AprU 23. 1668. ) 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



317 



The only remedy is to protect from froat (it night, and shade the trees 

 for a few hours during the day when the sun's rays are very bright and 

 hot. A good syriugiug would do good. 



Flower Bed Planting (F. 7.^.— Your first mode of planting the bed 

 wo do not think would look well. >Vn would have a centre of Coleus or 

 Perilla. and Gil the space all round with Lolielia to within 1 foot of the 

 margin, and there have an edging of Corafitiuni, and in the midst of the 

 Lobelia we would put ont 18 inches apart good pliintu of Mrs. Pollock 

 Pelargonium. The second proposed planting wo do not approve of, as 

 Lobelia has a poor appearance next gras^, and we should, were this plan 

 adopted, plant Variegated Alyssnm along with the Lobelia, having a 

 broad band of Lobelia with plants of Variegated Alyssnm,18 inches apart. 

 The third modo of planting would make a very effective bed, and one that 

 could not well be improved on, onlv we would have in the centre a good 

 specimen of Coleus or Perilla, then Mrs. Pollock Pelargonium, blue 

 Lobelia, and the Cerastium for edging. 



Rose Trees Infested with Green Fly {/(fcml.— The best remedy 

 is to syringe them well, and whilst wet dust them with ground tobacco. 



Repottino and Watering Pelargoniums and Fuchsias (fcifm).— If 

 the plants are wanted for specimens they should be repotted as often as 

 the roots reacli the sides of the pots, and before they become very closely 

 matted, still allowing them to become slightly so before repotting. This 

 should be continued until tlie plants are shifted into their blooming pots. 

 The dewing of the plunts over the leaves every day with water will not 

 be snfficieut watering. When growing freely the plants will require a 

 good watering every day in bright weather, and every alternate day in 

 cloudy weather, such as you give them once n-week. The watering is 

 always sufficient if the leaves do not flag, but if they do so, too little 

 moisture has been given. A good liquid manure for watering Pelar- 

 goniums and Fuchsias is halt an ounce of guano dissolved in a gallon of 

 water, and it may be given once a-week so as to show itself at the drain- 

 age, and all waterings should do the same. 



Ginger Culture (T?''.).— Ginger would succeed admirably in a Pine 

 stove, and it will do well in an ordinary stove. A compost of rich rather 

 light turfy loam, with the addition of one-third leaf mould, would grow 

 it well, it should have a light and airy situation, aud an abundant 

 supply of moisture when it is in free growth. The soil should not be less 

 than 15 or 18 inches in depth, and must be well drained. If bottom heat 



can be afforded the Ginger will grow all the better. A moist atmosphere ^ 

 so as to encourage free growth, is neoessary. The host Ginger is that 

 from roots a year old, they being taken up when the foliage withers, 

 which will be in January or February. You would best succeed with it in 

 the bed, as it cannot well bo grown in a pot for its roots. If the roots do 

 not tittain sufficient size in one year they may ho left until the second, 

 hut they are almost sure to become woody. To have good Ginger it 

 should bo grown quickly, and the finer the plants the finer will be tho 

 roota. 



Fuchsia Shoots Diseased (A. O. 2».).— We do not notice anything 

 wrong with the Fu(Jisia shoots, except that the points are all dead. It 

 may have been caused by syringing with some injurious compound, or it 

 may be by mildew, of which, however, we notice no traces. We would 

 pinch out the points of all the shoots, and start them afresh, and if mil- 

 dew attack, dust the infested parts with flowers of sulphur, .^ 



Solanum capsicastrum Culture {Tdrm).— It is of very eaay cultnra, 

 requiring to be grown in a light and airy part of a greonhouse, and in a 

 compost of two-thirds light loam, and ono-third loaf mould. It is best 

 grown in the form of a pyramid; it should have an abundance of wateri 

 and should not be overpotted. It is grown for its berries, which are 

 attractive in winter. 



Contorted Radish (J. Burton).— Tho Radish yoa enclosed is very 

 remarkable in its growth. It has grown itself into as perfect a knot as li 

 it had been tied by hand. We never saw a similar instance. 



Vine and Peach Culture (Staff Surgeon).~To some extent every 

 one must be taught by dearly-bought experience. No book could ba 

 written to suit all soils, all seasons, and all other contingencies. The 

 best aid we can recommend tu yon is " In-door Gardening." You can 

 have it free by post from our office if you order it, enclosing twenty 

 postage stamps with your address. Your Peach tree shed all its blossoms 

 from want of water to the roots. 



Birds v. Polyanthuses (C. S. D.).— We have nothing we can add to 

 what we said at page 282 under this beading. 



Grapes f.J. T. C.).— WriteHo Messrs. Webber & Co., Central Avenue, 

 Covent Garden Market. 



Names of Plants {.W. F. fl.).— Cyclamen persicum. 



]METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week enrUng April 2l3t. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



GAME FOWLS. 



As a great admirer and pretty successful breeder of Game 

 fowls, I read with the deepest interest any article in your 

 ■Jonmal respecting these beautiful and majestic birds, and I 

 hope it may ere long be the means of laying a sure foundation 

 for properly judging and exhibiting poultry upon the same 

 system, and by one " standard of excellence," as many judges 

 care for no standard but their own, whatever that may be, and 

 which pretty frequently only becomes known to the cost of 

 many exhibitors after it is too late. For example, let us sup- 

 pose Game fanciers were to exhibit their pets where " New- 

 MABKET " was judge ; the best birds in the kingdom would 

 most certainly be returned unnoticed ; r/rfc his article in your 

 Number of the 19th ult., headed " Game Fowls' Tails," in 

 which the writer appears anxious to impress upon Game 

 breeders the, to me, absurd idea, that it is the " most spirited 

 attitude " of the Game cock " to carry his tail up and fanned," 

 and have his wings " lowered and shielding his thighs," and 

 those that carry their tails " low and folded," are generally of 

 a " quiet and tame disposition." I have delayed giving my 

 comments on these statements in the hope that some " English 

 star of the first magnitude" would take up the "cudgels" 

 against " Newmarket." Yet, though no one has thought 

 proper to do so, I feel confident that such assertions cannot 

 have met with general approbation. 



Cockers are a pretty numerous class in this quarter, and 

 such a stamp of bird as "Newmarket" fancies, is quite un- 

 known to them. 1 had also in my possession some two years 

 since, the last of a splendid stamp of Game fowls brought 

 from the south about ten years ago. These birds were too 



feathery for the present ' fancy, had low pendant tails and 

 wings firmly set in their sides, and for as many of this strain 

 as found their way into the cocker's hands during the space of 

 eight years, not one was known to flinch. My present stamp 

 of birds is neither fanned-tailed nor low-winged, and some 

 time ago on going round my pens I was horrified to find that 

 two had broken out, and were both blind and so mangled that 

 I had to put an end to their sufferings. 



Not satisfied with the foregoing facts, I have, since the ap- 

 pearance of "Newmarket's" article, obtained the opinion o£ 

 Mr. Brown, New Scone, Perth, a gentleman of long experience 

 amongst Game fowls, who writes me as follows : — " I have just 

 now four breeding cocks. Black Reds, exactly resembling the 

 ' quiet disposition ' as described by ' Newmarket.' Now, air, 

 one of my cocks is about two years old, and I beg to assure 

 you I would not enter his pen to pick up the largest gold coin 

 without a stick or other weapon of defence."' So much for the 

 ' tame disposition ' of a Game cock with low and folded wings." 



" Newmarket " further informs us that he looks " chiefly at 

 the fighting qualities," and cares not for the awards at ex- 

 hibitions, unless they are made by really "well-known Game 

 judges." That is very good indeed, and the last extract 

 suggests the necessity of asking " Newmarket " if he has ever 

 seen an award given to a Game fowl or fowls with " crest- 

 fanned tail and wings lowered shielding their thighs," by a 

 " well-known Game judge ? " If he has, would he kindly give 

 the name, so that we may compare his opinion with those of 

 less note ? 



One more question and I have done. Does " Newmarket" 

 really mean to teU breeders of Game fowls that a bird with a 

 crest-fanned tail and drooping wings is thr bird of courage 

 and endurance that all of us have hitherto believed the pure- 

 bred Game fowl to be ? I must, on the contrary, assert my 

 unbehef that the " spirited attitude " he describes is a fighting 



