172 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 20, 1874. 



Stove Plants for Winter Flowering (D.).— -^cbmea fulRens, Anthu- 

 lium Scherzerianum, Aphelandra a'.'_rantiaea Eoezlii, Burchelliacapensis.Cen- 

 4ropoRou LuceaLius. CouooliDium iauthinum, Dalechampia Iloezliana rosea, 

 EraDthernum pulcbellum, Euphorbia jacquiDi:pflora, Franciscea calycuia 

 major, Gardenia citriodora, Geaneraexonieusis, Ipoma'a HorsfalHfe (climber), 

 Maoettia bicolor, Mounchtctum ensiferiim, P]umbai;;o coccinea wuperba, 

 Poinsettia pulcberrinia and var«. alba and raajir.aud Thyrsacanthu'irutUans. 

 Befjfinia bybrida multiflora, Ingrami, insignis, manicata, fucbsioidee, and 

 nitida are good free-flowering winter plants. Of Orchids — Calanthe vestita, 

 Barkeria Skinneri, Cjelogyne cristata, Lycaste Skinneri, Odonto','lossum Pes- 

 catorei, Pbajiis HrandifuliuH, Oiiontogiossum Alexandrre, Doudrobium nobile, 

 Epidendrum tifjriuuai, Cypripedium barbatura, Miltonia Warscewiczii, Zygo- 

 petalum crinitura. The best Roses for forcing are the Tea-£cented and 

 Hybrid Perpotnals. 



Evergreen CLiMnER for Siiaded Walls (Verand<ih).~TherQ is but one 

 plant close-growing and clinging to the wall like Ivy — viz., Ficua repens, 

 which would probably succeed, the roots being in the open ground. Ea- 

 callonia macrantha and Garrya elliptica are fine for a south wall, but thoy 

 would need to be secured to the wall by shreds and nails, or be tied to a 

 trellis. 



Fig-tree Citlture (A Young Garderter). — Yotir treatment as described to 

 us is sound, but their having the roots under the path is not good, as they 

 must in Kumnier be deprived of moi.^turo, and this is probably the cause of 

 the fruit falling before ripening. Cnuld you not make holes with a crowbar 

 in the walk, and into these pour water two or three times during summer ? 

 It is not good practice to shorten the shoots of trees out of doors ; a better 

 practice is to thin-out the long and bare shoots, replacing them with fresh. 



Strawberries in Pots {Idnn). — Do not place them in the house as soon 

 as they have perfected the growth, but pack them in ashes outdoors until 

 January or February, or when you commence forcing, then introduce. 



Marquis of Lorne Cucumbers Crooked {Tomilt).—\t is difficult to 

 account for the fruit being crooked, but they are disposed to he crooked when 

 the bottom heat is deficient and the growth not free. The fruit may be kept 

 straight by placing them whilst yoflng in glass tubes, which aie sold by most 

 dealers in horticultural requisites, or could be procured to order. Three 

 pieces of half-inch deal nailed together, so as to form a bos without a lid and 

 open at the ends, answer very well ; the fruit being laid in them after it begins 

 to swell. They require to be about 3 inches wide and deep. 



Queen Anne Pocket Melon {Idem).— Yom plants must have been strong 

 when planted, and have done remarkably well, setting the fruit quickly. We 

 have no experience of Melons being planted so late and producing fruit so 

 ^juickly as yours have done. We agi'ee with you that Queen Anne Melon 

 fully ripe is most beautiful. 



Melons Deficient in Flavour {A Lady in Cheshire).— There is much in 

 •the power of the Melou-yrower as regard^ imparting flavour to Melons. Being 

 grown in a house with Cucumbers is sufficient to account for want of flavour. 

 Melons when ripening require to have the soil and atmosphere drier than for 

 ■Cucumbers, and on this account it is not desirable to grow both in the same 

 house. The shrub of which you sent us a specimen is Symphoricarpus 

 racemosue variegatns. The back numbers of this Journal may probably be 

 ■disposed of through a bookseller, or an advertisement in oui- columns. 



Pines not Fruiting— Glass Green tainted (Bri/uHnnTUs). — We do 

 mot wonder at the plants becoming drawn and not fruiting in the midst of so 

 much gloom. We should have them potted at once, the paint removed from 

 the glass, and they will probably start for fmit early nest year. Slight 

 ^hade is not amiss for Cucumbers or even Melons when growing, though when 

 ripening they cannot have too much light. The intense gloom caused by the 

 coating of the glass with thick green paint is sufficient to cause them not to 

 •do well. 



Destroying Snails and Slugs iWtllinfffo7i).—^^nnHe quicklime over 

 the plants and over the ground in the evening just before dark or early in the 

 morning, and this repeated a few times after rain or heavy dew will effectually 

 clear them. It is best done in moist weather after a rainy day, as they are 

 then most active. 



Sheep Barking Orchard Trees (Idem).— Mix equal proportions of cow 

 dung and lime together, with water, to the consistency of paint, and apply to 

 the stems as far as the sheep can reach. It will keep them from barking the 

 trees, but will need to bo renewed. There is a composition to prevent hares 

 and rabbits from barking trees, and it would no doubt answer for sheep. It 

 may be had of most nurserymen. 



Walcheren Broccoli Heading Prematurely (A. B. (?.).— It is due in 

 a great measure to the plants having remained too long in the seed bed, the 

 check on planting being great, which causes the premature heading. Prick 

 them out when they show the second rough leaf, and plaut out when they are 

 stiff sturdy plants, before they become di'awn and weak, watering well. 



Vines Growing in Pit fS, E. T.).—Ot the places you name, the green- 

 house would be the best suited for Vines, but as you have pits at the sides 

 you could not well provide a suitable border. The span-roofed pit would 

 answer for a couple of Vines, a proper border being made for them outside, 

 the stems introduced through a hole in the wall, the pnrtion outside being 

 protected with a haybaud. A Black Hamburgh and Buckland Sweetwater, 

 the one a black and the other a white Grape, would be suitable. Our " Vine 

 Manual" will suit you, price 2s. Gd.^ or free by post, 2.'*. lid. 



Stacking Pea Haulm (S«;if&).— The haulm of any Pea maybe kept for 

 months if thoroughly dried before it is stacked. 



Water in Heating Apparatus (i?»sl.— It may be not only heated tolTO^ 

 fcut to 212\ We do not know the graduation of a brewer's thei-mometer, but 

 •we presume it is on Fahrenheit's scale, and capable of showing the tempe- 

 rature of boiling water. 



Thrips on Vines iA Coiiniij Diihlin Rmdn^—The leaves yoa sent are 

 attacked by thrips. The remedy is to thoroughly fill the house with tobacco 

 smoke, choosing a calm evening, shuttingup the house closely, and having 

 the floor moist. It will be necessary to repeat the fumigation every alternate 

 evening for a week, and In about a week after the last fumigation examine 

 the leaves carefully, and when any of the insects are seen again fumigate. 



Name of Pea {J. Hahtcnd).— It is impossible to name Peas from the pod 

 only; the plant throughout its growth needs to be Been. 



Name of Fruit (S. L. j;.).— Lord Suffiold, 



Names of Plants (K. .7. S. B.).— 1, Heeria rosea, Tr. ; 2, Physianthua 

 albens,Bo(. Mag.,ii20l, {R.J, 0^.). — Polypogou mouspeliensis. {Britannieus), 



—Many thanks for the last. 1, ThujopsiB borealis; S, Abies Menzieaii. 

 4, Abies orientolie ; 5.Taxus adpressa; 6, AbiesNordmanniana. (A Juvenile); 

 — It seems a Scii'pus, but we cannot name it unless we see the flower. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



FRENCH POULTRY IN ENGLAND. 



Consul Hotham, the British representative at Calais, in his 

 last report to the English Foreign Office on the trade of Calais,' 

 refers to the attempts which have not unfreqnently been made 

 to introduce French poultry into England. This has been done 

 under the impression that with proper care and management 

 these fowls may become a fair source of profit, as far, at least, as 

 eggs are concerned. Mr. Hotham has not yet, however, suc- 

 ceeded in discovering that the French hen, when removed from 

 her native land, has behaved herself with that productive 

 alacrity which distinguishes her in many, though not in all 

 parts of France. The Consul has been informed, and for many 

 reasons he is inclined to believe, that the reason of this is to be 

 found in the following circumstances ; — In the neighbourhood of 

 Calais, as well as near Boulogne, there exists a marked quantity 

 of silex in the soil, highly favourable for egg-laying purposes; 

 remove the fowls from this peculiar soil, and their excessive 

 fecundity ceases, and that this is the case is well known. At 

 Amiens, again, this same quality of soil is found, and the poultry 

 from the district are remarkable for their laying qualities; 

 " indeed," continues the Consul, " perhaps they are the most 

 celebrated ' layers ' in France." If, therefore, the same breed 

 lay better in one part of France than another, it is not unreason- 

 able to suppose that the change of soil is the principal cause of 

 attempts having hitherto failed to transplant French poultry 

 into England for commercial purposes. Otherwise, Consul 

 Hotham thinks, it surely would be worth our while to turn our 

 attention seriously to the subject, instead of importing hundreds 

 of millions of eggs yearly from France. The reason sometimes 

 given of our climate not being suitable for poultry is, with all 

 due deference to those who advance that theory, more fanciful 

 than real; for, however much our climate may be abused, there 

 are many districts in the south of England which, without a 

 doubt, might compare favourably with the north coast of France, 

 and as to the expense of keeping poultry, the egg-dealers in 

 Calais state that they hardly feed them at all, but let the fowls 

 run about and pick up what they please in the fields and hedge- 

 rows. Consul Hotham believes the whole secret to be in the 

 quality of the soil. Whether this could be successfully made up 

 to the French fowls in England by artificial means, is a matter 

 which he is not prepared to discuss, — {Land and Water.) 



[We think " Consul Hotham," thoush correct in his facts, 

 is quite wrong in his inferences. Silex is the predominant 

 constituent of all eultivated soils, therefore the French fowls 

 would not lack this aid in England. We do not admit that they 

 are more egg-prolific than many other breeds are in England; 

 but the real reason why so many eggs are imported from France 

 is that its peasantry more generally keep fowls than they do in 

 England, and sell the eggs in quantities too large for home con- 

 sumption. In England a labourer who keeps fowls eats most of 

 their eggs, and rears chickens from the surplus. — Eds.] 



productive DUCKWING GAME BANTAMS. 



I HAVE a pair of Game Duokwing Bantams. The hen began to 

 lay in the middle of last December, and up to the present date 

 (August 13th), she has laid 135 eggs. Is that a usual occurrence ? 

 I had a brood hatched on the 14th of last April, three of which 

 were pullets. Two of them have laid this day their first egg; 

 they will be only four months old to-morrow. Is not this also 

 very early for Bantams ? — J. Stokes, Ipswich. 



[Such laying as you describe is not by any means a common 

 occurrence, but is nevertheless greatly to be desired. The two 

 pullets you mention have begun to lay at the earliest possible 

 period — viz., sixteen weeks. These events are the more to be 

 noted, because they happen to be a sitting breed. Among the 

 non-sitters we not uufrequently hear of large numbers of eggs 

 laid during the year, but we do not hear of their laying so early. 

 —Ens.] 



BLACKPOOL POULTRY SHOW. 



This was held in connection with the Agricultural Show, on 

 the 12th inst. The awards made by the Judge, Mr. Fisher, of 

 Leeds, were as follows : — 



Spanish.— 1 and 2. J. Leemin? BronKhton, Preston. 



DoRKiijos— 1, J. RobmBon. GavstnnR. 2, W. H. Kini?. Rochdale. 



(?oci[i.mChina — 1, H. Tomlinson. Bu'iniuRham. 9, J. Robinson. 



Gam« —1, C. \V- Brierlev. Middleton. 2. .1. Leeming. 



HiilBDEOHS.— Goiiicn«!l)nii(;!<'rf. — 1. J- Robinson. 2, G. & J. Duokworlb, 

 CharcU. hUver.spangied.—l and 2, J. Robinson. 



HAMBUBGHS.—t^oWen-i^crtCf //'*/?.— 1, J. Lon^. Kromley Common. 2, J. Robm- 

 on. S;/ye^i)t;nci(Ifl(i.— 1, J. Kobiusou. 2, J.Long. 



