IS* 



JOTIRNAL OF HORTICULTURE A2^:D COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 28, 1865. 



Pegging-down Rosm — Pottisg foe Early Forcing (G. B.). — 'Fhey 



arf layered in the soil, und root freely from the etem of the shoot without 

 the alanting cut as in layerinp shrubs. We have layered them both ways, 

 and we like them beti. r without than with an incision, ae the shoot is liable 

 to break when cut. The inc'sion also impedes the sap flowing into the 

 shoot, and causes a multiplicity of shootP in the centre of Ihe plant. If 

 you want the shoots to root and form separate plante, an incision would 

 faciliate their rooting-. The best lime to pot Roses for early blooming is 

 early in September. 



Alocasia METiLLici Ccltcrb(4m Old StiJ»fri6#r).— Turfy peat one-half' 

 and the other half turfy li^ht loam and leaf mould in equal parts, with a 

 free admixture of silver sand, will grow it well. Drain the pot well. It 

 rcqoires a DiRht temperainie of 60° in winter, and from 65° to 70° by day, 

 and when growinp, or from March to October, a temperature of from 65° to 

 70° by night, and 80° to 90-"' by day. It requires a moist atmosphere when 

 growing, a plentitul supply of water at the root, bat not so as to make the 

 soil sodden, and in winter enough to keep the soil juet moist, very little 

 beiug needed at that season. 



Liquid Masuxe, Prepaiuno akd Applying (K. B. T.). — Perhaps the 

 safeat of all liquid manures is that formed by dissolving 2 ozs. of Peruvian 

 g^nano in a gallon of soft water twenty-four hours before applying it. This 

 :s the proper strength for watering plants which have been planted out. 

 One ounce to a gallon of water is quite ttrong enough for watering plants in 

 pota. The drainings from the stable are a vi-ry valuable manure, but require 

 caution in oeing. They should be diluted wiih six times their volume of 

 rain water, but if partly diluted through water running into the tank they 

 will on!y need to be made weaker. If diluted, so as to be about the colour 

 and thickness of unfermenled beer, the liquid will not be too strong for 

 flowering plants in potF. All Flantp, with the exception of Heaths, Azaleas, 

 and plants grown in peat, may be watered to advantage with liquid manure 

 at ever>' alternate watering -. "but to none thould it be given until the plants 

 are growing freely, and the pots filled with roots at least at their sides. It 

 mast be discontinued after the plants bloom. 



VniERT- BORDER AND HsATrco {A Younp Gari?irner).— Your Vine-bordsr 

 of 3 feet in depth will give you room for a foot of rough rubble at the 

 bottom. We approve oi all that yon propose. When you speak of walls 

 of single brick with piers do you mean walls of W or 9 inches thick ? We 

 would certainly prefer 9 inches. A small or inedTum-slzed boiler will do. 

 A conical one fed from the top will be easiest managed. For the vinery we 

 would have three pipes in front, if to be forced tarly four pipes, and two 

 pipes below propagaiing-bed. It would be well to msike that into a <?pan- 

 roofed pit with small moveable sashes, or little glazed frames on each side. 

 The heal then would be proportioned to the closeness maintained. These 

 glasses may either be loo^e or hinged at the apex. We prefer the former, 

 as they are so easily moved. For the spau-houses, as it seems likely you 

 may use them for difPer^rst purposes, we would have two four-inch pipes all 

 round, except at the doorways. 



Latiko-odt a Roser^ (J/. C.).— It is quite a matter of taste as to whether 

 a rosery f-hould be made with grass divisions or with gravel paths. The 

 latter for a large rosery we would decidedly prefer, as you can walk on them 

 in all weathers. We will criticise any plan, but decline giving one. Mean- 

 while we would direct your attention to No. 2 plan in the " Flower-garden 

 Manual," which you may have from our office bv post for bd. To improve 

 ench a figure ne would lessen the size of the central oval, and thus enlarge 

 the size of the four figures round it ; but much more artistic plans may be 

 adopted. A very simple and elegant plan for such a piece of ground, 48 feet 

 by 148, would be a circle or oval in the centre, and quarter moons round it 

 in succession to each end. and then a row of potts II feet high all round, 

 with chains between for climbing Roses. 



Ventilatino Small Greenhouse (j\''. W. J/.).— If the ends of your small 

 hipped lean-to house are of glass we would have a ventilator at each end at 

 the apex, just below where the front roof and the short hip meet— say a tri- 

 angle with a base 2 ieet long, and a perpendicular in the centre of :hat base 

 of 12 or 13 inches. A piece of wood 2 inches wide going up there would do 

 for hanging two ventilators to, which you could open as needed. If you do 

 not adopt our plan we would make two ventilators, as you propose, beneath 

 the coping of the back wall. 



Lobelia speciosa Seed Sowing {James iV^).— To succsed it is necesFary 

 to bow the seed in g'-nlle heat early in March, and when the plants are large 

 enough to handle prick them off 2 or 3 inches apart in pans, continuing in 

 heat until the plants root freely, then harden off. We fear you will not 

 command heat enough in your dwelling-house to have them sufficienly for- 

 ward for planting out to flower well the same season. We find It requires 

 pushing to do this. 



Arrangement Inside a Gbebxbouse {T. C. E.).~\n your lean-to house, 

 8 feet high at back, 5 feet high in front, and 8^ feet wide, we do not think 

 you could do better than haveyourproposed wide Htage or shelf of 18 inches 

 along the front— say 27 inches from the ground, then a pathw^iy of 2i feet ; 

 then divide the epace behind into three or fourtierw of shelves— say the front 

 one 24 feet from the ground, and the upper one 2 feet from the glass. This 

 woald enable you to keep and grow a considerable number of dwarf plants 

 not much above 2 feet in h'sight. If you wished for taller plants you could 

 hate a walk down the middle of l\ feet, and a flat platform or stage of 

 341 Inches on each side. This would secure more he^d room. The first plan 

 wonld be best for numbers of email plants. The second would do for taller 

 ones, and be more simple. 



Amaryllis for a Stovk and Grkenbolsb {J. 5.). — The Habranthus 

 croup of AmaTjMds arc the best and easiest managed for the purpose. 

 They require If ks trouble and heat in winter than the Eucharia amazonica 

 (•ee page 163), but if llicy have a lift in i-pring they bloom belter and earlltr 

 in winter. 



SntSii'SQ A GaKiinnonsE {/c/fm).— The best material is stout canvass, and 

 it U a ureal protection in winter. Frlgi domo as a lighter material answers 

 well. Strong size with the leart whitening answers well for Rummer. Shades 

 constantly In use soon wear out. We believe double glass would be better. 



Feab5.— There is an omission in my Pear article which makes St. Michel 

 Archange mc of the three Pears not yet fully proven. Barbe NcIir should 

 oome In after St. MirV- 1 Archangc. Ildrbo N'elir Avocat Nelis, and Iris 

 Or^olre are the three :M;iC»ecI to be gwd.— W, F. Kadcltpfe. 



Namm or Fkuits (£. F. Z^.).— 1, London Pippin; 2, Winter Pearmaln ; 

 4, Dutch Mignonne; 6, Winter reannaUii 8, Colonel Vuughan's. Others 

 BOt recognised. 



Names of Plants {R. P. B., ^erry.)— Your Mosses are— 1, a Tortula; 

 2, Polytrichum nanum j 8, Bryum ; 4, Tortula muralls ; 5, Trlchostomum 

 polyphyllumj 6, Hypnum prajlongum; 7, Bryum punclatum ; 8, Hypnum 

 proliferum. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



THOUGHTS ON POULTRY SHOWS. 



The list of forthoomiEg events in " our Journal " has 

 become " small by degi-ees and beautifully less," telling most 

 of us that the season of rest has arrived, during which we 

 must brace ourselves up for the fresh campaign. I hope 

 that as exhibitors will probably do their best, committees 

 will strive to do theirs. " Kest and be thankful" does not 

 suit us poultry-fanciers. Sometimes it appears to me that 

 the type of a prize schedule of a show is unaltered from 

 year to year, kept ready, cut and dried for the next meeting, 

 no addition, no improvement made. I have been disposed to 

 think this, even in so good a show as the now defunct 

 Crystal Palace Exhibition. Schedide-framers appear to fancy 

 they have arrived at perfection. We are all interested in the 

 success and stability of shows, and if I therefore string 

 together a few thoughts, others may be able to add theirs. 



"We are tolerably agreed that they succeed best as 

 adjuncts to agricultural meetings. We are not quite so 

 agreed that the classes in minor shows should depend on the 

 locality, myself being disposed to think that if there are 

 classes, exhibitors will fill them. There is no question that 

 " grand " shows should contain classes for varieties of all 

 breeds in any way moderately kept, and in some varieties to 

 a greater extent than at present. My previous analysis of 

 entries has proved this with regard to Brahmas, and I may 

 here state, en passant, that although at Bradford a class 

 for Brahmas was added very late in the day, it filled very 

 respectably, nearly equalling the Dorkings, although they had 

 a silver cup temptation, and greatly surpassing Spanish and 

 some of the other breeds. I may just say, by-the-by, as I 

 see a reply to !Mr. Leworthy, in one of the late Numbers of 

 " our Journal " from " oui- Editors," stating they remain of 

 the same opinion stUl as regards this breed, that the dis- 

 cussion carried on in these pages has not had a similar effect 

 on others, and that I have received a letter from a gentleman 

 who happened to know my nom de jplume, in which he says 

 that the discussion has completely convinced him of the 

 distinct character of the Brahma, and it will be agreeable 

 to Mr. Leworthy to know that his communication had a 

 great deal to do with the decision. 



In framing rules I would suggest that the time between 

 the show and the last day for entries is often unnecessarily 

 long. In the largest shows a fortnight would apppear to be 

 quite sufficient, and it is imfair to other exhibitors to accept 

 entries after the date. This, X fear, is often done; at any rate, 

 the same number occurring twice in a catalogue with * 

 attached, and always to the same exhibitor's name, is sus- 

 picious. I believe that if the time of entry were of shorter 

 duration more entries would be received, as it is difficult to 

 say one month beforehand what it may be in our ability 

 to do. 



Further, I think that exhibitors would increase in number 

 if committees showed them a little more courtesy. I am 

 not saying too much when I write that the exhibitors are the 

 most important part of the affair, and that without exhi- 

 bitors we can have no shows. It is, therefore, a matter of 

 importance to keep this class in good temper. There are 

 several little matters which would help to do so, and which 

 I now throw out as suggestions to committees. 



Firstly, why not let it be a rule that with the labels a 

 ticket of admission, not transferable, should bo sent. Very 

 often it would not be used, still it would give a kindly feeling 

 towards the show in question to find you are not forgotten. 



Secondly, I think that as soon as possible after the 

 opening of the show a catalogue and prize list should be 

 forwarded free to each exhibitor. Committees will say, "This 

 is one of the items by which we hope to make money." 

 Granted, yet it should not be out of the exhibitors, many of 

 whom have had nothing but expenses. I have often thought 

 that in printing catalogues, as we occasionally see them, 

 a great deal ol money and paper is wasted. Take the 

 Brighton catalogue as an example. In other points cata- 



