October 21, 1869. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



329 



.:i pan -roofed, 18 feet by 12 feet, yon wonld need at least 90 feet of 3-inch 

 piping. We wonld prefer 111) or so. We think • terminal sftddle-back 

 boiler would salt you beat, and if it has a surface equal to 4 square feet 

 exposed to the tire it will be sufficient. For that parposo alone a amall 

 one would suffice, but it is well not to have too small a boiler. Almost 

 every bricklayer will set bdcIi a boiler well. 



Composite GLAga-HoasB ( IT, T.) — For such a house to be used in 

 parts, as greenhouse, orchard house, and vinery, we wonld prefer a 

 tfpan-roof, and to run north and south, or in these directions, so that one 

 aide of the house might have the morning, and the other the afternoon 

 sun. Of course, such a house will be colder, more exposed to the weather 

 than a lean-to with an opaque wall at the back ; otherwise the span is 

 the best. 



Pelargonium (C. A. (?.).— The name is derived from the Greek Pelargos, 

 a crane, on account of the seed vessel audits appendages resembling the 

 head of that bird. The distinction between Pelareonium and Geranium 

 ia fully detailed at pace 431 of our last volume. Camellias are best pro- 

 pagated by grafting, the time for doinc: which is from September until 

 February. The Manetti Rose was named after M. Manetti. 



Burning Clay ( W. J. D. P.).— At page 122 of our last volume there are 

 directions for burning clay for making walks. The same mode answers 

 for improving clayey soils. 



Moving Pampas Grass (H. Garden). — You may safely remove the 

 Pampas fltrass which has been planted nine years, doiug so at the end of 

 March, preserving a good ball, and watering copiou&ly in dry weather. 

 A young plant, however, would do better. 



White Jasmine Phunino {Mary).— It is best pruned at the end of 

 March or beginning of April, but the wood should be kept moderately 

 thin and secured to the wall, bo as te have it well ripeued. The summer 

 pruning should consist of thinning-out the shoots where too clo.se to- 

 gether, so as to expose them fully to light and air. not shortening them, 

 as the flowers are produced from the points of the shoots. Except in 

 warm situations, the plants do not flower in the open ground. A wall with 

 an east, west, or south aspect is required. 



Mandevilla suaveolens Planting (.4 Subscriber).— The stem, for 

 3 feet of its length, would, were you to plant it in the outside border, be 

 exposed to frost, which we fear would destroy it ; besides, we do not think 

 it would succeed, the roots being so much colder than the shoots. We 

 have grown it well in pots, and do not see why you fchould not succeed 

 wtU with it grown that way. 



Plant for the Back Wall of a Greenhouse (Edirard Barton).— 

 Probably no plant ia so fine for a wall as Lucnlia gratissima. It is not 

 a climber, but a plant of free growth, and autumn and winter-flowering, 

 the flowers being fragrant. It would not succeed if the roof is much 

 shaded or covered with Vines. An Orange tree would do very well, the 

 flowers being very fragrant, and the fruit very ornamental and useful. 

 You would need two Orange trees and a Lemon in the centre. Those are 

 what we advise. Hoya camosa ia a climber and suitable. The flowers 

 .are fragrant. You may obtain them of any nurseryman. 



Planting Strawberries {\orice). — The plants should have the rows 

 2 feet apart, and the plants should be 18 inches from each other in the 

 rows, thopgh you may have them the first year half that distance apart in 

 the rows, and then thiu out every alternate plant. Being in pots we 

 would not plant out until the beginning of March, taking advantage of the 

 interval to have the ground well trenched, manured, and exposed to the 

 action ol frost by throwing it in ridges and forking it over in dry frosty 

 weather. 



CoLEUS Cuttings (W'-tt?). — Pot them off into 4-inch pots, and they will 



make nice plants for table decoration through the wintei, and furnish a 



number of cuttings in spring. A compost of two parts fibrous loam, one 



part leaf soil, and one-sixth of silver sand will grow them well. 



WoBJis IN Pots {J. .^.).— The plants you name will not bear the lime 



water. Try the soda solution a3 recommended for lawns in last week's 

 Journal of Horticulture. 



Ink for Zinc Labels {A Suhiiicribcr).—5!\\ ammoniac powder, and 

 verdigris, each 1 drachm ; lampblack half a drachm, mixing with 

 10 drachms of water. It forms an indelible ink for zinc labels. 



LiLiuMS IN Pots (Idem).— For three bulb= 8 or 9-inch pots are suitable, 

 7-iuch pots being suitable for single bulbs. A compost of two parts 

 fibrous loam, and a part each of leaf soil and sandy peat will grow them 

 well. Fill the pots half full of soil, then introduce the bulbs, onvering 

 about an inch over the crowns. Fill the pots to the rim whon thu Rhoota 

 have grown a few inches higher than it. All should be potted forthwith, 

 plunged in coal ashes in a cold frame, and proiected from frost in severe 

 weather. Keep the soil moist. 



Bulbs, Planting (/(/cm).— All the bulbs you name should be so planted 

 that their crowns will be 1\ inch below the surface, and not more than 

 2 inches; top-dress with leaf soil an inch or bo thick. It will be gone by 

 spring. 



Tweedia c.erulea TBEATaiENT U Ba.'/Zi/)-— A compost of equal parts 

 sandy fibrous loam, leaf soil, and 8an<iy peat is suitable, with good drain- 

 age. It likes a lipht airy position, and to be kept dry in winter. Probably 

 you keep it too warm. It only needs a cool greenhouse, or one from 

 which frost ia excluded. 



Weeds in Gravel Walks ( ).— The boft plan is to asphalt the walks. 



It is best done in dry weather, but you may asphalt them at this time of 

 year during dry days. It is well to have a good bottom of rubble, and 

 then cover with 3 inches of asphalt, formed by pouring boiling coal tar 

 over cinders bringing the whole to the consistency of mortar, and when 

 this is spread on the walks and stifi'ens a little, sprinkle with gravel— spar 

 is best — and when it will bear the roller, roll it firmly. Coal tar answers 

 quite as well as pitc'a, and may be had at a cheap rate from gasworks. 

 At some it is given away. 



Vallota purpurea Potting (Y.).— The best time to repot it is early in 

 spring before the bolbs become active, but potting may be performed at 

 almost all times, except when the plant is growing and flowering. 



Names of Fruits (rf/ifjinonl.— Your Pearsare pretty correctlynamei. 

 1 is Bon Chretien d'Hiver; 2,Crassane; 3, Emile Bivort ; 4, Ducbesse do 

 Brabant; 5, Colraar Van Mons ; 6, like Belle Apres NocU; 7, Doyenne da 

 Comi'^e. (A Fifteen-years Subscriber).—!, Hacon's Incomparable ; 2, 

 Bourr.;- de Capi'anmont ; 3. Calebasse Bosc ; 4. Beurre Diel ; 5, like 

 BeurreBrettoneau. (Apple Grub).— Apples : Tower's Glory ; 2,Bath Apple; 

 3, Lyscom ; 4, Dutch Fuilwood ; 5, unknown ; 6, too scrubby to recognise ; 

 7. Cockpit; 8, Beurre Diel ; 9. Marie Louise. (W. Fcthicl:, Bristol).— 

 Your Grape, as far as we can judge from the two benies sent, is Black 

 Alicante. {E. IV.).— These, unfortunately, had got into confusion ere 

 they reached our hands, the numbers being misplaced, and in most cases 

 wanting altogether, so that we have nothing to enable you to identify 

 them. The Apple is Emperor Alexander, the hieihly-coloured Pear is 

 Beurri!- Clairgeau, the long russety one Marechal de la Cour ; another ia 

 Beurre Diel, another Urbaniste. 



Names of Plants (Byron, Devon, and others). — You sent leaves only. 

 (A. E.J.).— SaUia Graha-ni. (J. Bn/an).— 1, Sautoiina incana ; 2, Soli- 

 dago elongata ; 3, Polygonum nfiine; 4, Lavendula deutata. (C. S., Bath). 

 — 1, Adiantum teneru'm ; 2. Pella-i cordifolia ; 3,Adiantum capillus- Veneris. 

 (W. Hofi.'json).— Sphagnum cvmbiffolium. (A. Subscriber, Conrmy). —Lo- 

 belia fulgens. (A Si.x-ijears Subscriber).—Yo\i only furnish ns with leaves, 

 consequently we are unable to give you much information concerning 

 your unknown kinds ; but Nos. 1 and 4 do not appear to be Ardisias, and 

 the little spiny Solanum, No. 11, we do not know. We should be happy 

 to receive the "Hoya Matolszki" when in bloom ; its foliage reminds ns 

 of H. parasitica or H. lacunosa. We should not suppose the variegated 

 forms of Ixora iavanica, Thea Bohea, Euonymus radicans, and the common 

 Oleander to be new. 



METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS in the Suburbs of London for the week ending October lllth. 



POXTLTRY, BEE, AND PIGEOH CHROWICLE. 



DORKING IIANTAMS. 

 At the Chelmsford Poultry Show last week were two pens, 

 in the one a White Bantam cockerel, and in the other a pair of 

 pullets, having five toes and all the other characteristics of the 

 Dorking. The variety, for such it is, excited much attention, 

 and seemed to be unlinown alike to judges and exhibitors. One 

 of the judges considered them merely as White Bantams with 

 five toes, allegiug that every kind of domestic fowl will occa- 

 sionally throw the fifth toe. But it has been stated that 

 " Bantams of all kinds are merely domesticated varieties that 

 have been reared and rendered permanent by the care of man." 



These birds were exhibited by Mr. G. Howes, of Longstowe 

 Hall, Cambridgeshire. He has bred them for about eight years, 

 during which time they have very rarely thrown birds without 

 the fifth toe, and not more frequently than is the case with 

 Dorkings themselves. For the most part they throw the rose 

 comb, both the rose and single comb being common also to the 

 White Dorking. 



Mr. Howes has kindly given me the following particulars 

 which are all that he knows of the origin of the variety, or 

 from whence he obtained them. He remembered bujing some 

 White Bantams and some eggs, about the same time, from 

 Cambridge and from Lichfield. The mnn at Cambridge says 

 the White Bantams did not come from him. The man at Lich- 

 field is dead. The latter was a dealer in poultry, but used to 

 have eggs and poultry sometimes from Holland. The Whita 



