60 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



t January 20, 1876. 



cautionsly. The pots must not become dusty dry, else the 

 plants T\'ill lose a number of leaves. If too much water is ap- 

 plied the growths become weak. "We keep the house as cool as 

 poBBible, and Ventilate freely on every favoiirable occasion. — 

 J. Douglas. 



HOKTICDLTURAL EXHIBITIONS. 



Secretaries will oblige us by informing us of the dates on 

 which exhibitions are to be held. 



Bristol (Spring Show). March '22nd and 23rd. Mr. G. Webley, Holm 

 Wood, Westbury-upon-Trjm, Hon. Sec. 



Royal Caledontan Horticcltueal Society. Shows April 5th, July 5th, 

 and September 13th. 



Westminster Aquauium. April 12th and 13th, May 10th and 11th, May 

 30th and Slst, Joiy 5th and 6th, October 4th and 5th. 



Maidstone (Rosbb). Jane 21st. Mr. Hubert Bensted, Rockatow, Maid- 

 stone, Sec. 



Spalding. Jane 21st. Mr. G. Kingston, Sec. 



Richmond. June 29th. Mr. A. Chancellor. Hon. Sec. 



SoDTHPORT. July 6th, 7th, and 8th. Mr. E. Martin, Sec. 



Helensburgh (Hoses), July 12th and 13th. Mr. J. Mitchell. Sec, 



Brighouse. July 29th. Messrs. C. Jessop & E. Rawnt^ley, Hon. Sees. 



Dundee (International). September 7th, 8th, and 9th. Mr. W. B. McKelvie, 

 26, Euclid Crescent, Sec. 



TRADE CATALOGUES EECEIVED. 



W. Catbneh & Sons, Highgate, London, 'i^.— Catalogue of 

 Select Vegetabley Flower, and Farm Seeds. 



John Jeffries & Sons, Cirencester. — Garden Guide and General 

 Seed Catalogue. 



Brnmtnond Brothers, 52, George Street, Edinburgh. — Cata- 

 logue of Vegetable avd Floiver Seeds, List of Gladioli. 



\V, Barron & Sons, Elvaston Nurseries, Borrowash, Derby. — 

 Descriptive Catalogue of Choice Vegetables, Agricultural, and 

 Floiver Seeds. 



William Rumsey, Joynings Nurseries, Waltham Cross, Lon- 

 don, N. — Catalogue of Garden and Farm Seeds, Potatoes, i(-c. 



James W. Mackey, 40, Westmoreland Street, Dublin.— J^^ms- 

 trated Amateurs' Guide a7id Descriptive Seed. Catalogue. 



William Rollisson & Sons, Tooting, London. — General Seed 

 Catalogue^ also a List of Subtropical Plants. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 

 ',* All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to *' The Pablieher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 ol our correspondents, aa doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Books (A Constant ReaiUr). — "Loudon's Encyclopjedia of Plants" con- 

 tains woodcnts of Btove and greenhouse plants. With its sooplemcnt it 

 includes plants of 1855. Price £3 13s. Qd. 



Teansplantino Hops (F. M. £.).— The plants for ornamental purposes 

 may be safely moved any time from November to March, not permittintj the 

 roots to become dried by exposure. 



ArsTRALiAN Plants (J. K. E.).— You had better consult Dr. Hooker's 

 " Flora of Australia," and Bentham's " Flora Auatraliensis." 



Destroying Scale {E. W., DitbUn).— The easiest , and we think the most 

 effectual, plan to dettroy the scale on your large tree wil! be to pyringe it 

 thoroughly with soft-soap water of a strength of 3 or 4 ozb. of soap to each 

 gallon of water, applying it at a temperature of 140^ when it reaches the 

 in8<^cta. You must calculate that the solution will be considerably cooled in 

 its transit through the air. 



GBEENHOtrsE CONSTRUCTION (D. E. CoTiway). — We do not know where you 

 can obtain ins^tructioD. If you inspected one and a frame such as you need 

 they would affnrd you the best guides. 



Gesneba zebrina (J. Subscriber). — We should shift the plants which are 

 now 3 inches high into larger pots early iu February, and grow-on in brisk 

 moist heat, afTurding them a position near the glass. The temperature sh' -uld 

 be 60'^ to 65- by day fium lire heat, and 10- to 15- higher from sun, and at 

 night 55^ to 6U". Water moderately. They will, if strong, flower in spring. 

 After flowerins the plants should be gradually dried off, affording them a 

 light airy position. Our plants are now in flower in a cool stove, the flowers 

 at this season being very bright and useful. The pots containing the tubers 

 are always placed on a moist bottom, water being withheld when at rest, but 

 the pots are sprinkled overhead daily in sprinkling other plant?, and when 

 commencing growth the tubers are fresh potted. They are kept constantly 

 IE the stove, starting of their own accord about July, and invariably flower 

 in December and January. 



Grass on Terraces (A Constant Subscriber).— -Between now and March 

 dre^s with any rich compost you may have at hand, as the refuse of the 

 garden reduced to mould, or nearly bo, adding to and mising with it or other 

 compost a sixth part of lime, turning over the compost and adding tho lime 

 iu its unslacked state, which will become slacked in Ihe compost, and before 

 appl>iDp, the heap should be again turned over. Apply about half an inch 

 thick, and in April remove the rough parts of the compost by raking with an 

 iron rake, and sow over the whole evenly 81bs. of Cynosurus cristatus, 6 lbs. of 

 Feetuca duriuscula, 8 lbs. of Festuca tennifolia, 4 lbs. of Poa nemoralis, and 

 41b8. of Trifolium minus, in mixture for one acre, taking a proportionate part 

 of each kind for the size of your ground, raking lightly after snwing, and rrlling 

 well, the surface being in such a state as not to adhere to the roller, and leave 

 for a mcnth, after which mow and roll frequently. 

 Vine not Growing (Somfrst'O-— We caDnot account for the Vine n'.t 



growing more in a season than 3 inches, other than that it is constitutionally 

 weak, and will never do any good. We should remove it and replaceit by the 

 cane to which you allude, cutting it to within 3 feet of the bottom of the 

 wires, leaving that extent of c-ine for bearing. 



Everlasting Flower {O. W. D ).— It is an Helichrysum, but which, in 

 the absence of foliage, we are unable to tell. You do not state whether the 

 species is annual or perennial, hardy or tender, so that wo are unable to 

 advise you as to its treatment. The other plant we do not know, nor are the 

 leaves any help &n they were smashed. 



PanNiNQ Orange Trees {A. D.).— When the trees are much crowded 

 t^h wood, having a quantity of worn-out twiggy growth, it is desirable to 

 thin those annually, cutting out the weakest and oldest wood, but avoiding 

 what would be termed a severe pruning, as that would tend to an excess of 

 growth and a deficiency of flowers and fruit. Any irregularities of growth 

 should be cut-in so as to induce compact heads. The pruning should be per- 

 formed prior to growth or flowering, the early part of February being a good 

 time. 



Cactus not Flowering (X of Sidmouth).— 'Repot the plant in March in 

 a compost of three parts turfy loam and one part each of broken bricks of a 

 porous nature, old cow dung, and silver sand, draining well, and place la a 

 house with a temperature of 55' at ni^iht (or a vinery started in that month 

 will answer well) and 65-" by day, with a rise from eun heat to 75= to 81'^, 

 watering moderately, and sprinkling overhead twice diily, avoiding a sod- 

 dened state of the soil, but watering copiously when in free growth. The 

 growth being complete, or in July, place outdoors in front of a south wall, 

 placing the pot on a slate, and water only to keep the shoots or growth from 

 shrivelling. Return to the house by the middle of September, placing in a 

 greenhouse in a light airy position, giving no more water than that required 

 to keep the growths plump, for which very little will be required. After that 

 preparatory treatment jour plant will flower. 



Names of Fruits (L. L.).—l, Dumelow's Seedling; 2, Brabant Belleflenr; 

 3, Yorkshire GreeniuR; 4, Not known; 5, London or Five-crowned Pippin; 

 6, Feam's Pippin. (H. if.).— Flemish Bon Chretien, a stewing Pear. {Stuart 

 and Afci/t)-— Gloria Mundi. (Connaught Subscriber). — They must all be local 

 varieties, for we cannot distinguish any of them. [Sir W. Ba^jje).— Padley's 

 Pippin. 



Names of Plants (P. p.).— The specimen was smashed. Yoa should 

 send a specimen in flower enclosed in a box. 



POULTET, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



SILKIES. 



By KEGINALD S. S. WOODGATE. 



PiKT 1. 



Of all the different varieties that are now found at our 

 poultry Bhow8, the Silky is certainly one of the quaintest. We 

 notice at exhibitions that very many visitors are struck by 

 these birds, and many are the queries we hear as to the name 

 of this pretty little breed. We find Silkies now are in great 

 request, not, of course, for their laying powers or for table 

 purposes — though the former are by no means inconsiderable 

 — but as sitters and mothers. Undoubtedly no breed supplies 

 such exemplary sitters and nurses as do Silkies. Their great 

 mass of silky-down feathering, their peculiar attention to their 

 chickens, and the long time they run with their broods, make 

 them more especially valuable for rearing early chickens of all 

 breeds, and Bantams and Pheasants at all times. Silkies, too, 

 are great winter layers, and generally in January and February, 

 when broody heus are not procurable, Silkies will be found 

 ready to undertake the business. 



It seems the fashion iu the present day to breed them small 

 for the exhibition pen ; in fact, some think the smaller the 

 better. But much as we admire the tiny specimens, we hope 

 they will not become mere Bantams, for then they would lose 

 half their value as sitters, being only able to cover a very 

 limited number of eggs. On the other hand, the long-legged 

 and coarsely-made birds which are sometimes seen are simply 

 hideous, and have at some time or other been the result of a 

 cross we feel sure. This can generally be recognised by the 

 appearance of single combs, red combs and faces, green or 

 yellow legs, and birds which continually throw four-clawed 

 chickens. We know that some say birds are found in Japan 

 with these disqualifications, and are imported into England, 

 and so trust to the genuine article. This is no proof at all, for 

 surely the birds are capable of being crossed, and are crossed aa 

 much in Japan as anywhere else, and that these mongrel speci- 

 mens certified as being found in Japan and imported into Eng- 

 land and elsewhere are the result of some cross there is not 

 much doubt. We have gone thoroughly into the matter, and 

 have waited to write these chapters until we could procure the 

 fullest evidence from Japanese merchants and others who have 

 lived and are living in Japan, and from them we learn that the 

 Japanese Silky pure and proper is just such as we see in the 

 most perfect specimens of the present day. We could quote 

 many cases of birds perfect in every one of our now required 

 scale of points coming from Japan into England within the 

 past eighteen months, and we know on two occasions Mr. O. E. 

 Cresswell has himself come into possession of birds direct from 

 Japan which have won in England in the fcverest competition. 

 We quite believe that there is a red and single-combed bird 

 with Silky plumage found in some parts of India, but there is 

 no authorised proof, we believe, of these having been imported 



