Januiry 10, 1865. ] 



JOUENAL OF HORTICTJLTrrRE ATST) COTTAGE GAEDENER. 



33 



CoscKZTE Walks iXetc JVirwri. — We believe Mr. Beaton mixed the 

 chalk or lime with the Btones, &c. TbU foundation mixtare was puc 

 6" inches deep, and then consoUdated by watering and rolling UDtil onlj- 

 3 inches deep. 



(MfiTsvxTBEMims DOSE BLOOsoyG (JV: C, 3>flaffA).— A cold frame, pro- 

 tected from severe frast, i.^ the best place for them. Divide the roots m 

 March, coalinoiog tbem in the cold frame until the youn^ suckers become 

 establifched. For flowenng in October they should not be stopped after the 

 middle of June. 



Curate's Ydttky (Tyro).— One Vine vrill be enough, especially if you do 

 not intend to increase the length,, -which we should recommend yon to 

 double. Choose the Black Hamburgh, nrocare your plant at once, plunge 

 it in leaves or ashes in front of a south wall, and plant in the first fortnight 

 in March. The "Tine Manual " wiU tell you how. We should preier 

 twenty-one-«ance sheet glass to that which you name. 



FLOWEB-G\BJiE,v PLix {M. F.) .—It you made a geometric garden iu the 

 two pqnare pieces in front of the houses, we think the present flower-border 

 should be dispensed with, unless a similar border is made on the opposite 

 side, and even next the kitchen garden, so as to conceal it. which would be 

 stili better helped bv an evergreen hedge there, or wall, or other boundary. 

 This would leave the sides open nest the gravel walk in front of the houses. 

 ATe cannot undertake to give plans for Sower gardens, bat merely to 

 criticise those sent, which we will be glad to do in your case. Ton will find 

 very good bints as to the mode of filling such squares in our engrivinss of 

 Putteridge Bury and Trentham ,: and in our little manual oi " Flower Gar- 

 dening " (which you can have free by post for five stamps), such as half of 

 the plan marked in the manual :Xo. 3, the central part of No. 5, or, for 

 MmpUcity, the end part of Xo. 6. 



Waeehocse Converted to a GeeenhovSE (F. K.).—l. Bavingalofty 

 wall of a warehouse, we do not see the necessity for cutting down that wall 

 to 11 feet in height at back. Why not have had it 16, or IS, or more feet, 

 as the wail was there, and left the wall iu front a foot or two higher? Then 

 the roof would have been longer and steeper, the latter being good 

 either for late or early Grapes. 2. The sunk path iu front will now be 

 chiefly useful in getting at the Tines over the pathway. If the front wall 

 had been higher that sunk pathway might have been dispen?ed with, and 

 the border been made right across the house. 3. In that case you might 

 have planted near the front of the house, and also at tUe back of the hon?e; 

 hue if so close as 2 feet apart, you would obtain no fruit against the wall, 

 nor on the upright part of the Vines in fron% after the roof was covered. 

 Tou may also p;ant only one sec of Vines near the middle of the house, 

 train a single stem up to the trdlis and then divide it taking one stem to 

 the front and one to the back, and these respectively may be spurred with 

 safety. 4. You seem to plane two sets of Vines behind and near the path- 

 way. We see no difficult}- in sptariug them from the ground to the trellis, 

 as well as along the roof ; but the spurs on the lower part of the stem will 

 only succeed so long as the roof from that part to the front of the house is 

 free of foliage. 5. The whole mode of fisicg and streagthecing the root is 

 good. Take care some patentee do not come across ynu. G. The mode of 

 ventilation is also good and simple. 7. We are glad your improved Kiddean- 

 system of heating answers so well, but were not quite prepared to learn 

 that the opening of a sluice in the sunk path would so effectaally heat the 

 shut-off cold pajt of your house. We think that would be still more 

 effectually done wereyou to open a similar sluice or ventilator at the highest 

 comer in the division between the two houses. This system is nicely 

 worked in similar heated and cold houses, bv Messrs. Lane, of Berkhamp- 

 stead. 



Peach Tree Foscikg {H. Mose], — First-rate Peaches have been grown by 

 the help of the common brick fine. The 5o".I of many gardens will grow 

 Peaches well. In planting such nice new houses it would have been advisable 

 to concrete the clay subsoil, and place -0 inches of fresh soil above it, such 

 as yon describe you have collected, but with very little of the manure you 

 speak of in it. It is better to give that when needed by top dressings. 

 Tour operations outside are all right, with, perhaps, the exception of having 

 enough of dung: but your employer should have allowed you to take up 

 m 1861 the trees that were planted in 1360, and replant them properly in 

 fresh soil ; and a smaller border, or none for '.he first year, would have done 

 outside. The heat ycu have by hot water ought to be ample, and you seem 

 to have plenty of means of ventilation. To prevent mildew we can only 

 recommecd air-giving early, plenty of it, and heat given in proportion, and 

 cooling your hoNwater pipes with sulphur and lime. We fe^ir you have 

 used your black sulphur and softaoap too strong and too early, and, perhap-, 

 too hot. Wby use black sulphur, or what is called so, when true yellow 

 flowers of sulphur are so easily obtained: Tou had better syringe voar 

 tT-ees a little, and that will ease the buds. We knew an instance of Vines 

 and Peaches being killed by an application of sulphur vivum, softsoap, and 

 tobacco in too warm a state. We have little doubt as to the Tines doing 

 well bat in your climate do nor mis much dimg with the soil 



Names of Fruits (EoJton). — ^Nos. 1, 2, 3.. 4, Christie's Pippin ; 5, London 

 Pippin : 11, 19, 20, il, and 22, ail the same, bur not recognised ; 12, and 13, 

 Nelson Codlia: 24, Koyal Busset; 2S, Htinthouse : 31, Cockle Pippin, 

 Others not recognised. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



POOTEAS. 



I ASi sorry to see so many disputes as to whether those 

 fowls are a pure breed or cioss-bred with the Cochin, &c. 

 "Facts are stubborn things." There are tno gentlemen 

 residing in the borough of Barnstaple, who have resided at 

 Brahma, and one of them, JMr. Tangier, tept them there 

 twenty-seven years since. Many years ago I saw him look- 

 ing at my Brahma, of iliss "Watts's treed, he remarked, 

 "Tou have Brahmashere. I kept them for years in Brahma. 

 In that country there are some grey, others nearly white, 

 and a few buif and white." 



The other gentleman, Mr. Falconer, tells me that they 

 are in Brahma as common as the barn-door fowl in England. 



If any one would call on me, I would with pleasure intro- 

 duce him to those gentlemen, who are prepared to prove 

 those birds derive their name from their native place, how- 

 ever they may be imported into England. — H. Lewoetht, 

 Newport, Barnstaple. 



[We are exceedingly obliged by this communication, 

 which fully sustains oiu' opinion that the Brahma Pootra is 

 a variety of the Cochin-China. Mr. Tanner says that in 

 Bi'ahma, usually known as Birmah, or the kingdom of Ava, 

 there are Buff Brahma Pootras, and White Brahma Pootras, 

 and no ornithologist could point out a specific difference 

 between them and Cochin-China fowls. These are known 

 to be natives of China, and the products of China find a 

 large market in Burmah, which is its near neighbour. Chit- 

 tagong, we may observe, is one of the boundaries of Burmah.] 



WEST CTJaiBEELAJSTD POITLTET SHOW. 



The seventh annual Show of Poultry, Pigeons, Eabbits, 

 and Canaries was held on Wednesday and Thursday the 

 2Sth. and 29th, of December, in the Oddfellows' Hall, White- 

 haven, and a more successful Exhibition was certainly never 

 held under the auspices of the Society. The liberality with 

 which the Committee's appeals for subscriptions was re- 

 sponded to by the public made it practicable to offer ^£40 

 more in cups and money than last year, the effect of this 

 beino- an increase of entries to 491, or 141 more than last 

 year. Both as regards number and cxuality the Show was a 

 decided improvement on any previous year, the liberality of 

 the prizes having drawn exhibitors from many distant parts 

 of the kingdom, our local fanciers having thus opportunities 

 of comparing the merits of their stock with the best models. 

 The labours" of the Committee and Secretaries must have 

 been very great, and too high commendation could not be 

 given to the two latter (Mr. E. Fearon and Mr. Lyon) for 

 their indefatigable exertions in reducing the classes to order. 



For the sUver cup given to the best G-ame cock (confined 

 to West Cumberland) there were eighteen entries, the first 

 prize being won by Mr. John 3Iitchell, Egremont, Mr. Gun- 

 sou, of Sandwith, however, running him very close. For 

 the silver cup offered for the best Game cock (open to all 

 Eno-land) there were sixteen pens of birds shown by some of 

 the°most famed breeders in the kingdom. There was also a 

 very fair show of Game cockerels. There were not many 

 Game Bantams, but the specimens shown were excellent. 

 The Gold and Silver-laced Bantams were also comparatively 

 few in number, but it would be difficult to conceive any- 

 thing more perfect than were some of the birds shown. The 

 prize pen, shown by Mr. Koy, of Kelso, were priced at £oOO, 

 and though this of' course was a " fancy " value, there is no 

 doubt they would fetch a very high sum. There were six- 

 teen entrie's of CocMn-Chinas, and a better lot could scarcely 

 be got together. The Golden and Silver-spangled Hamburghs 

 were a very numerous class, almost every bird being a 

 model of this useful and ornamental class. The odd-looking 

 Black Spanish were also represented well both as to quality 

 and quantity. In Duds there were some perfect marvels, a 

 White Muscovy, shown by Mi-. Sisson, weighing 13 lbs. 

 There was also a pen of Harlequin Ducks, which surprised 

 every one by the beauty of their plumage. 



Perhaps the greatest advance upon last year was observ- 

 able in the Babbit class, some of those shown being perfect 

 monstrosities in those particular points which delight 

 fanciers' eyes. Pigeons were well represented, some of the 

 pairs being of great value. The pair of Turbits which won 

 the first prize in this class were pronounced by the Judge as 

 fit to go anywhere for competition. One pair of Nirns were 

 remarkably perfect, but the quick eye of the Judge detected 

 that they had been clipped, and they were consequently dis- 

 qualified. There was really a large number of Fantails and 

 Almond Tumblers, perfection being very nearly reached in 

 these classes. There were also several excellent pairs of 

 Owls and Mammotli Runts. 



Canaries vrere considered rather short in number; there 

 were some very perfect specimens shown, however, the bulk 

 of this class having been bred by local fanciers. The cyno- 

 sure of the ladies' eyes, however, was undoubtedly the stand 



