Jane 11, 1874. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND OOTTAGK GARDENER. 



475 



Calceolarias in Pots Failing (J. H.).— FaiUin in yonr case wo think 

 due to the plauts haviag beeu kept in small pots until they were Ijkr ailvadced 

 for flaweriuf^, and then shifted as they were— pot-bound— iiito larger pots, 

 ■which would cause them to damp-off at the neck or collar. The only remedy 

 is to sUiU the plants as the pots fill with roots into larger pots. 



Aspect F(ir Fernery (T. TK).— The wall facing dae north will answer 

 admii-ably for the back of a Fern house, which it will not be necessary to heat 

 if you only gi-ow hardy kinds, and they are better without it. If you have 

 haif-harily or creeuhoufle Ferns, we should have the house divided by a par- 

 tition, and only heat the division devoted to the greenhouse Ferns, the others 

 beiui» kept cold ; though a single pipe, if the house do not exceed 12 feet iu 

 width, or two if it is more, would prevent any great degree of cold, artificial 

 heat being only used iu severe weather. 



KosE Seedlings Damping {G. W. J.).— The Roses have undoubtedly 

 damped-off uwin^- to the frequent watering, the stems in their young state being 

 Boft, and probably placed too deeply in the soil. The seedlings should not be 

 planted deeper than up to the seed leaves, and you will not save those that 

 are dying-off by plp-ntiog them deeper. Keep the soil drier, watering only 

 when dry. It would have been better to have pricked them out iu the open 

 ground than to have potted them singly iu small pots. 



Onions Clubbing |G. C.).— It arises from the young plants receiving a 

 check from continued cold weather in an early stage of growth, or from a 

 sudden check given by too heavy waterings, especially in a cold period. This 

 malformation is mostly confined to the white kinds, which are more tender 

 than the brown. 



Guano Water for Celery (IirZcm).- After the plants have taken good 

 hold of the soil, until which they should be supplied with water only, com- 

 mence with the guftco at the rate of 1 oz. to a gallon of water, which is 

 sufficiently strong if frequently applied ; but if given at rather distant in- 

 tervals, or say once a-week, it may be applied at double the strength, or 2 ozs. 

 to the gallon. 



Banksian ItosE NOT FLOWERING FREELY {P. Q.). — The want of flowers is 

 probably due to the beat during the past season not being suffii^ient to ripen 

 the wood, and the trees making luxuriant growth owing to the moisture. 

 Thin-out the wood, especially the old bare growths, and do not prune, only 

 thin-out to prevent uvercrowdiug. With a good summer we think you will 

 have flowers in plenty another year. Confine the pruning to shortening the 

 long 8hoo:s to well-ripened wood, which need not bo done until the buds are 

 swelling early in spring. 



Gentiana acaulis Edging (Idem). — We should have two rows of plants 

 at a distance of 4 inches between the rows, and -1 inches apart in the lines, 

 or 6 inches if the plants are 3 inches across, planting them quincnnx fashion. 

 Toil will require at 4 inches apart eighteen plants, and at G iuchea twelve 

 plants per yaid. 



Various (A. E.). — 1. Keanp's " Indoor Gardening," which may be had post 

 free from our office for Is. l^d., gives instructions for the managemenb of 

 indoor plants throughout the year. Special works on stove plant s and Oixhids 

 are thosg of Mr. Williams. They are separate, and may be liad through a 

 bookseller. 2. Pea seeds may be preserved from mice by moistening them, 

 and coating with r^d lead before sowing. 3. You cannot winter Geranium 

 cuttings without a pit or house from which frost is ex(;luded; but you may 

 keep them in jour dwelling-house, and best in the boxes in which they are 

 struck. 4. The only thing to keep birds from the fruit of Currants and Goose- 

 berries is to net them. 5. The only way to make walks hard and proof against 

 weeds, is to form them of concrete or asphalt, the latter preferably. 6. You 

 need but a small hize of boiler, but we cannot recommend any one particularly. 

 W^rite to those advertising iu om- columns, stating what you require. 7. It 

 is cheaper in constructing a span-roof pit to have it 2 feet or so below the 

 ground level, and have only a glass roof, with wood ventilators in the side 

 walls. 8. Variegated white-leaved Geranium — Bright Star ; white-llowered — 

 The Bride; bronze— Marshal ilcMahon; rose — Master Christine; pink — Mrs. 

 Upton ; scarlet — Jean 8islty. 9. We could not say in what way you could 

 best go to work to secure some pecuniary return from a stove and greenhouse. 

 Consult some one experienced in the requirements of the locality, and strive 

 to meet the demand. Y'lur questions are far too numerous to send at once — 

 not more than two or three can be answered fully. 



Pine Apples Black in the Centre {R. A.). — The most probable cause of 

 this is giving the plants manure wat«r when the fruit is approaching the 

 ripening stage. Should this not be the cause with you, let us know what your 

 treatment has been. 



Treatment of Fig and Peach Trees (A. C. H.). — The Fig trees should 

 not become leggy if the young growing shoots ai-e pinched at every fifth leaf. 

 It does not answer to cut the wood back, because the bearing wood is all found 

 at the ends of the branches. You may cut back a few of the leg^y branches 

 this year, and more the following season, and thus gradually get the trees 

 into good shape without losing a crop. Keep the Peach trees clean by syring- 

 ing twice dady. The aphis must be destroyed by fumigating with tobacco 

 smoke, or washing the trees with any of the mixtures destnictive to these 

 insects. Enciitirage the trees to make healthy young wood, and you will he 

 sore of a crop nest yeai'. 

 KosES (A Vicar's Widow).— Xon must let us know your correct address. 

 Mealy Bug { W. C. D). — Have every branch and stem brushed over sedu- 

 lously with a hard brush, and then with a painter's brush as thoroughly 

 painted over with this mixture : — Soft soap, 2 lbs. ; flowers of sulphur, 2 lbs. ; 

 tobacco, 1 lb. ; and a wioe-gla^sful of spirit of turpentine. Mi.x the sulphiu-, 

 turpentine, and soap into a paste with warm water; boil the tobacco for an 

 hour in a covered saucepan in some more water, strain it, mix it with the 

 soapy miiture, aud then add enough water to make live gallons. 



Names of Plants (H. 3f.1.— Bnddlea gbbosa, Round-leaved Buddlea. It 

 s a native of Chili, aud was introduced by Messrs. Lee & Kennedy exactly a 

 hundred years since. {D. o/ ii.).— Valeriana rubra. Bed Valerian. It is a 

 native plant, or has beeu so lung introduced that it is found wild in many 

 parts of Enjiland. Scotland, and Wales. {T. S.) —1, Phlox subulata; 2, Coto- 

 neaster, perhaps microphylla; 3, We ig el a japonica. (S., York). — 1, Trades- 

 cantia discolor; 3, Epideud/um cochleatum ; 4, Begonia parvifolia; 5, Ascle- 

 pias curaseavica. {R. R). — You can say Cerasus Padus it you prefer it, but 

 you must not suppoi^e that the Latin and En^dish names of plants necessarily 

 correspond. Your plant is Cotoneaster bacillaris. (Ben. Hall). — Ferns must 

 be sent in fruit; 2. Davallia canariensis(?) ; 3 and 6, Pteris sp. ; 4, Blech- 

 num (?|; 5, Asplenium foeniculaceum. [J- S. B.). — ^thionema grandiflorum. 

 (F. E. T.). — Elieagnus sp. {L. Q.). — No ; but we cannot say what it is from 

 the specimen sent. {Young Subscriber).— Poa praten&is ; 2, Dactylis glome- 

 rata; 4, Selaginella sp. ; 5,"Pteris cretica. {S. G., Torquay).~A Ceanothus 



near Lobbianus. (S. G.).— 2, Berberis aristata, var. (M. H. Jtf.).— Coronilla 

 Emerus. 



POULTEY, BEE, MB PIGEON OKROUIOLE. 



POULTRY HOUSES AND ACCOMMODATION. 



Befobe a favourable result can be obtaiueil iu poultry-keep- 

 ing, it is absolutely uecessary that the inmates have all that is 

 required to promote health autl comfort. 



The accommodations which tend to further the well-being of 

 poultry are few and elementary. Supposing that poultry will 

 pay if properly managed, I will detail what I consider is best 

 fitted to produce that result, aud begin with their houses. 



Fanciers whose aim is to produce birds up to the standard of 

 excellence, and must therefore keep each variety separate to 

 reach their design, do not mind the expense ; but as it is my in- 

 tention to add to rather than to take away from the pockets of 

 fanciers, especially of amateurs, I decline to describe costly 

 dwellings. All should make the most of the accommodation 

 which exists in their premises. With a little ingenuity anyone 

 can make comfortable quarters for fowls. 



The exposure should be south, and a window facing east will 

 give the advantage of the morning sun. If the house can be 

 built adjoining a stable or cow shed so much the better, as, no 

 doubt, the egg-supply in winter will be increased. Light is 

 necessary to promote success, not only to enable the fowls to 

 iind the way to their nests, but also to keep them in health. 

 The poultry-house must also be ventilated, either by a small 

 skylight in the roof, or, which is still cheaper and equally 

 effective, a moderate-sized hole as near the roof as possible, 

 covering with a piece of perforated zinc. Draughts must be 

 avoided. Cleauliuess must also be regarded ; the floors should 

 be thoroughly cleaned at least twice a-week — that is, if there 

 are many occupants. If the houses could be cleaned-out every 

 day it would be far better. 



I have found thatch roofs very useful, especially in the winter, 

 at which time every precaution should be taken to protect the 

 poultry from the cold. Snow falling on the thatch constitutes a 

 warm and dry covering. A cheap and substantial roof is made 

 of a crate, such as china and earthenware dealers have their 

 goods in ; take it to pieces and fix the sides on the poultry 

 house, then nail a few laths across, cover these with some old 

 ! bags, and finally tar the roof thickly, throwing sand all over to 

 make it more weatherproof aud firm. 



To prevent rats from coming up through the floor I have 

 proved the following to answer admirably : — Dig about a foot or 

 2 feet deep, and fiU-in with a mixture of gravel, pieces of slate, 

 and lime rubbish, together with a sufficient quantity of tar, and 

 then spread over this sand 2 or 3 iuches deep. This will form a 

 cheap and effectual flooring. — F. S. H. 



HYBRID BIRDS. 



In your issue of May 28th I observed a diiJerence of opinioE 

 respecting the production of this " mongrel " species. Mr. 

 Hewitt states, " All attempts to breed these birds with the 

 Golden Pheasant cock and the common fowl have signally 

 proved a failure." Here I differ, for I myself have bred them 

 from such cross. From 1870 up to a very recent date I had a* 

 large number of almost every variety of Pheasants. In 1871 I 

 had presented to me a most singular specimen of " fowls,*' 

 which the captain of the ship who presented them to me called 

 "Ajablcs." They resembled most closely the barndoor fowl 

 but somewhat smaller, were adorned with a goodly-sized top- 

 ping, narrow tail, head somewhat erect, close-feathered, long in 

 limb, and partly booted. Two of these I turned down with a 

 Golden Pheasant cock, which, shortly after becoming associated 

 with him, commenced laying, and continued so doing until late 

 iu the season of 1871. In February, 1872, thinking to try an 

 experimental production with this cross, I sat a sitting on eight 

 or ten of their eggs, which produced five singular-looking birds. 

 When they came to maturity they were the most unique 

 " hybrids " I ever saw, and several of them are stUl in this 

 country. — A Bostonian. 



NOTES FROM A POULTRY- YARD. 



Since the circumstance recorded by your correspondent, Mr. 

 G. Ware, is, as you state, interesting to you aud your readers, 

 I venture to think the following facts may be equally so. On 

 the 11th of December last I placed thirty-one eggs, chiefly 

 mongrels, under three hens. Two of them, on eleven and nine 

 eggs respectively, were in confinement ; the other, on eleven 

 eggs, was allowed to remain in the nest of her own selection. 

 On the 1st of January the two hens in confinement produced 

 nineteen chickens, and the one on the nest of her choice brought 

 off five. The twenty-four chicks were placed with two of the 

 hens, while a new sitting of eleven wag put under the Uttle hen 



