August 14, :-»»-. I 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



1.1! 



Tnujovsrs nor.uirtATi, RKTrNosponA onTirflA, and Ltbooidrus rttn.i- 

 kn.is IN Youkshiiik (T. HU. Wo fear tlmt tho last-named will succumb 

 to very severe winters tiki' that of lHoO-tSl, which wo knnw it 1ms done in 

 more favoured parts of England ; still wo would try it. Retlnospora 

 obtusn we believe to he hardier, nml it Rooms to irrow very freely in places 

 whore it has been tried. Thujopsis dolabratn is less free in growth, but 

 may, nevertheless, i.o quit., hnrdy. Wo would expect the Reunospora to 

 be the best of the three, and the one most likely to become a line trio. 

 A dry soil, inducing an early ripening of the wood, has much to do with 

 the flncecss of the plant, s e Conifers, snrli 11s tin- Wollingtonia, con- 

 tinue their growth very lute in tho season, nml when suddenly caught. 

 with ei id weatherthey sofferln consequence. We would bo disposed to 

 try tho speefos which yon mention, sheltering them a little the first 

 Vfintcr. ns it often happens newly planted trees or shrubs do not then 

 mature tin? growth of Ihat season, although they may do so afterwards. 



Liurs atouotm (li. if.). — Your Lilinin auratum is going to rest 

 Cease watering it, and keep it in a dry cool framo. 



Mkdinit.la ■aontfioa Culture (M'. i/. WX — We would support tho 

 head of bloom on such n young subject to bo grown as a specimen plant, 

 and 30 that it would incline gracefully ; but we would not keep it long, but 



cut It off, that tho bnds from tho axils of tho loavos might burst into 

 shoots and bo encouraged. Stop when 2 or !! inches long, and let the 

 plant receive plenty of boat and moisturo to encourage growth. More 

 light, air, and loss moisture next summer will cause tho flower-shoots to 

 show, and they would do so sooner if the growing influences were not kept 

 up. It flourishes in pout and loam, and may have occasional manure 

 waterings, and especially when tho bloom shows. 



Is'astk of Fuuit (John M. Millrr).- -Your (irapo is Rod Chasselas. Wo 

 had &d. to pay for carriage, which ploaso remit. 



Names of Plants (A. It. C.).— Teucrium fruticosum ; Rtnehvs lanata. 

 ( .-f. T. N.i. Specimens very bad. 1, Hleehnuni oeeidontiile (?) ; '2, Doodia 

 can. bite : 8, iiisutlici.iit for identification ; 4, Platyloma hastata (?) ; !",, l'o- 

 lypodiuni phymatOdeS : li, I'olystichum sp. ; 7, Cheilanthes birta. (M. D.). 



I snd '2, Athyrium Filix to ■uiina var.j :i, I'tiris iiijnilina: 4, Pteris longi- 

 folia var. serrata. ( K. J.).- -Hyperioum inontnnuni. (Eduiyn), — Pteris 

 erotica; Adiantum peibitmn. (K.T. W.). — Onoclea sensibilis J Indlgoiera 



di rn. (J. P. G.).— Statiee limonium. (A Beader)r—Vxom the small 



portion you have sout, your plant appears to bo a white variety of 

 Myosotis palustris. 



I>IETE0ROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending August 11th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



VULTURE HOCK IN BRAHMAS. 

 Beixo one of those curious people who desire to know the 

 reason "why," lam now anxious to know why the vulture 

 hock is objected to in Brabmas. There must be, I suppose, 

 some ground beyond the mere fancy of the period against it, 

 and as the season advances it becomes important to know 

 what is the objection ; for without some real ground for op- 

 posing it, it seems hard to make it a disadvantage, and, perhaps, 

 cause the whole class to suffer in the long run. 



I believe it is right to say, that there is no cause without its 

 effect, and I presume, therefore, the simple converse to be also 

 true. What is the cause, then, of the vulture bock ? Is it a 

 sign of impure breeding anywhere ? If so, why are vulture- 

 hocked birds even admitted at exhibitions ? Cochins are suf- 

 fering now, I believe, under the same ban ; but if it can be 

 alleged to come from them, it may surely with equal right be 

 argued that the Cochins have taken it from the Brabmas, as 

 the actual source cannot be discovered, and that it is, there- 

 fore, perhaps a legitimate appendage (I speak, of course, as 

 an amateur in search of knowledge, rather^than laying down 

 facts). Again, If it is a sign of cross-breeding, why does not 

 the plumage otherwise suffer? and I think it will be admitted 

 to be quite as correct in marking, &c, as the plumage of birds 

 without the brand. Some of our best breeders prefer vulture 

 hocks, I believe, so they can hardly be a sign of degeneracy. 

 Why, then, are vulture-hocked birds to be at a disadvantage 

 in exhibitions ? If they are admitted, supposing no valid 

 argument can be brought against them, surely they ought to 

 be on an equal footing with the rest ; or else, some real ground 

 of objection being proved, let them be absolutely forbidden, and j 

 breeders will then know what they are about. In another j 

 year, a3 it stands at present, perhaps nothing else may be I 

 approved of ! 



As I may be taken to be interested in the advancement of 

 the vulture hock, I can candidly say, beyond wishing to know, 

 as I said before, " the reason why " it does not matter to me in 

 the least. The subject, however, appears to me to deserve a 

 thorough investigation — that is, if poultry breeding is im- 

 portant, which far be it from me to deny. I tremble at the 

 crushing my presumption may bring upon me, but if you 

 deem this letter worthy of publication, I hope I shall do 

 Bruhmas and Brahma fanciers a good turn. — A Questioning 

 Brahma. 



[The above was sent to a well-known poultry Judge, and this 



is his reply : — " The birds originally imported had no vulture 

 hocks, and those that have the appendage are a later introduc- 

 tion. The same is true of Cochins. There was an attempt 

 at the second London show to admit the vulture hocks, and 

 the question you ask about the Brahmas was put by all those 

 who had vulture-bocked birds. Evidence was at once collected 

 from all those who were the first importers and the largest 

 breeders, and in no instance were the vulture hocks imported 

 or bred from imported birds. That which is intended for ex- 

 hibition should come as nearly as possible to the admitted 

 standard of the breed, and I think that, in all breeds, has 

 been safe in the hands of the gentlemen who for many years 

 have awarded the principal prizes. The proof of it is, there 

 has been little or no alteration in their requirements in any 

 breed. If the objection to the vulture hocks were new, or only 

 just published, then those who possess vulture-hocked birds 

 might justly complain, and ask why they were excluded from 

 competition ; but they have always been excluded. Doubtless 

 they arose from the freak of some amateur, or they were the 

 result of a distant cross, and the unhappy owner of it, instead 

 of ' stamping it out,' perpetuated it. I have tried to explain 

 why they are disqualified, I want to ask, Why they were ever 

 produced ? "] 



Some months have elapsed since any article upon this sub- 

 ject appeared in the pages of " our Journal ;" and as the 

 points involved in the late controversy affect a large number of 

 breeders besides myself, I feel urged to resume the subject, 

 especially as the season has now arrived when a selection of 

 young birds for future exhibitions must be judiciously made. 

 When " Y. B. A. Z.," in the commencement of last spring, 

 challenged " one of our most able judges," (whose name I do 

 not happen to know), to justify bis objection to the vulture- 

 hock covering upon our birds, it was hoped that the challenge 

 would be accepted ; but it was not, so that at present we are 

 all at sea upon the matter. And I would respectfully inquire 

 whether the awkward position in which we are thereby placed 

 ought not to receive the considerate attention of the Judge who 

 first opened the controversy by affirming, what has since been 

 palpably disproved — that the vulture hock is a recent intro- 

 duction. The silence he has thought proper to maintain may 

 be regarded as a tacit admission that he was in error ; or it 

 may signify something else, and which we hope is not intended, 

 as it would tend to irritate rather than appease. Between 

 exhibitors and the judges there ought to exist the most friendly 

 feeling upon poultry matters ; but if there is secret distrust 

 entertained on the one hand, and an erratic if not arbitrary 

 judgment displayed on the other, the result must sooner or 



