526 



JOUBNAL OP HOBTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 10, 1874. 



to plant them, as well aa eingle beds and borders; Belections of plants, and 

 bow to cultivate tbem. 



Cttttino the Roots off Apple Tbe"es (E. M. P.).— Of eonrse it was a 

 great mistake to cat the small fibrons roots off. It will not be necessary to 

 destroy tho trees because of tbie, as plenty of new roots would be formed 

 during last summer. The Victoria is one of the moBt useful Plums in culti- 

 vation. Lord Suffield and Gloria Mundi are both kitchen Apples. Plant 

 Cox's Orange Pippin and Pomona. 



Kkioht's Monarch Pear Dropping PREMATrRELT (S. ^w«Hn).— This 

 Pear has the same fault with ns near London, and those fruits that remain on 

 the tree are frequently only useful for cooking. And what is also singular, a 

 few of the fruits will be melting and good, the largest proportion remaining 

 quite hard. We advise yon to re-graft with another variety. 



Vines in a North Border (A Constant 5u6.«rrtber).— The Vines will 

 answer planted in a north border, but not bo well as in a sonth one, which 

 will be warmer. With a covering of glass the north border would be im- 

 proved, with the disadvantage, however, of warding off rains, and so rendering 

 artificial ones necessary. Why not have the border made part of the house ? 

 It would then have warmth, and the apace would be useful. 



Whtfe Boo and GaKENHorsE Plants lld^m). — What white bug may 

 be we cannot tell, unless it be mealy bug, which is the most difficult of all 

 pests to free plants of after they oace become infested. Brushing, which you 

 employ, only, as you say, wards tbem off for a short time; they only being 

 brushed off is only a direct way of spreading the pest upon other plants — in 

 fact, it will exist upon woodwork and anywhere where there is dryness, but 

 where there is moisture it does not spread so fast, especially i( the plants are 

 forcibly syringed. We should remove the plants from the house, and syringe 

 them one by one outdoors with water at a temperature of 12ft', laying the 

 plants on their sides, and turning them round so as to thoroughly cleanse 

 the plants of the pests, the water being forcibly directed against them so as 

 to drive them off the plants. Calm and mild weather should be chosen. 

 Next summer we should place the plants outdoors for a short time, and 

 during rains, which is the best antidote to this pest known. The stricteBt 

 search should be kept up for the pest, and when any is seen, destroyed. 



Mealy Bug on Tacsonia Van Volxemi (A. O.). — Fumigating with tobacco 

 will not destroy it, and it will only be overcome at great pains, diligent, con- 

 tinued effort. The best plan we have found for cleaning climbers on roofs is 

 to, alter thinning-out the shoots as much as desirable, wash every leaf, shoot, 

 and stem with a solution of soft poap— half a pound to two quarts of water, 

 adding a winGglaesful of spirits of turpentine to it, and thoroughly mixing. 

 This to be applied with a soft brush, and taking care to reach every eye, 

 angle, and crevice. This is a tedious process, but one that persevered in will 

 soon cover considerable ground. It is likely the solution will injure the plant's 

 leaves somewhat, as they are hairy, and cannot endure so much as plants 

 with smooth leaves. We do not know of anything or nearly so good for this 

 pest, which we are exterminating by its persevering use. 



Peopaoating Chrysanthemtms (JA-m).— Take cuttings and pot them 

 singly in umaJl pots. They will root slowly but surely in a cool house. The 

 plants maybe kept in a sheltered position outdoors until March, when you 

 may take cuttings, striking them in gentle heat, and if the old plants are not 

 wanted for outdoors, throwing them away. Azaleas and Camellias ought not 

 at this time of year to be syringed. Adiantum Farh/yense does not thrive, 

 probably for want of heat and a regular state of moisture in the atmosphere. 

 It does not also do well if pot-bound. A temperature of 60'^ to 65- from fire 

 heat at this season is suitable. The Orchids you name ought not to be 

 syringed, or very lightly once a-day, but keeping moderately moist, and a 

 temperature of 60'" to 65" from fire heat, but 5^ less in very severe weather, 

 and at night in severe weather. No good results in cold weather of maintain- 

 ing ft high temperature. 



Arum triphyxlttm (Eittic). — It is hardy, doing best in sandy loam en- 

 riched with vegetable soil. Vallota purpurea ought not to be dried-off, but 

 kept moist, increasing the supply with the growth. 



Briar Chttingr (Id'^m).— The shoots or cuttings are best having a heel, or 

 taken off close to the stem whence they proceed. The eyes on the depth they are 

 inserted in the ground, which should be two-thirds their length, should be 

 removed, and the cuttings may be 10 inches long. If they grow you may bud 

 them in July, or when they are sufficiently strong. 



Evergreen Climbers for House Wall (A. D.). — There are no ever- 

 green climbers but the Ivies, and these we should employ for the north aspect 

 only. The best for this purpose are Hodera canariensis (hibemica) and vars. 

 latifolia maculafa and variegata; H. Helix digitata and H. Rfetrneriana. 

 Evergreen shrubs, but not climbers, for the walls are, for suuth aspect, Ceano- 

 thnsaznreuB.C. floribundua,C. integerrimus, Esoalloniamacrantba.aud Garrya 

 elliptica. East aid west :— Crata?gns pyracantha and var, crenulata, and 

 Cotoneaster microphyila. Those are evergreen ; but why restrict yourself to 

 evergreens ? Jasminum nudiflorum flowers in winter, and Cydonia japonioa 

 in early spring. Jasminum officinale grandiflorum is very sweet. Glycine 

 sjnensis is beautiful: and the Clematises Law6oniana,Henryi, Lucie Lemoine, 

 Jackmanni. and Symeana are good ; also Caprifolium llexuosum and C. sem- 

 pervirens floribundum; and upon the south aspect Marechal Niel, Climbing 

 Devoniensis, and other Roses, would we think please you better than all ever- 

 greens. Defer planting until March. 



PLANTrao Garlic, &c. (TT. W, B.).— The planting of all you name is best 

 done in February or March. 



Nahes of Fruits (W. B. B.)-— No. 21, Eibstou Pippin; 17, Golden Pear- 

 main ; 7, Manks Cidlin, poor specimen; 4, Winter Quoining. {J. E.). — l.Not 

 identified ; 2, Golden Pearmain. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIG-EON OHRONIOLE. 



THE EXHIBITION DORKING.— No. 2. 



BT T. CHILE EUKNELL. 



I WILL now suppose that some one of my readers has deter- 

 mined to take up Dorking fowls for exhibition, or, perhaps, is 

 only desirous of improving his present stock of poultry by the 

 introduction of fresh blood of the best strains. The question 

 will be. What is the best way to proceed ? In my own case I 

 attended the nearest poultry exhibition with the intention of 



buying one or two of the best birds for, as I expected, a pound 

 or two. You may imagine my disgust on finding all the prize 

 birds priced at i'lOO, and all the rest at nearly equally high 

 prices. However, I presently came to the ''selling classes," 

 where the price of the competing specimens is usually limited 

 to 30s. ; and seeing that the second-prize bird was a Dorking cock 

 entered at that price, and by the catalogue eight months old, I 

 rushed off to the Secretary's office, and after a good deal of push- 

 ing and struggling secured him at that jirice, also a pair of 

 highly-commended hens at the same figure, and returned home 

 very well satisfied with my day's work. 



I was so pleased with my new purchases that I invited the 

 poultryman from the neighbouring farm to be present when 

 they were unpacked, and busied myself immensely with wood- 

 work and wire netting to have a separate place for them on 

 arrival, so that they might not be contaminated by low-bom 

 company. The birds appeared in good time, and were let out 

 and fed, and I confess that they did not look quite so well to me 

 on the ground as when I saw them in a show pen : and I may as 

 well here add that I have found this opinion strengthened by 

 experience, and my readers may take it as a rule that seeing 

 birds at an exhibition is very deceptive, and that if the pens are 

 placed high up it makes them look half as large again. How- 

 ever, to my story : the man caught hold of the cock, and passing 

 his hand down his breastbone, remarked that it was so crooked 

 " that you could put your fist into it, and asked me to look at 

 the length and sharpness of his spurs, and the scales on his legs, 

 and said he was certain that the bird was at the very least five 

 years old. I strenuously denied this, as the catalogue said he 

 was eight months old. The hens, however, seemed to please 

 him, as he remarked they were very large, and so they were left. 



I could not keep long away from my new purchase, and on 

 returning to the pen in an hour or two I found the cock's head 

 all covered with blood, and one of the hens' beak in the same 

 state. This rather astonished me, and I thought the cook and 

 hen must have been fighting, which I considered very ungallant 

 on the part of the old Dorking cock, who I had always heard 

 styled " the pattern of an English gentleman." I watched them 

 for a little while, and soon saw the hen go up to the cock very 

 affectionately and commence to peck his comb, which was 

 already streaming with blood, and to my astonishment the latter 

 seemed to enjoy it ; but I now thought it high time to interfere 

 before the cannibal hen should have quite eaten his comb away. 

 To make a long story short, the cock proved old and useless, 

 one of the hens was an inveterate comb-eater, while the other 

 laid shell-less eggs, the extreme value of the three being about 

 4s. to make into soup, which was their ultimate destination. 



I could give more instances of disappointment from buying 

 birds in a "selUng class" were it necessary, but I shall only 

 mention this one as a sample of the others, so that intending 

 purchasers in a " selling class " may draw their own inferences. 

 I do not for an instant deny that bargains are occasionally to be 

 picked-up in " selling classes," but only by good judges who are 

 able to appreciate the merits of birds which some amateur does 

 not know the value of ; but I am more than ever convinced that 

 beginners had better ntear clear of them. In trying, then, to 

 solve the question. Where are good birds to be obtained ? I will 

 not attempt to give advice to old fanciers, most of whom are 

 well able to teach me, but simply, if possible, to give a few 

 hints in a crude form to assist beginners. 



I recommend anyone really ignorant of fancy points and all 

 that is required in a good bird, and who has not sufficient confi- 

 dence in his own opinion nor time to attend an auction, to apply 

 to one of the well-known dealers, who, if he asks him a good 

 price, will give him a good bird, or else to write to one of the 

 numerous successf al exhibitors of the day, stating your wants 

 and the amount you intend to give, leaving all details to the 

 exhibitor, and trusting him to send you the value for your 

 money. I have the pleasure of the acquaintance of nearly all 

 the leading Dorking exhibitors, and am convinced that not one 

 would take an advantage of a beginner were he to evince con- 

 fidence; but when anyone writes pretending to be a good judge 

 the exhibitor will often expect him to find out the defects for 

 himself. 



There are many who do not like to buy birds without pre- 

 viously seeing them. I would recommend such to buy their 

 birds " on approval," by which is commonly meant that, if the 

 fowls are not approved of they may be returned, the intending 

 purchaser, of course, paying all carriage both going and return- 

 ing, and also being answerable that tho birds reach home in 

 safety. Of coarse, any special agreement can be made that is 

 thought necessary, bat buyers are invariably expected to send 

 the money before the birds are sent off. An honest purchaser 

 should have no objection to this, as it will be readily understood 

 that in these days of sharp practice vendors must be on their 

 guard, as many apply to have birds sent them on approval who 

 have not the least intention of either paying for or returning 

 them. 



The next question will be, At what time of year are we most 

 likely to procure birds at a moderate price ? This will depend 



