374 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ November 8, 1877. 



of yards of (he liedge, and see that tlie roots of neighbouring tress or shrubs 

 do not steal into the enriched soil and impoverish it. 



Tasonia Van-Volxemi Shedding its Flower Buds [L. P.).— Loot to 

 the roots ; tbey have either been kept too dry or too wet, mosb probably the 

 latter, as the foliage and growth is healthy. "When growth eeases acid the 

 plant is at rest trace out as many roots as you can, lift them, remove all the 

 old soil and replant in a mixture of loam that is naturally very fertile or made 

 bo with old hotbed manure. Powdered charcoal, mortar rubbish, broken 

 bricks, and road scrapings — anything in fact that will make a free, rich, sweet, 

 open soil. Beneath this place 6 inches of broken stone or brick with a 2-inch 

 drain-pipe continued to the nearest outlet, so as to render any subsequent 

 accumulation of stagnant water impossible. Thin-out and shorten the 

 branches, and next season you will have plenty of blossom. 



Coal Ashes for Heavy Soil (Idem). — The gardener who told you that 

 coal ashes would " poison the soil " is mistaken. Pat on all you can 

 obtain, and use no sand. Drainage, plenty of manure, and heavy dressings 

 of coal ashes with frequent stirring is the very best treatment for all soil of 

 a close heavy texture. It is by such simple means that we have converted 

 a comparatively barren soil into a high degree of fertility and productiveness. 

 If you have not already made drains now is the best time for the work; make 

 them of 2-inch pipes 4 feet deep and SO feet apart, with 4-inch main drain. 



Gloxinias Unhealthy (A Young Beginner). — A soil formed of peat and 

 f and with a little loam is wrong, and is probably the cause of your failure. 

 Use two parts of rich old manure and one part each of turfy loam, peat, 

 and sand. Mix this thoroughly but do not sift it, rather leave it in a rough 

 condition with plenty of pieces of an inch in diameter. Use broken tile3 

 freely for drairage, press the toil firmly about the tubers, attend well to 

 watering, always having the water of the same temperature as that of the 

 house in which the plants are growing, and when the flower buds appear give 

 weak cowdung water regularly. Gloxinias never answer better than when 

 grown under the shade of Vines, and your brown foliage may in some measure 

 be attributable to exposure to the full glare of the Bun, or to the attacks of 

 thrips or red spider. 



Soil for Gardenias (Idem).— These plants answer well in soil consisting 

 of a mixture of sandy p< at and leaf soil, or old hotbed manure. After the 

 flowers fade the plants are taken from the conservatory into pits, where they 

 remain till the repotting takes place, which is usually about a fortnight 

 before placing them in heat ; then plunge them in a mild bottom heat, gradu- 

 ally increasing it as the plants make growth. As the earlie-t batches come 

 into flower they are taken to the stove, and when their flowers fado the plants 

 must, of course, be gradually harden e 1 before being taken back to the pit. 



Clerodendron Balfouri (Idem). — To flower in July, the plant now in 

 bloom Bhould be kept somewhat dry after the flowers fade. Early in February 

 prune away as much of the spent growth a3 you can, shortening and 

 thinning the remainder. Syringe regularly, give more water to the roots, 

 keeping the plants in a steady temperature of 65° to 70°. Just as the young 

 gTowth appears shake out and repot in soil of two parts old hotbed manure, 

 two parts turfy loam, and a fan- admixture of sand and powdered charcoal. 

 Take especial care about dra ; nage, 2 inches of broken crocks is not too much. 

 After repotting do not overwater, but when the shoots are a few icch.es long 

 the roots will be pushing freely into the fresh soil ; then water copions'y and 

 encourage a fiee strong growth till May, when Je-s water must be given to 

 give a check to the growth and induce the formaiion of flower buds, which 

 Ehould make then appearance abundantly by the beginning of June. 



Paint Perishing (J. F. K). — We can quite sympathise with you, it almost 

 seems like labour in vain to paint a plant stove, exposed as the roof is to the 

 cold of winter and heat of summer. We know nothing to prevent the pamt 

 from perishing. If something could be invented it ought Jo be a fortune to 

 the discoverer. 



Preserving Late Grapes afier bring Cut (H. Borland). — We cut all 

 our Lady Downe's Grapes about Christmas. The bunches are cut with as long 

 a stem as possible. The stem is then ioserted in a bottle of clear water kept 

 sweet by a few lumps of charcoal. The bottles are suspended in a sloping 

 position so that the bunch hangs clear of the bottle. They mast be kept in 

 a dry room from which frost is excluded. We have kept them good in this 

 way until the end of May, a period of five months. 



Heating a Small Greenhouse (W.). — The plants you name would not 

 be injured if the thermometer fell occasionally to the freezing point. Any of 

 the small stoves advertised in -this Journal would answer to heat it. 



List of Peaches and Nectarines (J.E.). — The best selection would be 

 three trees of Hale's Early, two of Royal George, two of Noblesse, two of 

 Walburton Admirable, cne of Princess of -Wales, one of Alexandra Noblesse, 

 two of Dr. Hogg, and two of Early Louise. The best Nectarines in your list 

 are Stanwick, Elruge, Piae Apple, Large Elrage, and Victoria. 



White Fungus in Manure {Manx Cat). — We cannot tell whence the 

 spores came which produce the fuogas. Qaicklime or common salt mixed 

 with the manare might prevent its appearance. 



Names of Fruits (T. S. <?.).— 1, Norfolk Beefing; 2, Dumelow's Seedling ; 

 3, Wyken Pippin; 4, Cobham; 5, Br addict's Nonpareil; 6, Not known 

 (E. P. S.).— Tower of Glamis. 



Names of Plants (Lady Ring), — Specimen insufficient. (J. P.). — 1, Ve- 

 ronica salicifolia ; 2, Arctium Lappa ; 3, C lien op odium Bonus- Henrieus. The 

 insect is a thrips. (M. Fisher). — 1, Sedum Sieboldii. The specimens of FernB 

 are very incomplete. 2 May ba Athjriiim Filix-fremina; and 3, Polypodium 

 cambricum. 



a chance of their receiving their prizes, for we learn that a 

 short time ago a meeting was held at the Susses Hotel to take 

 into consideration the financial position of the Portsmouth 

 Ornithological Society, and to discuss such measures " for 

 the credit of the town " as might be deemed necessary for 

 the discharge of the liabilities incurred aud outstanding in 

 respect of the last Show. The Mayor (W. Pink, Esq.) presided 

 at the meeting, and among the number present were Messrs. 

 Good, Cunningham, Cudlipp, Charpentier, Groom, Boots, Wise, 

 Nicholson, Sparks, Simmonds, "Westcott, &o. We learn that 

 the Secretary of the Society affirmed that the liabilities 

 amounted to ,£1S1 15s. 10id., and the Treasurer said that the 

 assets only came to £o 17s. 2d. The Mayor remarked that the 

 Working Committee, when they saw the position of the Society, 

 should not have paid some claims in full and some not at all. 

 The Secretary and Messrs. Wise and Westcctt also gave their 

 ideas as to the non-success of their Eshibition. The Mayor 

 then addressed the meeting at some length, and said that he 

 "had taken the liberty of aaking their attendance that evening 

 to consider the best means to defend and preserve the credit of 

 the borough in this present criBis of the Ornithological Society. 

 There had been small losses on the first and second years, end 

 the Society naturally thought they might make one more effort 

 to clear off the debt and have a small balance to go on with. 

 From what he had seen of the Working Committee everything 

 appeared very hopeful, and he would give the members all credit 

 for doing everything in their power to make the affair a success. 

 In fact, no one could blame them for making the effort to regain 

 their position after the losses of the previous years. Unfor! unately 

 the result was a very heavy loss indeed, making a total for the 

 three years of sG184 15s. 10£d. Although personally he would 

 be very sorry to admit any liability, nor did the Managing Com- 

 mittee wish it, he did not like to see the Committee being con- 

 stantly subjected to actions in the County Court. He, therefore, 

 thought the best plan would be to call a meeting and see whether 

 they could not devise some means to meet the creditors, and 

 ask them, under the painful circumstances, to be as lenient as 

 possible in their accounts, or in some way assist the Society to 

 liquidate the debt. If the Committee were to be left open to 

 County Court actions the sG184 would soon amount to £260, be- 

 sides lowering the dignity of the borough and preventing public 

 spirit being shown on future occasion?. For his own part he 

 scarcely knew what scheme to suggest, except paying the hard 

 cash out of their own pockets, and if that were done he would 

 gladly bear his share." 



Mr. Cunningham then moved that the Mayor should apply to 

 Sir Frederick Fitzwygram for the purpose of obtaining Leigh 

 Park, in which to hold a fete in aid of the Society. This pro- 

 position was seconded by Mr. Wise and agreed to by all. _ A sub- 

 scription list was then opened, when the Mayor promised £5; 

 Mr. Cudlipp, £2 2s.; Mr. Good, £2 2s.; Mr. Collinson, £2 2s.; 

 Mr. Charpentier, £2 2s. ; Mr. Cunningham, £1 Is. ; Mr. Cante, 

 £1 Is. ; and Mr. Beading, 10s. 6d., which would at once increase 

 the assets from £5 17s. 2d. to £21 17s. Qd , or nearly one-eighth 

 of the total of their liabilities. Afterwards a Committee was 

 formed for the purpose of collecting subscriptions, and the 

 Mayor announced that he would receive donations on behalf of 

 the Society. 



We are delighted to hear the Committee have had this meet- 

 ing, and hope they may have a successful fete, and so be enabled 

 to get some money in hand wherewith the Ornithological Society 

 may once more be brought into life, for we cannot but think 

 that with judicious management such a Society should flourish 

 in Portsmouth. — W. 



POULTRY, BEE, AND PIGEON CHRONICLE, 



PORTSMOUTH ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



It will be remembered by many of our readers that the 

 Managers of the last Portsmouth Poultry Show did not pay 

 some of the winners their prize money, and thiB in the face of 

 unusual attractions concerning their payment which the schedule 

 offered. To obtain their dues several exhibitors placed the 

 Committee in the County Court and obtained their money 

 with costs. There are, however, others who did not like to 

 take Buch steps, and to them a great part of their money has 

 never been paid. Such will be glad to hear that there is yet 



BLACK HAMBUEGHS. 



Of all the woll-known breeds of fowls, this, perhaps one of 

 the most useful, beautiful, and profitable, is less known, and has 

 been, with few exceptions, less described than any other. It 

 ' | has been in this country bo difficult to obtain in its full purity, 

 that many of its most ardent fanciers have despaired of ever 

 getting satisfactory birds, and abandoned the pursuit. So-called 

 Black Hamburghs, believed, too, to be such by their owners, 

 can be bought ; but the connoisseur can see that they are from 

 a made strain, fashioned generally by crossing the Black Spanish 

 and the Golden-Bpangled Hamburghs, or else by keeping and 

 interbreeding the darkest Golden or Silver- spangled Hamburghs, 

 aud from pure black birds thus bred again interbreeding until 

 the black is perfected. The Spanish cross can be detected by 

 the birds throwing single combs in about a third of the hatch of 

 the season, and also by the combs becoming inordinately large, 

 the ear-lobes long instead of round, and the cocks being rather 

 squirrel-tailed; the birds are, however, finely formed, and the 

 lustre of the featherB equal to that of the Spanish, but rather 

 bluish in tint. The birds bred from dark Hamburghs are very 

 coarse about the combs and heads, thus Bhowing degeneracy, 

 and upon examination in the bright sunlight an iridescent 

 spangle can be discerned in the wing-shafts. No lesB an autho- 

 rity than Mr. Tegetmeier has cited this last peculiarity as a 



