March 2G, 1863. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



24,5 



nnd 80 as to maintain tho wires thrco-qnartcra oj an mcb froni tho wall. 

 The wire is then strained anit made stcuro to tho hooks in the platf ol 

 iron at the other end, and it has a neat appearance. No. 10 Kalvaniscd 

 wire is used, and the books are galvanised also.ao that no paint is required 

 «xcei)t tor the iron plates at each end. Wo have used many yards ol 

 diamond netting tor placing asainst walls, the netting having a sort r,[ 

 rod.franiiug around it, which it wa^ only nccnssnrj- to secure to the wall 

 with holilfasts, with the fhonldcr made the reverse way, and driven in ; 

 the netting could bo placed any distance (rom the wall by driving in 

 Iho boldta'^t little or much, and having placed it as near tho wall as 

 desirable, the Hat poiiiou of the holdfast nr book could bo bent over the 

 rod or frame of the wire, and so made secure. For fruit walls we prefer 

 horiz-^ntal wires, but for plants the wires crossing each other obliquely. 

 The work is in the latter case neater, but more than double that of bon- 

 zontat wires. 



Cacti Intested with Scat.e (J. .-!.).— Vour pl.nn of picking the insect 

 oB" is a slow bnt sure means of clearing the plants. You may, after pick- 

 ing off all yon can, wash tho plants with a sponge, using a solution of 

 4ozs. soft soap to tho gallon of water. If you cannot sponge them on 

 account of the spines, immerse the plants tor a miuuto in tho solution at 

 a temperature of 120-. If vou cannot iuimerso them s>Tinge them with 

 the solution at a temperature of 140 , and when the plants become dry 

 syringe them with water of the same temperature as the soap solution. 



SCALK Insect (J7Tior<iac(-).— There are several sorts of scale ; but the 

 most likelv one for you to have is the brown scale, wluch, however, rare y 

 attacks Pelargoniums. It is like a small oblong speck, and lies quite 

 close l<. tho shoots or leaves, covering them with a sticky substanee 

 wliich ultimately becomes black. The best remedy is to pick it off with 

 a knife whilst viung, and to keep the plants clean by frequently sponging 

 the leaves and'stenis with a solution of 4 ozs. of soft soap m a gallon of 

 water. See the preceding answer. Do not use the soap solution for tho 

 Pelargoniums, for the scale we are sure will not long remain upon them, 

 and we think it is communicated to tliem by plants more subject to 

 attack. Placing the plants out of doors from June to the end of Septem- 

 ber or early in October, will free them of scale. 



VEST1I.ATIKG A SMALL Geeexhouse (Hfm).— The sash opening in 

 front and tho door opening will be sufficient ventilation: bnt we should 

 have liked it better if you had had one or two openings at tho highest 

 point of the roof, as your house could then have had ventilation in dull 

 and frosty weather when you could not well have the door and sash open. 



Staxdard JIignoneite (A. H. J-.).— The seed should be sown now, a 

 few seeds in the centre of a small pot, and bo placed in a mild hotbed ; 

 and when the plants are up keep thein near the glass, and so soon as you 

 are able to decide upon which are likely to be the best, remove all from 

 the pot except one— the strongest of course. When the plants arc 2 or 

 3 inches high remove them to a cool house, placing them near the glass, 

 andalibrdan abundance of air with a moderate amouut of w.ater; but 

 see that they do not sutler for want of it. ^Yhen the pots become filled 

 with roots the plants should be shifted into others a size larger, and this 

 repeatedly until you have them in 9-inch pot.s it you require them so 

 large ■ if not, a 7 or 8-inch pot will do. A neat stake should be placed to 

 each plant, nnd the plant as it grows loosely tied to it. The flowers 

 should be pinched-cff as they appear, and the side shoots stopped to 



within one or two joints of the stem, and at every leaf afterwards, always 

 taking care to secure the best of the :>hools for a leader, training it to 

 the stake; when it again shows flower pinch it off ; tho best of tho side 

 shoots, and the uppermost of course, being trained in its place with- 

 out being stopped imtil it shows for bloom. Proceed as before until yoa 

 obtain the height of stem required; then allow tho side shoots for li or 

 A inches down tho stem to grow, stopping them, however, at the third 

 leaf, all the side shoots below this being kept closely pinched back to one 

 joint, and when the shoots of the bead have made new growth after tho 

 first stopping, tho shoots lower down may by degrees bo removed ; but 

 we prefer to retain them, as tho stem is prettier feathered than bare. 

 Tho shoots of the head will need to have tho flowers pinched-off, and 

 this should bo practised until September, when the plants should be 

 placed under glass. 



Gladiolus Bulbs (Gfnifiofat).— You may dip the bulbs in a mixture o! 

 snot and snlphur without injury, and it will make them very distasteful 

 to predatory vermin. 



SnppouTixo BL003IS OP Cut Roses with Wire (/(/cm).— It would be 

 a disqualification to a stand of cut Hoses to support tho petals by a ring 

 of wire concealed by the foliage. Its being habitually done by exhibitors 

 is no reason for others imitating so dishonest a practice. 



Corrugated Glass for Greenhouse (J. H.).— We have had some 

 experionce with the rough glass you name, but we cannot say that wo 

 like it ; indeed, we find no glass equal to 2(;-oz. sheet, third quality ; and 

 as to shade, we consider glass so full of impurities as to cause glooui very 

 iniurious to vegetation. It is best to use clear glass, and shade with 

 tiffany in summer. The plants cannot have too much light from Sep- 

 tember to April. 



CLniBElts AND Traji.ees Polt EooTESY (AVw Su6»cr<6fr).— Tho best 

 of all will be the small-growing green and variegated Ivies, Virginian 

 Creeper, Cotoneaster microphylla. Convolvulus sepium roseus, Vinca 

 elegantisaima for trailing. Clematis riticella, C. Helena, C. montana 

 major, C. vitalba, C. viticella venosa, and C. florida plena, Caprifolium 

 odoratissimum, and C. periclymenum. 



Hot-water Pipes for Bottosi Heat (A. B. F.).— Two 3-inch hot- 

 water pipes will bo sufficient for bottom heat for your Cucumbers ; but 

 instead of 3 inches of stones wo would cover the pipes with slates and 

 form a sort of chamber, then place on the slates 3 inches of stones for 

 drainage, and then the soil ; 1 foot deep will be ample. 



Crickets (J/. A. H.).— Please to refer to page 203 of our last number 

 out. 



DW.1RF Trop.t.olum (Nottingham).— There are many dwarf varieties. 

 Any of them can be obtained of the principal florists who advertise in 

 our columns. 



XA5IES OF PL.4NTS {U. H. H.).— 1, Chellanthcs fragrans; 2, Pteris ser- 

 rulata. (F. B. Z.) —1, .\diantumformosum : 2, A. cuneatum ; 3, A. capillus- 

 Veneris ; 4, Pteris serrulata ; 5, Polystichum angulare, var. ; 6, Selaginella 

 Kraussiana ; 7. S. Martensii ; 8, Pteris eretica albo-lineata ; 9, Onychium 

 japonicum. (H'. J/.i. — 1, Asplenium bulbiforum ; 2, Cheilanthes lendi- 

 gera ; 3, Blechnum occidentale ; 4. Nothocbla-na nivea. (K. i,.).— You 

 have sent indeterminable scraps. (EJiis).— Daphne mezcreum. (,B.B. B.). 

 — Eeheveria acutifolia. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending March 24th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



LIGHT AND DARK BRAHMAS. 



boMF. remarks upon a former communication of mine on 

 this subject by my friend Mr. Crook (for I trust that our little 

 differences of opinion will never alter the friendly relations 

 which have always existed between us), make a word or two in 

 reply imperative, as they imply that my comments on the Bir- 

 mingham birds were founded on mistakes in recollection. 



Mr. Crook will, however, look in vain for any observation of 

 mine that the cup cock belonged to Sir. Pares. I never men- 

 tioned or implied his owner's name, simply speaking of him as 

 " the first-prize Light Brahma cock ;" any mistake in memory 

 13 therefore his, not mine. And as to " anomahes," what 

 shall we say to Mr. Crook's " noting '' the bird as of " good 

 colour, both surface and ground," and subsequently remarking 

 that '■ we all agreed that his surface colour was the worst in 

 the class ?" I certainly understood him to object to the bird 

 on account of colour solely — if I misunderstood him I beg his 

 pardon — and I see that his notes describe him as " not a good 

 shape." \Yell, here certainly is a difference of opinion as to 



the proper shape of a Light Brahma. I commended his shape, 

 judging him simply as a Brahma by the Brahma standard ; 

 and therein I apparently coincide with Mr. Teebay, in my 

 opinion the best judge of Brahmas of any man living. Mr. 

 Crook says he is " not a good shape," having reference to the 

 modem standard of Light Brahmas as now shown. May I 

 venture to suggest that this standard may be a false one, and 

 may possibly account for the present position of the Light 

 classes ? If there be such a thing, and there is — for Miss Watts 

 is quite correct in maintaining that the Brahma is but one 

 breed, as Cochins are — as a true Bi-ahma type or standard 

 common to both colours, and the Dark fanciers on their part 

 do their best to keep to it and perfect it, whilst the Light are 

 following after some totally different idea, it is not difficult to 

 predict what the result must be when a real Brahma judge has 

 to decide between them. 



With regard to the comparative merits of the Birmingham 

 cockerels, I made no remark upon them whatever ; and as it 

 does not touch on the subject, shall not in any way criticise 

 Mr. Crook's remarks. 



But returning again to the point at issue, how singularly 

 does Mr. Crook's challenge corroborate the opinions I have 

 expressed. He will show twelve Light hens against twelve 



