498 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December 7, 1876. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



%* All correspondence should be directed either to " The 

 Editors," or to "The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing bo subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 



Correspondents should not mix up on the same sheet questions 

 relating to Gardening and those on Poultry and Bee sub- 

 jects, and should never send more than two or three 

 questions at once. All articles intended for insertion 

 should be written on one side of the paper only. "We 

 cannot reply to questions through the post. 



Books (J. M. and others). — The book yon. require is published at this office, 

 bnt is now being reprinted. 



Grafting Tines (A Working Gardener). — The Grape sent is the Black 

 Morocco, which is a good late Grape, requiring stove heat to ripen it per- 

 fectly, and special care in setting its berries, a globule of liquid frequently 

 forming on the stigma and impeding fertilisation. This moisture should be 

 removed by gentle agitation, so that the pollen may come in contact with 

 the Etigma. Ton may graft or inarch any of the Tines you name. You will 

 find useful information in our Nos. 617 and 806, which can be had post free 

 for Id. 



West Indian Plants (A. Henry). — There are hundreds that grow wild in 

 the West Indies that are now cultivated in our glazed structures; but it is 

 impossible to select from those plants. Tell your friend to bring cuttings, or 

 seeds, or bulbs of those which are beautiful. 



Pines Decaying at the Core (E. B.). — The cause of this is either giving 

 the plants too much water after the fruit has become nearly ripe, or applying 

 manure water at that stage. 



Tenn's Black Muscat Grape (Reader). — This variety has not yet been 

 sufficiently tested as a late Grape, but we do not think it will keep so well as 

 Lady Downe's cr Alicanto, but we certainly advise you to try it in your late 

 houBe with those two sorts. 



Pear Trees Unhealthy (C, Halifax).— Judging from the spur sent we 

 suspect the cause of the unhealthiness of your trees to be ungenial and 

 possibly water-logged soil. If the soil is wet drain it thoroughly to a depth 

 of 3 feet, having a clear outlet for the water. If the subsoil is not wet, then 

 the condition of your trees is attributable to poverty of the soil. The remedy 

 in this case is to remove the surface soil, just bareing the roots, and cover 

 them with the best soil you can obtain, and over the soil place a good cover- 

 ing of rich manure. Limewash the trees, or, what is equivalent, dust them 

 with dry lime when the branches are wet. If blossom buds predominate over 

 ■wood buds remove some of the former, especially taking off any at the tips of 

 the branches. Your aim must be to induce clean healthy young shoots, not 

 permitting the trees to blossom profusely, and your trees will regain their 

 vigour. 



EantjnctjltjS. — In my paper on the Banunculus there is an error. I am 

 made to say ' as to soils,' when it should have been ' as to sorts.' — D., Deal. 



Small Orchard (Constant Reader). — Go by rail into Devonshire or Somer- 

 setshire and search. 



Suttons' Bed-skin Floubball Potato ( ). — The produce from 1 lb. 



of seed as exhibited at Beading by Major Thoyte was 267 lbs. 



Liaie [A Constant Reader). — To improve the staple the quantity you name 

 is far too small. If to furnish calcareous matter to the crops it is enough. 



Woolly Befttse (T. M.). — It would be long in decomposing, hut, like all 

 animal refuse, would be fertilising when decayed. It would be most useful 

 if applied to a heavy soil. 



Lawton Blackberry.— J. M. and others wish to know where they can 

 purchase plants of this Blackberry. 



Basket Plants Unhealthy {Nolens Yolens).— The cause of the plants 

 not succeeding is due to their unsuitability for so dry an atmosphere. Musk 

 and Lobelias like moisture, and they with Geraniums are at too great a dis- 

 tance from the window. More suitable plants for the position would be 

 Campanula garganica, Saxifraga sannentosa, Mesembryanthemum cordi- 

 folium variegatum, Sedum Sieboldi, S. azoideum variegatum, Antirrhinum 

 procumbens, and Cereus flagelliformis. 



Heating Plant-preserver (A. M.). — You will need a 2-inch pipe all 

 round the frame so as to exclude frost, and if you contemplate forcing, 

 2-inch hot-water pipes all round the inside of the pit will be necessary. We 

 do not think you can satisfactorily heat the pit from your present boiler, as 

 all the pipes you would have would be returns, and all below the boiler, 

 besides which water would be repeatedly drawn from the hot- water cistern, or 

 boiler, or both, and you would need to disconnect the present return pipe to 

 the boiler from the hot -water cistern, so as to cause the water to return by 

 the frame pipes. The action of such an apparatus would be very slaggish 

 and uncertain in its action, and we think would prove unsatisfactory. We 

 advise a separate boiler, but there is no question but that the frame would 

 be more economically heated from the house boiler were it not that the boiler 

 is above the level of the floor of the frame. 



Names of Frtjits (Connaught Subscriber). — Knight's Monarch. (J.Bryan)- 

 — 1, Tower of Glamis; 2, Golden Noble; 3, Toker's Incomparable. The Pear 

 was quite rotten. 



Naates of Plants (J. K). — 1, Chrysanthemum pallens; 2, Pyrethrum 

 fmtescenB. (J. P.). — 1, Schizostylis coccinea; 2, Teronica salicifolia; S, T. 

 angustifolia. (A Novice).— 1, Aster sp. ; 2, A. Novi-Belgii; 3, Lonicera ja- 

 ponica aureo-reticulata. (S. J.).— 1, Calanthesp. ; 2, Maxillaria picta. The 

 ahrub is Benthamia fragifera. (T. R. L.),—2, Asplenium bulbiferum. 6, 

 Lastrea dilatata; 7, L. spinulosa ; 8, L. Filix-mas ; 10, Polystichum acgulare, 

 yar. The remainder immature. (H. S. K. ). — 1, Cytisus canariensis. Material 

 insufficient of remainder. [Ban Ousel). — 1, Pteris serrulata; 2, Adiantum 

 formoaum ; S and 5, material not sufficient; 4, Selaginella cuspidata. (Wood- 

 cote).~2, 3, 5, 6, 7, monsters of Filix-fcemina ; 1, of Filix-mas; 4, of Poly- 

 podium vulgare. (J. H.). — 1, Nephrolepis cordifolia; 2, Aspidium falcatum ; 

 3, Adiantum hispidulum ; 4, Pteris cretica; 5, Pteris flabellata; 6, Pellcea 

 rotundifolia. (Lady Subscriber). — 1, Material insufficient ; 2, Adiantum 

 formosum; 3, Nephrodium setigerum. (Mrs. Ncicma?i).—1, Pteris cretica 



var. albo-lineata ; 2, Pellsea rotundifolia ; 3, Pteris serrulata. Dip the plants 

 in soft soap water occasionally to prevent thrips. (A Constant Reader).— 

 Cerinthe aspera, Bough Honeywort. (Mr. Downes). — Urceolina pendula. 

 (T. R.). — We do not remember your Ferns ; if received they were eent to the 

 botanist who attends to the subject, and will be answeied by him. 



POULTEY, BEE, AKD PIGEON 0HE0UI0LE. 



BIRMINGHAM CATTLE AND POULTRY SHOW. 



Dece:sibeb 13th, 14th, 15 th, 16th, and 18th. 



The unprecedentedly large entry received in every depart- 

 ment proves the soundness of the change of date adopted by the 

 Council this year ; nor will the increase in numbers, we are 

 assured, be obtained by the sacrifice of anything in the quality 

 of the exhibits. On the contrary, visitors to Bingley Hall will 

 there see together the conquerors in their various classes at the 

 London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Oakham Shows, which are all 

 held the week previous to Birmingham, and will therefore act 

 as feeders to the great midland Show. 



The show of potatoes will extend to nearly four hundred 

 dishes, the prizes being most liberal in this section. 



The Poultry and Pigeons, which number over 2700 pens, 

 would, if placed in a single line, reach something like a mile and 

 a half, and will be a grand exhibition, the time of year being 

 most favourable to the display of plumage. 



The charges for admission have been somewhat modified ; but 

 on Wednesday, the day of judging, will remain at 10s., except 

 for life members, who receive a free pass for the whole Show. 

 On Thursday, the fashionable day, on which day the Dog Show 

 also opens, the admission is 5s. until five o'clock, and Is. after. 

 On Friday, Is. all day ; and the same until two o'clock on Satur- 

 day, when it is reduced to 6d., which price is also the figure for 

 the whole of Monday, the last day. 



The arrangements of the various railway companies will be on 

 a most liberal and extensive scale. Excursions will pour in 

 daily from all populous parts. Hereford, Shrewsbury, the 

 Potteries, Yorkshire, Derby, and the colliery districts, North- 

 ampton, Bedford, Oxford, "Worcester, and all intermediate places 

 will have special facilities at greatly reduced rates, either by one 

 or three-day trips; whilst, to come nearer home, trains will run 

 from Walsall, Woverhampton, Stourbridge, and Kidderminster 

 every half hour, or as often as required. 



BRISTOL POULTRY SHOW. 

 DoEKrsGS as usual headed the list, and therefore first demand 

 our attention. Taken all round they were not equal to the Show 

 in some former years at Bristol, probably a number of good 

 birds are being kept back for Birmingham. In Coloured 

 cockerels first came the Palace cup bird, in blooming condition; 

 he haB grown much sirjee the Palace, and we thought he de- 

 served the cup for best Dorking cock ; still this mattered little, 

 as his owner's Silver-Grey cock had it. Second was a bird of 

 much the same type, a medium colour but not so large. The 

 third we did not admire; there is something odd about the back 

 erf bis comb, and he has much white in breast and hen feather 

 of tail ; his feet are white and good. Fourth we thought de- 

 cidedly better, he is very dark and promises to grow much. We 

 admired Mr. Hamilton's very highly commended bird, but 

 thought his legs rather too red. The pullets were not a good 

 class — first was excellent in colour, not a striking bird or very 

 white in feet ; she is long and will probably make a good hen. 

 Second a well-Bhaped square pullet. Third rich in colour and 

 large, but a little nngainly. Fourth as good as any in the class, 

 broad and square. The second and very highly commended 

 (Cresswell and Watson) were both good, of the old-fashioned 

 colour, slightly laced. We are glad to see this colour again coming 

 into favour. Cocks were but a Bmall and poor class. First was a 

 masaive Dorking in good condition. Second a nice dark bird, 

 but purple in comb and not well. Third White, but rather 

 gouty in feet with a drooping comb. Hens were a much better 

 class, and as at the Palace the birds were in wonderful condi- 

 tion. First a capital bird, we think not her owner's cup bird at 

 the Palace ; she is very large with good white feet. Second also 

 good in feet, a long bird too stilty. Third a good hen in colour, 

 and square in shape. These three prize birds were as good hens as 

 one could wish to see. 43 (Bartrum) is a beautiful dark bird, but 

 she seemed rather shaky on legs. Silver-Grey cocks were few. 

 First a very fine and Bilvery bird, he was awarded cup for the 

 best Dorking cock ; he is the bird which we mentioned as hardly 

 receiving his due when third at the Palace. Second well through 

 the moult, but yellow in hackle and white in breast. Third a 

 moderate cockerel. In hens a grand old bird was first ; she ifl 

 nearly eight years old, and figured in the prize lists as long ago as 

 the year 1869. Second a large hen, browner than the first. Third 

 not good in size or colour. Whites.— FirBt, the first Palace 

 cockerel, he is a grand Dorking in shape, but now becoming 

 rather coarser in comb. Second a very fair cookerel, which we 



