August S, 1876. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



105 



ton, sent out by Mr. W.Paul, is a cross between a nosegay and a florist variety ; 

 it has the large truss of the nosegay, and ought to be eligible for that class. 



Wintering Mksembryanthemum cordifolium (Franklin). — You may 

 winter it quite safely in a greenhouse from wbich frost is excluded, only do 

 not water more than to keep from flagging. The Coleus you would lose from 

 cold and damp, it requiring a temperature of 50° to winter safely. 



Iris susiana and I. iberioa Coltdre (Idem). — Place them outdoors, 

 or better plunge in ashes in au open situation, and they will not require 

 further attention until late in September, when they may be removed to a 

 cold pit, and be kept rather dry there or in a cool part of t ae greenhouse until 

 spring, when tbey should have water as the growth advances and proportionate 

 thereto. Repot in early spring, adding a third of peat to the loam, with a 

 free admixture of sand. 



Green Sport from Mangles' Variegated Geranium (Mars). — This is 

 not unusual; we counted three green sports on one bed after receiving your 

 letter. Clerodendron Balfouri ripening seeds is also a common occurrence. 



Manuring Strawberry Beds (-4 Subscriber).— This may be done in 

 November, or any time through the winter. The manure ought to be applied 

 before the plants start in the spring. 



Grapes Mildewed (Tyro).— We have had to do with vineries of all sorts 

 for many years, and have had the VineB attacked by mildew, but never to the 

 axtent of requiring the bunches to be powdered with flowers of sulphur to 

 destroy the mildew. On the first appearance of the parasite you should coat 

 the hot-water pipes with sulphur worked into a paste. Apply it with a 

 painter's brush. The pipes should be made so hot that the baua can just bo 

 held on them. Any seedsman oan supply you with an appliance for dusting 

 the sulphur amongst the berries. If yours are very bad it may be necessary 

 to do this. 



Morello Cherry on Clay Soil (R. T. Z.).— We find that this Cherry 

 Bucceeds better on a light soil or medium than on a heavy clay. You should 

 try working some leaf soil, sand, or road scrapings amongst your clay soil. 



Culture of Pomegranates in Pots (M. E. T.).— First, the soil should 

 be turfy loam with leaf mould and a little rotted manure. Second, reput in 

 November or December. If the plants are small, once a-year ; if large, every 

 second year. Third, the points of the young wood ought to be cut-back in 

 winter, and the temperature should be very low. It is not Bafe to place tho 

 trees out of doors before the danger from frosts or cutting windB are over in 

 the spring; the young shoots are eaBily injured. 



Leaves of Peach Tree Dropping (E. S.).— It is difficult to say what 

 may be the reason of this. A quantity of soft-soapy water would injure the 

 roots, and Noblesse would suffer either from this or drought before Barrington. 

 Wo rather think it must be the drought. Water well an J mulch with manure. 

 If drought is the cause of the injury many of the Binall roots will be dead, 

 and the tree will not recover all at once. 



Thrips on Vines ( W. Hay).— We were much troubled with this pest in 

 our vineries some years ago, and could only destroy the insects by fumigating 

 with tobaooo smoke, but Uub caused the fruit to taBte slightly of tobacco. 

 In the autumn the Vines should be well washed with a strong solution of 

 soapy water, tobacco liquor, and flowers of sulphur after removing all the 

 loose bark. * 



Hardy Succulent Plants for Edgings (S. J. P.).— Sempervivum cali- 

 fornicum planted 6 inches apart, and the interspaces planted with Sedum 

 glaucum, forma a chaste, beautiful, and permanent edging for flower beds, 

 both plants being perfectly hardy. 



Early Peas (F. W. L.).—It you procure Carter's First Crop true to name 

 you will find it earlier, also dwarfer, than Sangster's No. 1. Both are useful 

 aarly Peas. If you add to them William I. and Alpha you will have Peas 

 both early and of good quality. 



American Blackberry Plants (H. C.).— Write to a nurseryman at New 

 York. 



Seedling Geraniums (Amateur Gardener). — They are not in any respect 

 equal to many others. 



Cucumbers Diseased (C. M. M.).— Judging by the fruits sent your plants 

 must be in a deplorable state. If there are ulcerations and exudations of 

 sap from the stems you have the " Cucumber disease," which you will not be 

 able to cure this season, but you may, perhaps, prevent it the next. If, on 

 the other hand, the fruits orjly are affected, the stems not being ulcerated, 

 the injury arises from insufficient temperature and perhaps a cold and stag- 

 nant soil. Cut off all the affected fruitB, all bad leaves and weak growths, 

 and remove carefully a portion of tho soil, adding fresh; increase the tempe- 

 rature of the soil and atmosphere, and with careful waterings with tepid 

 water, and judicious ventilation your plants may start into fresh growth and 

 produce clean fruits. The minimum night temperature should not be lower 

 than 65°, but 70° would be preferable for a time to assist the plants to make 

 fresh growth quickly. 



Blechnum, &c. (G. M.).— Not knowing where or in what soil the plants 

 are grown we cannot advise you, nor can we name a Fern from a scrap of a 

 frond. 



Sulphur on Grapes (J. E.).~ As it has effected its purpose and the 

 berries are green you may Byringe it off. 



Culture of Chtlies (J. N.). — The seeds, which may be kept in their 

 ripe cases until wanted, should be sown under glass towards the end of 

 March in a very rich soil, and if in a hotbed all the better. As soon as the 

 plants are 4 inches high they should be pricked-off, either singly in small 

 pots or four in a 5-inch pot, and well watered, syringed, and smoked to 

 destroy the green fly, and shifted again if necessary until the first or second 

 week in June, when the plants may be turned out into nice mellow soil in front 

 of a south wall, in front of forcing houseB, or on a south border, when a good 

 quantity of green fruit will be obtained in September and October. If by the 

 middle of September they should not have produced ripe fruit enough take 

 them up with a ball of earth, repot them, shade them in a frame, pit, or hot- 

 house of any kind for a few days, and keep them under glass. They will 

 hardly feel the moving, and will produce abundance of either green or ripe 

 fruit, whichever may be most required for use, all winter and next spring. 



Names of Ferns— Cyrtomium falcatum (B. S. H.).— No. 1, Lastrea 

 Filix-mas; 2, Adiantum trapeziforme; 3, Lastrea acuminata. Cyrtomium 

 (ABpidium) falcatum is hardy in warm localities and sheltered situations, but 

 is more generally desirable for greenhouse. In cold localities it is not hardy. 

 It is a native of China and Japan. 



Soot Water for Vines (D. P. B.).~ About thirty gallons of water to each 



peck of Boot will be the right quantity. It is best to place the water in the 

 tub and suspend the soot in it in a coarse bag for a few days. You will then 

 obtain a clear solution of sufficient Btreugth for your purpose. 



Names of Fruits (R. L.). — Your Pear is Doyenne d'Ete, or Summer 

 Doyenne. 



POTTLTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



POULTRY- AND BSE NEWS AND QUERIES. 



We have been of en asked for reliable information about the 

 success of eg^B scut to and from America for hatching purposes. 

 "We are able to reply fully to the query, and will give particulars 

 of a package coming from and going to America. In the latter 

 part of April Mr. Norwood of Salisbury sent Mr. G. Brown of 

 Brooklandville, U.S.A., twenty-Bix White-crested Black Poland 

 eggs. They were packed in a substantially made box of inch 

 deal, and the package measured 12 inches each way. The eggs 

 were packed in dried peashells and bran, and out of the twenty- 

 six eggs twelve strong chickens hatched out, two more having 

 died in the shells ; the other twelve eggB were clear. On June 3rd 

 Mr. Norwood received from Mr. Brown thirty-one White Leg- 

 horn eggs. They came to him packed in the same box as he 

 had used in sending the eggs to Mr. Brown. The cost of the 

 package from Brooklandville to Salisbury station was 14s. 2d. 

 The eggs hatched in twenty days, and from them there were 

 twelve chickens hatched alive, seven died in the shells, three 

 eggs met with accidents, and nine were clear. We have heard 

 of better hatches from American eggs and from English eggs 

 sent to America, and we have known of many less successful 

 ventures. 



The Portsmouth Poultry Show was held on June 21st and two 

 following days — very nearly six weeks ago, and we read in the 

 schedule in large type that " all prizes will be paid within four- 

 teen days from the close of the Show." We know of prizes 

 which up to now (July 31st) have not been paid. It is also stated 

 in the schedule that successful exhibitors could on application 

 at the office reoeive their prize money on any day of the Show. 

 We heard one well-known exhibitor apply for his money, and he 

 was told by the Secretary that the Committee had not furnished 

 him with any funds wherewith to pay such prize money. We 

 know these facts have been freely commented on, and we fear 

 the Ornithological and Zoological Sooiety of Portsmouth will 

 gain no advantage from the discussion. 



Among the Bohedules which come to us is one from Wey- 

 mouth. In many ways it is good ; but we think here, as too at 

 Rochdale, the difference in the value in the first and second 

 prizes — 30s. and 10s. — quite ridiculous. If only 40s. could be 

 afforded for the two prizes, 25s. and 15s. wonld have made a 

 muoh better proportion. At Weymouth, too, there is no Variety 

 class, while French have three classes, one being for Houdans, 

 one for Creves, and the other for any other variety of French. 

 They may get a brace of pens of La Fleche, but we should 

 imagine it was very doubtful. As we have before stated, we 

 cannot afford space to criticise every sohedule, and so only from 

 time to time are able to pick out the salient points in any 

 Society's prospectus. Bath has issued a capital schedule, and 

 the neglected breeds oan here have a merry time, for there are 

 classes for Malays, Minorcas, Leghorns White and Leghorns 

 Brown, Silkies, and Black East Indian Ducks. We regret that 

 Bath and Southport should clash, for the latter's prize list is 

 very good. In it we see Dorkings have seven classes, Cochins 

 eight, HamburghB ten, while all breeds seem handsomely pro- 

 vided for. 



We fear there is still the disposition among many committees 

 not to publish the names of the judges at their shows. Our own 

 views are well known on the Bubjeot, so we need not return to 

 them. We would only again beg committees and secretaries to 

 understand that if once a judge iB mean enough to co-operate 

 with any exhibitor, that judge is just as able to write and tell 

 his colleague that he is judging at any show, when the said 

 friend would of course enter, while the entries are lost of those 

 exhibitors who will not enter unless they know the judge's name 

 and capabilities. Under this latter head, however, there is fre- 

 quently some favouritism shown by secretaries, for at a show 

 held in June last we know of one poultry exhibitor who said he 

 would enter largely if the judge's name was revealed ; this was 

 done to him in confidence, while several others who were smaller 

 exhibitors had the intelligence refused to them. We ask if this 

 is more satisfactory a line of proceeding than publishing the 

 judge's name, when all fanciers would be able to stand the same 

 chance. 



At several recent poultry shows held in consecutive order all 

 the prizes in Polands were taken by the White-crested variety, 

 and this with capital specimens of the other colours in the 

 classes. This would seem as if the breed was becoming much 

 more cultivated ; and it being one of the most beautiful breeds 

 we have we are glad of it, and would recommend energetic 



