January 9, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



a3 



Paixt for Hot-water Pipes <K, W. G.).— Mix lampblack to the con- 

 sistency of thick paint with boiled linseed oil ; with this paint the pipes 

 after they have been made as hot as possible, and keep them hot until the 

 paint be drj*. The main point is to brush the paint well in, for unless 

 this be done effectually the composition and its application are useless. 

 If you do not care about appearanoe, use red lead, >vhich will last much 

 longer, and so will white lead. Two coats of paint nill be sufficient, but 

 one good coat well brushed in is wurth a dozen imperfect ones. 



Geranicus DAiiPiSG (T. A. So uthwood).— The leaves show that your 

 house is very damp. We fear that you give the pliints too much water at 

 the root, and ore not careful to keep the house dry. Give no more water 

 at the root now than is sufficient to keep the leaves from flagging. Light 

 a fire occasii-nally during dami) \^eatb(.T to promote a circulation of air 

 and to dry up the damp, and give ;ibmidance of air on all favourable oc- 

 casions. The house being culd and damp is, we think, the cause of the 

 leaves being in the condition of those sent. Keep the atmosphere drier, 

 and they will improve as the days lengthen. 



ForNTAiN IN Fern Case i J. J., iJonticj/).— It will not make the air of 

 the case too damp. Ventilation can always regulate the dampness. 



EsPERioNE Vine (Penally). — "Upwards and Onwards" informs us, 

 that a parcel directed to "A. B., Penally Station, Ac. To be called for," 

 will be sent from Woodstock, on the 9th inst. 



Fehss Scorched (E. M. H.).— Your only plan will be to keep the Ferns 

 moderately watered, and to cut away the brown fronds as they show 

 themselves, otherwise treating the plants as if nothing had happened. 

 Do not give them any additional heat, as that would induce a temporaiy 

 increase of growth ; and as for applying manure to the roots, neither now 

 nor at any other time will it do them any good, but, on the contraiy, it 

 will kill many. Do not overwater, but keep rather dry at the roots, 

 sprinkle the paths in the morning of bright day^, and "give air during 

 mild weather, cutting away the browned fronds before they become 

 mouldy, and all the plants vdW recover if they have sufficient vitality 

 left, but they will look bare for a long time. 



Ownership in Fallen Tree.— TT. H. TF.asks— " In the event of a tree 

 falling in an orchard through wind or any other cause, is the tree the 

 dproperty of the landlord or the tenant ? " It belongs to the landlord. 

 The gate of the orchard would not belong to the tenant because blown 

 down, why should the tree ? 



PaiMCLA sinensis [E. C).— Do not pick off the trusses. Give the 

 plants a Uttle weak liquid manure. 



Lychnis Senno. — W. S., we are informed, can obtain a supply from Mr. 

 W. Dillistone, Xurserj-man. Sible Hedingham, Essex. 



Price of Grapes {F. H. P.).— Last year the average price of Black 

 Hamburgh Grapes in Covent Garden llarket was from 7^. to los. per lb., 

 in February and March ; from 15*. to 27;*. in April ; and from S-i. to 14s. in 

 May. Muscats brought from 8j*. to ll-*. per lb. in February, after which 

 time they were over. In considering what month is the most protitable to 

 bring in a crop, you must not only take into consideration the probable 

 price per lb. which the Grapes will realise at different times, but also the 

 relative cost of the fuel required for early and late forcing, and the com- 

 parative weight of produce. New Black Hamburyhs command a high 

 price in spring, but the demand is limited. 



PiNE-ArPLE-HOCSE (E. Ji. S.}.—FnT thirtv-two postage stamps you can 

 have free by post from our office, " The Pine-Apple Manual.'' It contains 

 drawings, &c., showing what you require. 



Fruiting Vines in Pots (W. C. TT.).— Your Vines being in 13 and 

 13-inch pots you may fruit them in these, or you may pot them into 

 18-inch pots, providing good drainage, and not disturbing the roots. If 

 you keep them in the 12-inch pots be content with putting tho drainage 

 right, relying on top-dressings of manure and applications of liquid 

 manure at the same time The Vines would carry a heavier crop were the 

 pots placed on shallow tubs contjiining soil into which the roots could 

 run after passing through the holes in the bottoms of the pots, which 

 they would do freely. The canes should be cut-in, 6 feet is long enough, 

 and always leave sufficient good plump eyes for a crop, and you will 

 have them in that length or not at all. 



Gardener Ill-tbeated {One In Trouble).— li your account is a correct 

 one, then we have no hesitation in saying that you have been a very 

 valuable and faithful servant, and that you have been anything but hand- 

 somely treated iu return. A man who entered into a place in April, all 

 like a wilderness, and who managed to get the kitchen garden dug and 

 cropped ; the shrubberj' and lawn put to rights ; increased by propagating 

 and begging cuttings, &c., the jdants for bedding from three dozen to 

 1500; attended to horse and trap; was out every day from 8.30 a.m. to 

 8.30 P.M. ; looked after milk ; fed the cow, pigs, rabbits, and fowls ; cleaned 

 knives, boots, windows, went on errands, Ac. and had only the assistance 

 of a boy to help with the mowing-machine, and has now, besides making 

 alterations, got the kitchen garden and shrubberies dug, Sea-kale and 

 Rhubarb covered, fruit trees and bushes pruned and dressed ; — must either 

 have had a small place to look after, or it must be quite true that you have 

 worked hard pretty well all the time from early in the morning until late 

 at night. After all this you have been anything but well treated in 

 receiving notice to leave from your master, because you gave a few 

 sprigs of a Spindle Tree that stood near the stables to a neighbouring 

 gardener for Christmns decoration, that gardener having been very kind 

 in giving you cuttings, &c. The conduct of yoiur employer would be still 

 more indefensible if he knew that you received cuttings from others and 

 said nothing against it, as that was something like a silent understanding 

 that you were to do the same. Nevertheless, wo must o\m, that your 

 employer was quite correct in stating that yon had no right, in the 

 abstract, to give away the smallest thing without his leave. If you 

 read our prerious volumes carefully, you would see that we have fre- 

 quently urged in such matters the importance of gardeners never de- 

 pending on use and wont, or general custom, but to have a clear under- 

 standing with their employers ; and then, of course, if they are not 

 allowed to give away a sprig, or a cutting, whatever may be the feelings 

 of the employer, we trust there will be honest pride and self-respect 

 enough in the gardener never to receive a cutting from others. In such 

 cases it is the best plan to allow an employer to purchase every fresh 

 thing he has. The neighbouring gardeners will not respect a man any 

 the less when they know that he cannot give, and therefore will not 

 take. The copies of your previous testimonials are quite satisfactory, 

 and we feel certain that you will soon be in place again, and where, we 

 trust, your services will be better appreciated; but to secure yourself from 

 all such unpleasantness as the present, we advise you to make sure of 

 the give-and-take principle. 



Naiies of Fruit (.7. F.).— 1, Blenheim Pippin; 3, Forge; 4, London 

 Pippin; 5. Golden Reinette ; 6, Scarlet Nonpareil. [J. H. C'.).—h Jose- 

 phine de Malines ; 3, Beurn- de Rince ; 4. Vicar of Winkfield ; 5, Triomphe 

 de Jodoigne ; 6, Beurre Diel ; 7, Ne PI as Meuris ; 8, Chaumontel ; 9, Wyken 

 Pippin; 10, Winter Quoining; 11, Franklin's Golden Pippin ; 12, Duck'a 

 Bill. 



l^IETEOROLOGICiSJi OBSEEVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending January 0th. 



THERMOMETER. 



BA£03fETEB. 



Max. 



Son... 31 



Mon... 1 



Tees. . 2 



Wed. . 3 



Thurs. 4 I 29.796 



Fri. .. 5 29.942 



Sat. .. 6 30.026 



29.523 

 29.853 

 29.952 

 29.934 



Meaa. 



29.860 



Min. 



29.444 



29.r.83 

 29.614 

 29.821 

 29.715 

 29.632 I 



50 



48 

 47 

 43 

 50 

 45 



30.001 i 43 



29.687 I 46.57 32.71 



28 

 37 

 38 

 44 

 29 

 23 



1 ft. dp. 



47 

 47 



44i 



46 



464 



47 



46 



2 ft. dp. 



m 



45 



45 

 45 

 45i 

 46 



45 



45.28 



"Wind. 



S.W. 



s.w. 

 s. 



S.W. 



s. 

 w. 

 w. 



Rain in 

 inches. 



.29 

 .00 

 .07 

 .00 

 .08 

 .00 

 .04 



GENEBAIi Remahes. 



Boisterous and showerv ; overcast at night. [slight frost. 



Very clear ; quite cloudless ; exceedingly fine ; slightly overcast ; 



Fine ; densely overcast ; boisterous, with rain at night. 



Clear and fine ; very fine; overcast. 



Densely overcast ; rain ; cloudy and rather boisterous ; fine at night, 



Overcast ; slight frost at night. 



Hazy ; fine ; very fine ; frosty. 



POULTRY. BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE- 



POULTRY, I'AST AND FUTURE. 



We are a week behind with our good wishes to all, but they 

 are not the less hearty. We have arrived at the period when, 

 thankful that we have been spared iu health and strength, we 

 pass the last year iu review, and scan the hopes, wishes, and 

 prospects of the present. We are grateful to all who assist at 

 the result, when we say the task is neither gloomy nor painful. 

 We have had a successful year. Our circulation goes on in- 

 creasing, and we have to thank the public for support in every 

 way. 



Poultry not only holds its own, but it gains in public esti- 

 mation. The place that belongs to it naturally is being filled. 

 The desire for competition does not slacken, while its impor- 

 tance, as it bears on the question of food, is being even,- day 

 recognised. This has been the result of exhibitions, and the 



consequent testing of breeds, with a view to their capability 

 either of producing eggs or providing food. Already produc- 

 tion is greatly stimulated, and the supply increases ; but much 

 remains to leara. We still deal with poultry as with a luxury, 

 and those who have some to spare for the market keep it for a 

 great event like Chi-istmas, often to the detriment of quality, 

 and generally to a loss. Believing we are in a transition state, 

 we point out these things lest beginners should be discouraged. 

 We hope if we have to record the progress of poultry during 

 the new year, we shall have to speak of a regular supply, and 

 not of that spasmodic sending which makes a naked market 

 this week, to be remedied by a glutted one next. The true 

 economy of poiiltiy keeping, and the real profit, will be soon 

 found to be the immediate disposal of a bird as soon as it 

 ceases to make a good return. This will be as soon as one in- 

 tended for the market is sufficiently fat, and one kept for a 

 breeder ceases to lay a number of eggs that wiU be more than 

 the equivalent of the food consumed. A poultry yard should 

 be like a beleaguered town, and the first act of the commander 



