February 10, 1363. ] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICITLTtXRE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



123 



Nvmber of Flow and Return Pipes {A. T. B.).— One flow and one 

 return pipe in connection with, your saddle boiler will be sufficient, what- 

 ever the number of houses to heat left and right; but, according: to the 

 number of houses, you must have socket-pipes or Y-junctions. ^ ne 

 highest placed of these will generally heat the most powerfully, and regu- 

 lation of valves will therefore be necessary. In scch a case, the simplest 

 plan would be to take tre flow-pipe into an open cistern, some 2 feet above 

 the highest pipe in the houses, and from that cistern take a flow-pipe to 

 each part to be heated, to be controlled by plug or valve. All the returns 

 of these must join the main return before it enters the boiler. We do not 

 quite understand whether the boiler will not heat the several houses, or 

 whether you merely wish some to be heated at one time and the rest at 

 another time. The above is the simplest ; if there is no cistern, then the 

 different flow-pipes must be regulated by valves. 



Gas Lime (A Three-years Subscriber). —The more clayey the soil the 

 imore gas lime you may put upon the soil to destroy the vermin in it. Two 

 inches depth of the gas lime, thoroughly mixed with the soil, will not 

 be too much. Tou must not plant anything on soil so treated until at 

 least a week has elapsed. 



Fudits for an East Wall (A Subscriber).— Tou will find the Roval 

 Apricot do well on an east wall. You may also have Marie Louise, Winter 

 Nelis, and Beurrt? Ranee Pears; and Purple Gage, Green Gage, and 

 Jefferson Plums. 



Cissus discolor (A Subscriber) .— It is one of the very easiest plants to 

 grow of all stove plants. Give it the moist heat of a stove, and the com- 

 post usual for a Fuchsia, or Geranium, or Chrysanthemum, and the diffi- 

 culty would be to know how to prevent it doing better than any other stove 

 plant ; and as to rooting cuttings of it, none root more easily. Your plants 

 are No. 1, Begonia bydrocotjlifolia ; 2, JEschynanthus pulcher. 



Caladicms Starting (Idem). — The question of starting Caladinms i&> 

 like the question of siarting Grape Tines, only a matter of convenience 

 and cost. You may start Caladlums any day from the first of the new 

 year, till they would start of their own accord at the end of the spring. 

 The starting of cuttings, and the sowing of all flower seeds in the spring, 

 are just on the same principle as the starting of Caladium "roots." We 

 saw many thousands of seedling Lobelia speciosa just sprout the firstTveek 

 of last January, and Lobelia speciosa will be in quite time enough for ordinary 

 work if it is up by the 30th of March. Just so with Caladinms. When 

 you can give them 75° of bottom heat, and yon are sure they will have 

 sufficient room, and from 60^ to 75° of close moist heat, without check 

 or hindrance, you may start. But first examine every root, and see, if 

 there be a speck of decay on it ; that is looked to before potting ; give very 

 small pots to begin with, and no water at all. Amateurs destroy their 

 Caladiums, Cape bulbs, and Gladioluses by acting as it a "root" which 

 will keep for months in a dry state, must have water the moment it 

 is put into a pot. We never water a "root," even a water "root," until 

 the leaf is well up above the pot, if it were for three months after potting. 

 But the soil at potting time should be moist, and be kept so, in the dark 

 and with some covering, till the leaf comes. 



Propagating Sieklu Rhododendrons (A Subscriber since 1S56). — Graft- 

 ing will suit your purpose best. "Next month place the stocks of ponticum 

 into a pit or frame ; if there is just a little bottom heat all the better. When 

 growing cut the stock over, and take a piece off the side, and place two or 

 three duo's on of the sort desired ; tie, and keep the place close and with a 

 moist atmosphere. Sometimes, when you merely tie-on a bud or two, it 

 is desirable merely to nip-out the point of the "stock, and only cut-back 

 when the bud is growing. When you can graft on a piece of shoot with 

 its point, we would prefer cutting the stock over. 



Wireworms (Idem). — A little amrooniacal water from the gasworks, or 

 a bucket of tar scattered thinly, will cause the wireworms to decamp. For 

 catching them, nothing is better than slices of carrots inserted in the soil 

 and examined every morning. 



Names of Plants (A Beadei*).— 1, Adiantum cuneatum ; 2, Asplenium 

 flab elli folium ; 3, Some young Diplazium ; 4, Miserable Pteris hastata ; 

 5, Selaginella denticulata ; 6, Tacsonia pinnatistipula; 7, Aloe variegata; 

 8, Asplenium trichomanes; 9, Pteris tremula; 10, Isolepis gracilis; 11, a 

 leaf we do not recognise. No one should send more than half a dozen 

 specimens at a time. (W. O.). — 1. Nerium Oleander; 2, Rhododendron 

 dauricum atrovirens. You must send the others in flower. (W. S.). — 

 Benthamia fragifera. (A. Applet on). —Tout plant is Hexacentris mysor- 

 ensis. Each volume you require, and which we can supply, will cost you 

 8s. firf. (A Six-years Subscriber},— Your morsel from a window plant in 

 Suffolk is the smallest-leaved kind of all the Horehounds, and is called Mar- 

 rubiuni pseudo-dictamnus. It is too too slender for the flower garden. 



P0 ULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



POULTRY FOR THE LONDON MARKET. 



Pouxtey may come to London from all parts. A poultry 

 show would be impossible without railways ; and that which 

 makes a show possible mates it easy to send surplus poultry to 

 London. Peas and asparagus come from Algiers and Prance ; 

 new potatoes from Cornwall. They not only find a sale— they 

 are looked for. It is just possible they were not at first. Of 

 the early ventures, some were failures, perhaps, but senders were 

 not discouraged, and they are now known, and they know 

 their trade. Those who provide early delicacies are seldom 

 among the rich. The seasons do not yield without a struggle ; 

 heat must fight against frost, and a dry and even temperature 

 must promote and equalise growth. In chickens, little attentions 

 by candlelight must shorten nights, and well-chosen and 

 varied food must provide the internal heat that will radiate and 

 form its own atmosphere. Such attentions are troubles, and 

 are seldom undertaken by those who are well off. Neverthe- 



less, a clergyman, his wife or daughter, has often contributed 

 material help to a club or a poor family. Or one of those 

 humble invaluables — the single lady of the village, the sister of 

 a former vicar, the widow of the popular surgeon who was cut 

 off by fever while attending the poor, or -the unmarried daughter 

 of the lawyer who died some time before — these blessed visitors 

 often get a little help from poultry (none know so well as these, 

 that empty-handed sympathy is poor work.) These will rear 

 their chickens and think they are well paid for their trouble, 

 when the few shillings alleviate some poor person's pressing 

 want, or help them out of trouble. 



Poultry-keeping by cottagers in England is out of the question, 

 They have not space, and the abominable system of field work 

 for women renders it impossible. While, in Germany, princes, 

 and in France, gentlemen, make it a calling, it seems infra dig. 

 in England. More fowls are kept than were kept a century ago, 

 yet fewer come to market. There are sometimes spasmodic 

 attempts in certain districts, but they die out. The small farmer 

 and the small landowner disappear. The stream overtakes them, 

 and swallows them up. With them goes the poultry. South- 

 downs, Short-horns, and Berkshires take its place. 



Fashion has done one thing : — it has made it correct to breed 

 poultry, and to exhibit it. Every one is anxious to sell it alive ; 

 but regular fattening is not to be thought of. Why should this 

 be ? By a strange perversion, you may take a delicately-brought- 

 up lady who has been the ornament of a town circle, move her 

 into the country and she will undertake poultry or anything of 

 the kind, while her counterpart reared and living in the country 

 will not look at anything of the sort. When we have sought 

 for the cause, we have been told " it does not pay." We differ. 

 All want the highest price ; but all do not provide the best 

 quality. Large prices only belong to those who send their goods 

 at the most propitious time. In poultry, that means in the early 

 season. The real demand for expensive poultry is from the 

 latter end of April to the beginning of July. The chickens 

 must be chickens of the year, and must not weigh less than 

 2§ or 3 lbs. each. They must be moderately fat, well killed 

 and picked, and fasted. These will always sell at remunerating 

 prices — from 7*. to 9s. the couple — often more. It is, however, 

 useless to undertake this unless with a determination to Bucceed. 

 Little chickens in June are spring chickens, and may be rare in 

 the country they come from, but they are unsaleable in London 

 because it is their natural season, and there is a glut of them. 

 Very often the chickens that are sacrificed in May by being 

 killed before they have attained proper growth would, if they 

 were allowed to live till June, make a large price. We call 

 the attention of those of our readers who have inclination 

 and leisure to the subject, and we shall always be glad to give 

 instruction or answer queries. 



NANTWICH POULTEY EXHIBITION. 



Febbtjaby 6th ahd 7th. 



Spanish.— First and Second, W. Woolley, Bunbury. Third, J. B. Bruce, 

 Keele. Highly Commended, J. Grocott, Haughton. Commended, J. Gibson, 

 Over. Chickens. — First, W. Woolley. Second, J. Hulse, Winsford. 

 Third, J. Sheen, Tilston. Highly Commended, J. B. Bruce. 



Decks (Aylesbury). — Plate Prize, A. Heath, Winsford. Second, J. 

 Grocott, Haughton. Third, H. Akroyd, Doddington. 



Docks (Rouen).— First, J. B. Bruce, Keele. Second, R. Cooke, jun., 

 Darnhall. Third, T. Burgess, Burleydam. ,.„..- 



Ducks (Any other variety).— First, R. Cooke, jun., DarnhalL Second 

 and Third, E. Bowers, Broad Lane. 



Geese.— First, W. Furnival, Norton. Second, J. Sheen, Tilston. Highly 

 Commended, T. Walker, Betley. Commended, E. Bowers, Broad Lane. 



Tcekets. — First, Mrs. Akroyd, Doddington Hall. Second, W. H. 

 Hornby, Shrewbridge Hall. .,«'_—. n . 



Doekings (White).— First, Mrs. Tollemache, Dorfold Hall. Second, 

 R. Cooke, jun., DarnhalL 



Dorkings (Any other colour).— First and Plated Teapot, Mrs. fc. 1). 

 Broughton, Wistaston. Second and Third, E. Tudman, Whitchurch. 

 Chickens.— First and Second, E. Tudman. Third, Mrs. Tollemache, 

 Dorfold Hall. Commended, Mrs. Tollemache ; T. Burgess, Burleydam. 



Cochin-China (Cinnamon, Buff, and Partridge). — First, Second, and 

 Silver Cup for best pen in the Exhibition of any kind of poultry, E. Tudman, 

 Whitchurch. Commended, T. Rigby. Chickens.— First and Second, E. 

 Tudman. 



Cochin-China (Any other colour).— First, J. Dodd, Minshull VemoH. 

 Second, G. Williamson, Nantwich. Chickens.— First and Second, J. Dodd. 



Coohin-China Cocks (Sweepstakes).— Prize, W. H. Hornby, Shrewbridge. 



A Silver Cup, presented by the Licensed Victuallers of Nantwich and 

 neighbourhood, for the best Game Cockerel of any colour, exhibited spe- 

 cially for this prize. Victuallers' Cup, W. Galley, Nantwich. Second, 

 E. D. Broughton, Wistaston. Third, R. Ashley, West End. Fourth, T. 

 Burgess, Burleydam. Highly Commended, J. Piatt, Darnhall ; T. Burgess ; 

 I. Heath, Nantwich. Commended, T. Burgess; J. Heath. 



Game Cocks (Sweepstakes).— Prize, T. Burgess, Burleydam. 



