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JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 12, 1874. 



Laech Cones (B. B.). — Our correspondent will be obliged by being Informed 

 how best to extract the seeds from Larch cones. 



Selection of Vines (ri/ij;).— Additional Mascats may be Duchess of 

 Bnccleuch, Bowood Muscat, and Mrw. Pioee'fi Black Muscat. For your Black 

 Hamburgh vinery you may have Black Frontignan, Black Prince, Black 

 ChampioQ, and Royal Muscadine. 



Mushroom Chlture (IF. Ffr(iuson).-~ln our No. 683 there is a full detail 

 of tbe culture. We know of no modem book devoted to the subject. 



Verbal AGREE3IENT (Joplin Smith).~Tha.t has no legal protection for 

 you. You had better state the case to the purchaser and make a compromise. 



Fdngus (A'. F. Z.).— The fungus is Cantharellus aurantiacus, the false 

 Chantarelle, a near, but sudpicious, ally of C. cibarius, the edible Cbantarelle. 

 We cannot name the other without seeing a specimen, but it may be a variety 

 of the above. 



Dried Flowers for CnaiSTiaAs Decorations [M. E. M.).—Anj of the 

 principal florists who advertise in our columns, and the florists in the Middle 

 Avenue in Covent Garden Market, sell them. 



Flower-bed ARUANOEaiENTS (E. M. J.).— The proposed arrangement does 

 not infriuye tbe laws of colour, and it ia well balanced, yet many of the com- 

 binations are harsh to say tbe least. We do not like "the effect of the dark 

 Iresine Lindeni with Bijou Geranium in 2, 8; exchange it for the Blue 

 Lobelia in 4, 5, and make a broad edging of two rows of Lobelia around Bijou 

 in 2, 3, BO as to impart tone and softness to two sucb large beds, which other- 

 wise might overpower the central bed, rendering it insignilicant. This latter 

 bed might be somewhat larger with advantage. Of the beds in the side 

 panels, 10 and 11 are not good. We would substitute Tagetes signata pumila 

 (keeping its flowers picked-off) for the Perilla; 14 and 15 are quite inadmis- 

 sible. We are really disposed to be severe with jou; the combination is 

 glaring — in the worst popsible taste, and ha? not even the merit of novelty. 

 Pray discard the Calceolaria, and substitute Viola cornuta Perfection for it ; 

 and in 16, 17, replace the Iresine with Lobelia Omen, or failing that, take the 

 bright Coleus Verschaffelti Improved. We possess no real substitute for the 

 Golden Pjrethrum; try the Golden Stitchwort, Stellaria graminea aurea. 

 Polemonium cieruleum variegatum forms a charming edging, and Coprosma 

 Baueriana variegata is now deservedly popular; it has fine handsome foliage 

 of deep green and rich yellow. Your bedding stock is somewhat antiquated. 

 Miss Kingsbury Geranium is far superior to Bijou, and of other plants you 

 Bhoaldhave Sautolina incana, Mesembryanthemum cordifolium variegatum, 

 the Coprosma and Polemonium, Leucophyton Brownii, Cineraria maritima 

 compacta, some of the Alternautheras, such as am<_ena and magnifica, with 

 such Geraniums as Rev. F. F. Fenn, Florence Durand, Black Donglas, Creed's 

 Seedling, and William Thompson. 



Wintering EcnE\'ERiAs in a Cold FRAan; {J. F. C.).— They would not 

 winter in a cold frame unless you could with certainty exclude frost, and they 

 are also liable to suffer from damp. They are best wintered in a house from 

 which frost is eicluded, and should be kept rather dry. 



Wintering Dahlia Eoots (Idem).— It is evident, from the roots having 

 decayed, that they have been frozen before or after they were stored in the 

 sand; we think the former. The crowns being near the surface are often 

 damaged by a severe frost, and wet very often is a cause of the buds or eyes 

 decaying. We should take them up after the fn-et frost, and if they are not 

 flowering we would remove them now, cutting off the tops at 6 inches from 

 the ground ; on taking up remuve all the soil, and lay them upside down in 

 a shed to dry. When dry, as they will be in a few days, placo them crown 

 upwards in sand, just so deeply as to cover the crowns, and in a place safe 

 from frost. They would do well in a bos in rather damp sand, not wet, on a 

 shelf in the boiler-shed, the temperature not exceeding 45^. 



Heating Cocumber Pit (J. D.).— There is always a difficulty in flue- 

 heating, and especially when it is employed as a means of affording bottom 

 heat, in diffusing it equally throughout the house. The hot air chamber will 

 help you on the side where the flue first passes along, but not at the other, 

 which will need to be exposed for top heat, it being aided by the heated aur of 

 the other introduced to the house by the opening in the chambers. Another 

 furnace can hardly be necessary for so small a house, and you will not need 

 bottom heat on both sides, as a bed on one with the plants trained over the 

 roof to the other will be ample. Tour heating is wrong ; tbe flue ought to 

 be clear of the outside wall, and the three surfaces— two sides, and the top- 

 would give you about one-third more heat from the same furnace, and pro- 

 bably all you require. The flue should also be clear of the ground. What do 

 you think of heating by hot water ? When a high temperatmre is requirei it 

 is the preferable mode of beating. 



Begonias in Winter (J'/ora).— If of the bulbous section they will need to 

 be kept dry like Gloxinias, and in a temperature of not less than 45', potting 

 and Btarting into growth early in Mar*;h, and growing on in heat until they 

 are coming into flower, and may then be removed to a greenhouse, assigning 

 them the warmest part and hyhtest position. Many of the kinds are very 

 beautiful. They are also suitable for warm positions outdoors, hardening 

 well off before planting out. 



Pruning Figs (Jrfcm).— Prune them m Apiil, cutting out the old hare 

 branches destitute of young growths, which last should be retained and not 

 shortened. As soon as the leaves have fallen, the trees ought to have the 

 branches and shoots brought together, and be covered with mats to protect 

 them from frost, removing it in April, or, if mild, earlier. 



Propagating Verbenas (A Constant Readrr).— It would not answer to 

 take cuttings now, as they would not strike without bottom heat; but you 

 may take up the plants, cutting them in rather closely and p.t them, pro- 

 pagatiug from them in spring in a hotbed. The Show and Fancy Pelargonium 

 cuttings ought to bo potted singly, and when they are estabUshed should be 

 cut back. The Kose cuttings "taken off at this time" should be in a 

 north or sheltered shady border. Our "Florists' Flowers" contains the 

 treatment of Pelargoniume, Verbenas, &c. It may be bad by post from om- 

 offloe for 5d. 



Seedling Plum ? (C. Mareden).— Your Plam is a valuable one on aeconnt 

 of its excellent quality at so late a period of the year as this is. It has the 

 appearance of a late Diamond, and may probably be the same as what is 

 known in Yorkehire as the Kyedale Plum. It is worthy of an extended cul- 

 tivation. 



Pear MALFOEiiED (J. Taylor).— Your Pear with an excess of calyx at its 

 eye— in fact, an instance of morphology, in which the calyx has become a 

 mass of leaves— is very curious, but such instances, more or less excessive, are 

 continually occurring. 



Grapes for Span-roofed House {A Continental Bead^r).— Buckland 



Sweetwater, Black Muscat of Alexandria, Madresfield Court, Mrs. Pince'a 

 Black Muscat, Alicante, Black Champion, Biack Hamburgh, Black Monukka, 

 Black Prince, Lady Downe's, Frankenthal, Trentham Black, West's St. 

 Peter's, Canon Hall Muscat, Muscat of Alexandria. Fnster's White Seedling, 

 Dr. Hogg, Duke of Buccleoch, Gros Guillaume, Mill Hill Hamburgh. These 

 embrace the best of the Grapes grown in English gardens for dessert and ex- 

 hibition. 



White Grape for Early Vinery (A. .4.).— If you have a preference for 

 White Frontignan Grapes you cannot do better than plant Dr. Hogg, raised 

 by Mr. Pearson, which is the finest of all of that class. 



Potatoes.— " In reply to 'D. W. TT..' my experience of Sutton's Hundred- 

 fold Fluke Potato is precisely similar to his. I have grown it two seaaona 

 with a hke result; it ia waxy and quite unfit for the table. — F. W., Hertford." 



Pear for S.W. Wall (J. C/inp man).— Plant Glou Mor(;eau. The path 

 you mention will not injure the tree. 



Names of Fruits {J. (3r^(?7i).— Soldat Esperen. (R.H.A.).—l, Catillac; 



2, Triomphe de Jodoigne. ( IT. B. B.}.— 8, Scarlet Nonpareil ; 9, Cox's Orange 

 Pippin; 10, Marmalade Pippin; IG, Golden Winter Pearmain ; 18, Wykea 

 Pippin; 20, London Pippin, {ilrs. O. A.). — 1, Scarlet Nonpareil; 3, Northern 

 Greening; 4, Ord's. (E. 7Zij?t'».— VicaroE Wiokfield. (C. cim J.).— 59 and 110 

 Duchesse d'Angouleme; 1(34. 221, and 230, Vicar of Winkfield; 194, Bsurrc 

 Langelier; 217, Van Mon'i L-^on Ltclerc; 103, Doyenne Gris ; 216, Poire 

 d' Amour ; 180, Catillac ; 60, Flemish Beauty, [Q. Dis.<t).~l, Glou Mort^eau ; 

 2 and 3, Verulam ; 4, Kirke's Lord Nelson. 



NA3IE.S OP Plants (Young Gardener). — All wretched specimens; 2, Silene 

 sp. ; 4, Alternaathera sp. Rest only leaves. (IT. irc/s^).— 1, Peperoraia ari- 

 folia var. argyreia IBot^ -Va^-, 5634); 2, Eupatorium Weinmannianum ; 



3, Begonia argyrostigma ; 4, Ceropegia elegans ; 6, J^pirrea callosa. (G. K.h — 

 1, Aistrcemeria sp. ; 2, Disandra proatrata. [A. B. C.).— I, Brjmus max!- 

 muH {?); 3, Bromus 8p. (?); 2, Eriophorum angnstifolium; 4, Poa trivialis; 

 5, Aira sp. ; 6, Pan i cum triviale. (Naine Mislaid). — 1, Aspleniam flabelli- 

 fjlium; 2, Adiantum farleyense. 



POULTET, BEE, ATO PiaEON OHROmOLE. 



OXFORD POULTRY SHOW. 



{Fro7ii another Beporier.) 



Few, if any committees of poultry shows, can boast of so rapid 

 an advance in public favour as tbe Managers of the Oxford 

 Show. This year's aggregate entry was considerably over 

 1400 pens, and we can justly say that the majority of the birds 

 were of unusual excellence. This can only be ascribed to the 

 liberality of the prize schedule and the unvarying courtesy of 

 everyone in connection with the Exhibition. There is, how- 

 ever, one feature that before another season comes round re- 

 quires revision — viz., as a trial it was arranged (and a notice to 

 that effect was actually printed on each label), that competitors 

 must send in their birds before midday on the Tuesday, the 

 Committee indulging the hope that the catalogue and general 

 awards would be ready by opening-time the next day. It proved 

 (as it invariably has done in the many cases in which the attempt 

 has been made), a marlied failure, for during the whole of the 

 afternoon baslset after basket arrived from the railway stations, 

 as, in fact, was the case also in many instances during the 

 following day. The publishing of the catalogue was therefore 

 in no way expedited, whilst the Judges who awaited orders for 

 some time, found soon after commencing their duties the 

 shades of evening fast stealing-in upon them, so that the greater 

 portion of their awards had to be made with undue rapidity 

 during the earlier part of the Wednesday forenoon to meet the 

 opening to the public at 11 a.ji. The wiser course with so good 

 a Show is to arrange for the reception of the poultry to take 

 place over evening, and then the Judges can without hindrance 

 enjoy the whole of the following day in the fulfilment of their 

 by-no-means-easy adjudications. As will be seen from the 

 above, the best lights of both middays proved unavailable. We 

 may add that both poultry and Pigeons were very carefully at- 

 tended to, and the repacking was most expeditiously carried 

 out ; the railway officials worked also with a will to return the 

 packages by the earliest available trains. 



The competition in almost every instance was confined to 

 chickens of the year. The Dorking classes were not of thpfc 

 general excellence that might have been fairly anticipated, more 

 especially as Prince Leopold gave a silver cup for the best pen 

 of Dorkings of any variety. It was won by a new exhibitor 

 with a pen of Dark Greys, large in size, wonderfully perfect in 

 legs and feet, and of good colour. A very fine pen or two were 

 thrown out of competition by the extremely sooty colour of the 

 feet, an inadmissible failing with Dorking fowls. One of other- 

 wise the best pens in the lot (15), Mr. Gee's, contained a hen with 

 a wry leg, and we regret to say, although entered as chickens 

 (pen 11), Mr. Henry Lingwood's were unquestionably old birds, 

 and consequently were disqualified. Silver-Greys, White, and 

 Blue Dorkings were throughout of medium character. The 

 Spanish were very fine, though many were not in first-rato 

 order for the show-pen. The Spanish cup pen was extremely 

 good, in admirable condition, and being entered at the ridi- 

 culously low figure of £'3 12.s., were speedily claimed amidst a 

 host of competitors, the lucky purchaser having many willing 

 offers of double the amount he had just paid for them. Another 

 equally covetable bargain was the two-pounds Spanish cook ia 



