January 24. 1865.] 



JOTJRNAI; OF HORTICXJLTTJKE AND COTTAGE GARDENBR. 



75 



Worms ik HYACisxri Pots (Hi/amrt^AH*).— Lime water will espel them 

 and will not injure ihe Hyacinths. 



Vises for Cold Vikert (T. W. U. S.)--Six Vines for a vinery where 

 liule artificial heat is given may be two Black HamburRhs, two Black Prince, 

 and two Lady Downes'. Tacc^onia, moUissiaia will do as a climber for your 

 greenhouse. 



Peas-Beans (Young Amateur).— TM Mammoth is the largest Pea. 

 Dwarf Mammoth (Hair's), is ;il.>=o large. The two best early dwarfs are Tom 

 Thamb and Bishop's Dwarf. The best eailv Peas to succeed eachother, are 

 Sangster's No. I and Dickson's Favourite. For second crop, Harrison's Per- 

 fection and Rinffwood Marrow are very good. After these follow with 

 Veitch's Perfection, Ne Plus "Itia, Kniphfs Manows, Woodford's Green 

 Marrow, Champion of Enjrland ; and for lute sowini; in July and August, 

 use the early kinds. Of Beans, Mazagan and Johnson's Wonderful. For 

 the best Cinerarias von had better be guided by some oi the celebrated 

 growers. Berbele>*s "Handbook of British Mosses" will suit you. 



ScccBssiox OF FttuiTs {A Cotiiiant Reader].— Apples.— Tt&^sext : Devon- 

 ahire Quarrenden, Joanneting, KeiTy Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, Cox's 

 Orange Pippin, Martril, Ribston Pippin, Ashmead's Kernel, Braddick's 

 Nonpareil, Cockle Piopin, Cornish GihiSower. Nonpareil. Sturmer Pippin. 

 Wyken Pippin. Kitchen: Keswick Codlin, Cellini. Golden Noble. Haw- 

 thornden, .Alfriston, Dumelow's Seedling, Northern Greeninc, Royal Russet, 

 "Winter Pearmain. i'^nri.— Autumn Beruamot, Bishop's T! umb, Hessle, 

 Jargonelle, Louise Bonne of Jersey, Swan's Eeg. Williams's Bon Chretien. 

 Winter Kelis. Stewiis: Catillac. Fliiins.— J ii\y Green Ga^e, Perdrigon 

 Violet Ha:it, Green Gage, Purple Gage, Jefferson, Coe's Golden Drop. 

 Preserving: White Magnum Bonnm, Washington, Damson. 



CcRRAXTS (G. D., o/fl".).— Any respectable nurseryman can supply the 

 Red Cherry and Red Grape varieties. 



Melons Faiung (,-1 Cotiager in fJie Country).— T'b.e probable cause of 

 failure was not watfrins" the plants snflficiently. they only being watered 

 four lime?, which would have been only a proper allowance for a fortnight 

 of fine weather. Tbe soil should have been kept moi~t, and, unless destroied 

 by diseas.^, they would have survived the ripening of the fruit. The 

 indifferent setting was i)robably due to an insufficiency of heat and air, and 

 Ihe not properly thinning the shoots, so as to admit light and air, and thus 

 secure the maiuration of the parts destined for bearing. 



Heaths not FL0Wi--pj:KG {J. JI., an Amateur).— We do not know any 

 difference in the mode of culture that can possibly affect the flowering, if 

 proper treatment is pursued. We have seen as fine Heaths grown at Edin- 

 burgh, and as well bloomed, as in England. To grow Htaths well they 

 require a house to themselves, and then, under ordinary treatment, they 

 are the freest-biooming of plants. Trey require abundance of light, and 

 air blowing onthem almcstc- nstantly, and we think tbe indifferent blooming 

 of your plants is canstd by the witnt of ihese. Keep ihem cool, well aired, 

 and in a light structure near rhe gUss. and your plants cannot, faii to bloom 

 well. If you put them oat at all in summer ihey should have the protection 

 of a cold frame, so that ihe roots mav uot be dried up in consequence of the 

 son heating the pots, and also to protect Lhem from heavy rains, admitting 

 air all the --^ame Ciai&tantly. Charcoal, in small pieces about the size of a 

 hazel nut, may be mised ■« itb the ^oil, and it is desirable in soils that are 

 at all close; turfy peat, well sprinkled or iotcrmised naturally with fine 

 siliceous sand, is the most suitable compost. 



CALCEOLAfiiAS uxnEE. A XoKTH Wall (Juvenis),—M\ow thp cuttings to 

 remain where they are until the lasr week in March, or beginning of 

 April, by which lime they will be we'l rooted, and may more safely be 

 transplanted to a sunnier aimation. We have about two thousand in two 

 small frames, only occupying an area of 25 square feet each, and toey are 

 in a situation where they do not receive any sun whatever, ^""e shall take 

 out the poinls of the shoots early in March, and put them out in Celery 

 trenches or turf-pits in a sunny situaiion in April, and then lift them with 

 hails to their bloiiming quartei-s in May. Whilst in the trenches or pits we 

 merely cover with any spare old lights, with further protection in case of 

 frost; and by this simple process wo turn out thousands of fine bushy 

 plants insteaa of dozens of th se pampered in pots. We do not care how 

 small we can keep them over the winter. You may, however, remove 

 them now. but it is only giving yourstlf needless trouble. 



Names of Ferns {A Youtiff Gardenir .—1, Pterisaquilina; 2, Asplenium 

 Fabiannm ; 3, Cheilanthes hirfii ; 4, Luscrea Sieboldii; 5, Pilca serpjllifolia ; 

 6, Pteris ha>tiita ; 7, Litobroctia palmata. 



POTJLTEY, BEE, and HOTJSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



PEICE OF :XEW-LAID EGGS— PEOFITS OP 

 POULTEY-EEEPING. 



I Know not whether your correspondent " C. S. J." resides 

 in London or the country; but judging from the price he 

 quotes for new-laid eggs at this time of the year — viz., Is. id. 

 per dozen. I presume the latter. The price of new-laid eggs, 

 like everything else, is necessarUy regulated by the demand, 

 and I doubt not that what he states is qmte correct as to 

 some localities. In London, and particulai-ly at the West 

 End, genuine new-laid eggs are sold retail at 4s. and even 

 6s. per dozen from :S"ovember to February. It is true that 

 most d.drymeu and cheesemongers profess to sell new-laid 

 eggs at as low a price as Is. Qd. per dozen ; but put it to 

 their conscience about being reaUy new-laid, and they wiU. 

 teU you that they are country eggs, and that they purchase 

 them from the dealer as new-laid. Now, I have bought 

 many such new-laid eggs, and found them without exception 

 many weeks old, unfit for hatching and the breatfast-table 

 — in fact, they are eggs picked for their size and appearance. 



and probably imported from the continent. Were the public 

 able to depend on getting really new-laid eggs during the 

 winter months in London, 2s. &d. per dozen would never be 

 grudged, particularly for invalids and ship-passengers. 



The preservation of eggs according to my system, pub- 

 lished in your valuable Journal, is about to be carried out 

 by an eminent fii'm ; and I doubt not that in a few years we 

 shall be able to purchase by those means well-authenticated 

 fresh eggs at comparatively low prices at all times of the 

 year. 



In conclusion, I agree with you that your readers should 

 form their own opinion on my balance-sheet of profit and 

 loss in poultry-keeping, and not accept the figures as im- 

 plicit facts under all circumstances. — Geo. K. Getelin, C.E. 



BEAHMA POOTEAS. 



We — that is, the Brahma lovers, are gradually building 

 our pedestal ; and when we have done, we will put our best 

 specimen on the top, and he shall crow, " Victory." 



I can corroborate Mr. Leworthj's statement of an old 

 Indian recognising the Brahma as an Indian bird. I was 

 recently showing my fowls to a gentleman of the civil 

 service, home on sick leave. He is an ardent lover of natural 

 history in all its branches, and was making inquiries as to 

 the habits and merits of the different breeds, when he came 

 to the Brahma. " I need ask nothing about them," he said, 

 "I kept them in India for years." — P. P. 



[Very likely, but that does not prove that they are not a. 

 variety of the Cochin-China. Let the pedestal be large 

 enough for a specimen of each.] 



Having said my say, I had intended to be silent, and cer- 

 tainly on reading Mr. Leworthy's few lines, I thought I, in 

 common with other Brahma upholders, had got all that we 

 could desire — viz., that at Burmah there was a breed of fowl 

 that tallied with our Brahma. I crowed with delight ; for I 

 know Mx. Leworthy to be no mean judge of Brahmas, and 

 he has very good ones ; and I thought his few lines conclu- 

 sive. I saw "Our Editors'" note at the end, and in antici- 

 pation read their delight that the question was so satisfac- 

 torily settled, and that henceforth they intended to consider 

 Brahmas as pure a breed as any other sort of fowl. What 

 was my surprise to find they considered Mr. L.'s note con- 

 clusive that they were only a "variety of Cochin!" This, 

 I am quite certain, was not the intention that prompted 

 Mr. L. to write, and with the most humble deference to 

 "Our Editors," I submit the reasoning is most false. 

 Shanghae and Ava are upwards of 1000 miles apart, and if 

 this reasoning is correct, any person writing in Shanghae of 

 our island breeds — Game and Dorking, might with far more 

 justice consider them only varieties of the same breed ; for 

 the distance between the extreme limits bears but a small 

 proportion to the distance between Ava and Shanghae. 



If there can be two distinct breeds of English origin, 

 surely there may be two distinct breeds between Ava and 

 Shanghae.— T. B. A. Z. 



[With due submission, the above is all special pleading. 

 Burmah and China join; but it now appears that Mr. Tanner 

 saw the birds about 300 miles from Calcutta — but all this is 

 of little import. Buff and White "Brahmin Fowls" were 

 there ; and no one could detect a specific difference between 

 a Buff Brahma Pootra and a Buff Cochin China. We now 

 must take our leave of the subject, rejoicing that it matters 

 little that Brahmas are a variety of Cochin Chinas, since 

 they are found to be worthy of patronage.] 



SEX OF EGGS. 



Aire light that can be thrown on this subject is veiy 

 desirable. "P. H." is told that eggs fijst laid will produce 

 a majority of pullets, -and those last laid a majority of 

 cockerels. My experience teaches me exactly the contrary. 

 Last spring I paid miich attention to this point. I found that 

 eggs laid in January and February produced three cockerels 

 to one pullet ; 3Iarch and April three to two ; May about, 

 equal numbers; June and July the eggs produced a large 



