January 27, 1873. ) 



JOURNAIi OF HOKTICULTUKE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 



79 



auJ graft it on two or more branchea of tlio unvarioBated, woulil induce that 

 to bo partly variegated, but to what extent can only be known by trying. 



Analysis of Millet (J, W.). — Itconta'na more nitrogenous matter ami 

 ICHS fi*arch than rii;e. Of minenl sub-^tauces it contains about 4 per cent., 

 and tbtfie are potash, soda, liiue, uia^/uesia, oxido uf iron, phoephuiio acid, 

 sulpliniiu acid, Bulpbate of lime, chUtiide of sodium, and siUea. 



GiMFTiNQ (T. W.). — You will have seen notes and ilhistrations in our last 

 number. If you need fuller directions you will find them in our "Fruit 

 Garden Manual," which you can have free by po^t for five p0:'tage atarapw. 



Pears not Eii'KNING (G. C),— It is very difficult to understand the 

 vagaries of Pear**. You would fiud Beuir*.' Diel ripen if the tree-i were planted 

 on the wall. It succeeds on the Quiuce. We would advise you to gather 

 ftuit at different times, placing a label against the fruit iu the room, you 

 would then ascertain what was the best time to gather by noticing which 

 liptned best. The h-fjiuuing ot December was very late. All the Pears 

 Hbould be gathered a mouth before that. If the trees you namo do no better 

 next year, head them down and re-graft with bettor varieties. 



Potatoes for Exhirition (F. Af.).— Your soil being heavy is against your 

 having Potatoes in six varieties for exhibition in July unless you have a 

 warm situation. The nix we adivso are — Veitch's Improved A^hleaf, Bi^unti- 

 ful iFeun), Perfection Kidoey (Feun), lOarly Market (Fenn), Rector of Wood- 

 felotk (Fenn), and Snowllake. Plant early, protecting from frosts. 



Kemoving Oil Paint from Trees {South Coast).— "We presume the 

 paiut is only upon the trunks and thick biauchea, from which it may bo 

 rt?uioved by scrapiog them, than which there is no better implement than a 

 *' triangle Ine" witliashcrt instead of a long handle, as for drilling. The 

 scraping will not injure the trees if you do nut injure or remove the layer ot 

 bark next the wood. 



Vegetables for Exhieition {A Toung Amateur).— Bvo&d Ceaos — if in 

 the pod, Seville Long-pod; if out of thepod, Windsoi. Scarlet Runners — 

 Champion. Cabbage — White, Hill's Dwarf Incomparable; Ked, Red Dutch 

 Savoy, Drumhead. Long Currot — Ked Surrey. CauliliDwer — Walcheren. 

 Celery — Red Leicester lied (Major Clarke's Solid Red); White, Williams's 

 Matchless White. Lettuce — Cos, Alexandra White; Cabba?,G Neapolitan. 

 Onion— Reading or tlie Banbury. Peas — Longest-pod, Superlative and Sup- 

 planter. Parsnip— Ilollow-erowned Improved. Turnip — Early Snowball. 

 Potatoes- Kidney, Perfection Kidney (Feun); Round— Early Market, or 

 Hector of Woodstock; American, Snowflake. 



CvcLAMENS IN ViNERY [T. Byrnr). — We do not see so far as you explain 

 your treatment, that it is wrong in any particular, only when the Vines are 

 Btart(d the Cyclamens from the shade and heat will be liable to be drawn-up 

 weakly. Could you not remove the plants to a cold frame in the summer ? 



Dressing Vine Border (F. T., Dublin).— \Ve should prefer the half- 

 inch bones to bone dust, giving a dressing about an inch thick, and mixing it 

 ■with the surface soil as deeply as you can without injuring the roots ; but as 

 jou eay plenty of bones were used in the making of the border three years 

 ago, a sprinkling of bone dust in March at the ra'e of 1 lb. per square yard 

 would be an ample diesbing, supplementing with a sprinkling of guano in 

 moist weather at the tioae the berries are thinned, giving 2 oza. per square 

 yard. 



Makin'o a SnnuBP.ERY Walk (Bugh Taylor).— k curved or serpentine 

 path through shrubs is more desirable than a straight one, and to which 

 there is not only no objection in your case, but it is the proper form to adopt. 

 The walk ought to have the sod taken out 6 inches deep, to have 8 inches 

 of rough stones at bottom broken-up, and upon them may be a covering of 

 ashes to give evenness, and then you may add the 2-inch thickness of tine 

 gravel. The tiles should be flxed before tlie walk is gravelled. 



Lighting a Conservatory {Bactip). — Suspension lamps or globes having 

 a tube from each projecting throii^di the roof to conduct away the elements 

 of combustion ai-e the most t,uitable, and in them oil, paraffin, or g is may 

 be burned safely. An ironraoncer will procure them for you. In a notice of 

 the conservatory at Roliestoo Hall, in No. "iGS, some globes were referred to 

 us answering their purpose admirably. 



Rose Perle des Jardins (W. S.).— It is a good canary-yellow Rose of 

 hardy vigorous growth. There is but one perpetual white Moss Rose, the 

 flowers of which ar ^ neither large nor very double, but they are pure white, 

 produced in c'usters and beautifully mossed. Madame Bellenden Ker is a good 

 white HP. Rose. 



Choccses for Pots (J. K.). — You have been correctly informed. The 

 clumps now appearing a'love ground will, if potted, flower freely in joar 

 greenhouse some weeks in advance of those left in the ground. 



ViN'cA ROSEA (E. W.). — These plants may be readily raised from seed, and 

 will fliwer freely the first year if grown in a brisk heat, such as is afforded 

 by a stove or Cucumber frame. 



TcBERons Begonias {J. Allen). — They are a beautiful class of summer- 

 flowering plants of easy culture. See what is said in another part of the 

 Journal. Cultural notes with a selection of varieties will be given next week. 



Hyacinths (Mrs. L.). — The bulbs which hava pushed crowns the size of 

 "large acorns " must ba taken out of the ashes at once, and be gradually 

 inured to the light, affording thera a few dajs' twilight by a slight covering of 

 moss. They may he grown-on in the fraui^ or greechouse, keeping the soil 

 regularly moist. When unfolding their foliage too much light and water can 

 scarcely be afforded them. 



Alpine Plants for Pot Culture (Wm. Wallis). — Aretia Vitaliana, 

 Campanula Rargauica, Dodocatheon integrifolium. Draha glacialis, Kpimedium 

 piunatum elegans, l'>iophorum Lehoncbzei, Cleutiaua verna, Hutcliiusia 

 alpins, Linna'a borealis, Nertera depres^a. Parnassia asarifolia, Pinguicula 

 grandiflora, Pjrola rotundifolia, and Ranunculus alpeatris. 



Standard Trees for South Wall (West Coast). — The most suitable 

 trees for a south wall would be Apricots, Peaches, and Nectarines, trees of 

 which you may obtain one or two years trained of the principal nurserymen. 

 They will give a fair return of fruit until the dwarf-trained trees grow and 

 require their space, when, of conrBC, the rider^j elmuld be cut away to make 

 ronra for the permanent trees. You might have a Plum or two for earliness, 

 R9 Early Rivers and Early Transparent Gage; and a Cherry or two, as Early 

 Purple Giiigne and tmpress EugOnie. Nectarines would not succeed on an 

 east or west wall, on which Pears or Plums would be suitable. Plums would 

 succeed against the east wall. Do not biiug-up more than 2 or 3 iuches of 

 the pand, and 2A to 3 feet is deep cnouch to trench ground for fruit trees, 

 lees if the soil is had at bottom. Gooseberries, if you want flavour, arc Early 

 Green Hairy, Green Gage, Champagne, Yellow Champagne, and VVarrmgton 



Red. If size and f-ilr flavour :— Red— Hopley's Companion, Guide, and Atlas. 

 White— Ostrich, Shoba's Queen, and Wandering Girl. Green— Angler, Con- 

 quering Hero, and Thumper. Yellow — MarJt^old, Bank's Dublin, and lluabaQd- 

 man. The early part of April is a good timo to plant Couiftra, or moist 

 weather in late summer and early autumn. Gordon's " Piuolum" may suit 

 you, but it does not treat of shrubs. 



Daphne indica (//.). — Cut-in any irregularity of growth when the flower- 

 ing is past, but not otherwise prune, and keep rather dry for a month, and 

 yet d) not allow the foliage to flag for want of moisture, then repot ond keep 

 rather moist and slightly shaded during growth, and when the growth is com- 

 plete afford a light airy situation. Pot sparingly, not giving a large shift, 

 providing good draiuage, and a compost of turfy peat and loam ia equal 

 parts, with a sixth of silver sand. 



SvRiNoiNG Camellias (Idcm).~-Ytm may syriogc tho plants, but only 

 to cleanse tho foliage from dust, for if the water come in contact with tho 

 expanded blooms it will discolour the petals. We do not syringe ours more 

 than two or three times a year, and to cleanse them of accumulated dust, 

 hut sponge the leavus twice a year — in spring before new gr.jwth ia made, and 

 in October or November, about the middle of which month they commence 

 Uowfriug and continue up to March. We have no blotched loaves, of which 

 the syringing is id most inatancua the principal cause. Keep the roots well 

 supplied with water, and the foliage dry. 



Starting Vines (A Constant 7Ifri(i<.T).— We should start the house the 

 beginning of March, which will give you Grapes at the end ot July and early 

 in August, and they will hang in good condition for a lon^ time. It will not 

 iijjuro the Vines to start them at that season. The Vines should have a 

 good watering before starting, and the whole of the border brought into a 

 thoroughly moist state. The hose-pipe should ho made to pass over tho 

 whole of the border every inch of it twice at each watering, and about twice 

 that quantity given for a yard around the stem of each. This watering will 

 flurtice until the Vines are in leaf, and then you may water every three weeks 

 until the berries are set. and every fortnisht until the Grapes are mainly 

 coloured, when the watering should bo discontinued, hut an occasional water- 

 ing given to prevent the G-apes shrivelling, the border beicg kept from 

 cracking. Your Vinos would carry a pound of Grapes per foot of rafter, or 

 fifteen hunches of a pound oa.ch, and proportionately less as the bunches 

 are likely to be individually heavier. Early forcing has a tendency to weaken 

 Vines and wear them out, but it is only when forcing is going on at an un- 

 natural season. 



NAME3OFFRUiT3(J.Jf^(;ru'4(£S0tt).— I.Blenheim Pippin; 2, Not known; 

 3, Christie's Pippin. 



Names of Plants (The Swanage Major).— X&n. It ia the plant you name. 

 (C. B.).— Thyeacanthus Scbomburghkianus (?); 2, Peristrophe (Justicia) 

 speciosa; 3, Cyrtanthera Pohliana (Justicia earnea). 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



UNSATISPACTOKT POULTRY-KEEPING. 

 I TLACE before you the result of carefully-kept accounts of tlio 

 last year's experience with respect to the keeping of fowls — I 

 keep the Dark Brahmas. I have an unlimited grass-rnn, a good 

 dry house with roosts 18 iuches from the ground, lighted by a 

 window which opens to the east. I have fed them thus : Morn- 

 iag — maize, one pint to the dozen. Noon — wheat or barley, 

 dry in summer, boiled in winter and given hot in the same 

 proportion, and scraps. Evening (about an hour before going 

 to roost), wet food, sharps and ground oats in equal proportions 

 1! pint to the dozen, made up into balls on January 1st, 187.5. I 

 began with twelve hens and two cocks. The result has been, to 

 the Slat of December, 2,028 eggs. Sold 1,290 ; set 325 ; oon- 

 Bum'.d 413. Hatched 180. Died 35 ; sold, 51 ; consumed IG ; on 

 hand 81 for sale. I also hatched 75 Docks (Aylesbury) from 155 

 eggs. Lost and died 38; sold 27; consumed 8; on hand 2. I 

 fiod the cost has been i'28 is. M. I have received for egg<i and 

 poultry sold (tho fowls have weighed from 11 lbs. to 14 Us. psr 

 couple, for which I have charged 8(i per lb, of late, and the 

 eggs from IQd. to Is. Qd. per dozen), taking the 81 on hand at a 

 proportionate value, £33 14s. id. Now, while I am nothing out 

 ot pocket it hardly pays for the trouble. I have seen in the 

 Journal statements of the large profits made from poultry. I 

 may be extravagant in the keep on the one hand, with a bad 

 market on the other, and I hope some of your readers will put 

 me right. I perhaps might make something from exhibiting 

 some had I the nerve. My fowls are beautifully marked — well- 

 feathered feet (on two toes). I must relate some peculiarities 

 which I cannot account for. One hen while sitting laid ten eggs ; 

 another killed her chicks as she hatched them, and then turned 

 them out of the nest ; another after she was loose with her 

 brood attacked every other hen with chickeos, taking them to 

 herself until she used to go to roost with about thirty chickens. 

 —A. P. 



COEK SHOW OF POULTRY, &o. 



This was held on the 18th and 19th inst. Nearly all the 

 classes of poultry and Pigeons were well represented, but no 

 bird was of such excellence as to require special notice. In 

 the show of Cage Birds the entries were good, and the quality 

 throughout better. In Canaries Yellow some misconception was 

 evident, any bird not marked being considered a Yellow, and 

 some excellent Mealy Belgian and Norwich being passed over 

 on this account. The winners were Belgians, aud such birds 

 as would delight the hearts of some of our Knglish fanciers to 



