476 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
{ December 19, 1878. 
June the stalks will be fit to cut, which must be repeated every year at that 
time so as to keep the plants from flowering ; they will then continue for 
some years, but if allowed to seed they perish soon afterwards. 
ECHEVERIAS RETUSA AND GLAUCA (H. P.S.).—Thongh allied to the House- 
leek they, are distinct from that plant, and, unlike it, are not hardy, requiring 
to be kept in a house from which frost is excluded, m a position free from 
drip, and with no more water than to maintain the leaves plump, it being 
better to err on the side of dryness than overwatering. Spirea and Hoteia 
japonica are identical. 
EVERGREEN OAK (G. R. A.).—The sprays sent appear to be those of the 
Austrian Oak, Quercus austriaca, which retains its foliage throughont the 
winter. The foliage is glossy, deeply cut, and handsome. 
CRYPTOMERIA ELEGANS (J. £. Z.).—It is quite usual for this elegant 
Conifer to change its colour and become bronzy in winter. Your young 
plants will no doubt pass through the winter safely without protection and 
Will resume their green garb in the spring. 
FLUE-HEATING (D. B., Brixton) —We have seen flues formed of large 
drain pipes which have answered very well, but as a precaution against the 
pipes cracking we advise you to have the flue of bricks for the first 6 feet 
from the fire. Hot-water is preferable to flue-heating. 
FORCING POTATOES AND RADISHES (A Beginner).—We presume you have 
some kind of fermenting matter to afford a gentle warmth, and we should 
place it in the pit at front to the depth of a foot, and at back 24 inches deep, 
which will leave you a foot to the glass. Leaves will answer, and with 
6 inches of soil upon them will be so firmed as to leave you a foot clear ina 
short time. The soil should be rich loam, light rather than heavy, and 
when it is a little warmed you may plant the Potatoes in rows 15 inches 
apart,and the sets afoot apart in the rows, placing them 4 inches deep. 
Radishes may be sown over the surface, and the seed be either raked in or 
covered with half an inch of soil. All the treatment required is to expose 
fully when the weather is mild, and protect from frost by mats and straw 
coverings in frosty weather, not removing them in continued severe weather 
until a general thaw. If you can command an abundance of protecting 
material commence at once, but if not we should defer planting until early 
in February, in the meantime having the sets in a suitable place to sprout. 
When they have pushed shoots from one-half to three-quarters of an inch 
long you may plant. We grow in frames Sandringham Ashleaf, Myatt’s 
Prolific Ashleaf, and Veitch’s Ashleaf. The first is earliest, but the last two 
are better croppers, and for your purpose would be most suitable. 
MARANTA UNHEALTHY (4 Subscriber)—These plants become unhealthy 
from various causes—by excessive moisture at the roots on the one hand or 
drought on the other, by low temperature, a too dry atmosphere, and by 
bright sun. Do not disturb your plant at present, but place it in the 
warmest position of your house, keeping the soil just moist. In the spring, 
when you can command 20° more heat, carefully shake the plant out of the 
old soil and pot it in a rough open compost of turfy peat and charcoal, and 
place it in a shaded part of the house, maintaining a moist genial atmosphere 
to promote the growth of fresh foliage. A minimum temperature of 50° is 
fully too cold for your plant. 
HEATING A GREENHOUSE (LZ. W.).—The stove is evidently not large 
enough for heating your house. If you object to a flue or hot water your 
only course is to obtain another stove. You will not now be able to procure 
one from the same maker, but you will have no difficulty in finding one that 
will aid in excluding frost.- You ask for instructions to enable you to obtain 
“sufficient heat,” but neither state what amount of heat you require nor 
what kinds of plants you have in the house. 
MANURING FOR POTATOES (Bricks and Mortar).—As the land is required 
for building purposes and you only want one crop from it we should not, 
unless it is very poor, apply any manure until the Potatoes are planted. We 
shonld then sprinkle a little superphosphate of lime in the drills, just making 
the ground white, and if further support is needed we should top-dress during 
showery weather when the Potatoes had grown a few inches high with the 
Same fertiliser and a sprinkling of guano. 
PETROLEUM AS AN INSECTICIDE (A Subscriber).—In syringing the plants 
they should be laid on their sides or be held over a tub containing the 
solution ; very little petroleum will then drain into the soil, and that little 
will not do any injury. It is not easy to name a Fern from such small 
scraps and those imperfect, but we think it is Pteris argyrea. 
PRUNING MARECHAL NIEL ROSE (Agricola).—The shoots nearly 10 feet 
long should only have the tips removed if you require a large supply of 
blooms next year. The growth of the weakly plants should be pruned 
rather closely in order to produce still stronger shoots next year for flower- 
ing in 1880. Roses in the open air should not be pruned until spring, and 
qurdne: time instructions will be given in “Work for the Week” on the 
subject. 
LOASAS (Somerset)—The following is the description of the flowers :— 
Calyx tubular, with four or five lobes, adhering to or closely girding the 
ovary. Corolla with four or five concave petals, inserted in the throat of 
the calyx, or double that number and disposed in two series, the interior 
being the shortest, and sometimes in the form of scales. Stamens indefinite 
in number, distinct, or united at the base in several bundles. Ovary inferior, 
one-celled, with three, four, or five partitions, issuing from its inner surface. 
Style simple, Stigma either entire or four-lobed. Your other question will 
be answered next week. 
MANURE COMPANY (Seventcen-year's Subscriber).—We have no knowledge 
of the Company you refer to. 
NAMES OF PLANTS (G. H.).—The berried plant is Eugenia Ugni, and the 
other Habrothamnus elegans. 
THE HOME FARM: 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
THE MANAGEMENT OF SWINE. 
THE first thing to be considered relating to this subject is 
the pens or sties for the accommodation of the animals. These 
are commonly treated as the least important of all the buildings 
on the home farm, and great improvement can not only be made 
for the well-doing of the pigs, but also for the preservation and 
retention of the manure. It is requisite that the breeding sows» 
the boar, and the store pigs, as well as fatting pigs, should have 
separate apartments, and as each will require a different design 
for their accommodation we shall allude to them in detail. 
Having often superintended the erection of sties upon home farms 
we give the dimensions, &c., which we recommend as best adapted 
for the comfort of the animals, facility for feeding, and for the 
saying of manure in the most available condition. It often 
happens that on some farms there are existing sties which it may 
be economical to retain and make use of by such alterations as 
will make them useful under an improved system, and. therefore 
by stating what we consider the best accommodation as a new 
erection it will serve to point out what changes may be made in 
sties now in use should they require alterations or additions. 
The best aspect for the frontage of the pig pens is to the south 
or west; in fact it is the best plan to have two ranges with a 
meal house with boiling coppers and cisterns for grains, wash, 
and mixed food in the centre, with easy access at the back of 
the building for the carting and delivery of materials required, 
such as roots, meal, &c. We propose to consider our subject 
under two separate headings—first, the best management adapted 
for breeding sows and their offspring ; and secondly, the rearing 
of store pigs from the time of weaning and the fattening for sale 
at different ages. The range of buildings to afford the best ac- 
commodation for breeding sows should have a south frontage. 
The span of the buildings should be 20 feet, roofed with slate, 
the eaves being 74 feet from the ground level. The arrangement 
for each farrowing sty should include the whole 20 feet under 
cover, and 10 feet in width, and it should be divided ; the interior 
or nesting place for the sow to be 7 feet by. 10 feet. The floor 
should be raised 12 inches above the ground leyel, and be formed 
of flagstone or concrete with cement. We object to brick, as 
being always more or less damp. Sometimes boards are used, 
but they in ordinary use are also damper than stone or concrete. 
The floor should be laid with a fall of 1 inch to the foot towards 
the outer division of the sty; a rail should also be attached to 
each side of the pen about 10 inches from the floor, and project- 
ing about 10 or 12inches. This is called a saveall, because it 
provides an escape for the little pigs when the sow lies down, as 
they can run under the rail behind her back instead of being over- 
laid. This nesting place orinterior division should not be littered 
with long straw, but only with chaff cut into lengths of 4 or 
5 inches, and kept entirely free from dung; then at the time of 
farrowing there will be no accumulation of straw, which is often 
the cause of loss of young pigs not being able to keep out of the 
way of the mother when about to lie down. There being a wicket 
2 feet wide to the inner pen or division the sow may when near 
farrowing be confined to this apartment, only being let out to 
feed in the front division. This division should be 13 feet by 
10 feet, the floor being sunk 1} foot below the ground level for 
the purpose of holding the manure, with 6 inches of dry earth or 
ashes at the bottom for absorbing the urine. The shorter the 
straw for bedding the better, which should occasionally haye a 
sprinkling of earth or ashes to consolidate the mass, which may 
then be allowed to accumulate as long as convenient. In this 
outer apartment the iron trough will be placed, and any green 
food may be strewed over, this being the feeding apartment- 
The trough not being a fixture will rise with the accumulation 
of the manure. The feeding will take place through a wicket 
3 feet wide from a pathway outside, raised 12 inches. above the 
ground level and 2} feet wide, which may be pitched with stone 
or brick and kept clean at all times, and will give access to each of 
the sties alike. This raised path also gives protection to the 
pens, because it answers the purpose of a stopping block when 
the carts are engaged bringing food, litter, or earth, and remoy- 
ing dung, and prevents damage to the building by carts being 
backed against it. The front of the pens may be of wood or 
sheet iron galvanised, and about 4 feet in height above the level 
of feeding path, which may or may not be covered by a project- 
ing roof as may be required. This feeding path is placed im front, 
