300 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



( AprU 15, 1875. 



Pear Grafts ( J. Badgerry).— Our correspondent declines parting with 

 grafts. 



Rhubaubs (J. Hood).~The Elford is a carle t-s talked ; Britannift, dark pink ; 

 Randall's, dark pink ; and Myatt's Victoria, crimson. We never heard of the 

 Peach Khnbarb. 



Beqoxia (Q. S.). — It is a variety, and we cannot attempt to name yarieties. 



Paget'3 Engine (Observer).~Yonr note is an advertisement. 



Stove without Flue (H. T.).— Whether a stove is heated by petroleum' 

 gas, coke, charcoal, or any other source of heat, if there is no funnel or flue 

 to convey the fumes or gases produced into the outside air, the plants in the 

 house will be injured, and in many instances killed. 



Deodoiusing Sewage (G.-Hitf/^tes).— The earth is one of the best of deo- 

 dorisers. If the liquid be distributed by a watercart towards evening we 

 believe there would be little or no offensive smell detectable next morning'. 

 Half a hundredweight of sulphate of lime (gypsum) might be mixed with 

 each one hundred gallons of the sewage. 



Ventilating Greenhouse (Flycatcher).— -lb is proper to give air by the 

 back lights in the first instance at every period of the year, front ventilation 

 being secondary to the top or back ventilation, and ought only to be given 

 when the latter is insufficient to keep the temperature from rising too high. 

 The Cytisus is C. raoemosus. 



KosES FOR Arched Trellis (J. P.).— Rosea admit no rival, nor could 

 they well be associated with evergreens, as the one would outgrow the other. 

 We presume you will have access to the Roses outside as well as beneath the 

 trellis, for grand as may be the idea of a walk beneath an arched trellis of 

 Boses, ihe main of the beauty will be on the outside ; in fact, very httle of 

 the Roses will be seen from the path when the trellis is covered. We should 

 not have an arched trelUe, only arches at every 9 feet apart and 2 feet in 

 breadth, which will give you 7 feet clear space between each, and from the 

 walk you will see the Roses on the arches in all their beauty. Over the walk 

 directly in the centre you may have three wires connected with the arches, 

 which would j^'ive what we think you need— a shady walk; but we should be 

 content wiih the arches, and cover the bank or both sides with dwarf plants. 

 By this plan you would have the Roses in view from tha walk. The effect 

 when in bloom would be very fine. Of Roses suitable for the trellis we may 

 mention Tfas .-—Belle Lyonnaise. Catherine Mermet, Gloire de Bordeaux, 

 Gloire de Dijon, and Madame Trifle. Noisette: Celine Forestier, Reve d'Or. 

 Bourbon: Gloire de liosameue, Baronne de Noirmont. Perpetual: Abbe 

 Bramerel, Alfred Colomb, Auguste Neumann, Baron de Bonstettin, Baronne 

 Louise Uxkull, Boule de Neige. Capitaiue Lamure, Charles Lefebvre. Charles 

 Turner, Climbing Victor Verdier, Edwai-d Morren, General Miloradovitsch, 

 Glory of Waltham, Jules Margottin, Louis Van Houtte. Madame Canrobert, 

 Madame Laurent, Paul Neron, Perle des Blanches, President Willermoz, 

 Princess Beatrice, Reine des Blanches, Susanna Wood, Thomas Methven, 

 and Stanwell Perpetual (Scotch). 



Bedding Plants in Stony Soil (F. H.).— By all means remove the 

 stones, which if left in the soil will cause endless trouble ; if bo stony as to need 

 riddling you will do well to add some good loam, or manure liberally, as in such 

 a soil, upon gravel, the plants will hardly grow too viiiorously. The process 

 you propoee folloT^ing will answer for the flowerbeds and lawn, but we should 

 have the depth of soil for the grass over rather than under one foot. 



Melons and Cucutvtbers in Frames (Amat(ur).— The j require air accord- 

 ing to the weather. You will do best with a thermoraeier in each frame, by 

 which you can be guided as to when to give air and when to shut-up the 

 frames. The temperature when air is given should be TS'^, and then you 

 should only give an inch or so, or, if cold and frosty, lees ; and it should not 

 be given to lower the temperature, but to prevent it from rising too high. If 

 it lower the temperatme the ventilation is too great, and if the temperature 

 rise it is proper, and will need to be increased with the temperature, increas- 

 ing the opening at SO"", and there is no need to admit more air so long as the 

 temperature does not exceed 90*^'. The ventilation will need to be reduced 

 when the temperature is falling. At HU*^' reduce the opening, closing the frame 

 at that temperature, and if it rise to 85'=' after the removal of ventilation 

 there is no harm, but if it rise so as to exceed that temperature the ventila- 

 tion has been too early withdrawn. A little practice will anon enable you to 

 give air without lowering the temperature, and reduce it without its rising too 

 high for the well-doing of the plants. Mats should be placed on the lights 

 to prevent the temperature falling too low during the night. They should be 

 put on at about 5 p.m., and removed at between seven and eight o'clock in 

 the morning. Blue Gown is a good Cucumber for a frame, and Little Heath 

 Melon will answer well. 



Pitcher (Ru/ns). — A letter received to-day enables us to answer your 

 query. "A pitcher" in the West of England is the name by which is dis- 

 tinguished the branch of an Apple tree which has an excrescence or wen 

 that will emit roots if the branch is cut from the tree just below the excres- 

 cence and planted. The Burr-knot, the Euglish Codlin, and some other 

 Apple trees commonly afford "pitchers." 



Pines not Showing (A. JB.).— The plants not having started for fruit as 

 you anticipated, we should keep rather dry for about six weekd, after which 

 they wlU probably upon the application of moisture start into fruit. They 

 require a moist atmosphere, and especially when they are growing and swell- 

 ing the fruit, aud water twice or thrice a-week, according to the weather. A 

 peck of sheep droppiugs to thirty gallons of water, one peck of hoise droppings 

 to twenty gallons, or 1 oz. of guano to a gallon of water, are good hquid manures 

 lor Pinea and all fruits. 



Heating Range of Houses (B. M.).— Ton will require two 4-inch pipes 

 lor bottom heat to the propagating pit, and the same for top heat ; the early 

 vinery four rows along the front; the greenhouse two rows along both sides 

 and ends except the front doorway, and the late vinery two along the front, all 

 4-inch-diameter pipes. As to the direction of the pipes we should take a main 

 direct from the boiler at the back of the early vinery or in the pathway, and 

 through to the far side of the greenhouse, having the main flow and return in a 

 flue, and a cover of iron grating, furmiogpart or whole of the pathway. From 

 this main branch immediately on entering the early vinery across the end 

 and 3 feet from the front branch to the left for the early vinery, continuing 

 the piping to its end, and then return beneath them, or the pipes may be on 

 the level, haviug a triple branch pipe next the propagating pit pipe or pipe 

 going thereto, and a four-branch syphon at the other, one of which will be a 

 return pipe. Continue the pipe at the end of the early vinery forward to the 

 propagating pit, twice its length for top heat, which may be in the pathway, 

 and twice the length of the pit for bottom heat to the jiropagatiog bed. The 

 main flow continue through the early vinery to the greenhouse and across its 

 back, branching immediately on entering it, taking it along its Bide to the 



doorway, aud then return. At the other side of greenhouse the piping to be 

 continued to the doorway, and then return, from the flow of this side the green- 

 house branch through the wall into the late vinery, aud about 3 feet from the 

 front wall taking its entire length, returning by a syphon, aud brought back 

 to join the greenhouse return pipe. You will need vaJves upon all flows — i.e., 

 those of each house, immediately they leave the main in each case and two 

 upon the greenhouse pipes, so that you may have as little waste heat as 

 possible. The main flow and return we should hava about a foot to 15 inches 

 lower than the pipes in each house, aud in all the houses have them upon the 

 same level. Yuu will require air pipes at the highest point of the pipes in 

 each house, which should be immediately before the water return, and both 

 in the vineries and propagating pit half the piping should be provided with 

 evaporating troughs. Altogether you will have about 560 feet of 4-inch 

 piping, and to heat this you will require a boiler presenting 10 superficial feet 

 of surface to the direct action of the fi.re, or a saddle boiler about 3 feet 

 6 inches long. 



Liming Ground for Potatoes (Amateur). — A dressing of lime would be 

 highly beneficial, and that known as "land" lime is most suitable. It 

 should be used in a quick state, and at the rate of two bushels per 100 square 

 yards. The lime should be applied before planting — i.e., spread on the sur- 

 face and lightly forked-in. 



Names of Plants (Country Parson). — The specimen was too shrivelled to 

 enable us to identify it with certainty. It appears to be an Orobus, probably 

 O. vernus, though it is strong for that vaiiety. Propagation is effected by 

 division at this season, takiug off an eye or two coming from the crown, and 

 with a portion of root attached, inserting it in sandy soil. (A. C). — We cannot 

 name plants from leaves only, nor from mere flower buds. 



POULTET, BEE, AND PIGEOH OHKOUIOLE. 



CLASSES. 



We think many schedules of poultry shows need revising. 

 We see frequently year after year the schedule of a show, espe- 

 cially those connected with agricultural exhibitions, copied as 

 to its classes verbatim. No allowance is made for their being 

 well or badly filled. " It did last year, and we suppose it will 

 this," seems to be the idea of the committees of many such 

 shows. Bullocks and sheep are the glory of those schedule- 

 framers, and cocks and hens mere rubbish in their eyes. We 

 can only say to them that the poultry teat of such meetings is 

 not only always the most crowded, but that that is the depart- 

 ment which brings the money in entry fees and the visitors' 

 money at the gates. Knock oft the poultry, aud see whether the 

 receipts are the same. In these days poultry shows are as thick 

 as thieves, and exhibitors will patronise those which serve them 

 best, and so the committees of agricultural societies must really 

 look to their poultry schedules before it is too late. We wiU 

 not here be invidious aud name any particular show, but we 

 could tell of many that go on year after year issuing their 

 schedule a facsimile of the last one, and year after year the 

 entries decrease, till a more than ordinarily vigorous push will 

 have to be given to bring the poultry department once more iu 

 a flourishing way. Of course we do not expect such exhibitions 

 to have classes for the rarer breeds, but they should most cer- 

 tainly give classes for Dark and Light Brahmas, for two varieties 

 at least of Game and Cochins, and one for Houdans — the pre- 

 eminently useful table bird, and so on. As it is, we find the 

 money often, especially at southern and midland shows, allotted 

 in such a way as to show clearly that the committee can have 

 no idea of even the existence of many breeds. 



We are often asked whether we prefer the single-bird system, 

 pairs of hens and single cocks, or pairs of cock and hen ; we can 

 only reply that each division has its pros and cons. This must 

 be evident to all, so we need not go into them. Perhaps for 

 some reasons the single-bird system is the most highly favoured, 

 as birds can be so sent from any run without fear of being 

 soiled or persecuted by its companion ; but the two great draw- 

 backs to this plan strike us as being — first, that a siugle bird at 

 an exhibition has much less chance of being claimed than if it 

 was with a companion, for ordinarily .£10 would not be given 

 for a single bird when ii20 would be for a good matching pair, 

 and we must remember these long prices do, to a great extent, 

 keep up the fancy ; aud secondly and chiefly, we find a society 

 only intends to expend a certain sum of money, and by having 

 classes for single birds instead of for cock atad hen, the money 

 is all spent over certain classes, perhaps those in which the 

 committee taks most interest, and consenueutly the remaining 

 breeds go to the wall, and have to meet on that unhappy ground 

 — the refuge for the destitute. We do not for a minute meau to 

 say the same money should be expended on Silkies as on Dork- 

 ings or Houdans, but we do think schedules should try to sup- 

 port more than they do the weaker varieties. We must again 

 quote Oxford. We call it a perfect schedule in having classes 

 for nearly every recognised breed, with really handsome prizes 

 and a low entrance fee. We even think in its distribution of its 

 money it is the fairest schedule that exists. 



It is important for the larger breeds to be shown when they 

 come to a certain age separately — that is, cocks separate from 

 hens ; but for the smaller breeds and Bantams it is not nearly 

 BO necessary. We would, then, recommend a schedule being 

 divided into two parts. In the one we would place Dorkings, 



