432 



JOUENAL OF HOKTICOLTUEE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 



t May 29, 1873. 



projecting far enough to reach the plants to be watered. A 

 plug inside prevents the escape of the water till the barrel 

 is on the proper spot ; a string connected with the plug, and 

 attached to the right-hand side of the handle of the framework, 

 is then pulled to let the water out, and the barrow is wheeled 

 up the row as fast as the plants become watered. I have seen 

 a similar barrow, but with a rose on each side, and it has the 

 advantage of watering two rows at a time. 



I come now to garden watering-pots ; these are of various 

 shapes and sizes. For the conveyance of water to plants there 

 is none better than the common watering-pots, which are weU 

 known. They should have roses of different sizes, pierced 

 with small and large holes ; these are for ordinary watering. 

 Then there is the small but long-spouted pot, either with or 

 without a rose, for watering plants at a distance ; while for 

 plants on shelves close under the glass a different shaped pot 

 is used, but being well known and in general use I need not 

 describe any of these. I will, however, describe one which is 

 somewhat rare, though I beUeve there are gardens in which 

 this sort of watering-pot is almost exclusively used for general 

 watering. 



27a' Frencli Watering-pot [Jifl. 9), if not invented in France, 

 is a great favourite with French gardeners, and in the market 

 gardens it is almost the only sort used. A friend who Uves in 

 France tells me that they are for the most part made of copper, 

 and of course wear well and last a long time. As will be seen, 

 the handle, which is hoUow, springs from half way down the 

 back, and passes completely over to the front part of the top ; 

 thus it is very convenient for shifting the hand in watering, 

 and is not so likely to weary the hand as do the sharp edges of 

 the pots in use in this country. The bodies are considered 

 best if made flat-sided or oblong instead of round as infrr. 9. 

 I am, however, by no means sure that we should consider that 

 any advantage in this country ; moreover, I should say they 

 are more expensive. One more advantage these pots possess 

 is that the depth of the pot is greater outside than inside by 

 one-half or three-quarters of an inch, therefore the bottom is 

 clear from the ground, and not so Uable to wear or leak out. 

 This is shown by the ring round the bottom of the illustra- 

 tion. It is an improvement worth taking up by our Enghsh 

 makers. There are two roses to each pot, and most are made 

 to screw on. 



There are other forms of these excellent watering-pots, but 

 with the rose inverted ; the water is then dehvered upwards, 

 and falls like a gentle shower on the plants (see Jigs. 10, 11, 

 and 12) ; and there are, I believe, others made with zigzag spouts. 



Fig. IS. 



devised to prevent the water falling on the plants and soil with 

 force ; these are generally used without a rose for small pots. 

 The form represented in fg. 13 is useful for watering Straw- 

 berries and other small pot-plants on shelves. 



The tendency of the English makers in then- so-called im- 

 provements of watering-pots is to introduce novelty rather than 

 substantial work and advanced merit. The material is thin 

 and very hght, consequently they last but a comparatively short 

 time. — Thomas Eecokd. 



IRIS FCETIDISSIMA VAEIEGATA. 



Having on several occasions urged on the attention of your 

 readers the claims of plants that have a good appearance 

 during the winter, as preferable to fill the flower beds in the 

 immediate neighbourhood of a residence more occupied during 

 December, January, and February than in the following three ; 

 and as it is hopeless to look, in the majority of cases, for any 

 great display of flowers during these dark months, anything 

 that win impart cheerfulness then has greater claims on our 

 attention than plants that bloom when flowers are plentiful. 

 I therefore now urge the extensive cultivation of this fine 

 hardy plant, which is one of the most suitable I know for the 

 purpose, and one that defies the hardest winter. The varie- 

 gated form of this Iris is, like most other variegated varieties, 

 less robust than the normal one, and it is certainly the better, 

 for the foliage is not so lank ; in fact, in the variegated form 

 it is stiff, erect, robust, and broadly margined by a band of 

 creamy white, which can be perceived from a great distance. 



The leaves never show signs of decay until the spring is far 

 advanced, say the middle or end of April, when the old foliage 

 by degrees becomes shabby, and is thrown off during the next 

 two months, the plant afterwards becoming ornamental again. 



This Iris is also useful as a separate plant in the mixed 

 flower border, and in such a position stands out prominently 

 at a time when such things are wanted. With me it flowers 

 but sparingly, but this is not to be regretted, as the bloom is 

 not remarkable ; but the seed-vessels in an advanced state 

 look well in the plain green species, and when dried form no 

 inconsiderable addition to the collection of dried floral bouquets. 

 The bright orange-coloured berry-like seeds set in a row in 

 their white, soft, downy bed look very pretty, the stalk being 

 sturdy and erect. 



The variegated kind seldom flowers, and if it did, all its 

 progeny by seed would probably not have the finely- variegated 

 character of the original; it must, therefore, be propagated 

 by division, and though not a fast grower, it can, nevertheless, 

 be multipUed freely. It grows all the faster if planted in good 

 well-manured kitchen-garden soil, but in this respect it is not 

 particular, and few plants will bear harsher treatment than this. 



— J. KOBSON. 



MY BIRD DIARY, 1873. 

 The short record I have kept of the birds which have visited 

 my garden from time to time since the beginning of the year, 

 may be interesting to some of your readers, and may also 

 throw hght on the contents of the Small Birds Bill, on which 

 I see discussions raised from time to time. 



I should mention that my garden consists of one acre round 

 my vicarage, about one-quarter of which is planted with 

 Laurels and other shrubs, with trees here and there among 

 them, and three acres of farm garden adjoining, of which the 

 readers of your paper had some account in 1871-72. 



January, 1873. — The stock of bu'ds living permanently on 

 my premises, as nearly as I can ascertain, is as follows — ten 

 couple of sparrows, four of blackbirds, two of song thrushes, 

 eight of hedge sparrows, three of wrens, and about the same 

 number of robins and chaffinches. There are also a few 

 starlings, which would be inhabitants if they could, but not 

 being able to effect a lodgment under the eaves of the house, 

 they are obUged to live in certain hollow trees adjoining. 

 Early in the month a flock of eight bullfinches visited the 

 garden. They were very busy among the Gooseberries and 

 early Plums, such as the Victoria and Kivers's Prolific. My 

 man drew my attention to them, as the bullfinch is a rare bird 

 here, and it is some years since it has been seen. He dis- 

 trusted their motives for coming, and thought no good would 

 come of it. I tried to persuade him that they were looking 

 for grubs in the buds, and that, though they might destroy 

 some few here and there in the search, the grubs would have 

 been equally destructive. At last I yielded to his suggestions, 

 and shot one, just to see what they were really doing. It was 

 a hen bird, and I noticed that in this month cocks and hens 

 came in separate parties, and not together, notwithstanding 

 the story of this bu-d's constancy to its matrimonial engage- 

 ments, for it is said to be the only bu'd which pairs for life. 

 We opened its craw, and I regret to say that no vestige of a 

 grub was to be discovered ; the craw was full of the tender 

 green germ of the buds of the Gooseberry and the Plum. 

 After this I was convinced, and notwithstanding theii' beairty 

 and graceful movements, I waged war upon them from that 

 day forth. They soon became very wild, and would not let 

 me come near them ; but in all I must plead guilty to having 

 slain a dozen up to the beginning of March. At that date the 

 Gooseberry buds were too advanced for their taste, and the 

 few that came after this seemed to feed principally on the 

 buds of the Larch, and the Medlar, and the later Plums. I 

 saw quite enough, however, to prove that the bullfinch is most , 

 rightly exempted from the protection of the Small Birds Act. 

 He is probably the most destructive of all birds to the Plum 

 and Gooseberry, and this season he has visited our district in 

 extraordinary numbers. A neighbour of mine kiUed over 

 thirty birds, and I heard of another man a few miles away 

 who had killed eighty. It would be curious to ascertain if 

 there was anything peculiar in the winter in Germany, or 

 other parts of the Continent, to drive them over here in such 

 unusual numbers. 



I'lliniarii. — During this month we have been \isited from 

 time to time by bullfinches, coming three and four at a time. 

 Some bird, I expect the sparrow, has been eating the buds of 

 the earliest-blossoming Pears, cutting them into shrods with 



