June 15, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



477 



Btems. Wo proBurae Uiero is na drip from the roof. In syrinRiog avoid 

 wottinjT the stems. There is no reason why the plants in the other house 

 should be similarly affected if you have a better ventilated atmosphere. Turfy 

 loam 18 quite rich enough without any addition of dung. 



Planting Flower Bed (Biceps).— Otycur proposed planting of the bed tb° 

 first-mentioned plan would cot puit wiih Golden Pyrethrum in the centre, i'' 

 would be too dwarf ; and 3 should be divided fiom 4 by a baud of Ceutaurea- 

 The second mode of planting la best, with the plentB at J3ur disposal. The 

 dwarf Lobelia and Cbristiue Geraniums m'fiht be advantageou&ly used to 

 take off the flatness of the Pyrethrum and relieve its monotony, dotting them 

 alternatelj andequidistant in the band of Pyrethrum. 



MiONONETTE Eaten iiY Fly (Idem).— 7he "flea" ia a weevil— the Tur" 

 nip lly. which may bo kept under by dusting the plants in the morning or 

 evening' with quicklime. Kepoatthe dustiug if rain washes away the lime, bat 

 with moist weather the plants will soon pass the insects, which are most 

 prevalent and destructive iu dry weather. 



Cutting Overgrown Broom {Roberton Wathcn). — The best time to cu' 

 5own Broom is before it commences growing and flowering in March or April, 

 but it will probably start into growth again if cut immediately, not cutting 

 too closely into the old wood. 



Growing Melons I T^"". Nadir).— The best compost for MelnuB ia a strong 

 tnrfy loam — the top 3 or 4 inches of a pasture, with its turf laid up in ridges 

 for three months onwarda, and chopped u^) moderately fine. No manure 

 should be addfd. The compost should be 1*2 inches deep, and ought to have 

 efficient drainage. A temperature of (i5^ at night, not exceeding 70", nor 

 less than 60° in the morning, and 70'^ to 70'^ by day without sun, rising to 

 85' or 90^ with sun and air, the latter being admitted and withdrawn at TO"^, 

 will be suitable. The temperature of the bed should bo 75", but we cannot 

 say what temperature you will require in the chamber beneath the border to 

 give you the required temperature in the bed. That you will need to deter- 

 miue practically. The atmosphere nf the house requires to be kept moist, 

 except during the setting of tlie fruit and when it is ripening. At other 

 times you will need to sprinkle the plants twice a-day, and at noon damping 

 well the house but not the plantp. 



Cucumbers Failing iA. B. C.).— We think your soil is too rich— rne of 

 the greatest errors made by Cucumber-growers. "Three parts well-rotted 

 pig&' manure to one part yellow loam," and the placing of the pigs' manure 

 in pans so as to receive night soil, ia only making the soil richer. Good 

 turfy loam without admixture of dung is sufiicieutly stimulatiug, but yon 

 iiave three parts of manure to one of soil ; and were the quantities reversed we 

 should still object to the compost as too rich unless the loam were poor, when 

 one-fourth of manure might ha added. It is so easy to apply manure in a 

 liquid form and a^ top-dressings, that we do not advise a rich toil, as with 

 watericg it is liable to become sour — a soapy mass, which may give gross bat 

 not fruitful growths. Cease the manure waterings, and do not stop so 

 closely. We do not think there is anything wrong in the treatment otherwise 

 than in the soil. 



Pear Blossoji not Setting (F. J.).— The embryo fr;iit has undoubtedly 

 been injured by the severe and long-continued cold. "We never had a greater 

 thow for fruit, but the blossom was in many instances destroyed, and in 

 most instances damaged, the anthers and pistils being killed, eo that 

 although the flowers expanded fertilisatirn could not tate place, the em- 

 bryo fruit consequently dropping. Protection is the only remedy. 



Stopping Leading Vine Shoots (Idevi^.—'We should stop the shoot in 

 your ground vinery at 4 feet, which we presume is the extent of the space at 

 command, and stop the laterals at the tirst leaf, and afterwards to one leaf 

 AS they are made. If you have more length for the leader there is no ob- 

 jection to its growing twice the length named, the chief point briing to have 

 the part to which you cut firm and well ripened. There is no need for syringing 

 Vines in aground or any other vinery, but it is necessary that a moist at- 

 mosphere be maintained. In a ground vinery sufficient moisture will be 

 derived from the soil, except, perhaps, in long-continued hot weather. 



Removing Strawberry Eunnees (Idem).— We have and do advocate the 

 remo-'ftl of runners from Strawberries a^ they appear— that ia, from thos« 

 not required to give plants for jncreaee, when, of course, the first runners 

 ought to be retained and layered to facUitate their fpeedy rooting. The 

 runners if left to root impoverish the soil. Besides they by their shade 

 prevent a free circulation of air, the foliage of StrawbeiTies requiring to be 

 fully exposed to light and air. 



Pelaegoniom Leaves Spotted"{TJ^. B.I.— There is no trace of insects 

 though there may have been insects at an earlier stage, but in that case there 

 would have been evidencoa of their attacks remaining. The ppots are a result 

 of a too close moist atmosphere, which freer and earlier air-giving would 

 prevent. We presume the plants have not been syringed, or that would 

 cause it. 



Rose " Admirable " (Kitty).— Yon will be fully justified in increasing to 

 any extent the Rose of that name. Go on propagating. 



Glotre de Dijon Rose Exuberant (Carrick). — As yon say the Rose is 

 flowering sparsely we should advise you to cut away some of the old wood 

 and make room for the laying-in of at least a portion of the vigorous shoots 

 nowpU!-hing; these, if thinly trained and matured, would in due time pro- 

 duce line flowers. The foreright shoots not required for training-in, or which 

 cannot be conveniently trained to the wall, should be removed at once. This, 

 like fiorae other Roses, produces the finef-t of flowers from young wood trained 

 thinly aud matured, and not materially shortened. Toamust provide against 

 yoni- Rose becoming bare at its base by shortening the shoots at different 

 distances from the ground at the winter's pruning. 



Vine Roots Diseased (J. F.). — We planted three vineries some eight or 

 ten years ego, acd the second or third season many of the roots presented the 

 same appearatice as yours do. A friend planted a house at the same time, 

 and the Vines were also checked in their growth by decaying roots. A box 

 was also sent to thi-- office containing roots affected in tbe same way, and in 

 each cai^e the borders were made up as yours has been, except that the bones 

 were not raw. As jour Vine has not started at all, or but very little, it may 

 have been an unhealthy cane. Raw bones and fresh stable manure coming 

 into contact with the roots of such a plant would be certain to make it woree. 

 There is no trace of Phylloxera. You had belter plant another healthy Vine, 

 but instead of allowing the soil of the bolder to come in contact with the 

 roots make a good-sized hole and plant in decayed turfy loam; the young 

 fibres will form in this, and work into the richer compost beyond. 



Vine and Nectarine Leaves Diseased (IF. S.).— Your Vine leaves are 

 slightly injured by deficient ventilation and an overmoist atmosphere. 



Having plants in the house you may be nuable to reduce the muistnre, but 

 you can increase the air; leave the top ventilators slightly open all night, 

 admitting more air very early in the morning. The Kectarine leaves are 

 severely blistered by the action of cold winds on the tender foliage. Remove 

 the worst leaves now, and milder weather will induce the production 

 healthy foliage. Keep the leaves free from insects. 



Stove in Greenhouse (0((o),— Being flueless it would certainly injore 

 your plants. 



Name of Insect (7j77ioram«8\— Cctonia aurata, the Rose Chafer. It ia 

 perfectly harmless, and is not uncommon. 



Names of Plants (Gf. H. F.).— It is rot a Linaria, but Ranunculus 

 arvensis. (J. H.).— Fritillaria pyrenaica and an Epidendrum. The exaggera- 

 tion of the Polyanthus calyx is not unusufll. (J. H., Bindley Gn'cn Hall]. — 

 Calliandia Twtedeii. {M. H. M.).—A variety of Tulipa Gesneriana; Nar- 

 cissus poeticus flore-pleno. (W. L ).— 1, Afperula cdoiata; 2, Staphylea 

 pinnata; 3, Meconop&ia cambrica. (G. L.). — Weigela roeea and Daphne 

 pontica. (A Tcn-ytars Suhscrilcr).—!, Adiantum hispidulum; 2, Nephro- 

 lepis cordifolia; 4, Pttris cretica albo-lineata; 6, Polypodium aureum; one 

 Fern not in fruit and Adiant-jm tenerum not numbered. (Mrs. H.).— 1, Sym- 

 phytum; 2 and 3, TroUius europfcus; 4, Asperula taurina; 5, Saxifraga 

 cwspitosa; 6, Heuchera species. (Lady C.).— Cactus phyllanthoides, Rose- 

 flowered Indian Fig. (A. B. G.)— Staphylea pontica. (IF. T.).— Corydalis 

 lulea. (J. FV.,J:("cV'<^'t/)— Mimulusglutinosns. [Old SuUcrihtr).—\,^yut^9. 

 rotundifolia; 2, Saxifraga granulata flore-pleno; 3, Limnanthea Douglasii. 

 (J. S. H.).— LimnanthfsDouglat^ii, a gay-flowering hardy annual introduced 

 from California in 1833, and not a "weed." 



POULTET, BEE, AITD PiaEOlf OHROIflOLE. 



MANAGEMENT OF CHICKENS.— No. 1. 



However bad the Eeason hitherto has been for many of ns, 

 there are many broods in a growing stage, and consequently a 

 few hints upon their management and feeding may be nsefnl. 

 We shall not attempt to write anything new, knowing that 

 the subject has been ventilated thoroughly from time to time ; 

 still we know that we have even since last season many fresh 

 poultry-keepers among our subscribers who will be glad of 

 any ideas which are new to them though old to us; and even 

 amateurs of two or three years' standing will not object to have 

 their knowledge refreshed, for this and the two coming months 

 are not only very important but frequently very critical. There 

 is no doubt that good chickens are scarce— we mean good early 

 birds— and we are quite sure that this will be realised soon 

 enough. So it is more than ever important, then, to make 

 the most of our broods now, even though they may be lately 

 hatched. 



To begin then. Those who have only enclosed yards and no 

 grass field or orchard for their chickens to run in, should dig-up 

 thoEe yards at least twice a-week and raise-up mounds with the 

 soil. The hen and her chickens will delight in levelling them, 

 and find innumerable edible morsels in them at every time; and 

 if grains, or ants' eggs, or maggots can be buried among the soil 

 of these miniature mountains so much the better, for to keep 

 young chickens continually on the scratch is most important. 

 Once they are allowed to be idle hour after hour on a dry and 

 hard run, and only have their proper feeds at certain times to 

 daintily pick at, they will never do well. They will lose bright- 

 ness, and look mopish and droop their wings, and then we know 

 all is over with them. Chickens must be continually employed. 

 A handful of wheat or hemp in a lump of straw will do them, 

 when confined, as much good as two feeds of the best ground 

 oats when thrown down on a hard and bare run. Chickens must 

 never be allowed to mope or be idle, for they should be kept 

 continually exercised. Then, again, for chickens in confine- 

 ment the meals must be vaiied and various. The menu ca,nnot 

 be too much changed. Boiled vegetables with the meal mixed- 

 up dryly makes excellent feeding stuff ; bread crusts and broken 

 biscuits soaked in skim milk make chickens grow wonderfully 

 fast. We always like to use soft foods in the daytime. A hand- 

 ful of some good grain at noon will not hurt them, but if 

 allowed to feed too heartily before it they are apt to lose their 

 appetites. Green food we believe immensely in for chickens in 

 confinement. Lettuce leaves and lawn mowings finely minced- 

 up and mixed with some soft food, with a sprinkling of Spratt's 

 food will often induce chickens to eat when nothing else seems 

 to tempt them. Spiced foods and aromatic compounds we do 

 not at all care for for young stock. We think they do more 

 harm than good, however useful they may be for stimulating 

 laying in adult birds. Chickens so fed seldom make fine speci- 

 mens, but become matured when they ought to be growing, and 

 develope combs when the birds ought to be making flesh and 

 bone ! Now is the time to choose out any imperfect specimens 

 — birds with evident malformations of comb, legs, or shape-^ 

 for more harm is done with overcrowding in small yards than is 

 ever done by anything else. We feel quite sure if fanciers with 

 limited space tried to produce ten chickens where now they 

 endeavour to get thirty, not only would there not be so many 

 miserably grown objects in every small establishment, but the 

 prices generally would be better and the runs sweeter and more 

 wholesome into the bargain. The prices birds are now fetch- 

 ing, save in rare instances, are very meagre, and we do not 



