52 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 21, 1870. 



old Strawberry plants, following with Broccoli, Ac. The above plan of 

 toiimipg is useful to thoee who dislike the bother of making fresh beds, 

 but the ground has not the same rotation. You can rarely obtain all ad- 

 vantages by following out any one mode. Runners should be taken off 

 as soon as you can get them. To make the most of them for a new 

 plantation, it is well to lay them In pots, or encourage them to root in the 

 ground. If not wanted, for such purposes, the sooner runners are re- 

 moved the better, as more light and air wiJl go to the old plants. In 

 forming new beds rotten manure should be used, but if scarce, rank 

 manure may be trenched down, and seme rotten manure incorporated 

 with the surface soil to encourage free rooting. The sooner all tbis is 

 done the better. "Whilst this is doing, as recommended to another corre- 

 spondent, you might prick out your runners in a rich bed to be raieed 

 with balls, and afterwards transplanted. When we have been scarce of 

 ground we have used the space intended for a new plantation of Straw- 

 berries for autumn and winter crops of vegetables, had the runners 

 pricked out in rich soil,, say 4 to 6 inches apart, and hiving got our 

 ground nicely pulverised in spring, we have lifted our Strawberry plants 

 with nice balls, and they grew away strong at once, and produced a fair 

 crop the first summer. "Where ground is of less consequence than a 

 little additional labour, then it is best to plant out at once to "where the 

 plants are to remain. We may add that in cold place3 keeping the plants 

 a little thick in a bed gives them a good protection. 



Lasting of McsHsooii Bed (E. R. P.). — The Mushroom bad wil* 

 most likely continue bearing for some time,,but it should be covered 

 from the sun with litter as well as a mat, and should not he allowed to 

 get dry. See hints on ?«Iushi"ooms. Plenty of air will get through a 

 covering, say 3 inches deep. In very hGt weather you may sprinkle the 

 covering outside so as to keep the bed cool. Heat in the present and 

 next month is to be kept out, rather than let in. The bed will be of little 

 use for renewing if it bears well. You must make a new bed of fresh 

 materials. 



Seedling Strawberry Btjee of Edinburgh (IToffat*s). — This 

 variety received a certificate at the B.oyal Caledonian Horticultural 

 Society's Meeting on the ]3i;h inst. It is a strong grower, and very 

 prolific, and produces veiy large cockscomb-shaped fruit. It is across 

 between Keens' Seedling and Elton Pine. Some of the berries sent to 

 us were 8 inches in circumference, deep crimson-coloured, and very, 

 highly-flavoured. 



Strawberry Plants Failing (R. 22".}.— See the remarks of " K F-" 

 and others in late numbers, so fax as sterile plants are concerned. As 

 yours bloomed freely, that could not re the reason. The produce in 

 most places afflicted with the droogbt has been much less than usual. 

 Our gatherings will soon be over as respects the main crops. The 

 shrivelling- up of the flowers wo would attribute to overdryness. The 

 turning black of the centres of the flowers we would attribute to frost, 

 and the plaDts suffered from this in many places. The ground for a new 

 plantation should be got ready at once, trenching two spits deep if the 

 soil is good, incorporating a layer of dung with the lower spit, and when 

 finished pricking-in with a fork another layer — say 2 or 3 inches near the 

 surface. You may plant as soon as yon get runners; but if this dry 

 weather lasts, we would advise you to prick out the runners, say 4 inches 

 apart, in a rich bed. and when they had formed a ball of roots, lift and 

 plant Tvith balls in the prepared ground. It will be easier to water and 

 shade a small bed than a large piece. 



Gardeners' Assistant [Inquirer). — We cannot either advise or inter- 

 fere in a case of such petty differences. Even if you have any claim for 

 expenses, which we doubt, the time and cost of recovering thtm would 

 purchase them dearly. 



Insects {E. F. W.). — The eggs on your Rose leaf (from which the 

 young have been hatched during its transit bypost), are those of the 

 Brown-tailed moth (Porthesia enrysorrhea). {E. S.). — The curious fly 

 found in a window in Bradford, is the Sirex Gigas, the larva of which, 

 makes cylindrical burrows in Fir trees, often doing much mischief. — 

 I. 0. W. 



Names of Plants (GenturioiA. — The shrub is Spiraea nlmifolia. We 

 cannot name varieties of florists' flowers. (J. Bailimakcr). — We cannot 

 name the varieties of florists' flowers. They are in legions. 



POULTRY, BSE, A3TD PIGEON CHSOHICLE. 



REARING LARGE FOWLS. 



The number of dwarf specimens, even of the largest breeds, 

 which are to be seen at any of the poultry shows, is an evidence 

 that the absolute essentials for rearing fine chickens are very 

 imperfectly understood by many who have sufficient interest 

 in the subject to pay for first-rate stock but know not* what to 

 do with them. It is not enough to hatch Dorkings, Cochins, 

 or Brahmas of the very best strains, the eggs may be the very 

 best that can be had for money, but if the chickens are not 

 properly treated they will never make fine birds. 



With regard to breeding, I am quite certain, after varied 

 experience, that the largest and finest fowls in our climate are 

 produced from chickens hatched between the end of March and 

 the end of April. For Dorkings alone, which grow early and 

 are de'ieate, the period ought perhaps to be extended to the 

 end of May ; but Cochins or Brahma3 hatched during that 

 month will not, except iu very favourable circumstances, attain 

 great size — at least so great as April birds. March birds are 

 often large, but on the average are inferior to April birds. As 

 to the parents, medium-sized birds are quite as likely to pro- 

 duce large chickens as unusually large specimens. Hens with 

 long backs and legs will generally produce large chickens ; and 



though this conformation is faulty in itself, if they be mated 

 with short, compact, " dumpy" cojkerels or cocks, the result 

 is usually good. 



The great essential in feeding is to give a constant and care- 

 ful supply of soft food. It is here, perhaps, that novices most 

 frequently fail, the opinion that "grits" — i.e., the kernel of 

 the oat — are the only proper food for chickens being about as 

 widely diffused as the idea that peppercorns and ru9 are good 

 for the " pip," or whatever other ailment a fowl may have. 

 Such feeding gives no trouble, and may answer well for Game or 

 Hamburgh?, bat it will never rear large birds, for the simple 

 reason that th9 food is not digested fa3t enough for rapid 

 growth. Good oatmeal, good sharps, good barleymeal, and 

 ground oats when they can be got — these are the staple food, 

 and must be given not less than every two hours throughout 

 the day till the birds are at least three months old, when 

 the time may be gradually extended till after a few more weeks 

 they have only three allowances of meal and one of dry grain 

 per day. The last feed at night should always be grain ; grits 

 or canary seed at first, and afterwards buckwheat. The latter 

 grain I always find chickens prefer to anything else, but the 

 one meal a-day of it is quite enough. 



Oatmeal alone is very dry and hard to mix nicely. I also 

 find chickens fledge badly on it. It is better to mix it with 

 crumbled bread, which removes all difficulty, while the birds 

 like it better and eat more. Another great point is, with every 

 meal to get a quantity cf fresh grass, cut it into chaff an eighth 

 of an inch long with a pair of shears, and add it plentifully to 

 the food, mixing the whole with milk. The grass will keep 

 the food moist and sweet long after it would be sour without, 

 besides being eagerly relished by the chicks and keeping them 

 in health. I like this plan far better than giving a turf, whieh 

 may, however, be added, but is not nearly enough green food 

 for them alone. By adding cut grass to every meal without 

 exception, and throwing some down by itself also, chickens 

 may be reared quite as large and in perfect health in a yard 

 15 feet square as if they had the range of acres. To get the 

 beautiful"" condition " of fowls at liberty in such circumstances 

 is indeed impossible, but health and size are within the reach 

 el all. 



Milk should be used plentifully, not only mixing every feed 

 with it, but giving the chicks a good drink of it every morning. 

 If, in cold or early seasons, it is slightly warmed all the better ; 

 and this morning drink help3 them wonderfully, while it will 

 be found both cheaper than, and quite as effectual as, the 

 custard which is sometimes recommended. I need not say 

 that early chickens must be fed at night by candlelight, but 

 April birds do not require it. 



Another most valuable adjunct in rearing the large breeds, 

 as I have elsewhere explained in treating on Brahmas, is what 

 is called ground bones or "bone dust," for the knowledge of 

 which, as I have there stated, I was first indebted to my friend 

 Mr. John Stuart, of Helensburgh. I have often found it very 

 difficult to procure, but of its value I can speak without hesi- 

 tation. It adds both to the eventual size and stamina of the 

 birds, and has a marked effect in postponing (heir " setting," 

 keeping them raw or leggv, and preventing them in a great 

 degree from getting fat. It appears, in fact, to have nearly all 

 the good effects of forcing with meat without its evils. It 

 should be added in about the proportion of a tea-spoonful to 

 half a pint of meal, and be given thus in every feed from the 

 time the chicks are ten days old. I may just remark that the 

 foetid smell is of no consequence so far as the chickens are con- 

 cerned ; but as the bone dust imparts a most offensive taste to 

 eggs, it should be discontinued before the pullets lay. 



At about six weeks old the oatmeal and bread may be dis- 

 continued for a mixture of equal parts of sharps, or middlings, 

 and barleymeal, and the grits at night may be exchanged for 

 buckwheat. The milk, grass, and bone dust should be con- 

 tinued, however, and special care be taken that no more be 

 given than is eaten up, so that every two hours the birds may 

 have both fresh appetite and fresh food. If any does remain 

 it mast not be left for the chickens to finish, but taken up and 

 thrown to the old fowls. The water, too, must be kept clean 

 and cool, always adding a little sulphate of iron in wet or cold 

 weather. A little camphor kept always in the water is also 

 good. 



I think chicks grow faster and do better away from the hen 

 as soon as they are fledged enough, or the weather is warm 

 enough, to keep them from being chilled. In that case care 

 must be taken that until they roost they sleep on very dry 

 ashes or earth, and if the ground be damp their bed of ashes 



