September 16. 1875. ] JOURNA.ti OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



257 



Storing Pears and Apples (F. J.).— Having no fruit-room you will be 

 under the necessity of storing thtm in your coolest room, and if not dried by 

 a fire in close proximity bo as to make the air very dry, it will enable yon to 

 keep the fruit without Bhrivelliog. It should be dark, and the fruit not 

 exposed to etrorg light until ripening is commenced. The cooler the room 

 the better if frost is excluded. Pears and Apples may be kept si-mewhat later 

 than their usual period by placing them in pure dry siWer eand in earthen- 

 ware jars, placing them in a coM place ; but this 1-4 chiefly applicable to late 

 and not to autumn or late summer kinds. It is useless to expect " Williams's 

 Bon Chretien ripe this month to keep nntiJ November or December." No 

 Pear will keep long after it is ripe, and this is net sought by the placing in 

 jars, but the retarding of the ripening. 



Orange Trees (E. P. £.).— We should place the trees in the house, and 

 not keep it close, or otherwise give them any stimulus, but defer it until 

 spring. It is likely you will injure the Vines by now keeping the hou^^e clope 

 And moist, and the Oranges must start into growth late another year from 

 the present being perfected late. If they have not already commenced 

 growth we should throw the house open, and keep them rather dry during 

 the winter, starting in February, and when fairly in growth retub. If, how- 

 ever, they have commenced growth you will need to keep moist for a time, 

 and lessen it as soon a-j y<m can after the growths are .complete, not re- 

 tuhhiug until spring, or until they are fairly in growth. Our advice is basised 

 quite as much for the good of the Vines as the Orange trees, and the viuery 

 being a cold one will need to be as dry as you can have it to ensure the 

 thorough ripening of the wood. 



Planting Hautbois Strawberries (Flora).— So many of the flowers 

 being barren, is a peculi^rity of the Hautbois, especially of the old sorb. The 

 only kind of Hautbois that can be conpidered prolific is the Royal Hautbois. 

 Kunners Bhoald be taken from fruitful plants only, acd they may be planted 

 now, but we phould have preferred planting six woekn earlier, or so boliu as 

 rooted runners could be obtained. They should be planted iu rows 2 feet 

 apart, and 18 inches apart in the row?, with the soil well and deeply dug and 

 enriched with manure. Water freely when the plants come into tlower, but 

 avoid wetting the flowers. 



Shrub Culture ildt-jn). — The spray sent is evidently an Olea, we think 

 O. fragrans, which has not attained a size for flowering. Keep rather dry 

 during the winter, not so as to cause the leaves to fall, afEordiog a light and 

 airy position in a greenhouse, and water freely durin-^ growth. The chief 

 pjint to be aimed at is the weil-ripening of the wood, and to secure this the 

 plant may, after the growth is complete, be stood outdoors in front of a south 

 wall, and have water only to keep the leaves from flagging. A compost of 

 two parts fibrous loam, cue part sandy peat rather rough, anfl a fifth of silver 

 Band with good drainage, will grow it well. 



Cost of Concrete Walk (Rus). — The price varies with the cost of ma- 

 terial, and the carriage to where they are to be us^ed. The lowest pricfs we 

 know were Od. and the highest H(^ per square. Consult someone in your 

 locality experienced in such matters, describing to him the work and quantity 

 to be done, which will influence the cost considerably. 



Pruning Pot Roses (C. S,).~Pot them now, or at the close of the month 

 and remove to a sheltered situation, placing in a cold pit early in November 

 admitting air very fieely. Or they ud ay remain out in a sheltered pobitiou 

 with the pots plunged over the rim in coal ashes, and protection given with 

 mate in severe weather. Prune them when taken into the house, if a green- 

 house, eajly in January. 



Viola Cuttings Wintering (Idnn). — They being well rooted now, we 

 ahonld transplant tbem to a theltered place, planting in rows 6 inches apart, 

 and the plants 3 or 4 inches asunder iu the rows, and transplant to the beds 

 in March. That would save you the trouble of winteriug in a greenhouse, 

 which it; not necessary for such hardy subjects. You might, however, winter 

 the Pansies in a cold frame, but the others are better outside. 



Striking Cuttings {Hem). — Bedding Geraniums are best struck in the 

 sunniest place you can command, and so are Pelargoniums ; but Pausies and 

 most other bedding plants strike best by keeping close and shaded until 

 rooted. 



Chadjiontel Pear Imperfectly Ripening (B. S. F.).— We can only 

 account for the imperfect ripening through your soil being heavy and wet, 

 which does not admit of the fruit being thorouLjhly maturtd, hence it ripens 

 '* biiter "' and epeedlJy decays. This Pear requires a rich warm soil. Probably 

 more tflicient drainage of the subsoil would give greater warmth and higher 

 maturity to the fruit. The present year we should not place the Pears in the 

 fruit-room, or only for a short time, removicg early iu November to a room 

 with a temperature of 50- to 55% or a warm and moderately dry room and 

 I'ght. The bitterueps may probably be evolved dating the more speedy ripen- 

 ing process. We think your best remedy will be found in well draining the 

 soU, making it not only drier but warmer. 



Achimenes (JV. Q. M.). — We cannot name florists' varieties of any floater 

 they are in legions and so nearly alike. 



Pears for South Westmorland [Le Grand). — For pyramids and dwarf 

 standards, two of each of the following: — Doyenne d'Et</, Citron des Carmes, 

 Jargonelle, Williams's Eon Chretien, Beurre d'Amanlis, Louise Bonne of Jersey, 

 Comte de Lamy, Jersey Gratioli, Thompson's and Knight's Monarch. For 

 south wall Duchesse d'Angoult-me, Marie Tiouise, Beurr-- Kance. and Beurre 

 Diel. Culiuary Apples, two of each: — Carlisle Codlio, Keswick Codliu, Cel- 

 lini, Gloria M mdi, Alfriston, Blenheim Pippin, Dumelow's Seedling, aad 

 Northern Greening. 



Cherry-tree Leaves Caterpillar-eaten (J. H., South Kensington). — 

 Dust them thoroughly with white hellebore powder, and syringe with water 

 next day. Repeat the treatment if needed. 



Seedling Pansies {Typo).— They are only suited for borders. They 

 have no special merit. 



Names of Fruits {Connaught Sub.). — The Pear is Beurre d'Amanlis. 

 (S.).— Your Peach is not a clingstone, and its leaves are glandless. It is the 

 Eaily Tillotson. 



Names of Plants (T. P.).— 1, Saponaria offioinalis; 2, Silene Armeria; 

 3, Eupatorium cannabinum. (J. C. N. and J. C.).— Datura stramonium, the 

 Thorn Apple. {0. B.]. — Both 8p2cimens are insufficient. One seems to be 

 Arenaria rubra iLepigonum rubrum), the other Sagina apetala. (/. if. R.).— 

 We cannot determintj the species of Eucalyptus from specimen eent. (A Laihj 

 in Ch«s7iire).— Catalpa bignooioides. (5. J. Cox.). — 1, Linum grandifl^rum; 

 2, Plumbago europtea ; 3, Salpiglossis sp. {W. Bolton).~2, Asciepias curas- 

 eavica; 3, Tradeacantia zebrina. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON OBHONIOLE. 



DOUBLE BASKETS. 



We hoped that the advantageB accruiug from the use of double 

 baslcets would have been bo palpable to the committeeman aa 

 well as the exhibitor aa not to need further comment. We 

 thought that the subject only needed time to set itself right, 

 and to a great extent this has happened. We never anticipated 

 that every schedule would make a rule to allow the use of these 

 double baskets, but we did think that the important exhibitions, 

 the real poultry shows, wonld carry into efftcfc au arrangement 

 which is of the greatest advantage to all. Wo have watched 

 with pleasure how many shows have given iu and allowed 

 several pens of poultry, as of Pigeons, to come in one package. 

 We do not hesitate to say that Bristol owes a great portion of 

 its 1875 success to this new rule; and we find Oxford, who allowed 

 the use of double baskets last year, but only came to the deter- 

 mination to do so after the schedules were issued, has this year 

 introduced the new rule that " Several pens of poultry may be 

 sent in the same package provided they are properly separated," 

 which is a good proof that they found the plan answer. In the 

 face of all this it is disappointiag to find that the best chicken 

 show schedule, on the single bird system, ever issued has kept 

 to the old rule— viz., " Each pen of poultry must be packed in a 

 separate hamper." We expected better things from the Alex- 

 andra Palace people, for the names on the schedules are those 

 of men thoroughly a« fait in all poultry subjects. We write 

 for amateurs, and they are the people who feel this rule so 

 much. The great exhibitors who send their servants with their 

 baskets will never send each bird in a separate basket; but the 

 amateur must either do so or risk the basket being returned or 

 his birds not penned. 



Carriage is a fearful item in the account book, and insisting 

 on single birds being in a separate hamper is simply putting so 

 much money into the hands of the railway people, who iu 

 return are always ready to be as disagreeable as possible. We 

 cannot see what objection to the plan there can be. Of course 

 all birds in the sale classes must be packed separately ; but for 

 other entries, where say the price is A'oO, so long as there is a 

 rule to the effect, it must surely be an advantage to the show 

 people for two or three birds to be in one basket; and it stands 

 to reason there would be much less trouble in moving about the 

 baskets, and much less space required for stowage. 



This is the sort of rale we should like to see inserted in all 

 schedales, especially where they are arranged on the single- 

 bird system, " Several pens of poultry may be sent in the same 

 package provided they are properly separated and labelled; but 

 the price of all such pens must not be less than J;.50, andevery 

 package must have a conspicuous red cross painted on the inside 

 of the lid of the same. All pens entered at less sums than £50 

 each must be sent in a separate basket." 



Now we thiuk some such sort of rule would be a good one. 

 We name £50 as a prohibitive price. A larger or lesser sum can 

 be named at the option of the show authorities, or " not for sale " 

 would, perhaps, answer all ends even better. This, too, would 

 at auction sales save much time which is now needlessly wasted, 

 for no such pen need be put up at all. The red cross would be 

 of great use to the packers, for on opening the baskets they 

 would immediately see the red cross, and would at once know 

 two or more pens had to go into it, and would accordingly search 

 them out and pack them. We suggest this red mark because 

 we have heard some bring forward against the use of double 

 baskets the possibility of only one or two of the birds being 

 packed in the basket when the show is over, and the others 

 which should also have gone into it being left basketless. Now 

 the red mark would at once show this was a package iu which 

 more than one pen came, and it would be the packer's fault if 

 the birds were packed wrongly. Tbose who send their pens at 

 selliug prices, or at such prices— say ±'20 or i'2.j, at whicb they 

 may be sold, will in the case of this rule being in the schedules 

 only put such prices for the chance of sale, and they will con- 

 sequently not so much mind paying the extra carriage. So very 

 many birds are sent to our shows which no money would tempt 

 their owners to sell, and this plan would be to them the greatest 

 boon. 



We have only to take a catalogue of a fair-sized show and 

 count up the pens entered at £10 and upwards to realise the 

 truth of this, and for such exhibitors to only have to pay half 

 the general railway charges would indeed be a help in the 

 balance sheet. As far as we ourselves are concerned we have 

 worked at a show where the birds came in double baskets, and 

 we can say most positively the trouble they saved was great. 

 We are certain that, once the system got into full swing, the 

 show people would realise the advantage of it as much as the 

 exhibitors, not only iu their entries, but in reducing the number 

 of packers, porters, and such-like poultry show hangers-on. 



We are greatly pleased with the success of the past few months, 



