Aa^nst 12, 1869. ] 



JOUBNAIi OF HORTIOULTURB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



133 



spawn it touched; but a good watering after forking over tlie border 

 would have the same result. Destroy the Mushroom apawTi, for fungi 

 are destructive to vegetable fibre, and especially decayed turf. 



Coal Ashes as Non-conductors of Heat (H. IT.).— The finely-sifted 

 ashes will do very well for the purpose of placing below the double wall 

 of boards, provided they be kept dry. If they get damp, from the weight, 

 they will be apt to make the boards bulge. If you could make sure of 

 the joints of the boards being airtight, you might dispense with either 

 ashes or sawdust between, as the hollow space would be the best of all 

 nonconductors, but that space will only act in this way when airtight. 

 We fear that for a rough job you might have trouble in so jointing the 

 hoards. The best mode is to groove the boards and join them with slips 

 of plate iron, and the joints never gape. Instead of 5 inches between the 

 boards, we would be satisfied with 2 or 3 inches. Wood is a good non- 

 conductor. 



Measurebients— Shy-seeding Pelargoniums (E. J.).— A. foot run is 

 merely a foot in length, such as a rod, line, or string, the foot being 

 aimplyl2 inches in length. A foot superficial is a square foot— that is, 

 144 square inches. This is generally used for meaanring most surfaces, 

 multiplying length and breadth into each other. Many sorts of work 

 are measured by the square of lOJ feet. Solid measure takes cognisance 

 of depth as well aa lenjith and breadth: thus a solid foot will contain 

 1728 cubic inches, being 144 inches multiplied by 12 inches. The funnel- 

 shape has been more or less used in conical-boilers. We have not noticed 

 the seeding of shy-seeding Pelargoniums this year in the open air, but it 

 may be partly owing to the peculiar season in your fine climate in the 

 Isle of Wight. 



Ferns Infested with Insects (An Old Subscriber). — The Scolopen- 

 drium and Aspleninm fronds are infested with thrips. There is but one 

 remedy — fumigate the house or case they are in with tobacco, when the 

 fronds are dry. Choose a calm evening, and shut up closely, so as to 



retain the smoke about the plants as long as possible. The smoke should 

 be so dense that it will be impossible to see the plants from the outside. 

 Keep close and moist the following day, and repeat the fumigation the 

 next night but one, and whenever an insect is seen. The plants have 

 been kept much too dry and warm. Keep them cooler and moister. Pick 

 ofi'the fronds worst affected, and burn them. You will destroy in that 

 way many insects in the egg state. Much may be done by drawing a wet 

 sponge along the back of the fronds, or where the insects prey. 



Names of Plants (W. 0., Didsburn).—!, Adiantum capillus-Veneris ; 

 2, Microlepia novie-zrelandise ; 8, Adiantum hispid ulum ; 4, Caladium 

 argjTites. {A Subscriber). — Olearia argophylla. Propagate it by cuttings 

 in spring or summer. (R. 3fai(Ian/i |,~Sterculia rupestris. [P. T. 0.).— 

 Both varieties of Salvia Horminum. (J. Taijlor). — We cannot name 

 florists' varieties such as your Begonia. What you call a Moss is Selagi- 

 nella denticulata. {A'. G.).— The tree is Salisburia adiantif olia, or Maiden- 

 hair tree {T.). — Spiraea arifefolia. {Qranf^ejidd).—^, Aspidium capense ; 



1, Asplenium furcatum. {A. L. O. F.). — Nos. 1 and 2 are insufficient to 

 determine clearly ; No. 1 might be Cystopteris fragilis, and 2 a Nephro- 

 dium ; No. 3 is Campyloneuron lucidnm ; and 4, Selapinella Kraussiana 

 (S. hortensis). [Devon). — Mentha gentiUs variegata ; 6, Mesembryanthe- 

 mum violaceum. [S. J.). — 3, Polypodium membrauaceum ; 4, StapeUa, 

 corolla had been lost, calyx and pistil only remaining; 5, Erica, probably 

 E. pedunculata; 6, Gesnera discolor. (Devon). — 1, Rhodochiton volubile; 



2, Gnaphalium antennaria ; 4, Spirrea callosa, also called S. Fortunei ; 

 5, Centaurea depressa. (2*. L.). — Bromus racemosus. (H.J.). — 1, Dief- 

 fenbachia seguina; 2, Microsorum iridioides. (G-uilielmus). — Ajuga rep- 

 tans alba. iE. H. IF.). — 1, Eriophorum polystachyum. (Bournemouth). — 

 2, Leycesteria forraosa. (New Forefit). — 1, Bignonia grandiflora; 2, Ery- 

 thrsea Centaurium. (Georgiana). — Senecio viscidus. (A. Y.). — Galium 

 verum. We fear you would not be able to obtain anything of value by 

 hybridising this plant. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending August 10th. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEOIT CHRONICLE. 



BLACK-BREASTED RED GAME FOWLS. 



Under this head my friend Mr. Dear has given, at page 90, 

 a few particulars of his doings in obtaining a snbscription-cup 

 for Black Eed chickens at the approaching Show of the Hamp- 

 shire Ornithological Association, to be held at Southampton 

 on the 0th, 10th, and 11th of November. 



As the breeders of Brahmas have been named, I feel I 

 should be wanting in my duty if I omitted calling jour readers' 

 attention to the liberality di-^played by various breeders of this 

 description of fowl, who during the past three years have con- 

 tributed very little short of £20 as extra prizes for Light 

 Brahma chickens, which I need scarcely say has brought to- 

 gether the largest entry of this variety that has ever been pre- 

 viously obtained. The great promoter of this variety of our 

 feathered host, Mr. J. Pares, was the pioneer of this annual 

 cup, and contributed the money in a thoroughly liberal spirit, 

 throwing the competition open — first, with a view to support 

 the Southampton Show ; secondly, to place the Light variety 

 on a better standing than was previously the case ; and thirdly, 

 to give an opportunity to any new exhibitor who may only 

 recently have entered within the pale of " the fancy " for this 

 breed. Surely this is worth imitating, and I had only hoped 

 that Game fanciers would have contributed their support on 

 equally liberal terms. 



Depend upon it if those gentlemen named by Mr. Dear 

 wish for a large competition, they must expand their views, be 

 more liberal in their offers ; then, I have no doubt, they will 

 meet with the success which the breeders of the Light variety 

 of Brahmas have done. I should mention that at the large 

 show last year the cup was taken by a gentleman who positively 

 refused to subscribe, but he soon became a convert and hand- 

 somely contributed to the cup for 1869, and, I believe, will sub- 

 scribe as long as the prom^ iters of this cup continue their 

 annual support. Mucli interest is attached to the cup for this 

 year, the subscription for which has already reached seven 

 guineas. Mr. Edward Hewitt, the eminent poultry judge, was 

 •one of the voluntary contributors, Itda example has been 



well followed np, and I hope in the course of the next week to 

 learn that others have come forward with equal liberality to 

 support the views of gentlemen who lay down no restrictions, 

 but simply ask for aid, that the entry for this variety of fowl 

 may not fall short of that of previous years. Mr. Philip 

 Crowley, of Croydon, an ardent admirer of this variety, has 

 undertaken to collect the requisite material this year, and the 

 success he has met with at once shows no pains have been 

 spared on his part to make the cup worthy of competition. 



Several cups are being subscribed for by gentlemen whose 

 wish is, that the next show should outdo its predecessors. — 

 P. Wabren, Hon. Sec, Hampshire Ornithological Association. 



COMPOUND FOODS FOR FOWLS. 



The advantages claimed for compound foods by their in- 

 ventors are, as I understand them, as follow: — In the first 

 place, by selecting the finest of those meals proved by analysis 

 to be richest in flesh-forming and heat-giving principles, and 

 combining them, the greatest per-centage of nutritious and 

 stimulating properties is obtained in a condensed and easily 

 assimilated form. Secondly, that by the use of tonics, and of 

 stimulants which are known to exercise a beneficial effect, 

 combined in quantities which experience and observation have 

 determined, we may obtain a general tone of health and vigour, 

 protection from disease and variability of temperature, rapidity 

 of development, and perfection of plumage. 



Now I do not think anyone will accuse me of interested 

 motives when I say that after a fair, honest trial I find Dear's 

 food most satisfactorily fulfil these conditions. I have at the 

 present moment upwards of three hundred chickens all fed on 

 it, and not a sickly or diseased bird among them, whilst their 

 appearance and growth are remarkable. My method, however, 

 of preparing the food differs somewhat from that of Mr. Loe, 

 and I think, perhaps, on trial he will prefer it. I have tried 

 various ways of preparing it, but the best in my opinion is as 

 follows : — 



I have a large zinc pan, and put into it one-third of barley- 

 meal, one-third of the best fine middlings (this when good 

 should be almost as white as flour), and one-third of Dear's 

 food. I mix them thoroughly together, running the meal well 



