284 



JOURNAIi OP HOBTIOULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER, 



[ September 21, 1874. 



only have the brown fionda removed as they occur. A. oaneatam is best kept 

 rather dry in autumn, and all the fronds cut away at once before they start 

 into fresh growth ; or they may be removed as they becume yellow, which is 

 mure tedious, and affordd no better result. 



Ferns fok Rockwo£K I Rock work). —As you propose to exclude frost, the 

 following, which are mostly greenhouse kinds, would succeed. They are of 

 moderate growth, and not costly: — Adiautum assimile, Asplenium dimor- 

 phum, Blechniim occidentale, Davallia dissecta, Doodia a^pera, Lastrea 

 elegaos, Lomaria L'Herminieri.Nephrodium raolle corymbiferum, Niphobolus 

 lingna corymbifera, Platjcerium alcicurue, Platyloma rotundifulia, Pteris 

 cretica albo-lineata. P. umbrosa, P. serrulata cristata, Asplenium marinum, 

 Adiantum Capillus- Veneris, Blechoum Spicant imbricatum, Polypodium cam- 

 bricum, Polyaticbum augnlare proliferum Wollastoni, and Scolopendrium 

 vulgare corymbiferum. The last six are British. You would not be suited 

 by creepers at the upper part, but you may have Nephrolepis tuberuaa planted 

 there, some of the fronds of which will hang down 3 or 4 feet, and have a fine 

 effect. A good plant for covering any bare spots is Ficus repens. 



FuMiGATOR (J. S. H.).— The best is probably Drechsler'e patent, which is 

 of various sizes ; the largest size, 8^ inches diameter, would be best for jour 

 purpose. Tobacco is best — the leaf ur cavendish cut up roughly; but good 

 tobacco paper answers perfectly. It will not injure Orchids or Feres, only 

 the foliage, &c.., must be dry, the floor of the house being moist ; but of some 

 subjects, for insta .ce Adiantum farleyense, the fronds are injursd by a very 

 moderate degree of fumigation. The fumigator will be less likely to cause 

 injury in proportion as the smoke is delivered cool. 



Planting Seedling Perennials {E. S.).—li well rooted they would be 

 best planted-out in theur blooming quarters early in October; but if the eoil is 

 not in good order, or the plants small, planting may be deferred until spring. 

 The description of the seeds you name may be found in any seed list. We 

 cannot undertake to describe " style of growth, period of iloweriug, best situa- 

 tion, Ac," of over sixteen subjects at a time. Annuals should be thinned to 

 3 inches apart ; and plant from sis. to a dozen plants in a patch ; biennials and 

 perennials about I fout apart. Salvia nemorosais also known as S. sylvestris. 



Planting Sides of Carriage Drive T/i^/Jifrf;).— Under the shade of 

 the Lime trees shrubs would thrive very indifferently. The best that we 

 know are Aucubas, Laurels, Butcher's Broom, and Periwinkles, the latter 

 giving a close green covering, and growing about a foot high. Ivy is also a 

 line ground covering. The best hedge would be Thorn or <^uick, which in 

 good toil and kept clean grows quickly and makes the best of fences. You 

 may make a semi-evergreen hedye by planting a Holly every yard along with 

 the Quicks— seven (Quicks and one Holly per yard. 



Plants for Entrance Hall (Z(ie77i}.~From the sketch we conclude that 

 the roof is opaque, in which case it would not suit plants, except those near 

 the windows, and not even these in winter, unless the house were heated. 

 Could you not have the roof glazed, and the place heated by a hot-water 

 boiler and pipes ? Any danger of draught might be obviated by having a 

 glazed entrance 6 feet long and 4 feet wide, bo as to allow of a person shutting 

 the outer door before opening the inner one. You have means of forming at 

 a cheap rate a most excellent conservatory if you can glaze the roof, which 

 we would suggest to you as far preferable to attempting to ^ow plants in 

 what must be, without the glass roof, an unsuitable place. 



Insects on Gloxinias and Achimenes (F. C. r.}.— The plants are in- 

 fested with thrips, which we are surprised is not destroyed by fumigation 

 with tobacco; this cannot have been sufiieiently powerful to destroy them, as 

 we have not known efficient fumigations fail. No two fumii^ations will 

 destroy them, for though it may kill all existing, they will leave behind them 

 eggs, from which will proceed others. So long as the insects are present on 

 the plants the fumigation should be continued, and this may be every week or 

 fortnight, or oftener, until the pests are overcome, keeping a sharp look-out 

 afterwards, and whenever an insect is seen fumigate. As you have such a 

 plague of these insects, you must keep the atmosphere very much too dry. 

 "With increased moisture and fumigation they will be subdued. 



Hedge for Shelter (E. M. S.). — Beech would grow well, your soil over- 

 lying chalk; but Hornbeam would grow more quickly, and it forms a good 

 hedge, and is more twiggy. The Beech retains its leaves in a young state in 

 winter, and is, on that account, more shelter-giving, but is very Uttery. 

 Either would suit you. Evergreen Privet grows quickly, bat would probably 

 be too weak. 



Weeds on Lawn (TT. H.).— The three weeds you enclosed are evidence 

 that the soil producing them requires draining. No treatment will destroy 

 them or prevent their recurrence as long as there is an excess of moisture in 

 the soil. 



Aphis on Larch {Alfrob.—ThQ shoot you sent us is infested with an aphis 

 which is peculiar to the Larch, and unusually prevalent this season, it being, 

 no doubt greatly fostered by the drought. You have nothing to fear from it, 

 as it will not injure the trees permanently. W^et, and the coming winter, will 

 Bet them right. 



Grub (E. M. P.).— The grub is the Leather-jacket— Baddy-Ionglegs— larva, 

 and very destructive The best remedy is hand-picking ; but we have known 

 nitrate of soda, at the rate of a pound per square rod, applied with beneficial 

 results. 



PBnNiNG Gooseberry Trees (IcZ.'m).— It is too early to prune Gooseberry 

 and Currant bushes, and especially those raised from slips. Prune them as 

 Eoon as the leaves have fallen. 



Cineraria and Calceolaria Seeds Germinating (Idem). — There being 

 80 much dependant on the temperature in which the seeds are placed after 

 sowing, it would be futile stating how long seeds of different kinds are in 

 germinating. In a hotbed we have had Cinerarias up in four days, and 

 Calceolarias in a week ; whilst, without heat, about eight days elapse for 

 Cinerarias, and ten days to a fortnight for Calceolarias. 



Names of Fruits (Scyftor).— The Pear is Bourre d'Amanhs, a good early 

 variety. (fn^UMirori.—l, Dumelow's Seedling ; 2, Pearson's Plate; 3, Brad- 

 dick's Nonpareil ; 4, Flower of Kent; 5, Sturmer Pippin; 6. Royal Pearmain. 

 We cannot name fruits or flowers through the post. {Dublin). — 1, Devon- 

 shire Buckland ; 3, Pitmaston Kusset; .4, Hawthornden; 4, Sam Young; 

 6, English Ciidlin ; 7. Kentish Codlin ; 10, Hawthornden; 11, Keswick Codlin; 

 12, King of the Pippins; 13, Keswick Codlin; 14, Gloria Mundi. {J.Car- 

 j)cn(£ri.— 1, Glou Mor»,-eau; 2, Gansel's Bergamot; 3, Winter NeHs ; 4. Easter 

 Beurre; 5, Winter Ntlis; 7, PasseColmar ; 8, Hampden's Bergamot; ; 9, Vicar 

 of Winkfield. [S. J. TT.).- 1, Fondante d'Automne; 2, Van Mons Leon 

 Leclerc. 



Names of Plants [H. H. TT.).— We cinnot name a plant from its leaves 



only. {B. T. J.). — We cannot name mere florists' flowers, such as the varie- 

 ties of Begonias. The other two specimeos weresmisbed. [J. B ). — Hibiscus 

 Trionum. {Cl€rmorit>.~\^ Gentiana ascleyiadea i white-flowered var.); 2, 

 Celtis australia ; 3, Salix herbacea. (L. J. A'.). — 1, Auemone japonica; 2, 

 Eccremocarpas scaber. {Wm. W.).— Speijimen insufficient, (iltts).— Quite 

 unnameable. ( Prim.a\. — 1, Habrothamnus fasciculatus , 2, Abutilon venosum 

 (-Bo/, i/tiv;., (. 4463) ; 3, A. megapotanicum; 4, Saxilraga sarmentosa; 5, Pas- 

 siflora glauca. 



POULTET, BEE, ATO PIGEON OHRONIOLE. 



THINNING-OUT. 



Reality and imagination are very different things. We draw 

 largely on the latter when we look at the broods as they come 

 ofE in February, March, April, and May. We can see many 

 winners, and all good ones. While we rock ourselves in these 

 blissful anticipations, and determine to avoid the errors that had 

 so often made shipwreck of our hopes and introduced us to 

 grave disappointment, the time creeps on, and the little balls of 

 fluff grow into awkward and lanky chickens. Still the time goes 

 on, and different temperature, shortened days, and lengthened 

 nights demand a change of treatment. But the change is a 

 startling one from the thirteen " new comes " amply cared for 

 under the hen, and the same number of great staring fowls that 

 ask for board and lodging. If there were but one thirteen some- 

 thing might be done ; as there are sis thirteens something 

 must be done. No amount of writing or talking will enlarge a 

 roosting-house. It is known Henry V. of white-flag notoriety- 

 is slightly lame. When living at Frohsdorf his admirers were 

 allowed to walk through the apartment as he sat at dinner, or 

 to follow him at a distance when he took his constitutional. 

 Two old marquises of the ancien regime were doing so, when 

 one exclaimed to his companion, *' My dear marquis, our prince 

 has one leg shorter than the other." "Alaladroit" said the 

 other, " they are uneven only because one is longer than the 

 other." So we will insist the house is not too small, but the 

 stock is too large. No difficulty now. How is it to be done ? 

 By eating or selling : by selling alive as stock birds, or as ordi- 

 nary food. The good London wife retired into the country was 

 asked, when her lirst hog was killed how she would have it cut 

 up ? She said, " All hams." And so our friend and poultry- 

 breeder would have all his chickens prize birds. But it may 

 not be. Whatever is done, it should be done at once. Procras- 

 tioation in this iustauce is not only the thief of time, it is the 

 thief of food. These birds are eatiog that for which they will 

 make no return. You must decide how you will dispose of them. 

 All we can tell you is, they must be sold. There is a pleasure 

 in put-tiog off a thing; it shows we are not compelled to do it. 

 But Nemesis comes in the shape of the private Caleb Quotem. 

 He says, *'If you please, sir, you must increase my allowance." 

 These growing fowls eat terribly. Now you must steel your 

 heart. And after all, if you had room many of them are not 

 worth keeping — four-toed Dorkings, single-combed Hamburghs, 

 crooked fowls of every breed ; those that somehow never seemed 

 to do any good, the extra cocks, the faulty-feathered : all these 

 should now be got rid of. Their food and their room should be 

 given to those that will make a better return for them. If you 

 are told your fowls are all too good to kill, do not believe it. 

 We lately went into such a yard, and the two first selected birds 

 put in our baud were both humpbacked. If you do not thin 

 your stock now, if it is to be thinned at all, the inevitable loss 

 will be your own choice. 



ARMLEY AND WORTLEY POULTRY SHOW. 



The annual Show was held on the 7th and 8th inst. in a large 

 field at the upper end of Armley. The arrangements were most 

 extensive, in fact the marquee erected for the poultry, &c., 

 would have easily accommodated one thousand pens, but we are 

 sorry to say the Show is as much in its babyhood as it was 

 ten years ago. In poultry. Pigeons, and Rabbits were only 

 122 entries, when with a little more attention to the prize list, 

 a regular revision, and a somewhat greater outlay, this section 

 from being a drag upon the funds of the Society would be self- 

 supporting. The pens were on Turner's principle, and were 

 nicely arranged along one side of the tent, and the birds, ttc, 

 were well attended to. 



There were two classes for Game, but nothing in them at all 

 worthy of note if we except a Black Red cockerel shown by Mr. 

 Beldon, and this was very good, the fact being that the winners 

 in most cases were from that gentleman's yard, not, however, 

 of such quality as we usually see from the same place. In 

 Bantatns the first were Black Rosecombs, and the second neat 

 Black Red Game ; and in Brahmas Mr. Schorfield showed a 

 capital pair of Dark chickens. Rouen Ducks were very good, 

 but the Aylesburies were not noteworthy. 



Pigeons were a pretty fair show as regards quality, but, as 

 before stated, the entries were poor. 



