June 26, 1873. ] 



JOUBNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAFPENER. 



519 



Bark of Rose Tree Eaten (H. li. C.).— It is difficult to know what 

 iueect has injured yourRofie shoots; (rom all aiipeiiranco we should thiuk it 

 Borao large buetle. Examine the tree at uinht. Must probably, as the injury 

 is somewhat local, there is harbour for the iasccts near. 



Zonal Pelargoniums {Lh-in). — You do not say what time yoa want the 

 Zonal Polar^ouimun to bloom. If in spring, Bolect strong and healthy ynuns 

 plants in autumn ; cut them back in September, and grow-on, giving thorn 

 all the light you can ia the winter. If for summer, the ordinary treatment 

 lor Geraniums will answer, being careful to pinch ba'^k strong shooto, so ha 

 not to allow the coarser shoots to take all the strength of the plants. If for 

 autumn blooming, cut back in spring, and keep potting as occasion may 

 require. Lot the plants grow neur the glass witu plenty of light and air, but 

 slight ehaie from extreme sua. If wo know the especial object fnr which you 

 require them we could give a much more dehnite answer. Avoid too many 

 sticks and tying-out. 



Twenty-four Show Pelargouiums (P.). —Black Prince, dark upper 

 petals; lower, crimson ; white eye. Imperator, darkllowcr; rich dark upper 

 petals; lower, carmine with dark spot; fine. Dnko of Edinburgh, crimson 

 and maroon; black tup petaU. Exemplar, lower petals rose, white eye, upper 

 petals dork. Holker, top petals dark ; lower, oraoue maroon. Charles Turner, 

 verj' bright shaded scarlet, small white eye. Heirloom, shaded dark upper 

 petal; lower, orange rose. Contrres-s, maroon upper, lower rose, white eye. 

 Corsair, upper, purplish black ; lower, hRhter ; white eye. Sultana, top petals 

 purple; lower, rosy purple. Lilacina, lilac maroon spot; white eye. John 

 Hoyle, orange red; lino form. Mary Hoyle. very warm soft rose; upper petals 

 darker. Pompey, maroon top, orange lower; white eye. Basha, top, crimson 

 and black ; lower, orange crimson ; Brigand, orange pink ; dark spot on upper 

 petals. Pretender, hery crimson and black. Claubul, white, with slight spot. 

 Woman-in- white, white upper petal, dark spot. Charlemagne, salmon pink ; 

 dark spot upper petals; William Hoyle, tine scarlet crimson; upper, blacK. 

 Gold Button, white and red. Achievement, large light variety ; lilac rose, 

 upper petals maroon. Prelate, dark upper petals ; lower, purple maroon. 



Hair-like "Worms (Dornoch Firth).— These thread-like and intricately- 

 twisting worms occur abundantly after rains following hot weather. They 

 are the Gordiuit aqunticux. It belongs, like the leech, to the class Suctoria, 

 or suckers, scarcely exhibits any marks of articulation on its body, and has 



„ no distinct respira- 

 tory organs. Its co- 

 lour is pale brown, 

 and being found in 

 such a twisted form, 

 as already noticed, 

 suggested its name 

 after the inventor of 

 the Gordiau knot. 

 The mouth is a simple pore at the fore extremity of the body, which is conical ; 

 but the tail being forked, as represented at a, has often been mistaken for its 

 mouth. Its habits are little known, but we are inclined to think it one of the 

 friends of the gardener, for two parties observed one escape lately from the 

 body of a beetle, which they found writhing on the ground. 



Pea Rows Sown North and South, or East and West {S. C).— We 

 have not noticed any diEference in the earliness of the crops, but we find that 

 the Peas grow most to the sun side of rows sown east and west, and on that 

 side the pods are fit to gather sooner, and are more numerous on the south 

 than north side of the row. Sown with tho ends north and south the haulm 

 is equally disposed on both sides, and there is no perceptible difference in the 

 earliness, quahty, or quantity of the produce. On this account we prefer tho 

 rows pointing north and south. There is, however, no great difference ; and 

 for the very reason you assign we sow them, except on sheltered borders, 

 with ends east and west, convinced that they aie more secure against east 

 and west winds. 



Mignonette Failing {Unsucce3s/ul).~Vf6 have no knowledge of the small 

 black insects that attack the Mignonette; but we apprehend they are, as you 

 employed ducks last year and soot this season, slugs, the small black sort 

 which as you say are very destnictive. We should give the ground a good 

 dressing of quicklime and point it in with a fork, or if you have any plants 

 left we should sprinkle it on the surface, and after rain when they will be near 

 the surface, and best in the evening. If no plants are left give a good liming 

 now, and again before sowing next year, pointing it in each time with a fork, 

 Whtn the plants appear dust them occasionally with the lime, especiaUy ia 

 moist weather. You should have abuudauce another season. 



Potatoes Diseased. — " I send yoi- a top of American Early Rose. About 

 five per cent, of the plants are thus affected. In a few days the tops die down 

 to the ground. I have seen half a dozen similar cases in Suffolk and Cam 

 briilgoshire, and in every instance only the American Early Rose are thua 

 affected. — St. Edmund." 



[The leaves are very severely ulcerated, and we fear you will find the 

 tubers similarly decayed. We cannot assign a cause any more than we can 

 for the genuine " Potato murrain," of which we incline to think your Potatoes 

 are suffering ; but if so, it is a very early development. Examine the tubers 

 of some of the plants, and inform us if they are ulcerated. If not, then we think 

 your Potatoes are attacked by the " curl,"] 



Vines Unproductive (jR. 7^. S.).— We have won excellent crops from a 

 Bimilar soil and subsoil. You had better have been content with the 

 18 inches of surface soil, and not have excavated tho chalk subsoil. Manure 

 the surface to the depth of 9 inches, mulch tho surface, and water once 

 a-week with weak hquid manure. Cutoff all the yellow-leaved terminations 

 of the laterals. Next year you will have Grapes. 



WooDLicE IN Mushroom Bed {J. C. H.).— If you can get at the walls and 

 ■without wetting the bed much, place a little hay all round at the foot of the 

 wall next the bed, and pour boiling wafer down the walls and on the hay. It 

 will kill all it touches, alHo all the J^Iushrooms it comes into contact with ; 

 therefore avoid pouring it on the bed. If that be impracticable, boil eoruo 

 potatoes, wrap them in a little liay loosely, aud place at the bottom of small 

 tiower-pots and lay them on their sides, which examine every day, and shake 

 out the vermin into a bucket of boiling water. 



Names of Plants (G. ^.).— We cannot identify plants from leaves only 

 (Piter). — We cannot name florists' varieties ; it is one of then- Pyrethrums. 

 tA. G.). — 1, Pyrus Ai'ia ; 2, Siphocampylus sp., perhaps S. longipedunculatus, 

 Pohl ; 3, we do not recognise. ( H^.).— The Orchid was too far gone when we 

 receivedit. (J. (7.1. — 2, Onychium japonicum; ;:}aud4, Blechnum occidentoJe ; 

 5, Dicksonia davallioides ; G, Asplenium flaccidum ; 7, Doodia, probably 

 aspera; 8, Goniophlebium appendiculatum. (.If. ii.).— 1, Aspidium acrostich- 

 oides; 2, Indeterminable; .S, Asplenium lucidum. (E, C. L.).~l, Sedum 



anglicura ; 4, S. angliciim var. (?); 2. S. rupostre , (i, S. pp.; H, Saxifraga 

 elatior; 5, S. Aizoon. (I.F.). — Escallonia sp. ( W.G. C). — 1, Korria japonica; 

 2, Pyrus sp. ; if, Ruscusaculeatu^; 4 and 5, leaves nniy ; f>, Kuonymus ouro- 

 piEMis. (T. IS. It'.). — 1, Apparently a Geum ; 2, Hemerocallis flava. (C. H.).— 

 We believe, but cannot bo certain, that it is that most enduring of Ferns for 

 a plant case, Ptoris serrulata. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHRONIOLE. 



EXHIBITING SINGLE BIRDS. 



In your Journal of May 22ati, ** Impartial " advocates the 

 Bia^le-bird Byatem, and in his letter of the I2th inst., upon the 

 limitinf; system, he says that he is somewhat disappointed in 

 not seeing any farther remarks upon the subject. 



Halifax was both father and mother of the single-bird system, 

 as at that town was hekl the first exhibition where the birds ia 

 the whole of the classes were shown singly. In 180U, thirteen 

 years ago, Halifax held its third exhibition, and issued a prize list 

 with forty classes, birds to be shown singly, there being separate 

 classes for cocks and separate classes for hens ; the total num- 

 ber of entries was 504. Carriers headed the list with 5li entries ; 

 Pouters had 75 entries ; Almond Tumblers, 25 ; Jacobins, 30 ; 

 Turbits, 32; Barbs, 20; Owls, 45; FantaUs,45; Dragoons, 25; and 

 Trumpeters, 20. Such entries as these will give some idea of 

 the result of the single-bird system. This was in the days of 

 Peter Eden, of Salford, who exhibited twenty-six pens and ob- 

 tained six fi.rst aud two second prizes, ten high commendations, 

 and three commendations. There was a sweepstakes for Pouters, 

 which was won by I'eter Eden. There were also extra prizes 

 in the Almond classes, in addition to the class prizes. The first 

 and extra prizes for Almond cocks was carried oS by Mr. 

 Esquilant, of London. The first honours and extra prize for 

 Almond, hens were won by Mr. Harry Wandle " f ra cannie 

 Newcassel." The Jiidges were Mr. Harrison Weir and Mr. P. 

 H. Jones. 



The following year Halifax held its fourth and last exhi- 

 bition. Why this exhibition was aUowed to fall to the ground I 

 have never been able to ascertain. 



From that time I never saw or heard of an exhibition upon 

 tho single-bird system until Bedlington tried it in 1871 ; then 

 Durham, Birmingham, and Newcastle-upon-Tyne tried it, and 

 all found it a success. The last-named town had a success such 

 as I should say was never before known. Now, I am glad to see 

 that at many other shows the same principle is adopted, and I 

 advise those who have not yet done so to try it, and they will 

 be sure of success. I quite agree with *' Impartial " upon the 

 single-bird system, but shall always set my foot upon any prin- 

 ciple of limiting the prices of birds for exliibition, as there 

 ought not to be any difference made between the dealer and the 

 amateur. — Tyneside, 



HANTS AND BERKS AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S 

 POULTRY SHOW. 



"Rolling stones gather no moss," so says the proverb; but 

 it is not true of shows. That of which we write would have 

 died of ennui had it remained at home ; but it w^ent out to 

 seek its fortune, and found it. Now, like a beauty conscious of 

 having deserved the admiration that follows her, it skips from 

 town to town, basks in tho patronage of Royalty, is honoured by 

 municipalities, opened in state by sound of trumpet, and re- 

 juices in a goodly balauce. 



Instead of an ordinary field, with here and there a tent, now 

 and then a post to which a quadruped was tied, and sundry 

 common hurdles containing here sheep and there pigs, com- 

 modious substantial pens cover fifteen acres. All things are to 

 be had — carriages of every description, so light they would 

 almost go alone ; a child could draw one if it liked. A small 

 machine, price l-s. fj'/., with which the salesman said he would 

 undertake to spoil the best knife in the company; he would rub 

 it edge downwards till it was as round as a ruler. Would a 

 gentleman lend him one? The public did not seem anxious, 

 but a boy lent him one, aud when he was asked to feel it ho 

 certainly looked glum. Then it was rubbed two or three times, 

 and it certainly became sharp as a razor. Washing machines, 

 printing machines, sewing machines; every application of steam; 

 electric telegraph brought on to the ground ; shepherd's houses 

 made of galvanised iron ; cooking apparatus which did so much 

 with sixpeunyworth of wood, that the fortunate purchaser of 

 one of them became as indifferent to the i^rice of coals as far- 

 mers' boys are to the iucrease or decrease of income tax ; por- 

 table machines so certain in their execution, that but for the 

 ill-temper of the insurance otfices who would, perhaps, refuse to 

 pay damages, you might play at setting your house on tire, and 

 stop it at will. Sutton's seed establishment was an exhibition 

 of itself. These weU-settled shows have drawn all trades round 

 them, aud remind us, though on a smaller scale, of some of the 

 continental fairs. Vendors of all things seem to find their ac- 



