472 



JODENAL OP HOBTICDLTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



t November 25, 18Vt5. 



to frnit the first sea^ou. All the Vines uameJ, except Black Hamburgh, are 

 ansuitable (or ripenin;? in Jane, but are good for a late houee to be ripe in 

 Au;:;ust and hang until after Ciiristma^, and some will hanct in i^ood condition 

 until March. Black Hambur;;h, Duke of Buccleuch, Mill Hill Hamburgh, 

 and Foster's Seedling, or Buckland Sweetwater, would be suitable for the 

 earliest house. 



TODEA SDPERBA (D. W. ff.).— It should bo wintered in a cool house, but 

 frost should bo excluded, as, though a few degrees o( frost may be endured 

 by the plant, we have known the fronds discoloured thereby. It requires a 

 compost of rough fibrous peat, with some crooks (broken pots) intermixed 

 about a sixth, and good drainage, aflbrding moderate pot-room. 



Eenewino Vine Bordee (Mem).— With an inside border you may renew 

 the outside border, and that without losing a crop of Grapes. It is not neces- 

 sary to place charcoal next the roots, but mix it with the soil. The lifting of 

 the Vines and renewing of the border would ba best done just before starting 

 the Vines, giving a covering to the border of hot dung and leaves ten days or 

 a fortnight before applying fire heat. The lime rnbbish should be removed 

 and mixed with the compost of the border, but one-third of it will be suffl- 

 cient for that purpose, and in place of the lime rubbish have that more depth 

 of properly prepared border, 15-inch depth of border being much too shallow. 



Oederinq Camellias, &c., from Ghent (B.).— Orders for these are best 

 Riven in early autumn, so that the plants may not suffer in consignment 

 from severe weather, as they are liable to do if transmitted during the 

 winter months. 



CHRYSANTHEsinM Jdlie LAOBAVrERE (J. F. F.).— It is not a Pompon, 

 neither is it a large-flowering variety. The blooms are medium-sized, 

 reflexed, of a reddish crimson colour, and are produced in great profusion. 

 The plant is a sturdy grower, and is seldom affected with mildew. It is one 

 of the most useful varieties that can be grown for decorative purposes and 

 for affording a supply of cut flowers. 



CHRVSANTIIEJIC3I3 (J. W. /I.).— They are florists' flowers, of which we can- 

 not name the varieties. 



Dion;ea MUSCIPUL4 IH. r.).— It very rarely ripens its seeds in this 

 country, therefore is usually propagated by dividing a plant. 



NA31E8 OF Frcits {W. D. P.).— Boston Russet. {Knutsford).—k, not 

 known; E, Comte de Lamy; c. Napoleon; D, Mario Louise. [J. M. J.),— 

 1, Pearson's Plate; 3, Franklin's Golden Pippin; 3, Crasanne ; 4, not known; 

 6, Jeau de Witte ; 6. Grand Soleil. Un Old Stihscriher).—\, Catillac ; 2, Deux 

 SfEors; 3, quite rotten and shapeless; 4, not known; 5, Kerry Pippin; 

 6, PoweU's Russet. (O. Hcad\.— \, not known, worthless ; 3, Colmar d'Arem- 

 berg; 4, Black Worcester; 6, Braddick's Nonpareil; 7, Pitmaaton Russet. 

 {W. K. ^sAui;n.—l, English Codlin; 2, Uvedale's St. Germain; 4, Braddick's 

 Nonpareil; 5, Hanwell Soaring; 6. Loan's Pearmain. (Kastoii Ncston).— 

 1 and 2, Beurrp Diel ; 3. Pitmnston Duchess; 4, Vicar of Winkflold ; 5, Van 

 Mens Leon Leclerc ; G, Glou Mori;eau. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON OHRONIOLE. 



POULTRY FARMING. 



At the reqaest of many inquirers I promised to give publicity 

 to my opinion of the best and most profitable plan of keeping 

 poultry of all sorts. 



I have always urged that grass runs are absolutely necessary ; 

 but I believe most will agree with me that the greater number 

 of their fowls will not seek over a large space of ground, and to 

 rent for the purpose of poultry-breeding a number of acres 

 Bpecially is an extravagance. 



In 1373 I devoted a large field of 14 acres of turf from Christ- 

 mas to Midsummer to fowls only, as I found in early spring and 

 summer a large loss and annoyance from cattle, sheep, and 

 horses grazing with them, on account of the coops being con- 

 stantly upset, and wire partitions, &c., damaged by rubbing 

 against them. So I determined at once to set apart a portion or 

 portions in acre lots, and after repeated alterations I am satis- 

 fied that it those who intend to keep fowls (no matter how many), 

 but as a guide not less than one acre per hundred should be 

 allotted, will follow the plan now submitted (although the cost, 

 as a start perhaps, looks large), they will find economy in the 

 end in money, time, and trouble. 



I often notice correspondents are advised to devote too much 

 hen-house room. For one hundred adult birds I consider an 

 acre of grass is ample, and according to the determination to 

 keep flyers or non-flyers, erect a wire fence 6 feet high in the 

 former case, and i feet high in the latter, entirely round the 

 four sides of the acre, erecting in the centre of the ground a 

 wooden or other house 5 yards long by 4 yards wide, measuring 

 to the eaves 4 yards in height, the root of which should be 

 a double span, having in the S-yards length four stretchers of 

 4 by 3 to tie the roof together. Upon these bars should be three 

 or four perches laid to suit the birds that roost high. On either 

 side of the roof should be a skylight to Uft up to give light and 

 ventilation according to weather, hinged at top. The under side 

 of these should be wired so as to prevent fowls making an exit 

 by them. 



The floor should be fixed 4 feet from the ground, so as to 

 afford a space underneath the hen house proper for shelter in 

 damp and windy weather. On all tour sides of this under space 

 should be two doors 2 feet by 2 feet, the bottom being G inches 

 from the outside floor, about 3 feet from each end of house. Pre- 

 vious to setting joists to carry the floor some rough slates 

 shotild be laid horizontally all round underneath and touching 

 the joists to prevent rats from climbing into the top house. To 

 form a roosting-stage fix four pieces of 4-by-2-moh timber in a 



slanting direction, the foot of each being placed G feet from the 

 aide of the house, and the top resting against the side near the 

 roof. These lean-to's will form rafters, and on each, at every 

 foot from the top. place a piece of wood of the shape of an L to 

 form sockets in which to rest the longitudinal perches. These 

 should be of Ij by l}-lnch timber, and they can be removed at 

 pleasure to clear away the droppings underneath. This frame 

 of perches forms roosts suitable for all birds, high or low roosters, 

 and one of the particular advantages is that the fowls all roost 

 together with the tail to the wall, as the long toes will clasp the 

 1} and the short the 1}. 



"Wire netting should be fixed from each angle of the hen house 

 obliquely to each angle of the acre, so as to form four separate 

 quarter acres of ground, and the partitions must be netted suffi- 

 ciently high to keep the birds in their proper compartments. 

 The main entrance should be where it is best seen from the 

 dwelling house, and to be used for cleaning out, gathering eggs, 

 &o. It should be 5 feet by 2 feet 6 wide, and fixed so as to 

 avoid opening against the roosts. Inside the upper house along 

 the wall, starting at each end, have standing a frame, not a 

 fixture, but secure, forming seven nests in a row 13 inches square, 

 in three or four tiers, each nest having a piece of board running 

 across the front 3 or 4 inches high to prevent the eggs falling, 

 and if two 10 inch boards are used for the horizontal divisions it 

 wiU afford a walk of 6 inches for the fowls to alight or tread upon 

 when seeking a nest. The nests should be 2 feet 6 wide, and 

 about 4 feet 6 high if three tiers of nests are used. In the centre 

 of the upper house should be a shallow oval or round utensil 

 as large as convenient, into which the ashes— that is, the grit, 

 &c., after the household cinders have been riddled, should be 

 emptied, and if insufficient, dry sifted soil, to both of which 

 should be added black sulphur, and every other day or two with 

 a small shovel (after the birds have had time to dust and pick 

 out useful scraps) sprinkle in rows over the droppings under the 

 roosts, so deodorising all nauseous effluvia. During the summer 

 months this manure should be removed once a fortnight, and 

 the roosts scraped and greased with a mixture whilst melted of 

 lard, sulphur, and paraffin oil (1 lb. of the first to 1 oz. of each of 

 the two latter), and every crevice or crack should be filled up. 

 Every three months or oftener the houses should be white- 

 washed, taking care to mix with each bucketful half a pint of 

 carboUc acid or paraffin oil, and to be rubbed well in every 

 crevice and joint of woodwork where vermin are sure to lodge. 

 Carbolic acid powder should occasionally be sprinkled through 

 a dredger in and about the house, runs, &c. 



The advantages claimed are that the fowls have a constant 

 weekly change of keep, passing over the whole acre once a-month. 

 It is preferable that each half, or some portion least in the way 

 for walking, of each quarter acre should be du" up during its 

 term of fallow, and in all snch cases to now and again sprinkle 

 straw over that part, and spread all the dry grain given to the 

 fowls upon the dug portion. There is always a V7eek to dig up 

 such a small space of ground. Occasionally a drill or two of 

 various grains might be introduced, so as when the fowls come 

 on that part again they will seek for the sprouted corn. The 

 straw will be found a great acquisition, as the birds will not too 

 readily get their food, and will continue for hours to search for 

 it, and when finding that they are sure at the same time to find 

 Insects, &c., besides giving healthy exercise. 



When the hatching season commences the hens should ba sat 

 elsewhere, and when chickens come the adult fowls can be in 

 one space and the coops containing mother and chicks in another 

 space, and so fed upon better and more expensive food, which is 

 often consumed by the larger birds. Then again, when cockerels 

 intended for killing attain a certain age and require fattening 

 they can again for a short time be fed separately, alternately 

 changing the coops and chicks, and closing or opening the doors 

 of the under compartment. A small roost house made moveable 

 could be used by the fattening birds. Again, in late autumn 

 when early pullets are about to commence laying they require 

 more nutritious and warmth-producing food, and this can ba 

 faciUtated by this mode. I am quite satisfied where young and 

 old run indiscriminately — not even calculating loss from being 

 lamed and crushed, but simply the extra and more expensive 

 food, intentionally given and required by the young, which is in 

 such cases insatiably devoured by older birds — the cost is nearly 

 if not more than trebled during the year, the saving of which, 

 besides the comfort of having all under control, would quickly 

 repay the cost of a suitable structure. I omitted to say that the 

 ventilator over the roosts should be glazed and a piece of timber 

 fixed hanging down from the upper portion where the hinges are 

 fixed, so as to thoroughly light the roosts and yet break the 

 bright glare that would otherwise shine over the nests. That 

 on the opposite side should be fitted ■with a zinc or non-trans- 

 parent plate. 



I advocate the use of milk from early in November till the end 

 of March. I gave last winter i£12 worth, also during the same 

 months Tyler's patent amalgamated meal and Brown's aro- 

 matic compound as very first-class warmth and egg-producing 

 inceativea. Of course there are many others very good, but 



