190 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AagQBt 26, 1675. 



Enth ara very pretty, the former especUHy from its bright-coloured berries 

 wliicli studded over tho mods-like carpet foliage are very effective. 



Vine Leaves Browned {One in Fcnr).— The air of the house has been, 

 Ftayuaut and dry, consequently ibe leaves are very severely scorched. Water 

 the paths daily, and keep the top ventilators open all day and night. 



"Vine Leates (B. C.).— There was no mildew on the leaves you enclosed. 

 Tbey were beaJtby, and as the ventilation is well attended to you need only 

 to keep the air moist by waterinjj the paths daily. 



Ivi- ON "Walls {Delia Eorco).—T\ie Ivy would not make the house walls 

 damp, but contribute to their drynes.'<, as may readily be observed by auyoae 

 when rain in falling, the rain beini,' kept from the wall by the Ivy leaves 

 throwing-off the water. We do not, however, advise Ivy fur a south wall, 

 partly from its doing best in the shade, and from the south aspect suiting 

 other plants as Eecallonia macrantha, which has fine, evergreen, glosay 

 folia^'e, and red flowers iu summer; Garrya elliptica is also a fine evergreen 

 aud flowers in winter. For the north aspect no plant is so suitable as Ivy. 

 For thickening the hed^e under tall Elm trees the common Beech or Horn- 

 beam would be most suitable, especially tho former. 



Tamarind ( J. B. C.).— The Ea^t Indian (Tamarindus indicus), is a large 

 spreading tree of about 60 feet in height, and the West Indian (T. occidentalis), 

 is equally spreading, attaining to a hei^'ht of 40 feet. They may be grown in 

 this cDuntry in a large lofty house affording the temperature of a stove. Two 

 parts fandy loam and one part leaf soil is a suitable compost. We do not 

 know of ita being fruited in this country, few having accommodation for bo 

 pretentious a plant. 



Gathering Seeds before Ripe (IF. W.). — All seeds are best left on the 

 plants until they are ripe, but some plants do not ripen all the seeds at once ; 

 hence, as in grain, some are cut when comparatively green but with consider- 

 able stem attached, and those seeds are as good, in fact germinate more 

 freely and sooner than those left to mature upon the growing plant. The 

 Reed in such cases requires to be fully formed and kept in the husk or pod 

 until hardened. Fuchsias are easily raised from seed, sowing the seedin liybt 

 8oil in ppring, and placing tbe pots in a hotbed, the seedlings will be up in a 

 few days. 



Climbers for Usheated Glazed Verandah (J. A.). — You do not say 

 what the aspect is, but we presume it is south, and advise accordingly Big- 

 nonia capreolata, Berberidopsis corallina, Bridgesia epicata, Ceauothus 

 azureus grandiflora, C. Gloire do Versailles, Jasminum revolntum, Lardiza- 

 bila biiemata, Lonicera flexuosa, Passittora carulea, Solanum jasminoides, 

 Baddlea globosa, and Stauntonia latifolia. All are evergreen, but we should 

 not fail to have some deciduous, as Glycine sinensis, Clematises of sorts, Tea 

 and Noisette Roses, and for i:s fragrance Chimonanthes fragrans. A Mag- 

 nolia grandiflora floribanda would do famously. 



Select Clematises (F. C). — There are so many really beautifnl varieties 

 th)t we can scarcely moke a selection of three of the best. White, C. Mrs. 

 Qiiilter or Henryi ; blue or purple, C. ascotiensis or nigricans. There is no 

 '■ scarlet," but C. viticella rubra grandiflora has bright claret-red flowers. 



Sowing Annuals for Spriso Flowering {A. S.). — To flower early they 

 should be sown from the middle to the end of September, but exceptions are 

 SJlenes and Saponarias, they requiring to he sown early in August, Nemo- 

 phila insignia grandiflora last week in August, CoIUnsia verna grandiflora 

 second week in Augist, Limnantbes Doaglasi first week in September, Las- 

 thenia califomica fourth week in August, all pricked-out in good light soil, 

 ehaded, and duly watered, moving with balls to the beds in autumn. Myosotis 

 sjlvestris ought to he sown in June and grown-on. 



Repotting Liliom candidum (/r/'-m).— When the stems are yellow, the 

 plants having died down, they should be turned out of the pots, all tbe soil 

 not occupied with roots removed, and fresh compost employed for repotting, 

 which may consist of three parts turfy loam, one part each leaf soil and 

 sandy peat, and a half part each of old cow dung and silver sand, providing 

 good drainage. They should be only moderately watered until the plants 

 commence, and be kept from frost, but cool. We do not know of a method 

 of keeping Cucumbers, only to pickle them. 



CrcDUBERs Unhealthy (C. P.). — Tour plants are much infested with 

 green and brown aphides. Fumigate with tobacco or tobacco paper, and 

 early the next morning syricge with warm water in which soft soap has been 

 dissolved at the strength of 3 ozs. to each gallon of water. This will kill the 

 insects, and tbe plants may afterwards be kept clean by regular eyringings of 

 pure water. 



Names of Fruits {Connaughi Suhncriber). — Apples: 1, Not known; 

 2, Trumpington. The Plums were all decayed before we had an opportunity 

 of examining them. {W. G.) — No. 1 is French Cudlin; 2 is unknown to us. 

 It is not Red Wine. It is a valuable acquisition on account of its earliness, 

 and thongh not equal to Early Harvest aud Irish Peach in quality, still ripen- 

 ing BO early as the third week of July, it is valuable. Can you tell ns any- 

 thing of its origin ? 



Names of Plants {A Lady in Cheshire). — Alnns glutinoea laciniata, 

 Fringe-leaved Clammy Alder. 



POTJLTBT, BEE, AlTD PIGEON OHEONIOLE. 



POULTEY FABMING. 



I HAvi; repeatedly seen in reply to correspondents in your 

 " Letter Box," and also to those in many of your contemporary 

 p%pers under the above heading, that it has been tried in many 

 places but was always attended with loss. My cognomen, as at 

 the foot, has no doubt met the eye of many of your subscribers, 

 a-uongst which are customers of mine, and who would, I believe, 

 iike to see into the proofs of the profit or loss of this business ; 

 and if through your columns you will allow those who have 

 given their whole study to the subject — I mean as their only em- 

 ployment, and who have persevered against all difficulties — to 

 give their experience, and if not too personal, an abridged copy 

 of their Dr. and Cr. account, for I have kept mine for two years to 

 a halfpenny, I shall be glad to submit mine in your first issue of 

 September for the perusal and comparison of your readers. I 



am sure it is a matter of interest to all poultry-keepers, and if 

 you would kindly give publicity to these few remarks we shall 

 be able to give healthy recreation and profitable employment to 

 many who are now only deterred through fear of loss. 



I have hatched and reared over liOO head this year, and 1300 

 in 1871 ; and having, as I observed a few lines back, kept a daily 

 and constant account, am in a position to give reliable and un- 

 doubted testimony as to whether it is always attended with loss 

 or not. — G-iiLiNAcoLTUBisT, Ha'nipton-in-Arden. 



BIRMINGHAM SUMMER SHOW. 



AoocsT 20th to 23rd. 

 This year this Show was vastly ahead of the^osco of last 

 season. The poultry were under a splendid marquee, and the 

 Pigeons under a very long canvas-covered shed, in the grounds 

 of Aston Park. In fact the weather made it the beau, ideal of 

 an outdoor show. There were nearly 800 entries of poultry and 

 600 of Pigeons. The management was ostensibly under a Com- 

 mittee, but we saw no one but Mr. Watts and the Secretary 

 taking any very active part in the work, excepting one or two 

 attendants. As before, we suppose it was really Mr. Watts's 

 Show. The food was given by Messrs. Spratt, and we thank 

 them, as without it the birds would have fared ill, for every pen 

 was provided with Indian corn for their first meal on arrival — 

 a most unwise thing. Billett's pens were used, and Drewitt 

 kept his eye upon the arrangements, the bare idea of sawdust 

 being put into the pens making him very active. Some of the 

 classes were very large and should have had extra prizes, but 

 such would be contrary to the ideas of the management, as we 

 find where the entries were small the first prize was either with- 

 held or the class extinguished. With such attendance, such a 

 fine entry of birds, and liberal subscriptions, it ought to bear a 

 handsome surplus ; hence we are surprised at such meanness. 

 The schedule is by no means a heavy one — there is far more 

 show about it than anything else. For instance, where the first 

 prize is a cup the value of the cup ia paraded in addition to the 

 first prize of J;2, or whatever it may be, when in reality the 

 first prize is a myth and is simply a false display of figures. 



In Dorkings the first cockerel was a fine dark bird, good all 

 round; second neat in style, and the other noticed birds mostly 

 large and good. Pullets were not so fine as usual. The first 

 was a fine bird, but she has one crooked leg ; second was fine in 

 frame, and third good. The first and second Silver-Greys were 

 capital, and looking up a bit; third a fair White. In hena the 

 awards were the same. The first Cochin cockerel. Buff, has at 

 last gone ahead ; he is a good square bird ; second lighter, third a 

 trifle mealy ; highly commended (Lingwood) should have replaced 

 him. In pullets, first a fine bird in full feather, second very 

 fine all over, third similar. Messrs. Burnell and Lingwood also 

 showed beauties. In Partridge, first a fine bird, but leggy and 

 rather narrow ; second better, except in hock ; third wanting in 

 style. In pullets all want pencilling, Mrs. Tindal's highly com- 

 mended bird being the best. In White cockerels, first a big fair 

 bird, second good but small, third leggy. Pullets were much 

 better, the winners being great beauties, reat not so good. In 

 Blacks the first puUet was the only good one, and she was a real 

 Veauty. Brahmas (Dark), first and second were well-known 

 birds of rare colour, looking as though rest would improve them ; 

 third a fair bird, certainly not so good as highly commended 

 (Hamilton), which will make into a beauty. As in the pullets 

 we failed to find any really extraordinary birds. The cup pullet 

 was in our judgment a poor one, and we failed to find the merit 

 she possesses ; second a fair bird, better in marking ; third good. 

 Surely the cup must have been intended for the next pen 

 (Hamilton), a far better bird. Mr. Kendrick's waa the best- 

 marked of any ; Miss Pennant's will also make a fine pullet. 

 In Lights the cup went to a fine bird, very forward, good in leg, 

 shape, and hackle, but a trifle yellow ; second smaller, neat 

 shape, but a bad hackle ; third good in leg and comb, but also a 

 bad hackle. Neither of these were bo good as very highly com- 

 mended (Dean), commended (Dean), or Mr. Dean'a 224. In 

 pullets a splendid class. First was a very good bird all over, 

 but the second was better, her size and hackle were superior, 

 and other points as good ; third a good bird, not so white. 

 Among other highly deserving birds were very highly com- 

 mended and highly commended Dean, Hainea, Petter, and 

 Watson. In Spanish &rBt was a fine lobed cock, second beautiful 

 in face and lobe, third also very good. Hens were a grand lot, 

 first being in the best order ; second, third, and Messrs. Beldon 

 and Allsop's capital. This was a grand class. Among Game 

 the first Brown Bed was very good, though not yet dubbed ; the 

 cup Brown Red pullet was also a beauty, superb in colour and 

 style, but we really think the third Black Red was better, being 

 almost perfect. The first Pile was a good leggy bird of capital 

 quality, second a good Duck wing, third also good but too short 

 in head. In the undubbed class the usual winners took the 

 prizes, first being a rattling yellow-legged Pile. Hamburghs 

 were small classes. In Spangles first waa a Gold getting out of 

 feather; second a splendid Silver, which we preferred; and 



