10 



JOURNAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( Jamiaiy 7, 1875. 



of glass. Here Pines are grown in considerable quantity, the 

 plauts being remarkable for tbeir dwarf stocky habit of growth. 

 They are grown on what may be called the coal-saving-and- 

 frtiit-getting system, Mr. Kettles being no advoeato for an ex- 

 treme high temperature in culture, and of this prefers as 

 much as possible from fermenting material to the calorie of the 

 coal pit. His suckers are raised on dung beds without any 

 linings, removed, of course, in late autumn to the houses. 

 Under this cool treatment fine fruit is produced from plants 

 much dwarfer than is often seen in Pine-growing. All the 

 Pines are grown in pots. 



It is not necessary to enumerate the contents of the plant 

 houses ; suffice it to say their occupants are in the first order 

 of health. Large specimens are not attempted, hardy stuff 

 for decorative purposes being the point aimed at. Relays of 



plants for successive seasons are grown in cool pits, and in 

 these plunged in a gentle fermenting material. Such stove 

 plants as Gesneras and Poiusettias were flourishing to per- 

 fection, although the bottom heat had long since departed. 



The use of one very old hardy plant may be noted — Sedum 

 Fabaria. It is grown in pots for balcony decoration, and 

 serves its purpose admirably. No sort of weather seems to 

 affect it ; and as grown here, with heads as large as Hydrangeas, 

 it is ornamental indeed. To see the plant as one generally 

 sees it in undisturbed clumps in the herbaceous border, or 

 settled lor life and seemingly immoveable on the rockery, with 

 its little tufts of rosy bloom, one could hardly credit what it 

 is capable of doing under high generous cultivation in or out 

 of pots. It is a hardy, everybody's plant. Let those who 

 have it grow it better, and those who have it not get it and 



-DiEI.ETON* GAKPEN9, 



grow it well. But there is the Dirleton garden yet to be looked 

 at — that is, the flower garden proper. It must be deferred. 

 Areherfield is a fine place without it, but with it its interest 

 and beauty is immensely enhanced. — J. Wright. 



THE AVIARY. 



We have much pleasure in this, the first number of another 

 volume, in presentiuf; nur subscribers with an engraving of an 

 elegautly-desigued aviary, acpompanied with a few remarks as 

 to the necessary fittings. 



In furnishing an d currving out the interior the aid of n clever 

 wireworker and other skilful artificers will be required. The 

 following remarks will, no doubt, be acceptable to those desiring 

 to fully enjoy the pleasures of an aviary. 



"An Eyewitn-ess" says— I will first 'remark upon the 

 perches, which should not be arranged or fixed immediately 

 over each other, neither should tliey run in a transverse direc- 

 tion. One advantage will be not to have the perches long or 

 continuous ; for by having numerous small perches and others 

 of various lengths here and there jutting out from the sides of 

 the aviary, the birds will be more advantageously distributed 

 over the same. Sets of perches can be made so as to be fixed 

 in almost any part of the aviary, constructed as to open out in 

 a similar mauner as a pair of steps ; or three long strips of wood 

 secured with a piece of wire at the top can be opened out in a 



triaugular form, and circular perches or hoops of various size 

 (three or four) can be slipped over the triangular framework 

 and the whole so extended as to prevent the birds upon the 

 upper perches soiling those upon the perches beneath. Some 

 aviary-keepers adopt the plan of procuring suitable branches of 

 trees, the butt ends of which they either have fixed in large 

 garden pots or small firkins filled with mould. If firkins are 

 used they can be dressed up with cork or bark to make them 

 more ornamental. 



For aviaries seed-hoppers are preferable, for the birds cannot 

 waste or soil the seed as when it is supplied in open troughs. 

 The hoppers can be placed in various parts of the aviary. They 

 are better when constructed with sliding glass fronts than 

 entirely of wood, for it may be better ascertaijed when the 

 hoppers require replenishing with seed. Pnttervware is better 

 than either wood, tin, or zinc to give soft-billed birds their food 

 in, for they Cfin be the more readily cleaned. The birds kept 

 mainly upon soft food would be better kept apart from those 

 living almost entirely upon seeds. In an aviary this could 

 easily be eflected by a wired partition. 



The floor of the aviary should always be abundantly supplied 

 with coarse grit sand or very fine gravel (red looks best, and 

 plenty of it can be obtained from the London bird-dealers) ; and 

 snug retreats or recluses are particularly acceptable to the Tit 

 tribes, the cork bark here again being used, besides small 

 branches fixed up in the corners for the birds to occasionally 

 retire to or roost in. 



