172 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



r August 28, 1866. 



Rose Mildew (An Original Subscriber). — To rid your trees of this pest, 

 dissolve Gishurst compound in the proportion of 2 ozs. to the gallon of 

 water, and apply it with a syringe. 



Melons Cracking (W.H. £.).— The cause of this is the rind becoming 

 hard before the growth has been completed, and generally from a defi- 

 ciency of water whilst the fruit is swelling ; then the soil or atmosphere 

 becoming moister the fruit swells, and the rind being incapable of resist- 

 ing the internal pressure cracks to make way for the increased growth of 

 the fruit. We know of no remedy except keeping the soil well supplied 

 with water and the atmosphere moist, affording also slight shade from 

 bright sun from the time when the fruit is fairly set and swelling until 

 it has attained its full size and become netted over, when the supply of 

 water should be lessened, and the atmosphere kept as dry as possible 

 until the fruit is ripe. If you allow the soil and atmosphere to become 

 so dry as to check the growth of the fruit, and after the rind has become 

 hard give moisture, some kinds of Melons crack. Melons require as 

 much water when swelling as a Cucumber, and when ripening a very dry 

 atmosphere. 



Gladiolus Failure (J. G.).—We conclude that your plants go off in 

 that mysterious manner which has caused dismay to most cultivators of 

 Gladioli, and is now familiarly known as "rust." Your mode of culture 

 is good, and we do not know in what way it can be improved on. 



Heating Small Greenhouse (T. L. M.).— The sanitary piping will 

 answer the purpose equally as well as a flue, and we should by all means 

 recommend you to use one large nine-inch in preference to two smaller 

 ones, as it will be less liable to foul and be easier cleaned. 



Vines for a Pit (A Two-years Subscriber). — In your pit you may plant 

 two Vines as you propose, and train one 2 feet from the bottom across 



the lights, and the other half way between that and the top. You may 

 make a border for them outside, and at one end of the pit only ; and if 

 you could so contrive it that the Vines conld have an inside as well as 

 an outside border all the better ; plant them inside. For one Vine we 

 would recommend Black Hamburgh, and forthe other White Frontignan. 

 Plant next March. It is not desirable, nor indeed prudent, to turn out 

 the Vines, for we apprehend that you will not heat your pit more than 

 will be sufficient to keep out frost, and that will not injure the Vines; 

 but if you maintain a higher temperature than 40' it is well to turn them 

 out, and in that case you must plant them outside. 

 Names of Fruit (H. J. C.).— No. 1, Royal George Peach ; 2, Galande ; 



3, GFro'sse Mignonne. You should always send leaves with Peaches and! 

 Nectarines. The piece of a tree is Liquidambar styraciflna. The seedling 

 Apple is worth keeping for the present. Send it again when ripe. 



Names of Plants (AnfjUem). — Tour Fern is Asplenium trichomaneg 

 incisum. Be good enough to inform us where you found the plant 

 (Shanbnlly) — Francoa ramosa. (D. Davis). — 1 and 2, Varieties of Sco- 

 lopendrium officinamm ; 3, Phymatodes, too imperfect; 4, Nephrodinm 

 molle ; 5, Campyloneuron lanceolatum (?) ; 6, Polystichum aculeatum. 

 (B. T. M.). — Francoa sonchifolia. (Ardchaple). — Adiantum formosnm. 

 (Miss E. Jarret). — The whole of your specimens were unnumbered — Adi- 

 antum coneinuum, A. macrophylliun, A. diaphanum ; others incomplete. 

 (R. H. A.).— I, Blechnum sp. (?) ; 2, Adiantum formosum ; 3, A.cuneatum ; 



4, Pteris longifolia var. serrulata; 5, Polypodium vulgarevar. cambricum; 

 6, Lastrea deeurrens ; 7, Phymatodes vulgaris ; 8, Doodia media : 0, As- 

 plenium obtusum ; 10, Peihea adiimtifolia ; 11, Davallia cannruusis ; 

 12, Scolopendrium officinarum; 13, Asplenium bulbiferum; 14, Thamno- 

 pteris australis. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending August 25th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



EXHIBITION POULTRY. 



As unless the fowls possess the necessary merit and the qualifi- 

 cations that are likely to insure success, no amount of training 

 or preparation will supply these, it is most important to im- 

 press on exhibitors that every bird intended for competition 

 should undergo a strict examination. Painstaking tends only 

 to develope good points, no amount of condition will supply a 

 want or conceal a defect. The good points in question are so 

 well known that it would seem more than unnecessary to dwell 

 upon them, but even old exhibitors sometimes make mistakes 

 which are so grave that a little mention by way of illustration 

 may not be out of place. Thus, in Dorkings, well-defined five 

 claws, and cock's spurs in their right places ; in Polands, 

 neither spikes nor gills ; in Hamburghs, good white deaf ears; 

 in Spanish, the cock's comb upright, the hen's drooping over, 

 and perfectly white faces ; in Game cocks perfectly straight 

 breast bones ; in Cochins, straight combs. Such remarks might 

 be rmiltiplied to almost any extent, but we have mentioned 

 enough to show the strict examination that is necessary. 



Although perfection may be impossible, all try to approach 

 as nearly ts it as may be, and it is often a matter of wonder, 

 that among so many capital birds there should be so few that 

 will meet all the requirements of their owners. Where the 

 run is a good one and not overstocked, we are great advocates 

 for allowing fowls their full liberty. They maintain a freshness 

 of plumage, and a brightness of condition that have great 

 charms in an exhibition pen. If four birds are wanted, twelve 

 should be selected some time before they have to be shown. 

 This guards against accidents, and gives a good choice at the 

 last. Where two pens have to be shown in the same class, it 

 is most important that every effort should be made to make 

 the first pen perfect. Many prizes are lost by those who have 

 good birds, and who, showing two pens in one class, give them- 

 selves worlds of trouble to make them even, which means two 

 high commendations, whereas if the best birds of the two pens 

 were put together, they would probably be among the prize- 

 takers, perhaps the first. It is a mistake to hold antagonists 



cheap, or in these matters to be satisfied with mediocity. It 

 is also well to recollect, that where the competition is very 

 close, a mere trifle will decide — one of thoso things that are 

 often declared to be of no importance whatever. It is a matter 

 of great importance to exhibit fowls that agree. To ascertain 

 this point they must be shut up together at times. Fowls will 

 agree running about, that will fight to the death in confinement, 

 and there is no prize for fighting birds ; the beaten hen or pullet 

 spoils the pen. A first-prize pen must not only be free from 

 defects that disqualify, it must possess the characteristics that 

 insure success : thus, no perfection of plumage or shape in a 

 Dorking will compensate for lack of size ; no stature, carriage, 

 or condition in a Spanish cock will wipe out a red spot over 

 the eye. 



It is a mistake in the treatment of exhibition fowls to endea- 

 vour to do all in the last few days before competition. Half 

 the food that is wasted in the last week in the vain endeavour 

 to get weight by overfeeding, would, if given a little at a time 

 aud spread over some weeks, realise all that can be reasonably 

 expected. Fat is not condition ; overfeeding produces fat, and 

 spoils plumage by making it soft and hollow. Where weight is 

 required we advise a little increase in food for fourteen weeks 

 before exhibition, and it is also well to vary it as much as 

 possible. It is the real hard flesh that weighs, and which tells 

 in a judge's hands. We know no food that does better than 

 ground oats, slaked at times with milk, kitchen and table 

 scraps, good barley, and plenty of green food. Damaged bread 

 and ship-biscuit are excellent food, with now and then a meal 

 of tallow-chandler's greaves. 



We believe that almost all birds should be at liberty till they 

 are wanted for showing. There are, however, exceptions ; 

 Spanish require to be in confinement several days before they 

 are shown and they should be kept in semi-darkness. The less 

 light they have the whiter their faces become. It was a tradi- 

 tion very many years ago that white peas made the faces white. 

 Peas are given to Game cocks to harden feather. Some of the 

 feather birds require to be washed ; Hamburghs, Polands, and 

 the like often need such assistance. The plumage is washed 

 with a sponge dipped in cold water, with a little soap ; it does 

 not need much washing, and it is only that part which is in con- 

 tact with the atmosphere that is dirty. After being washed 

 the bird should be put in a basket with some soft oat straw. 



