^6-i 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



{ March 26, ISli. 



once, and Byringe the canes two or three tiraea a-day, damping the house at 

 the same time. 



Peach FonciXG {G. A. T.).— Mr. Taylor refers to a note by Mr. Gilbert in 

 our No. G7-S, pubUtshed February 19th. In Keaoe's " In-door Gai-deniuj^ " are 

 weekly directions inr forcing. You can have it from our oflice free by post if 

 you enclose twenty post-oflice stampa with your addreaa. 



Select Brtght Red and Scarlet Koses ( ).—Sfari^(— Alfred 



Colomb, Madame Victor Verdier, Dr. Andry, Marie Baumann, Gi>neral 

 Jacqueminot, and Senateur Vaisse. Crimson Scirlct — Charles Lefebvre, 

 Fislier Holmes, Pierre Nottin^, Xavier Olibo, Prince Camille de Rohan, and 

 M. Boncenne. Red — Maurice Bernarilin, Louisa Wood. Camille Bernardin, 

 Madame Boutin, Dupuy Jamain, and Marquise de Castellane. 



Raising Scolopendriums from "NiPiPARons Plants (I. M. C). — The vipi- 

 parona little plants on the fron.38 Bhould be taken alontr with the frond on 

 whicb they are when it is at its maximum growth and the little plants frosh. 

 Tbe frond should be laid on a pot or pan filled with sandy peat with (,'ood 

 draina^je, and pe;?L,'ed to the surface by the midrib. The surface should be 

 sprinkled with silver sand so us to brin^ it level with the base of the little 

 plants ; give a gentle watering, and keep moist constantly. The pot ouLjht to 

 be covered with a hand or bell-'ilass, and bo shaded from sun. A\Tien the 

 youn^' plants have rooted and arc growing freely the glass sliould be tilted a 

 little on one side, so as to gradually withdraw it ; and when hardened-off pot 

 singly in small pots, and grow on iu a cool moist house. 



Pear-tree Blooji-bud.^ (A. J.}.— Tbo number of buds on your tree is 

 excessive, especially as it was ouly planted last Novembur. We should allow 

 them to swell, and even expand the flowers, bat when these are fully open 

 redui^e each cluster to two or three of the best flowers, cutting the others 

 away, and after the fruit ia set leave not more than thirty of the finest, 

 cutting-off all the rest. 



IIepatica Sowing (X P.). — The see^s of Hepatica, also Christmas Rose, 

 should be sown as soon aa ripe in light sandy soil enriched with a third of 

 thoroughly reduced leaf soil, choosing a sheltered border shaded from the 

 sun at midday. A border to the east of a wall, or north of a low fence will 

 answer. The seeds should be scattered rather thinly on a smooth surface, 

 and be covered with fine soil about tlie eighth of an inch deep. The soil must 

 be kept moijst, watering occasionally in dry weather, and be kept fr-^e of weeds, 

 placing a very light mulching of leaf soil over the surface where the seeds are 

 in autumn. A year after sowiug you will bo rewarded with plants, which, 

 after growing a year in the seed-bod, may in September be plant ed-out in 

 lines 6 inches apart, and 3 inches from each other in the Unes, and about the 

 third year they will flower. 



Asparagus after Forcing (B, Bm'Z/"ort/).— The roots are of no further 

 use, and should bo clearcd-out after they cease to produce shoots. You will 

 require fresh roots for another year. 



Vines (A'. X.). — The Vines in 15-inch pots and from each of which you pro- 

 pose to take five bunches, keeping in pots this season, and planting-out in 

 autumn, will not answer unless you give them a year's growth, cutting them 

 off close, and taking a fresh cane from the bottom. We should not do this, 

 but allow the Vines to make shoots an inch or two long and then plant out, 

 disentangling and spreadiug-out the roots, giving a good watering with tepid 

 water, and shading from sun until they are re-established and are growing 

 freely. We should not take more than three or four bunches of fruit this season. 

 We should rub-off the shoots from the top downwards lo five from where you 

 wish for side shoots, and all below that to the soil, originating the first at the 

 bottom of the rafter, and having four side shoots, and one to train-upas a 

 leader, which should not be stopped until it reaches the top of the house. 



Fumigating with Nitre, Tobacco, and Cayf:nne (C. E. P.).— It would 

 not be injurious to stove plants if carefully conducted. 



Persimmon (.4. T.). — It is the fruit of Diospyros virginiaaa, known also 

 by the name of American Date Plum. It is a native of Virginia, Carolina, 

 and Pennsylvania. It was first cultivated in this country more than two 

 centuries ago, but although it produces abundance of fruit here we never 

 heard of its ripening, but it might on our southern coast. When ripe it is 

 yellow. 



Names of Plants (T. Harwood). — Fritillaria meleagria. (R. S.).— We 

 cannot name a Fern unless a fertile frond is sent to us. (J. D. D.). — Chi- 

 monanthus fragrans; it is hardy, and the seeds will probably succeed. (D. G.). 

 — Euphorbia jacquinia-flora. (H. D. //.). — We are sorry we cannot name your 

 Oncid from the single flower. In this and similar cases a rough drawing of 

 leaves and habit is of great assistance. (H. H.). — Cornus mascula. (G. Diss). 

 — 1, Adiantum cuneatum ; 2, Pteris cretica. (L. Holmes). — 9, Adiantum his- 

 pidulura ; 12, A. tenorum; l^, A. .-Rthiopicum; 10, Davallia novir-zelaudiiP ; 

 11, Pelhea falcata '/ (no fruit). (.1 Correspondi-nl from Hamwood, Co. Heath, 

 name illefjihle). — A form of Anemone coronaria. 



POTJLTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHEONIOLE, 



A PET-LOVING EPIDEMIC. 



I LITTLE thought my letter would be printed. Why, oh ! why, 

 dear sir, did you not at any rate omit the last paragraph ? 

 Through its unlucky publication I have discovered on whose 

 shoulders the mantle of the late lamented Mrs. Caudle has 

 fallen. Shall I " a tale unfold ? " I will. 



I had comfortably settled down iu my chair of chairs, intend- 

 ing in comfort to enjoy my pipe and the perusal of "our Journal," 

 when I heard : — " I should be ashamed of myself if I were you ! 

 The idea of writing of us as though we were a tribe of heathens, 

 (fee, (Vc, &G. I call it shabby of you. You are the cause of it 

 all, and now you become a traitor." Beading was out of the 

 question, and when opportunity offered I endeavoured to excul- 

 pate myself. " I can assure you, my dear, I only used the word 

 ' demoralised ' in a Pickwickian sense ; but do not your Fantails 

 come in to breakfast regularly ? Does not Fred strip nearly all 

 the vezetables in the garden of their leaves, and on being spoken 

 to coolly says ho cakes them for his Kabbits ? Did I not the 

 other morning catch Johnny (a;t. five) watching with the most 



intense interest a battle royal between a Black lied Bantam and 

 my spotless Light Brahma ? On my scolding him he said (hear 

 this, oh ' Wiltshire Rectok ') that ' the man in the book ' 

 said 'Bantams did no harm.' And only a few days ago did not 

 * wee Maggie ' insist on a travelling dealer in foreign birds 

 coming back with her and the nurse, as she was sure papa would 

 buy her a ' pitty bird ? ' " " Yes," said cara sposa, '* and papa 



did. And who bought the Light Brahmas and gave ?" I 



fell asleep, but do please be careful for the future, for the 

 of — St. Edmund. 



[A little knowledge of the mutual feelings of contributors and 

 readers of " our Journal," a little glimpse now and then behind 

 the curtain, or rather behind two curtains — the one where sits the 

 writer, the other where sits the reader, promotes kindly feeling, 

 creates a bond of union, without trespassing the least upon the 

 privacy of names. Now, such a glimpse has " St. Edmund "given, 

 and given in a pleasantly humourous manner. Let me on my 

 side lift the curtain too. Scene — My study. Time — Three 

 o'clock in the afternoon of a certain Thursday. Condition — 

 Headachey. " I wish one did not live just so far out of a town 

 as not to get a second delivery of letters ; here I shall not get 

 my Journal until to-morrow morning (Friday). I'll write to the 

 new I'ostmaster-General about it, he may listen to a parson's 

 grievance. Had I the Journal my headache would grow better 

 imperceptibly, and by tea-time (how I enjoy my cup of teal) I 

 might be in a comparatively comfortable state, but 'tis a bad 

 world." Enteralaughingrosy-cheekedgirl. "I've got something, 

 papa, to do you good and cheer you up. There ! I have been 



down to and got your .Journal for yon, there ! " producing 



it frord behind her back and disappearing with a merry laugh. 

 I open, I fold lovingly, I cut carefully. I give the preparatory 

 look through before the actual reading commences. " Anything 

 of yours in this week, papa '?" says a treble voice near. " Yes, my 

 dear, and they can read my writing well now at 171, Fleet Street, 

 for there is not a single mistake." I turn over and read, "Kindly 

 advise a family who, if such a thing is possible, are completely 

 demoralised by those naughty men, ' Wiltshire Rector,' and 

 Mr. W. A. Blakston, and other writers to papa's first piece of 

 reading on getting home off his journey, ' our Journal ' — St. 

 Edmund." Well, here is a pretty charge ! I who have lived 

 with a good character as yet, am called " a naughty man," and 

 instead of strengthening the morals of a family, am said to help 

 to demoralise them ! What a charge against one of my cloth, 

 or rather two charges ! 



But, like John Gilpin, "I love a timely joke," and enter fully 

 i'-'ito the pleasantry of " St. Edmund's," both that of his first 

 and second communications. I beg to assure him that I have 

 enjoyed the tale he has unfolded, and so will our readers. Those 

 little matrimonial peckings and pickings are always enjoyable 

 to experience and to read of. Eve was made second, so she was 

 Adam improved, and every good Adam has so considered her — 

 i.e., if his Eve is a good specimen. But there is that Johnny 

 of the letter who fathers his love of cock-fighting on me ! 

 What shall I say to him — he and I would have a " battle 

 royal " if we met, and perhaps I should get the worst. I con- 

 clude with best wishes to the whole family, and may they gro%v 

 more and more " demoralised " in this good sense. May papa 

 enjoy his pipe and "our Journal;" mamma enjoy picking at 

 papa ; and he retaliate always in such a good-humoured way, 

 though I dare say, as usual, tlie lady had the better of it if we 

 could know all — i.e., her side as well. — Wiltshire Bectob.] 



black bantams. 



Mr. Cajibridge states that the paragraph written by me con- 

 tains nothing more than a fair description of the points of Black 

 Bantams, and this is precisely what I endeavoured it should do 

 as concisely as possible, and without entering into other par- 

 ticulars. Mr. Cambridge then alleges that it contains ideas, 

 which, if followed by amateurs or anyone else, would lead to 

 certain disappointment, and be much more likely to send them 

 astray than assist them to breed and show this variety of 

 miniature fowl to perfection. Mr. Cambridge says it is an 

 erroneous idea that the tail of a Black Bantam cock should bo 

 carried upright, and his head well back ; that the breast of a 

 Black Bantam should be round and prominent, and be carried 

 forward by the cock; and that the neck of the cock should be 

 taper, and gracefully curved well back, so as to bring his head 

 into close proximity to his tail. 



On referring to the latest edition, published this year (1874), 

 of " The Standard of Excellence in Exhibition Poultry," 

 authorised by the Poultry Club, and compiled by a committee, 

 appointed by that Club, of many of the practical fanciers and suc- 

 cessful exhibitors of the day, finally prepared in its present form 

 by Messrs. Teebay and Dixon, two of the gentlemen whom Mr. 

 Cambridge names as favouring the idea that Black Bantams' 

 tails should be rather drooping than otherwise — I find tliat the 

 description of Black Bantams, written in No. liTij of this Journal 

 by me, is not materially different from that contained in the 

 " Standard of Excellence ;" indeed, both descriptions are very 



