August 29, 1878. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
177 
rate of a peck to thirty gallons of water ; but liquid manures, good as they 
“are, do not compensate for efficient manurings and surface dressings of rich 
material. These, with thorough waterings in dry weather, produce good 
Roses and good foliage. 
DENNSTZDTIA DAVALLIOIDES YOUNGII (R. B.).—You do not state the 
nature of the particulars required. Perhaps the following extract from 
Veitch’s catalogue, page 22, 1877, will afford you the desired information :— 
* For this splendid Fern we are indebted to the kindness of J. R. Young, Esq., 
of Sydney, N.S.W., with whose name it is associated. It is a native of the 
New Hebrides, of very robust habit and vigorous growth. The rhizome is 
creeping ; the fronds are of noble proportions, attaining a length of 10 feet 
and upwards, and have stout erect or sub-erect stipes, quite smooth, rounded 
on one side, and flattened on the opposite or upper side with a furrow run- 
ning along the entire length. The leafy portion of the frond is arching, 
bi- and tripinnate, broadly lanceolate, and acuminate. The pinne are sessile 
or subsessile, spreading. The rachides furrowed on the upper side like the 
stipe. The pinnules are finely cut and of alight cheerful green. The aspect 
of the whole frond is very airy and graceful. It is a grand Fern for a warm 
‘conservatory. Fora central subject in grouping, where bold and spreading 
foliage is required, it will be found a great acquisition to our decorative 
resources, and as an exhibition Fern it will be invaluable.’ 
BOILER FOR HEATING (W. W. £.).—We cannot advise you. Consult 
some practical gardeners in your neighbourhood or some large nurserymen. 
OYSTERS (South Hants).—We have no knowledge of the Acts. 
NAMES OF FRUIT (A. 7.).—Calebasse Grosse. Let us know what soil it 
grows on, and where, and we will endeavour to suggest a cause for the fun- 
goid attack. (W. Allingham).—Duchess of Oldenburg. 
NAMES OF PLANTS (Jumes Shearer).—l, Empetrum nigrum; 2, Achillea 
Millefolium ; 3, ditto; 4, Equisetum arvense ; 5, Caucalis Anthriscus; 6, Galium 
aparine. (G.0.S.)—1, Saponaria officinalis ; 2, Lobelia sp.; 3, Melilotus len- 
cantha; 4, Phygelius capensis. (Zypo.).—Abutilon Darwinii tessellatum. 
The Begonia is, we think, B. nitida, but it is difficult to determine from a 
single pip. (W. &.)—We cannot identify from leaves only. (Rev. Dr. 
P. H.)—We think it is Cordyline indivisa. (J. Bale)—1, Pteris mon- 
strosa; 2, P. cretica, var. albo-lineata; 3, P. cretica; 4, Aspleninm fecundum ; 
4, Adiantum pubescens ; 6, Aspidium falcatum ; 7, Adiantum cuneatum. 
THE HOME FARM: 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
THE CULTIVATION OF RYE. 
Tuis has always been a crop of importance not only in this 
<ountry but abroad. In many continental states it is almost the 
only crop grown. In parts of Russia, Hungary, and other 
countries, and in some of these districts abroad, it enters largely 
into consumption as food for the poorer sort of people, but it 
makes coarse dark flour, and is deficient in nutritious properties 
as compared with that of wheat. It is, however, sometimes in 
this country made into meal with barley, &c., where the price of 
the grain makes it profitable in admixture; but since we have 
had such large importations of Indian corn it is not often that 
the price will enable it to compete with Indian com as a feeding 
material for cattle, pigs, dc. At present rye is chiefly used for 
Sowing to produce an early fodder crop ; and upon the large stock 
farms, where numerous flocks of sheep are maintained, it is of the 
utmost consequence to provide a good supply of early food in the 
spring, and particularly in those seasons where there is a partial 
or serious failure of the root crops. As soon as this failure can 
be ascertained, which is usually soon after harvest, it is well to 
look forward and provide for scarcity in the;spring by sowing a 
good breadth of rye to fold off with sheep. It not only provides 
for them in the spring, but the land_after rye is fed off is left in 
the best state for the growth of roots to follow, our own ex- 
perience of this matter being that Swedes and common turnips 
are both more sure to take and certain to plant regularly after the 
rye crop than after a long winter fallow. When fed by sheep 
eating cake, &c., the land will not require any further manuring 
for the root crop, especially if it is a kind soil suitable for the 
growth of roots. It is advisable at sowing time to ascertain as 
near as possible the acreage required, and to sow no more than 
can be consumed within a given time. If it is required for soiling 
horses and cattle it will only be in season for about fourteen or 
sixteen days before the trifolium will be ready for feeding; but 
when the rye is required for hurdling off for sheep it can be com- 
menced ten or twelve days earlier than for cutting up to feed 
animals at the stalls. 
Upon the home farm the growth of rye will often have to be 
considered in quite another way now straw is so dear. Rye may 
be sown unusually early in the autumn and receive A liberal 
dressing of guano, say 2 cwt. per acre at the time of sowing, ora 
‘mess on the back of the grain. 
dressing of 14 cwt. of nitrate of soda in February or March, so 
that not only the heaviest but the earliest crop may be obtained. 
The produce, instead of being used as food for stock, may be 
reserved for the sake of the straw, and may remain until it comes 
into ear. This it will do in ordinary seasons on kind land under 
the before-named treatment about the first week in May. It may 
then be cut and tied into sheaves and set up on one-third of the 
land, when the other two-thirds may be cultivated and sown with 
mangold, carrots, Swedes, &c., the rest of the land being finished 
off when the sheaved rye has been carted and stored away for use 
as straw only. It may, however, be carted loose somewhat earlier 
and partially dried in order to make hay of, like the Americans do 
with wild oats, and in this way it makes capital fodder if not too 
much heated in stack. 
Rye is usually grown upon poor sandy or gravelly land, and it 
pays very well to harvest the crop, as there is always a demand 
for it for sowing ; but it should be drilled and hoed if the land is 
subject to weeds, because it does not meet with a ready sale if the 
sample contains the seeds of weeds. It may, however, be grown 
upon the better sorts of land, when it will pay well as a cereal 
crop, especially if the object is to obtain a crop of stubble turnips 
after the rye is harvested, for it not only comes ripe a fortnight 
before the wheat crop, but on good land it will yield a large pro- 
duce, the value of the grain being generally higher in price than 
barley for grinding purposes. The preparation of the land is of 
the greatest consequence, because the succeeding crop being of 
necessity put in immediately after the rye is cut, it is therefore 
essential that the land should be perfectly free from couch grass 
at seed time. It often happens that there are only a few bunches 
of grass to be seen, which should be forked out before ploughing, 
as it saves the expense of more ploughing, harrowing, rolling, &c., 
and also saves time, for it is very important that rye should be 
sown early ; and as it generally follows a wheat crop it may then 
be put in immediately the land is cleared of wheat. The quantity 
of seed required is from three to four bushels per acre when the 
crop is intended for early cattle food; but from two to three 
bushels is quite enough when the rye is to remain and harvest 
the grain if the land is in good heart and condition. It is also 
very desirable that the seed sample should be clean and free from 
the seeds of weeds, which is not always the case, for generally 
speaking no cereal crop is taken less pains with by the farmers 
than rye. Although rye will succeed well on very poor soil if 
properly tilled and manured for, still it is best sown where the 
chmate is dry and warm, and is therefore not often grown in cold, 
late, and exposed districts, because oats would answer better and 
produce a more valuable crop in backward situations and high- 
altitudes. If grown under such circumstances for feeding pur- 
poses rye would come too late, as the chief value of the crop 
depends upon its adaptation for early feeding. 
There are two sorts of rre—the common or ordinary sort, which 
is usually met with in the market, and the Giant or St. John’s-day 
rye as it was called when it was first introduced upwards of thirty 
years ago. The common sort is a small and thin grain, whereas 
the Giant rye is a much longer and stronger grain, being stouter 
in sample and particularly distinguished by a roundness or plump- 
The Giant rye is also stronger 
and earlier in growth, with longer and stouter straw, but it is not 
considered so hardy as the common sort, and therefore not so well 
suited for poor land and exposedsituations. It is, however, worth 
notice on account of its productive qualities, and will yield a 
heavier bulk of fodder to cut up for cattle at the earliest period ; 
it should, however, be sown earlier than ordinary rye to obtain 
the full advantage of the sort. The grain, being larger than com- 
mon, will necessitate a full allowance of seed ; and in order to pre- 
vent the lodging and twisting of such a bulky produce it will be 
desirable, when the crop is intended to be harvested for the grain, 
that it should be drilled at 12 inches apart in the rows. It will 
stand up much better, and be more likely to yield a full crop of 
the most valuable grain and give a full crop of long reedy straw, 
so valuable at the present time for various purposes either for use 
