186 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ August 30, 1877. 



for an excess will cause them to damp. The seedlings should be kept near 

 the glass and have air moderately. When large enough to handle they 

 should be gently lifted with a knife or pointed piece of wood, and potted-off 

 singly in small pots, returning them to the frame, shading for a few days until 

 established, after which they may be hardened-off and placed in a cold frame, 

 placing the pot on ashes. In August they may have 4£-inch pots, and in Sep- 

 tember be removed to a light airy position in a greenhouse, keeping rather dry 

 over the winter. The strongest plants will flower the following year. There 

 is no advantage in raising the plants from seed, and superior varieties can 

 only be obtained when the best of the present varieties have been crossed— 

 artificially fertilised. 



Exhibiting (T. Richardson).— Exhibit any eight that are best of their 

 kind. 



Calceolarias and Primulas (W. B.). — Calceolaria seed may be sown 

 now in light sandy soil pressed rather firmly in pots or pans. The soil should 

 be watered an hour previously to sowing the seed, which should be scattered 

 thinly on the surface and be slightly pressed. Cover each pot with a square 

 of glass, and place in a cool, moist, dark frame. The moment the seed ger- 

 minates light must be gradually admitted. The seed pans and frame should 

 be so managed that no water will be needed until the seedlings appear, the 

 soil being kept moist by placing the pots in saucers of water. It is fully late 

 to sow Primulas now, and you will do more wisely by purchasing a dozen or 

 two of small plants ready for being potted. 



Insect on Gladioli {S. E. IF.).— It is the Julus terrestris, one of the 

 snake millipedes. We do not think they cause the decay, but subsist on the 

 decayed parts. 



Taking tip Potatoes (Idem).— The tubers have done increasing in size 

 when the stems begin to be yellow. 



Vine Border (A Young Gardener). — Full directions are in our "Vine 

 Mdhnal," price 2s. 8d. t free by post. 



Pea.— We have mislaid the inquirer's name. The Pea is the Mummy Pea, 

 and known also as the Crown, Bunch, and Cluster Pea. 



Training Peaches in Wall Case (R. H. A.).— It will be much better to 

 train the trees to a trellis fixed about 10 inches from the glass. We would, 

 of course, allow the trees to remain against the wall, but would plant others 

 about a foot from the front wall, or rather where you have placed the line of 

 oak posts. 



Sowing Polyanthus and Phlox Drummondii Seeds (J. C.).— If you 

 have Polyanthus seeds sow at once, but it is almost too late to expect flowers 

 next season. They flower abundantly and strongly from seeds sown in May. 

 Sow the Phlox in March and place the pots in a hotbed, the plants will flower 

 during summer. We once had some fine plants of this Phlox which flowered 

 in the greenhouse during May and June, and were much admired. The seeds 

 were sown at the end of AuguBt, and the plants were wintered on a shelf in a 

 light and cool house. 



Weeds on Gravel (T. P. L.). — No available application will prevent the 

 weeds growing. Asphalting the Burface would prevent their appearing. 



Slugs in Heavy Soil (E. £t.).— Your most effective remedy will be to 

 pare and burn the top spit of your soil. It will annihilate the slugs and im- 

 prove the staple. 



Boller (E. M.). — We presume the apparent neglect arises from the great 

 demand. Write again to the makers. 



Names of Fruits (W., Lu ton).— Please to send them later, it is too early 

 in the season to name late Apples. 



Names of Plants.— Specimens are sent that cannot be recognised, they 

 are so dried-up. They ought to be sent in a box with a little damp moss 

 about them. [Arthcnice).— l.SpirreaUlrnaria; 2, Lythruoi Salicaria; 3, Epi- 

 lobium hirsutum. (Young Gardener). — 1, Centranthus ruber; 2, Chrysan- 

 themum segetum; S, Pyrethrum frutescens (?); 4, Alyssum maritimum 

 variegatum. (Winchester).— Abutilon Thompsoni variesratum. [C. Frisby), 

 — Winter Cress (Barbarea vulgaris or B. precox). (W. L.). — 1, Pulicaria 

 dysenterica ; 2, Senecio crucifolius ; 8, Centaurea nigra ; 4, Agrimonia eupa- 

 toria. {G. Wall). — 1, Spergula nodosa; 2, Helosciadium nodiflorum var. 

 repens; S, Scleranthus annuus. (W. M. B.). — Papyrus antiquorum. See 

 also reply to " W., Luton." 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON 0HE0NI0LE. 



LOCAL REPORTS ON POULTEY. 



We are afraid these are more amusing than edifying. All are 

 aware of the utter helplessness generally of a reporter for a 

 looal newspaper when he is turned into a poultry show and told 

 to make a report. He knows a fowl and a Duck by sight, and 

 is probably acquainted with a Christmas Turkey or a Pigeon 

 pie, and this is often the consummation of his poultry know- 

 ledge. What does he do ? One of two things : he either scrapes 

 into conversation with some gossiping poultryman and writes 

 down in shorthand from his lips, or else he gleans a few stray 

 names and ideas here and there, and concocts a hash for the 

 country residents. In the former case the tips he is given 

 generally are in favour of some particular person's exhibits, or 

 the worthlessness of some opponent's. In the latter case the 

 result may be something of the nature which we will proceed 

 to describe. 



"What are Mangle-crested PileB? I should be so much 

 obliged if you will let me hear where I cau see some." This 

 we had from an exhibitor on a postcard. We had no idea what 

 " Mangle-crested Piles " were, and wrote for further particulars. 

 On the arrival of a second note we were told that a pair of this 

 breed won the cup and first prize in Class 21 at Hereford, and 

 a local newspaper was then quoted as the authority. We after- 

 wards saw a copy of this interesting organ, and really the report 

 was so delicious in the positive hopelessness of its poultry 

 knowledge that we must quote from it to exemplify our case. 



We are told in the first place that the first-prize Dorking hen 

 was most beautifully marked, and that " the pluff was exceed- 

 ingly flue." Even supposing that "pluff" was a misprint for 

 " fluff," we do not often hear of a Dorking's fluff ! In mention- 

 ing Lady Dartmouth's first and second-prize Light Brahma 

 cocks they are termed " elevated companions." The first-prise 

 Golden-pencilled Hamburghs had legs which " appeared as if 

 out out of a piece of stone," they were so magnificent. We 

 cannot possibly remember a worse simile, for Hamburghs axe 

 hardly ever still, and their legs are very slender at all times. 

 In Class 19 the first prize went " to a pair of Black Piles." 

 This is charming, but our readers must not imagine that "Piles " 

 is a misprint for "Poles," as Class 19 was the French class. In 

 Class 21 "the cup and first-prize were awarded to a pair of 

 Mangle-crested Piles," "and the second to a pair of White- 

 crested Piles." The third prize in the sale class we also read 

 went to "White-crested Piles." Iu Class 23 all the winneis 

 were Dark, or else the reporter's brain muBt have been dark, for 

 " Dark Brahmas, Dark Cochins, and Dark Brahmas " were the 

 three victorious pens. Lady Dartmouth's celebrated Sebrights, 

 which won second and third prizes in the Variety Bantam class, 

 are termed " Silver-spangles." And so we could go on; but we 

 have given enough to show the perfeot rubbish of the notes in 

 question, though we are told in a private sort of way that they 

 were "written by an old fancier;" at least we have those words 

 written in pencil at the top of the report in question. 



There are many fanciers in a quiet way. A tradesman who 

 keeps his Brahmas or Cochins, a farmer who keeps his Ham- 

 burghs or Dorkings, the squire of the parish or chief landowner 

 who keeps at his home farm some particular breed or other, 

 such as these do not call themselves " fanciers," merely lovers 

 of poultry. They enjoy their birds as a recreation, and take in 

 no weekly poultry periodical, or try to keep themselves aufait 

 in the onward progress of poultry matters. They look forward 

 to their county or city show, and perhaps then exhibit a pen or 

 two, when they will read afterwards with relish the half column 

 which the local daily or weekly paper gives concerning the ex- 

 hibition. They must be edified ; still to them a report such as 

 the one from which we have taken extracts reads no doubt 

 perfectly right, and perhaps the one envies a neighbour's 

 " Mangle-orested Piles," while the other would like to see his 

 own Dorkings more heavily "pluffed." These little things, 

 however, are thorns in poultry cultivation, for after having 

 composed such a report as we speak of the writer will perhaps 

 imagine he is " gifted," and the result will be an article on " egg- 

 selling" or "egg-buying," or "preparing for a show" or 

 " fattening fowls," in which he is able to work a real evil ; ana! 

 we have before now seen such articles in leading county news- 

 papers which we know positively have not only done much 

 harm, but have actually led to the discontinuance of poultry- 

 keeping from the imaginary roguery which an ignorant writer 

 would attempt to disclose. 



If a local newspaper requires notes on any particular Bection 

 of a show he should surely go to the proper source to obtain 

 them, and we hope those proprietors or editors who may see 

 these lines will take the subject to heart, and either content 

 themselves with a few words on general points, or omit the sub- 

 ject altogether rather than allow themselves to be laughed at, 

 and pure nonsense written about a most healthy and profitable 

 pastime. — W. 



ROCHDALE POULTRY SHOW. 



This grand Exhibition of stock, poultry, &c, was held in the 

 grounds of Clement Royds, Esq., on the 22nd inst., when the 

 day proved the most disastrous of any in our experience of 

 twenty-five years, the rain falling in torrents from noon until 

 night, making the turf one perfect bog and drenohing all the 

 exhibits to such an extent that we consider correct judgment or 

 criticism was utterly impossible. The Show was one of the 

 best the Society has ever held, if not the very best, which speakB 

 volumes for the management. 



Poultry were for young birds with the exception of some 

 classes of Ducks, Geese, and Turkeys, and the selling classes ; 

 and some excellent chickens were shown, although with all the 

 talk of large numbers reared this season there seems to be a 

 dearth of really good speoimens in some classes. Game were of 

 fairly good quality, although we have seen them better here ; the 

 Cochins and Spanish being about the beBt of the large section. 

 Polish proved very good in entries and the quality very fine, 

 the winnerB being most compact in crest and straight in baok, a 

 point sadly overlooked in this variety. Hamburghs, as may be 

 expected, were a capital lot, this Show more than any other 

 proving a kind of feeler as to the position of young Btock, and 

 among them were Borne of the best birds we have ever Been. 

 Ducks and Geese were very good and well shown. 



The show of Pigeons was very large and good, but on account 

 of the weather we prefer not to criticise the awards. 



POULTRY.— Svxmss.— Cockerel.— 1, J. T. Parker. 2, J. Walker, vhc, J. 



Aldridse, J. KobertB. Pulht.—l and 2, J. Powell. Cochins.— Cinnamon and 



» Buff.— Cockerel.— 1, H. Tomlinson. 2, C. Sidgwiok. vhc, T. Loea, C. Sidgwlok. 



