22 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ July 4, 1872. 



but keep it for a twelvemonth. Of course that will be unnecessary if the plants 

 appear. "When they have a pair of rough leaves prick them off an iuch apart 

 in pans prepared as for the seed, and return them to the frame. When 

 they become established, aud before they are crowded, pot them off singly in 

 3-inch pots, and place them in a frame, keeping them rather close and shaded 

 for a few days, and then harden them off, admitting air freely. If you wish 

 to grow them in pots they should be shifted into others of a larger size as 

 .soon as those in which they were first potted are full of roots; or you may 

 plaut them out in good rich soil and in an open situation out of doors. They 

 will flower the same season as that in which they were sown, hut do not take 

 the Geraniums up in autumn ; pot them, and winter them in a greenhouse. 

 The best time to sow the seed is in March ; hut you may sow now, and if you 

 have the plants established in pots before winter they will flower early and 

 well nest year. They should be wintered in a light airy position in a house 

 from which frost is excluded. 



Runners from Unfruitful Strawberries (Idem).— We do not advise 

 your taking runners from the plants which are this year unfruitful. Very 

 likely they will be as unfruitful as the plants from which they are taken. In 

 no case plant runners of unfruitful plants. 



Caterpillars on Cauliflowers [J. N. R.). — Dust them with white 

 hellebore powder; but hand-picking is the cheapest and most effectual 

 remedy. 



Bottom-heating a Plant Stoye (G. T. B.). — It is easy to let the water 

 out of a trough by means of a tap or plug. In very dull weather it is pos- 

 sible to have too much moisture at bottom. We should have no difficulty 

 with your coiled pipe enclosed in a chamber with sand over, a few pebbles 

 or some rough gravel laid on the top of the covering, and an open pipe in 

 which to pour down water. Thus you could give a moist bottom heat, even 

 when it was desirable to keep the surface sand rather dry. Except in very ex- 

 ceptional circumstances, as in continued cold damp weather, damping the 

 sand would be quite sufficient, and thus you might have saved the galvanised 

 trough. 



Budding Roses (G. T. E.). — Full directions have been detailed in works 

 on Roses, as Mr. Paul's, Mr. Cranston's, and the Rev. S. R. Hole's "Book on 

 Roses." It is difficult to give a verbal description of any use for practical 

 purposes. One hour's practice under any experienced budder will do more 

 good than any written directions. The following golden rules may be ob- 

 served: — Bud when the sap flows freely, and when the bark separates easily ; 

 with Manetti stock, bud low. Choose buds that are plump and well de- 

 veloped, but not too far gone, and let the stock be rather in advance of the 

 scion. Do not cut off the top of the stock as the bud is at first fed by the 

 return sap. Make the bark of the upper part of the bud fit accurately with 

 the cross cut on the stock. Do not tie too tightly, but at the same time 

 firmly. Look at the buds from time to time, and loosen the ties as soon as 

 the bark seems to be too tightly bound. Do not cut the eye from the scion 

 till you are ready for budding, nothing is so fatal as letting the eyes in the 

 bud get di*y. 



Gardeners' Unions [W. H. S.). — We must decline your communication 

 and all others ou the subject, for relative controversy is unsuited to our 

 columns. 



The British Gardeners' Mutual and Self-supporting Society. — 

 We are informed that " W. A." and several others who have forwarded stamps 

 for rules, will find by this time their copies have arrived. 



Fungus' ( ). — The plant is Bupleurum fruticosuni, and not British. 



The Fungus is Polyporus versicolor. 



Cutting Ivy— Striking Ivy Cuttings (Poor Cockney).— The Ivy against 

 a wall should be clipped closely and evenly with the shears. This is best 

 done in April. At this time of year you need only remove any irregularity of 

 growth, preserving, however, the young leaves, but you may take off some of 

 the old ones where they are too crowded. Defer the general trimming until 

 next April. Ivy cuttings may be put in now in good, light, sandy soil on a 

 north border, choosing cuttings about a foot long, and inserting them half 

 their length in the soil. A border on the north side of a wall is most suitable 

 for the cuttings. If in the open they must have shade from the sun. They will 

 be well rooted by next spring, when they may be planted out. 



Trees Overhanging Kitchen Garden (T. T.).— Ground shaded by large 

 trees and under then- drip, is of very little value as a kitchen garden. If they 

 are ornamental trees there may he cause for their not being lopped. You can 

 demand that the branches which overhang should be cut off, but it is well to 

 try what can be done by persuasion. As regards the other advice you ask for, 

 consult a solicitor. 



Pelargonium Leaves Spotted (H. <?.).— The leaves sent are spotted by 

 the sun shining on them when wet. The moisture may have arisen from 

 syringing, which ought not to be practised, or from keeping the house close 

 at night, and not giving air early enough to dissipate it before the sun strikes 

 on the foliage. Keep the leaves dry and admit air at night. A little will 

 suffice to keep ihe moisture from condensing and falling on the leaves. 



Primulas, Calceolarias, and Cinerarias for Christmas Flowering 

 (North Wilts). — The seed ought to be sown about the second week of March. 

 Sow in well-drained pans filled to within a quarter of an inch of the rim with 

 very fine compost, which may consist of two parts light fibrous loam, one 

 part leaf soil, one pail sandy peat, and one pari of silver sand. Make the 

 surface level, scatter the seeds evenly, and cover those of the Primula and 

 Cineraria about an eighth of an inch deep with very fine soil. The Calceo- 

 laria seeds should only he covered with a sprinkling of silver sand. Place the 

 pans in a hotbed of 65 J to 70', and keep the soil just moist. When the seed- 

 lings appear place them near the glass, and admit air moderately, avoiding 

 cold and drying winds. When the seedlings can be handled prick them off in 

 pans an inch apart, returning them to the hotbed where there is a gentle heat, 

 and keep them close and shaded for a few days from bright sun until esta- 

 blished, then admit air freely. They should have abundance of air, and are 

 to be well hardened off so as to he placed in a cold frame by the middle of 

 June, when they will be large enough to be potted-off singly in 3-inch pots, 

 which should be set on coal ashes in the frame. The latter, after the plants 

 are put in the Ji-inch pots, should be kept rather close for a time, and shaded 

 from bright sun. By the middle of July shift into 4-inch pots, and the Cine- 

 rarias, as soon as they fill their pots with roots should be shifted into pots a 

 size larger, also the Calceolarias, but the Primulas need not be shifted until 

 August, and then they should have 7-inch pots. The Calceolarias and Cine- 

 rarias should be stopped, if they throw-up a flower-stem, to within three or 

 four leaves of the base, but this stopping must not he practised after August. 

 In September the Cinerarias and Calceolarias should be placed in their bloom- 

 ing-pots, which may be 8 or 9 inches in diameter, according to the size of the 



plants. The Primulas should have the trusses of bloom pinched off until the 

 middle of September. By the end of that month the whole of the plants 

 ought to be removed to shelves or a stage where the plants will be near the 

 glass, and be kept in a temperature of 45° to 5(P at night. In the frame, 

 through the summer, the plants should have an abundance of air, and be 

 sprinkled overhead mo rnin g and evening with water from a fine-rosed water- 

 ing-pot, and in the house should be damped overhead until November, or even 

 later if the weather be bright. The watering must be liberal. The Primulas 

 should not be watered overhead, and after October they will require careful 

 watering. The Primulas will flower in the temperature named — 45° at night, 

 but the Cinerarias and Calceolarias require a temperature of 50° to 55°, de- 

 pendant, however, on the lateness or forwardness of the plants for bloom. You 

 will need to exercise some judgment in this respect, keeping them back by 

 affording less heat if too forward, and more if too late. They need abundance 

 of air, light, and room. Without securing these conditions it is next to use- 

 less striving to flower Cinerarias and Calceolarias at the dullest period of the 

 year. 



March Stands [Nil Despcrandum). — The table decorations are so called 

 because first designed by Miss March. An engraving of them is in our No. 119. 



Names of Plants (Craven). — We think your Thorn is the Crataegus 

 tanacetifolius, Tansy-leaved Azarole. (Experte). — We cannot name plants 

 from their leaves only, we need the flowers also. (D. D. M.). — It Is the 

 Feathered Hyacinth, Muscari comosum monstrosum. 



POULTKY, BEE, AND PIGEON 0HE0NICLE, 



FOWLS FOR PROFIT, AND AS A MEANS OF 



SUBSISTENCE.— No. 7. 



Ducks. 



I do not think this treatise would be complete without a few 

 words upon the rearing and management of Ducks. They may 

 be made to return a large profit if carefully managed. 



There are six breeds of Ducks — the Aylesbury, Rouen, Musk, 

 East Indian, Brazilian, and Call Duck. Of these the Aylesbury 

 and the Rouen are the most useful varieties. The Aylesbury 

 should be pure white in plumage, with flesh-coloured bill and 

 yellow feet ; it lays very large white eggs, and its flesh is very 

 delicate in flavour. The Rouen (a French breed) is a precocious 

 bird, arriving at maturity at the age of three months ; it is a 

 good layer of large green-coloured eggs. It is hardier than the 

 Aylesbury, and does not commence laying quite so early, but 

 will thrive where the Aylesbury would die. 



Selection of Breeds. — The selection of stock birds is the first 

 consideration. The cross between the Rouen and Aylesbury is 

 much esteemed. The flesh is said, though I do not know with 

 what truth, to be improved in flavour by crossing; notwith- 

 standing this, I advise all who breed for profit to keep pure 

 breeds. The laying capabilities of the birds are unaffected, 

 whether pure or crossed, provided they are only crossed once, 

 or, if I may be allowed the term, if the bird is a pure cross ; 

 but those who keep pure birds can readily realise a good price 

 for them at any poultry sale, and the eggs for breeding purposes 

 form an important item in their profit. 



Let us suppose, then, that we stock our yard with a Rouen 

 drake and three Ducks; this breed is preferred, being the 

 hardiest, but should Aylesbury Ducks be selected, if they can be 

 kept on a dry soil and in a warm situation they will thrive as 

 well. These Ducks will commence laying in February, earlier 

 if Aylesbury, and will lay for five months, with the intermissiou 

 of about a week or a fortnight twice or thrice during that time. 

 It is probable that two of these Ducks will desire to sit, and if 

 so let them sit ; if they have laid well they require a rest, and 

 we do not find that, like the hen, they will commence laying 

 again immediately they are put off sitting. 



Incubation. — Let the Duck have from twelve to fifteen eggs, 

 and if possible persuade her to sit in a place of your own choos- 

 ing. This should be in a separate division of the Duck house, 

 set aside solely for sitting. The Duck will very soon learn to 

 leave her eggs only when desired. The door of the house should 

 be opened, and she should be gently called, and allowed to return 

 of her own accord. She will cover her eggs carefully, and must 

 always be permitted freedom ; she will not abuse it, and is most 

 impatient of restraint. She should have access to a pond or tub 

 of water in which she can bathe, as this is necessary to the well- 

 being of the ducklings in the eggs. 



The time of incubation is twenty-eight days, and the Duck 

 should not be disturbed when hatching-out ; she must not be 

 shut into her nest when incubation is completed, for, if deprived 

 of liberty, she will destroy the young ducklings. Where hens 

 as well as Ducks are kept, I advise several sittings of Ducks to 

 be made during the season, and placed under the hens (a large 

 hen will cover twelve or fifteen eggs) ; and where only three 

 Ducks are kept, many cannot be reared otherwise. I shall give 

 my experience of this mode of rearing ducklings. Let the eggs 

 be examined after being sat upon for ten days, aud reject those 

 which are transparent. 



After the ducklings are all hatched let them alone for twenty- 

 four hours ; they will then be ready for food, which must 

 consist of hard-boiled egg minced and mixed with oatmeal. 

 When three or four days old they may have oatmeal mixed 



