January 29, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HOUriOULTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



107 



to branch, and the stopping may be again practisoil when the shoots resulting 

 from tlie first stopping have raaJo two leaves. This will make your plantn 

 very bushy, the slioots being regulated by neat Ktakcs so as to form a compact 

 head. It "is now too late to Ktop your plants, but you may by timely attention 

 have them bushy another season. 



Zonal Pelargonium CrLTUiiE (.4. JI.).— Your plants ou^ht now to be kept 

 rather dry, but not so as to cause them to shrivel ; and at the end of February 

 they (should be pruned, which we should couline to the shortening or cutting- 

 cut of irregular growths ; and the branches ought to be pegtred down or taken 

 out Bo as to secure the breaking of the plant regularly. Place them in a light 

 airy position, and keep them moderately moist. When the plants have 

 broken turn them out of the pots, remove as much of tlie old soil as comes 

 away without bringing off a great many of the roots, and return to the same 

 size of pot as before. Shade from bright sun, and sprinkle overhead twice 

 daily tiil they have recovered from the potting; water Rpaiingly, only keep- 

 ing the soil moist until the roots are working freely in the fresh soil, then 

 water more freely, and expo&e fully to li^jht and air, but shade fmm very bright 

 sun for an hour in the hottest part of the day. When the pots are filled 

 with roots, or early in Mwy, the plants may be sliifted into their blooming 

 pots, after which they would be best grown in a cold pit, or light aii7 position 

 in a cool house. Strong irregular growths may be stopped, but not after the 

 middle of May, also any trusses of bloom as they show up to that time. Train 

 the shoots out, so as to form a compact well-furnished Kpceimen. Weak 

 liquid manure may be applied, after the pots fill with roots, at every alternate 

 watering. 



Espalier Apple Tree Wires (Welby). — The distance of the wires or 

 trainers apart should be 1 foot, the first being fixed 14 or 15 inches from the 

 ground. Five or six wires will be a good height for espaliers. 



Camellias for Conservatory Wall {H. B.).— Monarch and Mathotiana 

 alba are not " trailing " Camellias, nor are there any that are of that habit, 

 but they are free-growing kinds, and in a good border and when established 

 make shoots of about a foot a-year, sometimes less ; so that a plant if planted 

 quite young would be a number of years in reaching the top of a wall 4 yards 

 high ; but plants of a good size ready trained for walls may be had, or a one- 

 sided large plant may be used for the purpose. 



Thorn Tree Grafting (.4/tcc}.— Cut-off the head when the buds are 

 showing the green of the leaves, which will be some time in March or early in 

 April, and after paring the sawn part smooth put in the scion by crown 

 grafting; or we should, on such large arms, put in two scions by cleft, and 

 other two on the same arm by crown grafting. If the grafts prow you wiU, of 

 course, remove all the shoots arising from the stock; but if they do not, 

 encourage three or four shoots, the strongest on each arm, and those you may 

 bud in July ; and if the buds do not take you can graft the shoots the follow- 

 ing March, putting on the scions by tongue or whip grafting. 



MESEMRRYANTHEMrjI CORDIFOLIUM YARIEGATUM SoWING (Idem). — The 



seed should be sown in light sandy soil, which should be watered before sow- 

 ing, allowed to stand for a few hours and again watered, and when settled sow 

 the seed, covering it very lightly with fine soil or silver sand. Place in a 

 Cucumber frame or hotbed and near the glass, and when the seedlings appear 

 remove at once to a light and airy position in the warm greenhouse ; do 

 not water overhead but through the spout of the watering-poc, pouring the 

 water on a piece of crock or slate that may be placed in the pot amongst the 

 seetUings. Very little water is required whilst they aie youug, or indeed at 

 any state ; all they require is to be kept from becoming limp. Pot-off singly 

 when they are large enough to handle. 



PvRDS JAPONiCA RooT CUTTINGS (Idem).— ThQ cuttings of the roots ought 

 to be put in now in light sandy soil in a warm situation, covering them about 

 2 inches deep, or they may be inserted in pots and placed in a gentle heat. 



Croton variegatum Cclture {Idem).— lb is a stove plant, but will suc- 

 ceed in a warm greenhouse, keeping rather dry in winter. Repot in sprmg 

 when it begins to grow, removing any loose soil, and what can be picked from 

 amongst the roots without injury to them, and repot iu a size of pot that 

 will admit of an inch of soil all around the ball, keeping the setting-on of the 

 roots level with the rim of the pot. Equal parts tibnius peat and loam, with 

 a fourth part leaf soil and a sisth part silver sand, a few nodules of charcoal, 

 the whole well miied, will grow this plant well, good drainage being given. 

 Water freely during growth, and keep moist, and in winter keep ratlaer dry, 

 yet so moist as to maintain the foliage fresh. To have the foliage well 



. coloured the plant should have a light position. In shade it ia very badly 



I coloured. 



PoTNciANA regia CULTURE (H. G.).~lt will not succeed in a greenhouse, 

 but requires a stove. It is not much cultivated in England, not being in any 

 catalogue of plants that we remember. We do not know more than the 

 species, and the variety to which you allude is probably the species P. pul- 

 cherrima, scarlet and yellow. Ormosia coccinea is not in cultivation in this 

 country, neither of it nor of Lithospcrmum do we know where seeds may be 

 obtained. It would not pay seedsmen to deal in plant seeds not generally in 

 demand. 



Potatoes (Q. W. Drafce).— They do not produce the was moth. Spring- 

 planted Potatoes should be dug-up as soon as the leaves begin to tm-n yellow. 

 Bone dust and sulphate of magnesia mixed ai-e a good artificial manure for 

 Potatoes. 



Rustic Summer Houses {A Subscri bn-).— A^ylj to Mr. Caven Fox, Royal 

 norticultuial Society's Offices, South Kensington. 



Insects on Vine Shoots (.4/7ta;cur}.— The minute red insects assembled 

 round the buds and base of the shoots of your Vines are, wo regi-et to say, the 

 Acarus, commonly called the red spider, so injurious iu preen and hot houses. 

 You will observe that they have spun a little layer of silk, on which they are 

 grouped. You must wash the Vines with a thick cuating of lime, soft soap 

 suds, soot, and some size or gummy material to make the mixture adhere to 

 the shoots. This plan wiU also protect your trees from the Vine Oidium.— 

 I. O. W. 



Naming Fruits (A. D., Preston, and o(/wrs).— Our best authority is abroad, 

 when he returns all will be named. 



Names of Plants {C. IT.).— Tnssilago fragrans {Sweet-scented Coltsfoot). 

 Althou.,'h a native of Italy, and deliciously scented, it was unnoticed by 

 botanists untU M. Villan, of Grenoble, was attracted to it bv its perfume at 

 the foot of Mount Pilat in Italy. It was introduced into Enc^land iu 180G. 

 (J. TTi^on).— Euonymus europreus, the "Spindle Tree." and Peziza coccinea. 

 (HifjhftrUb.—Ycur Orchid was unfortunately undeterminable. Can you send 

 a!,'am? {Elizabeth ?^.).— Spiriea ariffifoha. (5u6.).— 1, Gesnera elongata, or 

 a very close ally ; 2, We cannot say ; send when in flower ; 3, Perhaps Ancy- 

 iogyue; when leaves and isolated flowers only are sent eome indication of 



mode of growth should be given. (J. B.).— Lapageria rosea. (S. D.). — 

 Bryum argenteum. (G. W.). — Genista frograns. {E. A. H. C.).— Chimo- 

 uanthus fragrans. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHKONIOLE. 



POULTRY-MARKER. 



Having frequently seen inquiries made by your coiTespon- 

 deats as to the best mode of inarkiDg poultry, I enclose you a 

 marker of my own invention, which I have used all through the 

 past season with entire satisfaction. It can be put on or taken 

 off with the greatest ease by using^ 

 two pairs of ordinary round-pointed 

 wire pliers. It is made by letting fall 

 one or more drops of melted solder 

 on to a piece of stoutish copper 

 wire. The solder is then stamped 

 with a number by means of a die, 

 and a corresponding nu mber entered 

 iu the poultry-book. The size and 

 number of the drops of solder, and 

 likewise the thickness of the copper 

 wire, can be varied at pleasure to suit the size of the chicken or 

 fowl, and any ironmonger will furnish a set of number-dies of 

 the requisite size at a trifling cost. 



This plan may possibly be already known, but I have never 

 seen anything at all like it, and as it has been most useful to me 

 I wish to make it known to my brother fanciers through the 

 medium of your columns. I may add that I prefer two drops of 

 solder in case of the accidental defacing or loss of one. 



I do not find my marker incommodes the birds in the least, 

 nor does it chafe or injure the feathering or colour of the legs of 

 Brahmas or Cochins.^WiLLiAii Savlle, Withersde7i Hall, Wye. 



THE BRISTOL SHOW SEEN UNDER SUNLIGHT, 



The Bristol Poultry and Pigeon Show has now, somewhat 

 like the city from which it takes its name, grown venerable. 

 When a Committee have persevered amid great difficulties for 

 eight years in endeavouring to maintain amongst them a first- 

 class Show, they are entitled, like their birds, to be "highly 

 commended." Shows — aye, many— have been started and come 

 to an end since the first of the Bristol exhibitions, but that has 

 gone on. Bad weather and Bristol Show time have almost 

 always gone together. This is discouraging : still more is apathy 

 shown to poultry matters by Bristolians in general — this is very 

 unpardonable. The fine Rifle Drill HaU stands fuU in view on 

 the highway between Bristol and Clifton ; it is not hidden up 

 in a corner. Every Bristol man of business who has his Clifton 

 villa passes it, and he does keep, or ought to keep, poultry; but 

 he does not enter the Show. Ladies in shoals bound for shopping 

 expeditions sail by gorgeously apparalled, and the spacious haU 

 would admit them and not crush or damage their dresses ; but 

 thei/ do not enter. Young ladies and young gentlemen on flirt- 

 ing expeditions pass by — very remiss in them ; for at a show 

 where the gangways and corners are many, flirting can be carried 

 on, and surely sentiment can be suitably indulged in, and even 

 proposals made, iu the kindred and contagious atmosphere of a 

 Pigeon Show. Young ladies and gentlemen, you who read this 

 will, I am sure, be present next year. But jocularity apart, it 

 is too bad that the Show should be so neglected by Bristolians. 

 I would suggest that Canaries and other cage birds and talking 

 birds be shown with the poultry next year : I think they would 

 draw. I have a crow to pluck with the Hamburgh breeders. 

 They were very liberally dealt with, but did not give that sup- 

 port which they ought to have given. Still, with every deduc- 

 tion the Show was a first-class one — not quite so many pens as 

 last year, but quality made up for qtiantity. 



Friday, the opening day, was terribly wet and windy, and I 

 could not face the weather, but waited in hope for a fine day on 

 Saturday : nor was I disappointed. Sunlight the railway journey 

 through ; suuhght on the pretty country between Bath and 

 Bristol ; sunlight on the old houses in the narrow old streets of 

 Bristol ; sunlight on St. Mary Redclyffe, and thai fine towered 

 old church near Corn Street; sunlight on the Avon; sunlight 

 on College Green and the old Cathedral; and bright sunlight out- 

 side the Eifle Drill Hall, and the inside lit up by the bright thin 

 yellow sunlight that comes after rain. N.B. — A new town seema 

 to me like a bit of the country spoiled, but an ancient historic 

 place like Bristol is always, in all weathers, interesting. It has 

 stood so long, and around it have clustered so many memories as 

 a town, that its having been once country is quite forgotten. 

 Thus it is that a city must be venerable in order to be interesting. 

 But to my immediate duty. In this corner yonder is class 1. 

 Dorlcings, Coloured (chickens). — Twenty cockerels made their 

 appearance but excepting the first-prize none were noteworthy. 

 The pullets were much better though fewer ; first and cup excel- 

 lent, and the other prize and highly commended and commended 



