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JOURNAL OF HORTICUI/TtTBE AND COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 



[ October 4, 1864. 



Strutfiopteris germanica (E G. IT.).— Br Strath rap tens germanie we 

 conclude you mean Strnthiopteris germanira, or Ostrich Feather Fern, which 

 is ruite hardy, and will grow in sha'y rockwork and shrubberies. It forms 

 noble circular crests of great elegance and beauty, often 3 feet across, and 

 increases rapidly by underground stolons, and the neighbourhood soon 

 becomes densely covered. It is from central Europe. It is fully described 

 in our * ; Fern Manual." 



Frame Lights (Melon Grower).— The most suitable lights are those made 

 of •well-seasoned red deal, though pitch pine is a more durable timber- The 

 frame should be made strong, but as light as possible, the sides and ends of 

 the lights 3 by 2£ inches, morticed and tenoned at the corners. Ton may 

 have, at equal distances apart, three sa=h-T>ars, 1£ by 2 1 . inches, narrow side 

 upwards, which will be rebated three-quaTters of an inch for the glass to 

 rest on. This will require glass 9i inches wide, End 21^- inches long, -which 

 is the size we would have. Twenty- one- ounce sheet glass of good quality 

 -will answer perfectly. Any carpenter can make the lights, but you will be 

 well served by ony of the horticultural builders who advertise in onr 

 columns. 



Potting Agapanthts umbellatus (C. M. Major). — Ton may pot this 

 beautiful African Lily immediately after it has done bloomine ; and remove 

 the offsets from Lilium giganieum at the time of potting, which may be 

 now or in March. We do not know in what way you could facilitate the 

 ripening of the Lilium reed-pods, unless by an increase of heat, and expo- 

 sure to more intense light. 



Cuttings op Various Plants (Idem).— Half-ripened shoots of Brag- 

 mansias will strike freely at any time in a mild bottom heat-, and so will 

 cuttings of Passifloras, which may be taken now, but we like them a little 

 earlier. _ The best time to take cuttings of Escallonia rubra, and Acacia 

 longifolia, is when they have half-ripened shoots upon them, or young 

 growths of a firm texture to the touch, which should be put in as early in 

 the summer as p ssible. Cutiings of any plant will root much more freely 

 in the early part of summer than in the autumn. 



Moving Budded Briars (TV. A.). — You may remove them safely anv 

 time in November. They will move more safely at that time than if they 

 were allowed to remain anolher year be' ore moving. November, February, 

 and March are the best seasons for removing them. The former period is 

 best. 



Ornithogalum THTRSorPES (E. G. ff.).— "We do not know the variety 

 alba. Ornithngalum tbyrsoides is from Natal in South Africa, and all but, 

 if not qmte, hardy. Being of doubtful hardiness it should have the pro- 

 tection of a cold pit or "cod greenhouse. It should be potted in September 

 in pots of a suitable size, 6 or 8-inch, in light turfy loam two-tbirds, 

 leaf mould one-third, with a free admixture of? sand. Peat is preferable to 

 leaf mould, unless the latter be of good quality, but a little of both will 

 not be amiss. It is not unusual for the plant to show for bloom at Christ- 

 mas, throwing up stems from 1 to \h toot high, with a spike of snow-white 

 flowers having a yellow centre arranged in the form of a sceptre. The 

 flowers individually are of a good size and neatly formed, opening at the 

 bottom first, and in many cases more than fifty flowers will be borne on a 

 spike, and ocoMonally one hundred. It blooms for three or four weeks if 

 not kept in a hiuh temperature, and has the property of remaining in full 

 bloom in a cut state in water. It is both easy of cultivation, and one of the 

 best things introduced of late years. 



Calceolarias in Exposeo Poor Soil (Idem).— "We have them this year 

 on a poor light toil over gravel, and they have done famously. "We might 

 as well let you into the secret of how w accomplish this when others 

 have failed even on strong soil, such as the Calceolaria likes. In November 

 we take out the soil to ilis depth of 2 feet, place 6 inches of fallen tree 

 leaves at the bottom, and then replace the soil- We plant the beds with 

 bulbs, such as Crocuses, Tulips, &c. ; and when these come off, by the first 

 week in June, 6 inches of well rotted manure is forked into the bed, and 

 trodden firm. We plant and give a good soaking of water, and afte- wards 

 twice a-week until the plants become established, and a sprinkling overhead 

 on the evening of hot days. In July we mulch the beds with an inch of 

 Mushroom-bed dung, and give a thorough soaking of water, and in ordinary 

 seasons we have splendid beds, and never finer than this yeir, especially of 

 yellow. Should the summer prove dry we water twice a-week, every other 

 time with liquid manure. Canadensis, Aurea fioribunda, Amplexicaulis, 

 Kugosa major 'a hardy early kind), Sage's Yellow (a strong-growine- kind}, 

 Yellow Dwarf. Cloth of Golrt, and Yellow Prince of Orange are excellent 

 yellow sorts, which we find do well on light soil with the above treatment. 



Book (Perseverantia).— " The Cottage Gardener's Dictionary" will, 

 perhaps, suit you. If you wish to have fuller botanical descriptions you 

 must have Loudon's "Encyclopedia of Plants." 



Names op Fruit (H. R.).— 1, Styrian ; 2, Catillac; 3, Beurre Diel; 

 4, Chaumontel; 5, Beurre* Langelier; 6, Bishop's Thumb; 9, Franklin's 

 Golden Pippin ; 11, Downton Pippin. Others not identified. (St. Leger). — 



1, Bull's Golden Reinette; 2, Nelson Codlin; 4. Dutch Mignonne; 5, Kib.=ton 

 Pippin; 6, Brouehton; 8, Passe Colmar. Others l.ot identified. (New 

 Forest).— \, Belle et Bunne; 2, Crasanne; 3, Comte de Lamy. (C.T.J.) — 



2, London Pippin; 3, Lamb Abbey Pearmain; 5, Yorkshire Greening; 

 6, Scarlet Nonpareil; 9 Beurr6 -Diel; 10, Piles' Russet. Others not iden- 

 tified. (G. .5.).— 1, unknown and worthless; 2, Golden Reinette; 3, Durae- 

 low's Seeding; 4, Chester Pearmain ; 5, unrecognised; 6, Selwood's 

 Reinette. (B. A. N , 6hretcabu?y).—2\, Herefordshire Pearmain. The 

 others unknown and very inferior. (A. #.)- — The Grape No 1 wants more 

 heat. The specimen is abortive. Graft a Black Hamburgh upon it. No. 2 

 is very little better. We cannot identify eiiher. (J. Everett).— I, York- 

 shire Greening; 2, Dume'ow's Seedling, apparently, but a wretched speci- 

 men ; 3, Kerry Pippin; 7, Gravenstcin ; 9, Beauty of Kent. The others 

 ■were undistinguishable. 



Najjes of Plants (Ciciley). — We reply— 1, Athyrium Filix-fasm'na ; 

 2, Lastrea c'ilatata; but there is little evidence in the wretched scraps seDt. 

 Correspondents who send such specimens must suppose us to be magicians. 

 (J. S.). — 1, Lastrea Filis-mas cristata ; 2, Lastrea spinulosa ; 8, Laslrea 

 Filix-maa; 4, Lastrea Filis-mas paleacea. (F. C.).— Plumbago L<rpent£e, 

 we think, but the flowers were much crushed. (A. B.) .— 1. Nephrolepis 

 tuberosa: 2, Pteris cretica. (An Old Subsc7-iber), — 1, Dabcec ; a polifolia; 

 2, Erica vagaus, var. alba; 3, Chelone glabra; 4, Se-ms to be a scrap of 

 Linaria striata; 5, Apparently some Boragewort, but we cannot name it 

 ■without the flowers. ( W. L,).— We cannot name your tree without seeing 

 the flower. 



POULTSY, BEE, and HOUSEHOLD CHRONICLE. 



POULTEY SHOW AT THE AGPJCTTLTTTBAL 



HALL, ISLINGTON. 



Octobee 1st, 3rd, astd 4th, 1864. 



We believe we are correct in stating this is the first Show 

 held under the immediate patronage of the Poultry Club. 

 The building leaves nothing to desire, and its management 

 by Mr. Douglas deserves high commendation. There are 

 few places in the United Kingdom where fowls can be cared 

 for as judiciously as they were here. We use the word 

 advisedly, because in some places kindness and good in- 

 tentions unwisely directed do more mischief than any 

 neglect. The perfect cleanliness visible everywhere was 

 pleasing, and the most fastidious could detect no unpleasant 

 smell. 



The Show was looked forward to by amateurs as the first 

 test of judging by rules. The Club, however, does things 

 by halves. After a troubled labour of twelve months the 

 rules should be ready, and they should be public. When the 

 catalogue is headed by the announcement, "Under the 

 Patronage and Management of the Poultry Club," each 

 class should have a copy of the rules by which the birds 

 were judged. This would explain many things that should 

 be understood by exhibitors, and still more by those who 

 fill the office of Judge. Where liberty of action is denied, 

 and a man is pinned to rules, it is no longer the decision of 

 a Judge, but the verdict of a book. If that book were in 

 our hands we should probably have little to say ; but as it 

 appears to be printed only for a few, we must judge the tree 

 by its fruits. 



There was a very good class of SorHngs, but in this, as in 

 all others, Lady Holmesdale's pens were empty. The first 

 and second prize birds were good ; but in our opinion pen 17, 

 belonging to Captain Hornby, was the best pen in the class. 

 In Class 2, for White and Silver-Grey Dorkings, the first- 

 prize Silver-Grey cock had a black and white breast. We 

 preferred Mr. Lingwood's White Dorkings to the Eev. G. P. 

 Hodson's. We liked Mr. Boyle's pair of pullets, but could 

 find no merit in Mr. Sutherland's. 



The first-prize Spanish were very good. We did not at all 

 like the second-prize birds. It was a poor class. We liked 

 Mr. Boyle's second-prize Brahmas better than Mr. Barclay's 

 first. These latter were vulture-hocked, which has not 

 hitherto been deemed desirable. 



The Cochin prizes would have been reversed according to 

 the old system of judging. Mr. Chase would have been 

 first. Capt. Beaton's birds are sadly out of condition. The 

 White Cochins were the best and largest class we have seen 

 for some time, but here we should have altered the awards, 

 by putting the third first. 



The Game did not come up to the old standard. Twisted 

 combs and squirrel tails were not approved formerly, but 

 they were plain in some classes. In Class 23, a third prize 

 was given to two pullets with distinctly red deaf ears. Dj 

 Class 27, Mr. Duxbury's Black Hamburghs were every way 

 superior to Mr. Beldon's, which had first prize. 



In the variety of Bantams we cannot understand why Piles 

 that contribute one pen, should override a good class of 

 Duckwings. In the Gold and Silver-laced we liked Mr. 

 Jones's second better than Mr. Spary's first. The cock in 

 the latter had a very narrow comb. 



The Spanish cock in 3S1 had a distinct thumb mark in his 

 comb, and the Brahma, 398, was a poorly-conditioned bird. 



We liked the second-prize Bouen Ducks better than the first. 



The Geese were excellently judged. We have thus re- 

 viewed the 509 pens which composed the Show of Poultry. 

 We know little of Pigeons, and the gentleman who promised 

 to report upon them was unable to attend. 



We have been obliged to report of this Show differently 

 from our usual method. It may be that impartiality in re- 

 viewing a show is as difficult as strict veracity is in history, 

 according to Lord Macaulay. We were unwilling to trust 

 entirely to ourselves for this reason, and, therefore, con- 

 sulted many others. Their testimony agrees with our own. 

 We have reviewed this Show as the test of judging by rules. 

 We have felt throughout it was an unthankful task. Oar 



