January 30, 1856. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



95 



settles many of the buds, and whenever a stimulus is given tojextension 

 they drop. Those out of doors are free from some of these casualties, 

 but how often does it happen that many buds, if they stand, are defective. 

 Washing, and drjTiess at the roots are the chief causes, but, if the dry- 

 ness is not excessive, there will generally be enough of buds left. We 

 have often heard gardeners lamenting about their buds falling in March, 

 and then in August lamenting that they had left so much fruit. 



Rustic Basket-making (H. J5., Lancmkire). — li is a trade, and we 

 know of no one who would furnish the information. 



Twelve Select Varieties of Azalea indica (Jack). — Holfordi, 

 Standard of Perfection, Delecta, Glory of Sunninghill. Magnet, Gem, 

 Stanleyana, Gledstanesi, Iveryana Improved, Flag of Truce, Criterion, 

 and Etoile de Gand. 



Cyclamen pebsicum Blooming Badly (Idevi).— They have this year, 

 more than usually, a peculiar twist of the petals. Whenever we see this 

 we aj-e sure the plants will he unusually prolific in seed. Give them weak 

 manm-e water at everj' alternate wateiing, and it will help to make the 

 petals broader. 



Supply of Early Vegetables (T. Z>o)r«es).— When there is plenty of 

 glass and plenty of heating power, gardeners generally do manage to 

 have many crops coming ou at the same time, though it would require 

 extra management to have Potatoes, Rhubarb, Sea-kale, and Cucumbers 

 in the same place. Om- remarks had reference chiefly to those with 

 limited means, and would tend to show how such vegetables as Rhubarb and 

 Sea-kale could be had in plenty where neither light nor heat could be 

 given for Cucumbers. At this season of the year many farmers, and those 

 keeping a horse, might have Sea-kale and" Rhubarb, but could not give 

 the supervision and care that would be necessarv for Cucumbers. Wher- 

 ever a heat of from 50- to 55- and 60' can be "maintained, though the 

 place be in darkness, these vegetables and Mushi-ooms may be obtained. 

 We have had all these doing well in a small house, used for store plants 

 in winter, and also for Cucumbers, but the house was constructed a little 

 singularly in this^way :— It was about '20 feet long and 11 feet wide, had a 

 broad shelf and path all round, and a platform in the centre, under which 

 was the tank that heated the house, formed of wood and covered with 

 slate. The tank was supported on arches, and the openings to the 

 arches were fitted with boarded doors, easily moved by a handle. Beneath 

 the tank, in these shnt-in arche>. the temperature was much lower than 

 in the general atmosphere of the house, and there Mushrooms, Sea-kale, 

 and Rhubarb were first-rate, and with little more trouble than putting in 

 the roots of the last two. There is little danger of Kidney Beans damping 

 where they can have ilr>- heat. Your plan is often adopted. We have 

 tried your plan of planting the tops of Potatoes, but we have not pre- 

 viously heard of its being resorted to as a general practice. 



Plants for North and South Aspects (J. E. xV.).— For your north 

 aspect nothing would answer so well as Ivy, of which Hedera Riegnei-iana 

 is fine, two plants of which would cover that desii-ed better than any- 

 thing we know. If these are objected to, Cratfegus p>Tacantha and 

 Cotoneaster Simmonsii. On your south aspect, 25 feet high, Magnolia 

 grandiflora, and the Exmouth variety of the same. These are not 

 climbers, nor. indeed, are the two preceding, but you confine us to ever- 

 greens, and there are not many of these suitahle for covering high 

 waUs. 



Renovating Vine Border (R. C. S. H.}. — Your proposed plan of remov- 

 ing as much of the soil from the border as you can, and replacing it with 

 rotten sods a year old, is good ; but, instead of mixing large pieces of bone 



with the soil, use boiled half-inch bones, and do not cover the roots more 

 than 6 inches deep. A quantity of leaves ]and fresh litter laid on the 

 border to the depth of 2 feet will do more to bring the roots to the sur- 

 face than a deeper covering of soil. We think the bunches and berries 

 would have been finer if a less number of the former had been allowed 

 to remain. 



Daphne indica Coltdre {Re{finald). — 'PToyide good drainage, for If 

 that is not secured the plant soon loses its roots, assumes a sickly appear- 

 ance, and eventually dies. In potting use a compost of turfy sandy peat 

 and turfy yellow loam in equal parts, with one-sixth of sand intermixed. 

 Care should be taken not to over-pot, for the plant seems to thrive best if 

 rather under-potted ; and it should not be over-watered, for, if the soil be 

 kept too wet, it will perish ; allowing the soil to become di-y is equally in- 

 jurious. Do not place the plant in a moist growing heat after blooming, 

 but in front of the greenhouse where it can have plenty of air, which all 

 the Daphnes require. We think your plants perish from placing them in 

 a greenhouse fernery, which is no place for flowering plants, much leS3 

 for those requiring, as this Daphne does, abundance of air and light. 

 Placing the plants out of doors in a shady position to ripen the wood is all 

 wrong, for plants in the shade can never have the wood ripened, and, the 

 pots being exposed, the evaporation from their sides will dry up the roots 

 and destroy the delicate fibres of these. If the pots are plunged the soil 

 is apt to become too wet at times. For the plant to bloom well it requires 

 a temperature of from 50^ to 55-, and an abundance of air and light after 

 the growths have been made, in order to ripen them thoroughly. 



Plants for Back Wall of Conservatory (A. E. JV.)— Heliotropes used 

 to be excellent up and around the pillars of the conservatory at the 

 Grange — Lord Ashburton's. These might be varied with such plants as 

 Jasminum gracilo and revolutum, and odoratissimumj a Fuchsia or two, 

 and Habrothamnus elegans. For rafters : Passiflora coerulea, and var. 

 Colvillii ; Kenuedya Marryattte scarlet, monophylla purple ; Rhodochiton 

 volubile, Bignouia chirere, Plumbago capensis, Sollya heterophylla, 

 Fuchsia microphylla, Passiflora alato-ccerulea purple, Bignonia jas- 

 minoides, Sollya angustifolia, Brachysema latifolia. For large hanging 

 baskets choose three or four different coloiu-ed Maurandyas ; two or 

 three varieties of Lophospermum ; one plain-leaved and one variegated- 

 leaved Coboea, and four varieties of the Tropteolum, of the Lobbianum and 

 elegans varieties. For smaller more lasting baskets choose such as 

 Cactus Mallisonii and flagelliformis, Saxifraga sarmentosa, Hibbertia 

 grossulariEefolia, Tradescantia zebrina, Arctotis argentea, Kennedya 

 prostrata and coccinea, Lobelias of the gracilis and begonifoHa varieties, 

 and Verbenas of the trailing habit of pulchella. Achimenes do very 

 well in summer. 



Najies of Fruits (Rei\ J. P. L. P^JIf).— Augustus Pearmain. (M. S.).~ 

 Pears: 1, BeiUTe d'Aremberg; 2 and 4, Passe Colmar; 3. Beurre de Ranee; 

 5, Beurre Diel ; 6, Napoleon ; 8. Easter Beurre. No. 1 Apple, Braddick'S 

 Nonpareil. {./. E. iJe/ify).— Apples : 1, Lewis's Incomparable ; 3, Northern 

 Greening; 4, Augustus Pearmain; 6, Golden Knob; 7, Gloria Mundi ; 

 10 and 12, Tower of Glammis ; 11, Federal Pearmain ; 13, Braddick's Non- 

 pareil. 



Names of Plants {Aoricola). — 1, Goldfussia isophylla; 2, Justicia 

 speciosa. The Heath in flower is correctly named. (C. P.).— 1, Pteris sp., 

 too young for identification ; 2, Adiantum capillus-Veneris ; 3, Polystichum 

 angulare, var. proUferum. The other plant is a Solanum, but the scrap 

 sent is insuflicient for determination. [A.) — .\splenium bulbiferum, var. 

 It should be kept in a coldhouse. (J't'rft).—1, Adiantum capillus-Veneris; 

 2, Ceterach officinarum ; 3, Cystopteris regia; 4, Scolopendiium vulgare. 



IVIETEOKGLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending January 27th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE- 



GAME BANTAMS. 

 " Of Game Bantams actually ninety-nine pens ! Why is 



this ? First, they are easy to breed I own I think 



shows are becoming overbiirdened with these easy-to-breed 



miniature Game fowls I am thoroughly jealous of the 



number in which Game Bantams muster." I extract the above 

 from " Wiltshire Kector's " " First Impressions of Bingley 

 Hall,'' published in your Journal of the 16th Inst. Let me 

 ask if "Wiltshire Rector" has ever been a breeder of Game 

 Bantams. I should say, Certainly not, or he would not have 

 designated them " these easy-to-breed miniature Game fowls ;" 

 or, if he has, his birds must have been as he says, " one as 

 good (or perhaps, more correctly speaking, as bad), as another." 

 I have in my time bred hundreds of Black-breasted Bed and 

 Duckwing Game Bantams, as well as all the varieties of Ham- 



burghs, Cochins, Brahmas, &c. ; but my experience is, that so 

 far from Game Bantams being so easy to breed, they are by far 

 the most difficiUt variety I have yet attempted. He may con- 

 sider himself indeed a lucky fellow who can obtain one good 

 bird fi-om a hatch. Without exception, every fancier of Game 

 Bantams that I have come across (and I thmk I know the 

 majority), agrees with me that they are a most difficult variety 

 to breed really first-class birds from. 



Again. Let me ask " Wiltshire Eector " if easily bred birds 

 would fetch £25 per pen, and cocks and hens from £10 Ws.to 

 £5 'ts. each, as we often find Game Bantams do ? Nor will I 

 allow that they are unprofitable, for they are very small eaters. 

 They muster so strongly at every show, that the committees 

 are bound to give them good prizes ; they are so light, that the 

 expenses of carriage to exhibitions are trifling compared to 

 other varieties ; and lastly, a really first-class bird wnll any day 

 command a first-class price. Why, then, .-ihould " "^A iltshirb 

 Sector " desire to see these popular pets go out of fashion, 

 and give place to inferior Blacks and worse Sebrights ? That 



