adiantum aftlne. (J. Blach- 

 /.)«)*»). ^Maxillaria crocea. (A Coimtanl Header).—!, Euphorbia splendems; 

 '2, Lavandula santolinjEfolia ; 3, Aloe spinulosa ; 4, Opuntia microdasys; 

 ,5, Gasteria angulata. (Greenhouse).— AheMn floribunda. May probably 

 stand a mild winter in Bevonshire, buf is rather tender. (Amateur). — 

 1, '2, and 4, Not recognised; 3, Asplenium triehomanes; 5, Aspleniam 

 flaccidum ; 6, Pteris serrulata; 7, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum ; 8, Ne- 

 pbrolepis sp. ; 9, Polypodium vulgare (a crested variety) ; 10, Davallitt 

 pulchella ; 11, Cystopteris alpina ? ; 12, Selaginella Martensii ; 13, Pteris 

 cretica ; 14, Doodia caudata ; 15, Polypodium dryopteris. (R. H.). — I, Sela- 

 ginella Braunii ; 2, Gymuogramma tartarea ; 3, AspleBium ruta-muraria. 

 (W.T.). — 1, Echites melaleuca ; 2, Asplenium esculcntum; S, Platyloma 

 cordata ; 4, Cheilanthes odora ; G, Adiantum concinnum. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending December 15th. 



POULTRY. BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



GAME FOWL CHARACTERISTICS. 



Having just retuiued Jrom the Poultry Show at Birmingham, 

 I am impelled, as a fervent admirer and tolerably experienced 

 breeder of the nobleat of domestic fowBl, the English Game 

 cook, to offer some remarks fn the general character of the 

 blrda exhibited iu the Game classes at Bingley Hall. It may 

 be necessary for me to premise that I bad no interest what- 

 ever in the Judges' decisions — that I was not an exhibitor, nor 

 concerned in any of the exhibits. This ia the firpt great show 

 I ever saw iu England, and probably for that very reason 

 some of your readers may be interested in this record of my 

 impressions. 



In the first place, I am bonnd to bear witness that the show 



of Game fowls was in one respect far beyond my expectation. 

 A finer collection of high-bred and well-conditioned fowls had, 

 probably, never been brought together. There could not be a 

 more striking evidence of the favour in which these beantifnl 

 birds are held, than the appearance of the Game department 

 as compared with any other in the Show. To pass from the 

 graceful, sprightly, and intelligent occupants of the Game 

 pens to the uncouth Cochin and the hideous Houdan, was 

 indeed to exchange good company for bad — to descend from 

 civilisation to savagery. It was Hyperion to a satyr — Blair 

 Athol to a jackass — the last beauty at Almack's to the 

 Hottentot Venus. However, chacun a son rjoiit. I do not 

 quarrel with those whose tastes are for the fluffy-stemed 

 Cochin-China, the ghost-like Cieve Coeur, or the squat Dork- 

 ing. I have only to say, on behalf of my own favourites, that 

 never was so grand a display of perfect form, breeding, and 



