Aagost 5, 187S. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTIOULTORB AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



121 



Smoulder, ami not blaze or break through, covering it with the sods yon pro- 

 pose ufiiuK, which will do them no harm but ROod, and when it is charred 

 through put out the tire. The top 3 iuches of the pasture, not the " top 

 spit," will be Huitablo for the border. The manure for the border should be 

 half-decayed, or better fresher, with all the straws practicable removed. 

 There is no need to thatch the border, a covering of leaves and httery manure 

 may bo given to prutoct the roots from frost, the littery part being re- 

 moved in April and the short, left. 



Potato Disease— Insfcts (H. N. O., Mallow). — The black ova sent have 

 certaioly not tlio slit-htest connection with the Potato disease. Their pre- 

 sence on the Potato root is accidental.— I. O. W. 



Azaleas Making Fresh Growth (7*. W. L.I.— Whilst making fresh 

 growth, and until that is complete and the buds formed, they require to be 

 kept close and moiat. A temperature of 60- to 65^ at night, and 70'^ to 70 ' by 

 day, with a ride from sun heat to 80^ or 90'^, air beiug admitted moderately, 

 and the planth shaded from bright nun. The pit would be more suitable for 

 the plants than a Rreonhouse until the growth is made and the bud^ sot, 

 after which th^y should have air more freely, and the shading be gradually 

 withdrawn. When hardened-off they are best in an airy bouse, and shaded 

 from bright sun. 



Glass for Camellia House fSoio).— Rouch plate glass a quarter of an 

 inch thick would do away with tho necessity for shading; or pla'"e glass 

 ground on one side answers perfectly, the cronnd side beiu'^ placed insiie, 

 and the smooth or unground side outside. If the roof be already glazed with 

 clear glass you may give an efficient shading by painting the inside with a 

 wa=h formed of skim milk and whiting of the consistency of whitewash. It; 

 will last good until the close of September, after which it may be washed off, 

 shading not being required in winter. 



Poppies (A Lai!y in Cheshire). — There is a number of herbaceous kinds, 

 bat none correBpondiug to the one you describe. The Great Scarlet Poppy 

 (Pdp4ver bracteitum), with flowers 9 inches acrose, is grand; and so is 

 the Iceland Poppy (P. nudicaule', with yellow flowers; but there is no 

 perennial with the flowers approaching your description. It must be an 

 annual, and its appearing twice in the same border and place two years con- 

 Becutivtly is no proof of its perennial character, as they produce themselvos 

 very freely from aelf-town seeds. It is notusuil for them to appear year 

 after year. We have known a bed of French Poppies reproduce itself for a 

 number of years, and the identic U kind you name we have had year after 

 year, in a plot of Seakale the last year, and not a plant, in the time has befn 

 allowed to seed; hence th^y have arisen from seed previously existent in the 

 soil in a dormant eta^e. It is the Pie my-llowered, whii^h you may obtain in 

 ten colours. The Carnation Puppy may be had in twelve colours, treating 

 them as hardy annuals. Fine indeed are such plants for shrubbery and 

 herbaceous borders. 



Double Pybethrums {J. B., Nottingham). — Propagation is effected by 

 division of the plants when they are beginning to grow, each slip or division 

 being removed with a portion of root and planted in a shady border of light 

 soil, and watered until established. More generally, however, cuttings are 

 made of the growing shoots, and eapeoiolly those situated at the base of the 

 plants, having two or three joints, aud inserting two-thirds the length of the 

 catting3 in sandy soil in a shady border, and covering with a handglass. 



Bedding Geraniums (F. J.). — Inserting the cuttings in large pots half 

 filled with compost is a novel idea, and beyond that has nothing to recommend 

 it. Four to six cuttings may be wintered quite well in a U-inch pot, potting 

 them off singly in March. Better thau pots where room is an object is to 

 insert the cuttines in boxes, and 1^ inch to 2 inches apart, potting-off in 

 February if you have heat, or in March without it. Very good plants may be 

 bad either way, and very little inferior to those grown during the winter in 

 pots singly. 



Wasps' Nest under Roosi-floor (A. B.).— If yon cannot reach the wasps' 

 nest under the fl 'or of your dining-room to destroy it by burning or other- 

 wise, your plan of closing the grating.s by which they enter, aud thus starve 

 them to death, is the only which we think can be safely resorted to. Prevent 

 them from from getting food outside and they will perish. 



Insects {Letitia).~'We think it very unlikely that you will be able to keep 

 yonr soath-of-England Glow-worms alive and breed them in Co. Antrim, 

 Ireland. Thev feed on snails, slugs, and small worms.— I. 0. W. We should 

 put them in a garden and leave them to their own instincts. 



Name of Trees (C. W. iU.l.— The large leaf is the Variegated Sycamore 

 (Acer pseudo-platanus albo-variegatum). The other is aleo an Acer, probably 

 Opnius. but a smashed leaf is not sufQcient to enable us to identify it 

 correctly. 



Names of Fruits (J. P. Allan).— It is the Flemish Cherry. 



Names of Plants (D.).—!, Limnanthes Douglasii; 2, Too withered. 

 (J. W. L.).— Thalictrara aquilegifoliura. (^. 2.).— 1, Lonicera japonici; 2, 

 Sednm Sieboldii ; 3, Too shrivelled; 4, Achimenes sp. (E. J. S.).—l, Poly- 

 podium aureum var. aristatum ; 3, P. appendiculatum ; 4, P. (Goniophlebium) 

 Bubiuriculatum; 2, Selaginella cuspidata; 5, Pteris quadriaurita ; 6, Asple- 

 nium hulbiferum. 



POULTRY, BEE, AWD PIGEON OHEONIOLE, 



LES BASSES-COURS DE L'ANGLETERRE. 



Chaptek 2.— FAVEESHAM. 



44, Preston Street, tbia time is onr destination, and close 

 to the station we found it. How we envied Mr. Bring who can 

 throw a stone almost into the parcels office. We who have to 

 go close on two leagues to send off a basket of eggs or fetch a 

 bird from the station, certainly did wish we were a little nearer 

 when we saw how conveniently our friend was situated. 



Mr. Dring is an old friend of ours. He was almost the first 

 friend in the fancy we ever knew, and though that was close on 

 half a score of years ago, we never were able somehow to see 

 the Houdans aud Creve-Creurs in their own Kentish home till 

 we planned this visit. Mr. Dring is most assuredly one of those 

 who does wonders in a small place. Those who see his name at 



show after show winning cups and prizes can have no con- 

 ception that only a back garden and an enclosed yard are hia 

 poultry premises. Surely if they did they would cry, "Let us 

 go and do likewise," for certainly Mr. Dring holds a proud and 

 prominent place in the poultry world arena. 



A right hearty welcome we found awaiting us from both Mr. 

 and Mrs. Dring, for Mrs. Dring is as " far gone " as her husband ; 

 in fact, Mr. Dring is proud to be able to tell everyone that a 

 great part of his success is due to his good lady. When he is 

 away amid the barrels of sparkling bitter beer, brewed from 

 the finest East Kent hops, she is feeding the "coming K's " on 

 every conceivable kind of titbit, or making some dainty dish 

 for a promising brood of early chickens, or administering 

 minute and frequent doses of " paste " to a Creve cock who is off 

 his feed, or choppiug-up green meat — making savoury salads in 

 fact for the growing birds. Yes, Mrs. Dring is an enthusiastic 

 fancier, and a knowing one. We heard once how she saw a 

 Houdau cock in a far distant farm homestead, and quickly de- 

 tecting its merits took home the trophy to her husband, which 

 went afterwards the round of the shows, bringing-in first prizes 

 and cups ad libitum. Mrs. Dring on this occasion, too, was up 

 to the mark, for she first found its pedigree, and so knew she 

 would be in no way sullying the fair honour of the birds she 

 had left behind her. AH these things does Mr. Driiig's good 

 lady do. At the Palace she is as well known as he is, for basket 

 in hand she goes round distributing chickweed aud watercress, 

 not only to their own birds but to any she sees in need of it. 

 Truly a thorough fancier is Mrs. Dring ! 



41, Preston Street, is a corner house in the street. It has 

 behind it what would be an ordinary-sized town garden. In the 

 centre of this is a piece of green, aud round it are the runs. The 

 garden plots have long ago gone, they melted one by one into 

 the chicken runs as the fever grew fiercer, and when we went 

 there it was all " establishment." The houses and yards were 

 as clean as this paper. They were a treat to see, and, of course, 

 this is a great reason why Mr. and Mrs. Dring are so successful. 

 We saw champion Houdan and Creve cocks in little houses, 

 who took turns for a promenade on the garden green. The 

 water for them was clear, their houses all sanded down with 

 clean sparkling sand and pounded sea shells. We saw a long 

 run going down two sides of the garden almost full of Crcvo 

 hens. There were winners there at all the best shows. We 

 noticed one pair especially, perfect beauties, huge in crest, 

 black as jet, and with bodies like brave Coloured Dorking hens. 

 They matched so well it seemed a pity to send them out sepa- 

 rately. Every foot of space in this garden was made the most 

 of. We even saw a trio of cockerels living in the summer bouse. 

 This was evidently the last place given up to the birds, and we 

 can imagine even our enthusiastic friend here giving a shiver 

 as he saw his smoking snuggery also given-up to the Frenchmen. 

 Wo next crossed a road close to the house and found a garden 

 which Mr. Dring hires, this was also wholly given up to the 

 birds. The houses here were large and commodious and scru- 

 pulously clean. The runs were a fair size, and were covered 

 nearly over with bioken and pounded sea shells, and the birds 

 seemed to thrive marvellously in them. There were birds put- 

 up for breeding when we saw them in two of them, and the 

 others were full of cockerels and pullets ready for the show-pen 

 or the purchaser. We noticed one or two white birds which 

 looked very striking among the coloured. These were bred 

 from perfect winning specimens, and afford another instnnce of 

 how the truest-feathered birds throw chickens different in 

 plumage to themselves. 



When we went indoors we were regaled on cold boiled Houdan, 

 and delicious it was. If it ever comes to our lot to breed birds 

 for the table we shall give Houdans tho first turn. We never 

 remember eating chickens with such delicate meat or of such 

 fine flavour. Mr. Dring showed us, too, his cups — and a beau- 

 tiful collection they were — each one looking as bright as if it had 

 that moment been turned out of Elkington's. We were, as old 

 friends, privileged persons, for we were shown the account book; 

 and though we will not divulge one line of that well-kept ledger, 

 still we must say we were amazed to see how little Mr. Dring 

 asks for his winning and stock birds. Really the birds seemed 

 to us to be given away ; but Mr. Dring assures us he finds it by 

 far the best way to sell a good bird at a fair price, for the same 

 customers then keep coming again. And certainly time after 

 time we saw in that ledger the name of the same purchaser 

 occurring, and that being, too, of a well-known exhibitor ; so wo 

 are inclined to think Mr. Dring's method of dealing a good one. 

 Mr. Dring is fortunate in having a friend near him who lives 

 in the country, and who frequently allows a few birds to be sent 

 to him for fresh country air. This must be a great boon, for 

 when a bird droops or ails from any cause nothing affords such 

 a good " pick-me-up " as a run in a rich country field ; and we 

 can imagine even that Mr. Dring has often cause to thank his 

 friend in the country for some small portion of his successes. 



When we left, our worthy host drove us to Ashford, and tho 

 drive was most beautiful, passing the famous Eastwell Park 

 with its fine undulating grounds. Wo carried away the recol- 



