U2 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ June 16, 1863. 



Double Pansy (J. Brown).— This seems to be the same as the Double 

 Purple figured in " The Florist,*' where the colours are not welt brought 

 out. 



Names op Fe&ns (Henry, Saslewood). — The " Fern Manual," which will 

 be published at our office on the 22nd, gives an interpretation of all the 

 names. You can have it free by post for 5s. 2d. from our office. 



Young Vines not Flourishing {An Amateur, Nantwich). — All you 

 have done and the soil appear quite correct, and the only surmise we can 

 make is that yon have planted the Vines too deeply. The roots should have 

 been spread out at about 6 inches from the soil's surface. If you have 

 planted them deeper, take them up carefully as soon as the leaves begin 

 to fade in the autumn and replant them. You must not use the sulphur as 

 you propose to kill the red spider. Yon had better dust the leaves with it, 

 and keep the air more moist. 



Geape Bunches Dying (JD. B.).— If there have been no mice gnawing at 

 the stems, the want of root-action is the cause of the Vine-blossom giving 

 way. Yon should have done one of two things, or both. The Vines being 

 transplanted in November, the roots should have been encouraged to active 

 progress by a heat ol from 75° to 85° as soon or before the buds broke, and 

 then cnly a moderate instead of a full crop should have been allowed to 

 stand the first season. The more the roots are coaxed, and the less the 

 branches are excited in such circumstances, the better. Most probably the 

 Vines will be tempted by a night temperature not above 55° to 60°, and a 

 slight shade in bright sunshine. No doubt the Trentham Vine in the 

 orchard-house had either been deficient in root-power or you had kept the 

 roots too dry, and therefore the stoppage. If not dry, examine if stem and 

 roots below the ground are not nibbled. We have had several injured this 

 season. 



Heebaceous Plants— Grasses, <fcc. [S. S. B.}.— Your inquiry is too in- 

 definite. We might fill some pages with names and not suit your purpose. 

 Lists of herbaceous perennial plants have been given, and we are in a maze 

 as to particularising. You had best select a few at first, as Aquilegia of 

 kinds for spring and summer, average height 2£ feet ; Anemone of Hinds 

 for early spring, and Anemone japoniea for blooming in summer and 

 autumn ; Delphiniums of kinds, as tormosum, Hendersoni, Barlowii, grandi- 

 flora, for summer and early autumn, from 2£ to 4£ feet; Dielytra spectabilis, 

 for spring and early summer, 18 inches ; Gentiana acaulis, for edgings in 

 spring and summer, and the other kinds, from 1 to 1£ foot in height ; Hel- 

 leborus, or Christmas Rose; Lilium candidum and others; Gladiolus in 

 varieties, though it would be safer to raise the tubers ; Phlox, a collection 

 of hybrids ; Pansies of kinds ; Lychnis of kinds ; Potentillas, yellow, scarlet, 

 purple; Saxifragas, low-growing plants; Silene of kinds; Spirsea of kinds; 

 Veronica of kinds. Then for grass-like plants we would recommend the 

 Pampas Grass, the Feathered Grass, Stipa pinnata, and some six or ten 

 more which your seedsman considers most ornamental. Then for fine- 

 foliaged plants we would instance Purple Spinach ; the large Atriplex hor- 

 tensis, purple; Amaranthus nielancholicus, crimson purple; Perilla nan- 

 kinensis, dark purple; Cineraria maritima, silvery white; Arctotis grandi- 

 flora, white ; Alytsum variegatum ; Centaurea candidissima, requiring a 

 wano greenhouse in winter; Gnaphalium lanatum, white, woolly, strong- 

 growing, but needing protection from frost in winter; Stachys lanata, still 

 more woolly and white, but coarser, though quite hardy; Cerastium to- 

 mentosum, small low plant, fine for edgings and beds. One year ago some 

 edgings were placed round the sides of beds, raised by stakes and Ivy a foot 

 or 15 inches above the ground, and from the end of March and onward to 

 the end of June all round the bed, from the ground upwards, has been a 

 dense wreath of white flowers; and when the thickness of these is gone 

 there will be the white foliage. Cerastium Biebersteini is a little stronger- 

 growing, but otherwise seems to be no improvement. We might answer 

 you better if we had more facts and details. 



Names of Plants (C.).— Apparently Myosotis sylvatica, but the specimen 

 was much injured. [B. A. S.).— Asperula arvensis. 



POULTRY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



BATH AND WEST OP ENGLAND POULTRY 

 EXHIBITION. 



That the Poultry Exhibition connected with the Bath and 

 West of England Agricultural Society of the present year is the 

 best ever yet obtained under its auspices, cannot be open to 

 difference of opinion, for not only were a greater number of pens 

 entered than on any previous occasion, but we are much gra- 

 tified to say, scarcely an indifferent pen could be pointed out 

 after the moBt rigid inspection. The satisfaction of poultry 

 amateurs will be increased on being assured that, without a 

 single exception, every head of poultry was safely delivered at 

 the show-yard, at Mount Radford, without the slightest mishap 

 or injury to a single specimen, although lying about a mile from 

 the Exeter Bailway Stations. This naturally augurs well for the 

 future success of this Society ; and so far as scrupulous care and 

 attention to the wants of the birds is concerned, no committee 

 of management could be more worthy of public support. The 

 Bath and West of England Agricultural Society has during a 

 long course of yearB enjoyed a high position in public favour, 

 baviDg been first instituted so far back as the year 1777 : con- 

 sequently it is one of the oldeBt, if not the very oldeBt, of the 

 agricultural societies extant. This year the Poultry Exhibition 

 took place beneath two very large and commodious tents, which 

 afforded by their peculiar arrangement a much better and more 

 generally diffused light than we customarily meet with under 

 like circumstances. To this neceBsary feature we attribute in 



no small degree the evident ease and comfort displayed by the 

 birds throughout the whole Exhibition. 



As seems an almost general rule at such meetings, the Spanish 

 class stood at the head of the list. It was very gratifying to 

 find that nearly the whole of the birds in this class were of high 

 merit, and their condition as a body was more favourable than 

 we anticipated. The third prize by care and attention to con- 

 dition might be shown to great advantage; they were evidently 

 one of the best pens, but were over-shown, aud were in the 

 worst exhibition trim of any competing. The hens in the second- 

 prize pen were first-rate, as were equally those in Pen 2, highly 

 commended, but a falling comb in the cock was a fetal objection. 

 Several other cocks had this failing. 



The Grey Dorkings were a better class than ever were ex- 

 hibited at thi3 Society's meetings on previous occasions, but, as 

 might be expected, the adult birds are now fast falling into in- 

 different feather. Lady Holmesdale with an entry of three 

 pens swept the board of all the three prizes, and obtained the 

 silver cup also, for the best shown in classes 1 and 2. In the 

 class for Dorking chickens, Mr. Wakefield showed a fine even 

 pen, and took first ; the second falling to Mr. Smith, of Salis- 

 bury, closely pressed by several exhibitors. The Grey Dorking 

 chickens shown were the earliest and best plumed we have seen 

 this year ; and it was equally worthy of mention that none were 

 shown with deformed feet and toes, a failing to which very early 

 hatched Grey Dorkings, or, in fact, any weighty description of 

 poultry, are very susceptible. This arises iu chief from chickens 

 hatched in the early spring months huddling together for warmth, 

 without taking sufficient exercise : consequently their legs and 

 feet fail them. The White Dorkings were as good a class as have 

 been seen for years past — so good, indeed, that every pen entered 

 was favourably noticed by the Judges. 



Captain Heaton won first place with hia well-known Partridge- 

 coloured pen, pressed, however, more closely than usual by a 

 most excellent pen of purely Lemon-coloured Cochins, so good, 

 that we anticipate the £21 affixed would not prove a prohibitory 

 price. They were shown by Mrs. Eookes. The White Cochine 

 were perfect, Mr. Chase taking both the adult and chicken 

 prizes. 



In Game fowls every class was well filled with birds of the 

 highest repute as prizetakers. Mr. Eletcher took a great pro- 

 portion of the prizes. It was evident this gentleman had called 

 heavily on his reserve forces for the Exeter Show, for every one 

 of his pens was shown quite fresh, and, consequently, in fault- 

 less condition. The advantage of this practice contrasted with 

 exhibiting birds week after week in succession never met with a 

 more apt illustration. 



As a whole, the Game classes were, without exception, well 

 contested. 



The Malays were the most out of condition that can be con- 

 ceived, so ragged in plumage as to call forth much jocularity 

 from visitors. We heard a young lady still iu her teens exclaim, 

 "Look at those fowls, the cook must have half plucked them, 

 and then reprieved them till another time." Although the 

 breed of many of the pens was unquestionable, it certainly 

 would not have been any very great strain of justice had the 

 class been disqualified altogether, as in not a few specimens, 

 patches purely void of feathers of half the size of the hand were 

 visible, calculated rather to shock than please the public. There 

 is no just reason why Malays should not be exhibited in equally 

 perfect plume as other fowls. 



The Hamburghs were really good in each of the four varieties. 

 In the Silver-spangled, a "hen-feathered" cock was shown — a 

 whimsicality we thought exploded long ago — his hens being 

 without objection. The pen was necessarily disqualified. 



The Black Polands were, as is always the case where Mr. 

 Panton Edwards exhibits, a very superior collection. We would 

 suggest to the Council of the Bath and West of England Society, 

 that in future the Poland class should be open to every variety, 

 as by so doing the entries would be numerically fourfold, whilst 

 the outlay to the Society would be unaltered, compared to, as 

 now, its being restricted to Black Polands only. 



The Spanish chickens that were shown foretell that future 

 years will prove that this aristocratic variety is still not without 

 the most careful culture. 



Many of the Bantams were extraordinarily good — so much so, 

 that the Judges felt bound to suggest an extra prize to the con- 

 sideration of the Directors, which will, we believe, be conceded. 

 Black ones secured the silver cup for the best pen of any breed 

 of Bantams shown. They were excellent ; but it was rumoured 



