276 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GAKDENER. 



[ October 3, 1872. 



-with litter, bat we should prefer well-rotted manure and leaf soil, applied as | 

 a mulching about 3 inches thick. 



iVTj\ -T-BF. Water for Pampas Grass a>t> Chrysanthemums (E. JxC. R.). 

 — To your Pampas Grass with fifty plumes we should not, after the heavy rains 

 we have so recently experienced, apply guano water. It should have been 

 given to it during snmmei whilst the plant was growing freely, and until the 

 plumes were clear of the sheaths. Sis gallons to a plant as large as yours is 

 not too much, and once or twice a-week according to the weather. One 

 ounce of guano to a gallon of water is sufficiently strong. You may give the 

 Chrysanthemums the guano water at the same strength, until the flowers 

 expanding, at every alternate watering. 



Ittes for Covering Church "Walls (TF. D. S.). — These have fine large 

 leaves and grow freely : — Hedera canadensis (Irish Ivy), H. Helix {English 

 Ivy), H. digitata, and H. Bosgneriana. H. Helix aurea is golden variegated, 

 H. Helix elegans is white variegated. H. Helix chrysophylla has green 

 leaves, some blotched with yellow. H. Helix foliis variegatis is the old white- 

 variegated, well suited to give buildings an antique appearance. All these 

 we advise, employing the green kinds for the main flat surface coverings, 

 and the variegated for the projections. We know a chnrch so covered on the 

 north, east, and west aspect, the south being clothed with Cotoneaster nii- 

 erophylla, which in winter and early spring is very effective with its bright red 

 berries. "We advise it, Crataegus Pyracantha, Escallonia macrantha, Garrya 

 elliptica. and Ligustium japonicuni for the south aspect. All are evergreens. 

 The soii will answer well, adding some well-rotted manure, leaf soil, and 

 fibrous loam. Eubens, Tea-scented Eose, is good, rose and white, but we fear 

 at will not be sufficiently vigorous for a climber for a greenhouse. "We should 

 prefer Marechal NieL 



Pansy Seedling (F. L.). — It is a large flower, but not sufficiently differing 

 from others well known tc render it valuable. The varieties now are legion. 



Grubs and Slugs [Alfred). — Use both gas lime and quicklime. Point 

 the first-named into the soil so as to mix it with the upper 2 inches of the 

 surface. Sprinkle the quicklime on the surface on two or three successive 

 evenings. 



Stove-heattng a Small Greenhouse [Angora). — We have no doubt 

 that the stoves you refer to would answer your purpose. The stoves referred 

 to by our contributor can be seen at most ironmongers. No stove will be 

 secure without a chimney. A 3i-inch metal pipe going-up IS-inches beyond 

 your roof with a cap over it to keep wet from going in freely, will do well. We 

 have a round iron stove costing with elbow £Z 10s. We have the stove sunk 

 mostly below the ground level with an open space round it. We take a 2-feet- 

 long horizontal pipe from the stove, and the end enters and rests on a square 

 cesspool of bricks above the ground. We put two pieces of iron across this 

 cesspool, and on that we rest a common water pipe, 3 inches in diameter 

 iaad 9 feet long, for a chimney. We cover the cesspool with bricks and mortar, 

 take a square of glass out for the pipe to go out, fill with a square of zinc, 

 having a suitable hole to let the pipe through, and tie a piece of zinc over 

 the end of the pipe as a cover, leaving room at two sides for the smoke. 



Bush Pear Trees not Succeeding (D. F. J. K.). — No doubt the firm 

 that supplied you sent varieties which usually do succeed under circumstances 

 s'juilar to yours, but there is no fruit so variable and eccentric in its character 

 as the Pear. A variety will do well in one garden, and under apparently 

 similar conditions it will not thrive in a neighbouring one. Give your trees 

 aaother chance, and those varieties which are worthless with you may be re- 

 grafted with sorts that succeed in your garden. If you plant any against the 

 w-dl it will be better to purchase trees trained for this purpose; they may be 

 had at the nurseries at a slightly higher rate than bush trees. You ought to 

 plant Coe's Golden Drop Plum against a wall. Louise Bonne Pear usually 

 does well as a bush or pyramid on the Quince. In all probability the 

 Bigarreau Noir de Schmidt would succeed with you on a wall, with a south or 

 west aspect. 



Black Hamburgh not Bearing (An Amateur). — If your Tine has been 

 growing many years undisturbed in one position, the active rootlets must 

 have travelled a long way from the main stem. You ought to apply the 

 dressing to those rootlets. Now is the best time to do it. We advise you to 

 iCUt out some of the old branches and train-up a few young rods to take then- 

 place; these, if strong and well ripened, will beir fruit the following season. 

 In pruning the old rods do not cut the young wood which they made this 

 year too closely back, leave two or three eyes at the base of each. In spring 

 all these eyes will start into growth, wlea you cin select the best and rub off 

 the others. 



Selection of Tines (H.). — You may grow the Tines you name in one house. 

 Plant Muscat of Alexandria and Alicante at the warmest end; they require 

 more heat and take longer to ripen than the others. We should omit Golden 

 Champion from your list. It is always better to plant such varieties as 

 Muscat of Alexandria, Alicante, and Lady Downe's in a compartment by 

 themselves. Black Hamburgh, Muscat Hamburgh, and Buckland Sweetwater 

 ■will do well together. 



Names of Insects (Harmondsicorth). — The caterpillar on the Eose leaf is 

 the larva of the Yellow-tailed moth, Euproctis auriflua. There is a descrip- 

 tion and portraits in the first volume of our new series, page 141. (C, Sub- 

 scriber). — Not one was in the tin box, nor in the envelope. 

 Names of Fruits (Goddess). — Your Pear is Jersey GratiolL 

 Names of Plants (TF. E. C.).— Cannot name from leaf only. (G. Wall). 

 1, Silene Armeria; 2, Mentha hirsuta; 3, Pimpinella magna. (A Lady Sub- 

 scriber). — Acanthus mollis or A. spinosus. (IF. L.). — 1, Perhaps Salvia ar- 

 centea, but the specimen is too imperfect ; 2, Veronica salicifolia, apparently. 

 •' K E. J. IF.). — 1, Geranium sanguineum ; 2, A Terbascum. If you will send 

 again a better specimen we will try and determine the species. {AT. G.). — We 

 cannot name plants from their leaves only. (A. A.). — We believe it to be 

 Osmanthus aquifolius, a native of Japan. (Thet).— There were two parcels 

 bearing the same postmark, and the plants tied in bunches with similar 

 thiead. If you send six specimens we will endeavour to name them. 



POULTET, BEE. AND PIGEON CHRONICLE. 



bad habits. I kept for considerably more than two years from 

 forty to fifty Houdan fowls in, I am aware, very far too limited 

 a space for health, generally speaking with no grass run what- 

 ever, with not one case of feather-eating, and with only one 

 death from disease in that period. It proceeded from enlarged 

 liver. 



I have always attributed my success to the following treatment 

 — viz., first and all-important, unlimited supply of green food, 

 consisting as much as possible of lettuce run to seed. This I 

 found not difficult to obtain at almost any season by having all 

 the thinnings-out from the garden stuck into any spare corner 

 on purpose for the fowls ; indeed I may say I never saw them 

 without, that I did not myself throw in some pulled up by the 

 roots, soil and all, and I never saw them hurt, but greatly bene- 

 fited thereby. They also had always nearly a couple of turnips 

 cut in two to peck at and amuse themselves with when not 

 feeding. The yard was dag over once a-week, giving plenty of 

 entertainment for that day at least in searching for worms, 

 grubs, &c. This was the only a nim al food they had, with the 

 exception of any small quantities of soup there might happen 

 occasionally to be from the kitchen to mix their soft food with. 

 The roosting-houses, perches, and dust baths were sprinkled 

 with flowers of sulphur once a-week also, and I never saw them 

 in the slightest degree tormented with vermin. 



But I am straying from the subject particularly under notice, 

 so it is time I ended ; and if my small experience interests or 

 benefits anyone I shall be glad. In the meantime, if my fowls 

 ever take to feather-eating I shall not forget Mr. L. Wright's 

 letter and experiments. — A Scotch Lassie. 



FEATHEE-EATING poultky. 



I read with the greatest interest the article by Mr. L. Wright 

 upon " Feather-eating," and my experience, although infinitely 

 small in comparison, confirms the fact — to me at least — that 

 lettuce does, in some manner at any rate, ward off this worst of 



THE CEYSTAL PALACE POULTEY SHOW. 

 Ail poultry-breeders will, I suppose, unite in considering the 

 Crystal Palace schedule as everything that is desirable ; it is, 

 therefore, of little use, possibly, for a poor outsider, an admirer 

 of a little-cared-for breed, to growl-out his regrets and point out 

 the blots. Let us look at the bygones of the new era of Palace 

 Shows. In January, ISiO, Malays were in the Variety class, 

 three pens being entered, and all noticed. Silkies had four 

 entries. White Dorkings, with £3 10s. offered to hens, had only 

 six entries ; White Cochin hens, with .£3 10s. offered, four 

 entries ; Golden-spangled Hamburgh cocks six entries ; hens 

 only four ! each class with three prizes of the same value. 

 Silver-pencilled cocks and their mates in each class three prizes 

 of the same value, with four entries in each ; Black Hamburghs, 

 with only three cocks and six hen entries ; Duckwing Game 

 hens, £5 in prizes, five entries. It may fairly be said that with 

 the slight encouragement of a scramble for the variety prizes, 

 the Malays had at" least entered respectably, as also had the 

 Silkies, and that therefore in an extended jrize list these two 

 breeds should have received some decided encouragement. Well, 

 what happened ? I believe, and think I am stating the facts, 

 the Committee demurred to offer a class to Malays, but yielded 

 the point on obtaining a promise of a portion from a liberal 

 Malay fancier. Now, simple justice would have demanded that 

 demurring to offer prizes to Malays and Silkies, the Crystal 

 Palace Committee should have also lessened or omitted the 

 prizes to the classes which I have noted above. 



Let us look, then, at Catalogue No. 2, December, 1S<0. Thanks 

 to the liberality of the Malay-breeder, who deserves honourable 

 mention, we had a class for 'Malay chickens, with £3 10s. prizes 

 and nine entries. Not so bad, methinks — in fact, with the 

 amount <Hven the Committee were in pocket considerably. Let 

 us look at the other breeds, what of them ? ^Silkies in the Va- 

 rietv class had 'gone down to two entries. No wonder. White 

 Dorkings, made "into a cock and hen class, with £5, had fourteen 

 entries. White Cochins treated in the same fashion had fifteen 

 entries'; and the other breeds all treated in the same way en- 

 tered rather above these numbers. There were two classes, 

 marked exceptions ; Brown Bed Game hen, with £5 prizes, had 

 only ei"ht entries, whilst, wonderful to relate, the class for Buff 

 Cocbincock and hen (aged) had actually only five entries. 



Now in all these classes there was an additional chance of a 

 silver 'cup not offered to the Malays, and I contend that, c<jn- 

 cidering all this, the Malays paid the Committee better than 

 many of the classes, and deserved at their hands decided en- 

 couragement. « a « ■•«■ n a a-i 

 Let us pass on to 1871, what do we find ? Malays offered just 

 the same amount (I think, but the catalogue of 1871 is no longer 

 a °uide to the amount of prizes offered), no increase of classes, 

 but old and young birds pushed in together; still, though 

 hardly treated, the Malavs mustered seven pens. Some of the 

 other classes had the following entries :— Cuckoo Dorking, a 

 new class, four entries ; aged Buff Cochins, nine ; Siver Buff, a 

 new class' two; White Cochins, aged, eight ; Spanish, aged hens, 

 seven ; Silver-pencilled Hamburgh cock and hen, eight ; Black 

 ditto nine ; White-crested Black Polish, seven. 



And now I come to the brilliant (for such an amount of silver 

 deserves the adjective) schedule of 1S72. What does it say? 

 Cnckoo Dorkings omitted? No, offered the same amount. 



