April 17, 1866. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



297 



Gdano for Roses (F. J.). — Two applications of guano on the surface 

 nre sufficient for one year, if the plants have been well manured in 

 winter ; but your proposed weekly application of guano water is not too 

 much, we have given it as often with gnod resnlta. 



Pegging Down Moss Roses (Irft;«)-— The shoots to be pegged down in 

 place of the weak old shoots after they have flowered should, if they in- 

 terfere with the cfl'ect, be pegged down loosely until the blooming is past ; 

 then, removing the old shoots, train in their place the now ones, but 

 do not peg down closely until autumn. 



Adcubas (J. B. Hutchinson).— Thevo is no particular treatment required 

 for a male Ancuba in bloom, farther than applying its pollen to the 

 female flowers. We are not aware of a cross between Aucuba 

 japonica and himalaica. If in bloom at one time, that crossing could 

 easily be tried. 



Names of Plants (J. Su^e).— Yon wore correctly informed. It is 

 popularly known as the Artillery or Pistol plant, the anthers discliarging 

 their pollen in miniature explosions. Its botanical namo is Pilea mus- 

 cosa. {John Baker). — 1, Malvastrumcapense ; 2, Pilea muscosa. [Sophia). 

 — A form of Aspleniuni adiantum nigrum ; but not the common English 

 one. {A*. W.). — 1, Aponogeton distachyon ; 2, Zenobia floribunda; 

 3, Casiandra calyculata ; 4, lUicinm floridanum. (6'. Forrf-.— 1, Hypnum 

 triquetrum ; 2, Dicranum scoparium ; 3, Hypnum proliferum ; 4, H. den- 

 droides. {A Twelvs-yeaTs Reader). — 1, Pernettya mucronata ; 2, Nar- 

 cissus incomparabilis. (T, Shaw). — The pieces of fronds sent are nearly 

 all of them insnflicient for naming, and we name only six at one time. 

 3, Selaginella Martensii ; 8, Onychium japonicum; 10, Cyrtomium fal- 

 catum ; 11, Nephrolepis exaltata ; 13, Ptoris erotica (?}■ 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the Week ending April 14th. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



RAILWAY CHARGES FOR POULTRY. 



We have at various times adverted to the great trouble aud 

 annoyance which exhibitors of poultry suffer from railway 

 charges and railway neglect. It seems strange that any body 

 of men should act so suicidal a part as do the directors of 

 some lines iu this country. Possibly all this may be done in 

 ignorance, and the minor officials may be the chief parties to 

 blame, but in any case we can very well understand why many 

 exhibitors should determine on relinquishing a fancy that even 

 if they are successful in prize-taking is often a positive loss to 

 them. Moreover, it is not every individual who likes to have 

 his digestion impeded by the presentation of a "railway bill," 

 that on the face of it looks like an imposition. 



We return to this subject again at the present time, because 

 it would seem that the great body of exhibitors appear dis- 

 posed at any rate to make their grievances known. An Eng- 

 lishman is said always to have some satisfaction in grumbling. 

 Let us hope that some better result than grumbling will attend 

 the present efforts. We are informed that the Poultry Clnb 

 are intending to bring the difficulty before the various railway 

 companies. Our columns of late have been much occupied 

 with the subject, and, as many of our readers are aware, one of 

 OUT contributors is endeavouring to find out by application to 

 all the leading exhibitors their views on the subject, and we 

 have already published three lists of exhibitors who are willing 

 to sign a requisition to the various companies ; we shall 

 publish another shortly, and we apprehend that when the roll 

 shall have been completed very few of the names of the leading 

 potUtry exhibitors will be absent, and, most probably, if 

 absent it will be because the names are attached to the Poultry 

 Club memorial. We cannot ourselves see any objection to an 

 exhibitor signing both memorials; their object is the same, and 

 there ought not to be any rivalry in the matter. 



The railway companies themselves would appear to have no 

 regulations at all to guide them. If they had, surely the 

 curious charges complained of b-y Captain Heatou at the 

 Poultry Club meeting and by Mr. Manning in our columns 

 could hardly happen, and we sincerely trust that this effort 

 may be the means of settling the question and fixing some 

 regular but moderate rate of carriage that shall apply to all 

 lines. There can be no question that these exhibitions very 

 greatly increase the passenger traffic ; as some return for this 

 Qie companies may weU afford to carry the specimens at a 

 more reduced rate. We believe that this moderate rate, below 

 the usual parcel rate, both ways, would meet the views of ex- 

 hibitors more than a " free " return of the unsold poultry, 

 many exhibitors believing that this means their being " free" 

 to wait about at any station for an indefinite time. It is 

 hardly possible that any change can be for the worse. 



Our contributor "Y. B. A. Z." will soon have communicated 

 with all the leading exhibitors; and we would remind those 

 whom he may have overlooked, and those who have not yet 

 replied to his communications that they can do so, as his 

 address has been given in our columns. 



THE DISQUALIFIED PEN AT -WIGTON 

 POULTRY SHOW. 



No one regrets more than myself the necessity of your 

 reporter's remarks on my Silver-spangled pen shown at Wig- 

 ton, and reported in your last impression. I desire to say 

 that I am as entirely ignorant of how the needle got into, or 

 who put it into, the comb as those who saw it pulled out, and 

 am prepared to make an affidavit to that effect. I never knew 

 about the matter till I heard from a friend, who detaOed the 

 circumstances under which it was found ; but this, even, not 

 until I had found a " disquahfied " card, and written to the 

 Secretary to know what any pen of mine was disquahfied for, 

 being perfectly assured in my own mind that there was some 

 mistake about the matter. I fetched the hen myself on Tues- 

 day evening at seven o'clock from her run, and put her into a 

 pen with the cock that was going with her, and I put them 

 both into the hamper myself on Wednesday morning, and am 

 positively certain that she was not trimmed in any way for the 

 Show. Until I took her off her perch I did not know which 

 I should send, and I only chose her as I thought she was in 

 capital condition. 



How long the needle had been in the comb to me is, there- 

 fore, a problem I am unable to solve. I am sorry to see your 

 reporter's concluding remark, as it seems to hint that it had 

 been put in to keep her comb straight. I have repeatedly been 

 to see her since this, to me, unpleasant affair has happened, 

 and I confess I cannot see that her comb droops on any side, 

 and I scarcely think the Judge would deny that the pen wag 

 the best even after the needle was withdrawn. Do not mis- 

 understand me : I do not complain of losing the prize under 

 the circumstances, as, of course, the Judge and Committee 

 would not be aware of my ignorance of the needle's presence. 

 ^A. K. Wood. 



SOUTHERN POULTRY SHOWS. 



I AM delighted to see that Mr. Lang, of Redlands, has fallen 

 in so willingly with " Wiltshire Bectok's " proposal that a 

 poultry show shall be held at Bristol, and has expressed his 

 readiness " to work with all his heart in getting it up." If 

 two or three can be found who wiU take the matter up with 

 equal energy and determination, there is no reason why we 

 should not "have a first-rate show at Bristol, I for one, as a 

 breeder of poultrv, will give all my support, and doubtless 

 numbers wiU come forward from the surrounding counties, to 



