December 18, 1877. J 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



463 



rim of the pots and tied down the growths to this. Where they 

 were too thickly placed they have been thinned oat. 



FLOBXST FLOWERS. 



The damp muggy weather is very unfavourable to the growth 

 of Auriculas. The season of rest has come, and the lights are 

 removed on every favourable occasion, and air is also admitted 

 at night. What we want now is a succession of frosts to bring 

 on that natural rest required by the plan's. It is necessary to 

 look over the plants once a-week at least and remove the decay- 

 ing leaves. Now is the time to get rid of green fly, either by 

 fumigating with tobacco smoke or brushing them off with a small 

 camel-hair pencil. Carnations and Picotees require very similar 

 attention, and, like the Auriculas, the plants arc making rather 

 too much growth. Occasionally we stir the surface soil of the 

 pots and remove the dead leaves. Considerable care is neces- 

 sary as regards watering. The plants suffer if allowed to become 

 too dry, and on the other hand if they are saturated with wet 

 the leaves becomejtellow and the plants will not produce good 

 flowers. Injury is also caused by drip. If this cannot be stopped 

 the plants must be removed from underneath the place, else they 

 will be much injured, probably killed. Pinks and Pansies in 

 beds are growing very freely, and, the ground being saturated 

 with wet, a sharp frost setrjug iu would throw many of them 

 out of the ground, but a mulching of manure prevents this. 

 Choice Hollyhocks in frames are apt to be injured by damp. 

 Mould gathers on the injured portions and spreads rapidly if it 

 is not removed and the decayed part dusted with lime. Dahlias 

 ehould also be examined to see if there is any damp or mould 

 near the base of the old stem, which sometimes spreads to the 

 tubers. A vigilant eye is required to look over all classes of 

 these plantB. Admit air freely on all occasions, and do not allow 

 decay to remain on any plants, nor weeds or green mould on the 

 pots or surface of the soil.— J. Douglas. 



TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



James Dickson & Sons, Newton Nurseries, Chester. — Cata- 

 logue of Forest Trees, Covert and Underwood Plants, Orna- 

 mental Trees, Evergreens, &c. 



W. Lovel, Weaverthorpe, York. — List of Strawberry Plants. 



Dicksons & Co., 1, Waterloo Plxce, Edinburgh.— Catalogue of 

 Forest and Ornamental Trees and Shrubs, Conifer a, Bhodo- 

 dendrons, &e. 



Ant. Roozen & Son, Overveen, near Haarlem, Holland.— 

 Catalogue of New Gladioli and Dahlias, with list of Miscel- 

 laneous Plants and Bulbs. 



Ernest Benary, Erfurt, Germany.— Genera? Trade Catalogue 

 of Vegetable, Agricultural, Flower, and Tree Seeds. 

 ffc.Patz & Roes (successors of Ferdinand Jiihlke), Erfurt, Ger- 

 many, and 50, Great Russell Street, London. — Annual List of 

 Flower, Shrub, and Tree Seeds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



%* All correspondence should be directed either to "The 

 Editors," or to " The Publisher." Letters addressed to 

 Mr. Johnson or Dr. Hogg often remain unopened unavoid- 

 ably. We request that no one will write privately to any 

 of our correspondents, as doing so subjects them to un- 

 justifiable trouble and expense. 

 Fruit Manual (Rus in Vrbe).— It does not contain the classification. 

 Chrysanthemums (fl. A. £.).— A list is detailed on page 428. 



_ Peak La Quintinye {F. ■/.).— We have had no experience ol this variety 

 in this country. 



Cucumbers Diseased (67. P., Devon).— There was not the least trace of 

 disease on the leaves sent. Portions of them seemed to be scorched. We 

 have Been the same appearar.ce on rhe leaves in winter when the atmosphere 

 was overmoist. If yon follow directions in '■ Doings of the LaBt Week" 

 you will succeed. Also omit the " weeds aod garden refuse " from your com- 

 post. The temperature at night should be from 65° to 70°. 



Culture oe Outdoor Grapes (G. C.).— The plan vou have adopted is an 

 excellent one. We have seen your plan before, and highly approve of it. 

 Follow it out and let us know how you succeed. 



Pears for Wall Facing North-west (Amateur). — In your district 

 Pears might succeed Louise Bonne of Jersey and Marie Louise would be 

 the best. The best Grapes lor your purpose would be Koyal Muscadine and 

 Black Hamburghe. 



Culture oe Bouvarmas (O. S.).— These plants are ai easily grown as 

 Pelargoniums, and they do well in the same compost as Pelargoniums are 

 usually potted in. We grow them in cold frames all the summer and remove 

 them to the greenhouse in September. Ours are now in fine flower. 



_ Privet Hedge Pruning {M. B ).— The best time for pruning this hedge 

 is early in the spring. 



Pine Apple Culture (P. A.).—" The Pine Apple Manual." You can 

 have it free by post from our office if you enclose thirty-tiro postage stamps 

 ■with your address. 



Names of Roses (W. S.).— It would be of no avail to spell the names 

 phonetically. The only practical mode of ascertaining the proper pronuncia- 

 tion is to apply to an educated cultivator of the flower. 



Names of Chrysanthemums {Constant Header).— See " Notes on Villa 

 Gardening " on page 461. 



Mushroom House Management (J. L.). — A steady temperature of 55° is 

 quite enough for Mushrooms in winter, 5° higher is a maximum which wo 

 should not much like to reach — certainly not to exceed, and you are probably 

 right in attributing the loss of your young Mushrooms to the parcbing effects 

 of excessive heat. There are, however, other causes of failure which may or 

 may not have some bearing on your case ; neglecting to water till the surface 

 becomes so dry as to throw off the water when it is given; using water of a lower 

 temperature than that of the bed: wateriog with warm water and letting in 

 a cutting draught of air immediately afterwards, are ail fertile causes of 

 failure, especially at this season of the year. 



Wintering Sedums (S. H.). — The Sedums in your list are quite hardy, 

 and in well-drnined, light, gritty soil they may be left fully exposed throughout 

 the year, but iu low-lyiog. damp, heavy soils they are often killed by a few 

 degrees of frost, continued cold and wet beiug fatal to them. Let this be 

 your guide, and if you have any doubti as to the nature of your soil, give the 

 Sedums the benefit ot it by taking them up and plautiug thickly in coal ashes 

 iu a cold frame from which the glass lights are withdrawn except in very 

 wet and frosty weather. 



Watering Azaleas (A. A. if.). — By all means water your Azaleas regularly 

 or you will lose the flower buds, but do not syringe at this dull season of 

 thejear. Soot may be used upon the surface of the soil. Cow-dung water 

 does most good if given when tee plants are growing freely, and especially 

 when the flower buds start into growth in spring. Now, while the plants 

 ore comparatively quiescent, clear water is best. 



Liquid Manure for Strawberries {Idem). — Any rich fertiliser in a 

 liquid stato may be given advantageously to Strawberries in pots during the 

 process of forcing till the fruit shows colour, wheu it must be discontinued. 

 House sewage is one of our best manures, and if enough of it can be had we 

 should really regard an outlay for guano or auy similar prepared substances 

 quite unnecessary. 



Child of Hale Grape {R. C.).—It is not a Grape worth growing under 

 glass in this country whatever it may be abroad. 



Names of Fruits tB. A. H.).— 1, Wyien Pippin; 2, Flat Nonpareil; 8, 

 Ydlow logestrie. {Edward Sheerman). — 1, Beachamwell ; 2, Hauwell Sour- 

 ing; 5, Hunthouse ; 6, Bedfordshire Fouodling ; 7, Greaves' Pippin. 



Names of Plants {F.B.H.). — It is impossible to name your plant from 

 the specimen sen*. {P.P.). — 1, Desfontaiuia spioosa; other specimens in- 

 sufficient. (2'. Cleary). — Apparectly Tradescimia discolor. {Sussex Gar- 

 dener). — 1. Adiaotum cuneatum; 2, Lomaria sp. ; 4, Peperomia arifolia, var. 

 argyram (But. Mag., t. 5634); 6, Justicia sp. {Stirling). — Tricyrtis hirta. 

 {Mrs. Day). — Lygodiurn scandens. It is a native of the East Indies. 



POULTEY, BEE, AND PIGEON 0HE0NI0LE. 



GUILDFORD PODLTRT SHOW. 



This Show opened on the 10th inst., and was held in the 

 Green Market. It was a capital meeting, and the quality of the 

 birds was good all round. The pens were Turner's, and the 

 chaff in them, with the feeding arrangements, were all good. 



Dorkings opened the list, as iu Surrey they should do, and 

 twenty-three pens of more than average quality competed. The 

 cup went to a fine pair of Coloured chickens, good in bone, 

 claws, and comb; second were fine Silver-Greys. In the next 

 class a pair of large Coloured RoEe-combs were first ; second 

 and third were good Ooloured chickens. Iu Whites the winners 

 were excellent, the cockerel being, we believe, the bird first at 

 Oakham, with a great square-bodied hen. In Cuckoos the first- 

 prize pen was the only pen really Cuckoo-coloured all over, and 

 we do not think they had a white feather in them, while the 

 remainder of the class, though large birds, had a great deal of 

 white in ports of their bodies. In Cochins a good pen of Whites 

 were first and pretty Buffs second, while Partridges had third 

 place. Dark Brahmas were only moderate, and the Lights, 

 though few, were of fair quality. Of Spanish only one pen 

 appeared, which were but of average merit. The Game made a 

 large class, and to the first-prize pen was awarded the section 

 cup. They were Bmart and Btylish Black Red chickens, and 

 cheap at catalogue price of £5 5s. Second were also good Black 

 Reds, and third Brown Reds. In the French class a good pair 

 of Creves were first and moderate HoudanB second. The Golden- 

 pencilled Hamburghs were excellent, and the winning cockerel 

 of Mr. Cresswell's was of that beautiful bright colour we so 

 much admire, and was mated with a Birmingham winner, and 

 they ran the Game closely for second section cup. In the 

 Variety class Gold Polands were first and Silkies second. The 

 Game Bantams were good. A pretty pen of Brown Beds won 

 first, and Black Reds were second, Piles being third; while in 

 the variety Bantam class Blacks were firBt and a pretty pen of 

 Nankins second, the cockerel one of the best we ever saw of 

 the breed. 



The Waterfowl were only of average quality, but the Geese 

 and Turkeys were excellent. The first adult TurkeyB weighed 

 48 lbs., and the second 42 lbs., while in poultB the first were 

 88 lbs. in weight and the second 35 lbs. 



The Pigeons were all in a mixed class ; the quality was ex- 

 tremely good, and forty pens competed. First went to capital 

 White Fantails, the Weymouth winners we heard ; second were 

 Yellow Turbits, third lustrous Archangels, fourth Black Barbs, 

 fifth Black Barbs, sixth Black Carriers, and seventh Black 

 Trumpeters, while many other good pens came in for cards. 



We thought it an excellent county Show, and hope the attend- 

 ance on the second day was good. 

 POULTRY.— Dorkings.— Coloured and Silver.— 1 and 3, O. E. Cresswell. 2, 



