September 9, 1S75. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



233 



of unconBumed gaa entering the house, would answer, though, we Bhould 

 prefer a gas-heated boiler with 2-inch hot-water pipes. 



Grapes Shanked {E. W. C.).— Tlio footstalk of the bunch you eent ub is 

 badly shanked. It is caused by the roots not supplying sap to meet the 

 demands of the leaves and fruit. See answer in last week's Journal to 

 "T. (7;)/o?i," page 210. 



Ash Seedlings on Wall (Narherth).~Cai them down ag soon aa the 

 slightest fre?h growth appears, n,ud if you continue the cutting they will die 

 of exhaustion. Applying an acid to the stumps would injure the wall. Tho 

 new iBsuo of "How to Farm Two Acres Profitably," is now ready. 



AaiARANTnus Princess of "Wales (W. Hendn- {(• Soji).— The esamples 

 sentare unusually brilliant in colour, and the variety promises to bo an ac- 

 quisitiou for decorative purposes, especially as it is easily raised from seed. 



Peaches Deficient tn Flavour {J. R. W.).— There is no reason why tho 

 Peaches should not bo good- flavoured from your houBQ if you manage them 

 properly. Soil bag very considerable influence on flavour, but in any sort of 

 loam good Peaches can be produced from sandy loam to heavy clay. Ab tho 

 roots arp inside, too much or too little water would cause the fruit to be as 

 yoa state. You should maintain a high temperature as soon as the fruit 

 begins to swell after stoning, and up to the time that it begins to turn soft. 

 If you study the " Doings " under the heading of Peach House you will obtain 

 all the information you require. 



LiLiDM GioANTEUM CuLTUHE {i7. 3/. T.). — We grow this noble Lily in the 

 same sort of soil as the others, but it will not succeed if it ii freely ex- 

 posed to the sun aud air. The plants succeed best if placed under a low wall 

 facing north, where the sun shines on them a few hours only in the after- 

 noon. They must be grown iu rather larger pots than the other fl:rtB. It is 

 best to use a garden frame or any other glass protection, although they will 

 do quite well in the open air during the summer months. 



Constructing a Vinert (E. P. A'.}.— The height of the back wall being 

 12 feet, aud the front of the vinery 5 feet, 2 feet ot brickwork aud 3 feet glass, 

 the width of the house for an IS-feet rafter would be about IG feet, including 

 the front plate ; hut as you do not give us the heij^ht of tho front, you had 

 better ascertain from a carpenter what the width of tho house will be with a 

 B-feet front, and the roof a pitch or fall of not less than 1 foot in 3 feet of 

 space covered. A house 30 feat long would not more than about one-third 

 pay the interest on fi.rst cost, and working expenses including gardener. A 

 house 100 feet long would be necessary for what yoa seek. So small a house 

 as 30 feat would be best without a division. 



CuLiNAKV Plums (A, B. G.^.— The following will Kuccead as Btandards:— 

 Early River.^, Early Orleans, Prince of ^Yales, Victoria, Prince Engelbert, and 

 Diamond. 



Names of Fruits (E. J5.).— Washington Plum. {Mr. Jac/jsoH).— Peach 

 Fear. 



Names of Plants (Uoscry). — Tho spray is of the Tamarisk ; the leaves we 

 cannot attempt to identify. (H. S. James). — Gymno^vamma chrysophylla. 

 {J. A. D. 8.). — 1, Veratrom viride; 2, Cichorium iutybue; 3, Centranthus 

 ruber; 4, Cynoglossum sp. ? (^ihh•nbo}■ol(;Jh).—^, Ab'utilou, but we cannot 

 decide the species ; 2, Polygala speciosa ; 3, Andromeda (Leucothoe) axillaris ; 

 4, Carja sp. ; 5, Erythrina, perhaps herbacea; 6, Euphorbia portlandica. 

 (G. McJdr.nty—JPaukia. ovata. 



POULTEY, BEE, AKD PIGEOI OHRONIOLE, 



LARGE PEICES. 



Feoji the earliest weeks of the present year we have had our 

 doubts as to the quantity and quality of this season's exhibition 

 chickens, aud from time to time we have hinted at the same in 

 our papers in this Journal. We will not now discuss that 

 matter, as later on we may give a brief recapitulation of the 

 various successes in the different breeds, but the fact is fully 

 substantiated by the immense prices that good chickens have 

 fetched and are fetching tliis year. As a rule the sumjjier ex- 

 hibitors do not care to give long prices for birds for the summer 

 shows, as such specimens but very rarely win in the autumn, 

 and are usually of littlo or no use for the breeding pen. The 

 knocking about they have when young, and the stimulating diet 

 seems to upset them, and they very rarely appear to advantage 

 against the fresh autumu-reBerved birds, which not only will 

 bear much of winter work, I ut will with care also be valuable 

 additions to the breeding yard^. This season, however, we 

 have heard of almost double the ordinary prices being given for 

 single chickens (Cochins, Brahmas, and Dorkings especiall}'), 

 for the summer shows, aud tbis leads ns up to the subject of 

 the long aud fancy prices for cocks and hens, and brings to our 

 recoUeoiion the immense sums which have been paid for birds 

 during the past few years. 



Mr. Liugwood and Mr. Wragg must have made small fortunes 

 of their Dark Brahma aud Buff Cochin cockerels and pullets. 

 We beard last winter v/hat they received for their best birds, 

 and the prices were something marvellous. Fifteen pounds 

 was thought an immense price years ago for a fowl; now j£2.j 

 is thought nothing of. We believe Mr. Wragg last winter sold 

 Lady Gwydyr's) cup Crystal Palace Buff Cochin cockerel aud 

 pullets for close on ^60, aud we know for a fact that at the same 

 show Mr. W. C. Burnell was offered i;.52 10s. for his adult Buff 

 Cochin cock and refused the offer. Perhaps the latter is the 

 highest sum that ever has been offered and refused for one 

 single specimen ; but we can tell of some tremendous prices 

 which single birds have realised. 



High-class specimens of the popular breeds always command 

 a good and speedy sale. Fine specimens weekly are fetching 

 ±15 each, but the world knoweth it not. One or two friends of 



the vendor may hear of the good sale, but beyond that the 

 matter goes no further, and ia thought of as a common every- 

 day transaction. This fact shows us iu a very striking way how 

 deeply rooted our poultry fancy is, for we confess we had our 

 qualms as to whether this late unfortunate season would_ not 

 shake many amateur poultry-yards to their very foundations, 

 but it seems not to have done so to any extent ; and, as we before 

 said, from the prices birds are fetching fanciers would seem to 

 be buckling-to for the fray with greater zest and eagerness than 



We have noticed this season, too, that in many instances those 

 who have, or have had, good early chickens are amateurs; and 

 though their best may have been bought-up by the great ex- 

 hibitors, and so found their way into their exhibition pens, stiLI 

 we are extremely glad to note the fact, as it shows us that con- 

 siderable time and trouble must be brought to bear on the breed- 

 ing of poultry, for we all know that perfect high- class specimens 

 cannot be easily produced. 



We will give a few prices which birds have fetched in the 

 last two or three years, as they may be interesting to some. 

 We have stated how well Messrs. Lingwood and Wragg do, and 

 Mr. Burnell does not come far short of them. Wo saw his cup 

 pen of chickens claimed at Oxford in 1873 for ,C21. We know 

 he sold two cockerels last year for M20 each, and had within a 

 pound or two almost as much for a dozen more. And now we 

 hear he sold his first Coloured cockerel at Bath last week for 

 £20 5s., the purchaser being the Eev. Hans Hamilton. In 187-1 

 Mr. Beachey sold a cock and two hens, White Cochins, for 

 i'52 10s. At the last Palace Sbow Mr. Graham sold four Dragoon 

 Pigeons for ±75, for Pigeons fetch as high prices as poultry 

 when really high-class birds, and yet they do not cost one- 

 quarter the money, and none of the actual and incessant trouble 

 in feeding and rearing which poultry do. At the Crystal Palace, 

 too, that great place for sales, a Dark Brahma pullet of Mr. 

 Peake's, a Brown Red Game cock and several moie birds were 

 quietly claimed for ±20 each : and at Bristol a few weeks later 

 the first-prize White Cochin cock aud the same exhibitor's 

 highly commended pullet were sold for ±10. And so we could 

 go on for a long time, but we need not particularise any 

 moro instances, for we have said enough to point out an im- 

 portant fact. Whether these long prices actually benefit the 

 fancy much wo need not here go into, for we all know there are 

 a certain number of exhibitors who, rich in tbis world's goods, 

 make poultry a hobby and will win, and to do this they have 

 very frequently to buy the coach birds of the time, and con- 

 sequently have to pay heavily for them; and wo know these 

 are the people who keep the long prices up, and very likely 

 to some great extent help to keep up and cement closer together 

 the various stones which compose the poultry fabric. 



These high prices which we have quoted, however, have all 

 been given for Cochins and Doikinga, and specimens of the 

 popular breeds. Certainly we know of flO 10s. being given for 

 the first prize 1871 Palace Silky cock, but this was an extra- 

 ordinary price for a bird of such an uncultivated breed ; and, 

 consequently, the fact these prices teach us is, that to the popu- 

 lar breeds many should turn who, perhaps, are now keeping a 

 variety which, not being much sought for, is neither found oftea 

 in the prize list, or whose specimens do not command good and 

 steady sales. We would not for a moment wish to disparage 

 our Leghorn, Andalusian, Minorca, Sultan, Silky, and other 

 such-like friends — very far from it, for we have the_ greatest 

 regard for them, and never lose an available opportunity of ad- 

 vancing their interests. But we would recommend those who 

 have means for keeping two varieties to have two strings to 

 their bow, and try to raise some good chickens which will fetch 

 such prices as to stimulate the poultry-keeper, and at the same 

 time help to keep the pot boiling in so substantial a manner. 



Amateurs with ordinary advantages can and do do this; and 

 as it is for amateurs we write, we hope that they will turn their 

 attention to the subject, and so be the means of building-up 

 more strongly than ever this poultry fancy which ia so interest- 

 ing to many of us. — W. 



AIREDALE SHOW OP POULTEY, &c. 



This Show was held in Myrtle Park, atBingley, on Wednesday 

 the 1st inst. Poultry were in the open air, but in excellent pens, 

 the backs and tops of which were covered with cotton, a point 

 wo would draw the attention of other societies to, as being one 

 of great protection to the fowls. Pigeons were, however, pro- 

 vided with a capital marquee, and the pens being of the most 

 approved pattern they looked well. 



Gayne were the first on the list, with a class for Eed cockerels 

 (the whole show was for young birds), the first-and-cup going 

 to a promising bird, a Brown Red, but very young; the second 

 a good bird, fuller of colour, but a little overshown ; the third 

 a moderate bird, though we liked pen C (Martin) full as well. 

 In pallets the winners were also Brown Reds, the first forward, 

 good in colour, but long in body ; second a fair bird, as also the 

 third, but this we thought rather overtrimmed, but otherwise 



