January 21 18-4. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER 
75 
wood for the cuttings is abundant. The sooner they are inserted the better; 
any time will do for this operation after the fall of the leaf in autumn, but 
it should not be left until too late in the season or success may not follow. 
The cuttings of Poplars are generally inserted on ground sufficiently far 
apart so that they will have room to grow for two years, when they are of a 
suitable size for transplanting singly if they have done well. You have 
been rightly informed about leaving two eyes above ground, the best being 
selected when they have fairly started into growth and secured to stakes 
to keep them straight and to save them from being broken by the wind. 
We cannot inform you where you can obtain seed of Paradise stocks, these 
stocks being raised from cuttings. Even if you could obtain seed many 
worthless varieties would probably be the result. 
Melons for Frame Culture {Amateur). —Monro’s Little Heath Melon is 
■of easy culture, but only second-rate in quality; and you are right in 
■attempting the cultivation of some other superior sorts. The probable cause 
of your failure with Mann’s Hybrid was insufficiency of heat, more esp°cially 
bottom heat. All Melons, with the exception of Little Heath and the old 
Cantaloupe, require a bottom heat not lower at any time than C5°, while 
from 70° to 80° will better suit them. The top heat to be at much the same 
figures. Your soil also may have something to do with the failure. Good 
clayey loam taken from immediately under the turf of a pasture, with a little 
slaked lime added, will grow good Melons. It should be made very firm, 
tmd never be allowed to become dry. The Victory of Bath is still one of the 
best for frame work, being free and good, but not very handsome. Hero of 
Lockinge is rather small, but first-class in every other respect. If a larger 
green-flesh variety be preferred, then try Eastnor Castle. Blenheim Orange 
is the best scarlet-flesh variety, and is well adapted for frame culture. 
Statice profusa {Salto). —Although this and S. Holfordii are greenhouse 
plants, yet, if the temperature of the house is very low, they make remark¬ 
ably slow progress. If the plants are young, and large specimens are 
desired, place them in a stove or intermediate house, a night temperature of 
’60° being very suitable for them while growing. If healthy plants are 
started with—say, early next month—fair-sized examples can be produced in 
a season by the aid of warmth and moisture. The young plants should not 
foe tall to start with, but dwarf, with their foliage down to the soil. The 
last-named is a much stronger-growing variety than the former, and will not 
branch so freely unless measures are taken to compel it to do so. Assuming 
they are in 5-inch pots, when these are fairly filled with roots transfer them 
to pots 2 inches larger, and when the roots have taken well to the new soil 
pinch out the centre of the plants to compel them to break back. Until the 
plants are placed in pots sufficiently large they should never suffer from 
insufficient root room. The soil best adapted for them is rich fibry 
loam, a little leaf mould and decomposed manure, charcoal broken moderately 
fine, and a liberal quantity of coarse sand may be added to keep the compost 
porous. While growing, these plants require abundance of water, but care 
must be exercised in giving it, especially for a time after potting, and until 
their roots are working freely ; and at no time must the soil be saturated, 
or the foliage will shrivel and fall. During winter, until the plants attain a 
specimen size, do not keep them in a lower temperature than 45° to 59°, and 
as soon as the season for growing has again advanced push them forward in 
the temperature named above. Do not maintain a close confined atmosphere 
while the plants are growing in heat, or they will soon be unhealthy. Give 
them air daily when favourable, except for ten or fourteen days after potting, 
until the roots commence working, when they are better kept close. During 
bright sunshine in summer light shade is necessary. Particular watch must 
be kept for thrips and other insects, which, if allowed, quickly arrest the 
growth of the plants. The plants drop their leaves from various causes, but 
we cannot indicate the exact cause in your case, as you afford no information 
to enable us to do so. The soil may be sour; if so, remove carefully a 
portion of it and repot in clean well-drained pots in the compost recom¬ 
mended, place the plants in heat, and water carefully until root-growth 
commences. 
Plant Groups in a Conservatory and Corridor (IT. S., Beckenham ).— 
You are quite right not to have staging, and the borders round the sides show 
clearly that the best method of arrangement for the conservatory will be to 
plant the borders with sufficient tall-growing shrubs and plants to eventually 
fill the space without crowding, the number being determined by the size of 
the borders ; or plant thickly for an immediate effect, taking care to give 
the best positions to the permanent plants, and subsequently remove the 
■others as may be necessary. If you have other houses affording a supply of 
flowering plants in due succession throughout the year, then thin planting 
would afford space for gi-oups of flowering plants in pots, so that the house 
-could be kept bright by frequent relays of fresh plants. The permanent 
plants should be a mixture of such Palms as Corypha australis, Latania bor- 
bonica, Phoenix reclinata, P. dactylifera, Sabal Blackburneana, Chamaerops 
excelsa, Areca sapida, A. rubra, and Seaforthia elegans, all answering well 
in a greenhouse temperature. Then there are Dracaena australis, Cordyline 
indivisa, Yucca aloifolia, Y. aloifolia variegata, Y. filifera, Y. quadricolor, 
Phormium tenax Yeitchii, Aloe prolifera, Araucaria excelsa, Musa Ensete, 
Pittosporum Tobira variegatum, all with ornamental foliage ; and as flower¬ 
ing shrubs Camellias are unequalled, and of which we name a dozen good 
varieties—three white: alba plena, Mathotiana alba, and fimbriata; three 
striped : Lavinia Maggi, Bonomiana, and tricolor ; three crimson : Reticu¬ 
lata flore-pleno, Bealii, and Madame Lebois ; three rose : L’Avenir, Valteva- 
xedo, and Sarah Frost. Indian Rhododendrons, too, are worthy of a place ; 
but although they keep healthy under the shade of creepers, yet they do not 
then flower so freely as Camellias. Javanicum, Taylori, Prince Leopold, 
Duchess of Edinburgh, jasminiflorum, and fragrantissimum are all good, and 
there are many other varieties if you can find space for any of them. Give 
•those which you plant as light and airy a position as possible. Selaginella 
Kraussiana makes a charming green fringe to conservatory beds and borders, 
imparting to the outlines an attractive, soft, yet bright aspect. The front 
outlines of your borders need not be flat or angular, but might pleasingly 
swell gently into a series of semicircles. In the corridor two methods of 
■treatment present themselves for choice—either formal borders along each 
side, in which Roses are planted to be trained up under the roof, with Ferns 
not upon a uniform flat surface, but upon mounds and in hollows, with two 
•or three Tree Ferns springing boldly up on each side. A few blocks of wood 
■covered with moss bound on loosely with wire, enclosing a little soil upon 
the wood, with Begonias, Iresines, Selaginellas, Tradescantia, and Panicum 
variegata planted in the moss, and a Lomaria gibba at the top, tell well 
among the Ferns, imparting colour, brightness, and variety ; and overhead 
pendent from the roof there may be hanging baskets or wire containing 
Selaginella ccesia, so lovely with its long bluish-green trailing growth ; or 
the corridor might have a winding path among raised beds of rockwork, 
with plenty of nooks and pockets for Ferns. There will be ample space at 
the garden entrance for a fine specimen Tree Fern on each side the door. 
Names of Plants {An Inquirer ).—The shrub with yellow flowers is 
Chimonanthus fragrans, the other is Swainsonia galegifolia. {C. IF.).— 
1, Nephrolepis davallioides furcans ; 2, Some particulars respecting the habit 
or flowers are necessary to aid us in naming this ; 3, Alocasia metallica. 
COYENT GARDEN MARKET.— January 23rd. 
Prices remain with no alteration. 
FRUIT. 
s. 
d. 
S. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
Apples. 
b sieve 
1 
6 
to 5 
0 
Nectarines .. .. 
dozen 
0 
0 
to 0 
0 
„ .. .. per barrel 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Oranges. 
6 
0 
10 
0 
Apricots .. . 
box 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Peaches. 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Chestnuts .. 
bushel 10 
0 
0 
0 
Pears, kitchen 
dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
Figs . 
dozen 
0 
0 
0 
0 
„ dessert 
dozen 
1 
0 
5 
0 
Filberts. 
.. ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Pine Apples English., ft. 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Cobs . 
per ft. 
1 
S 
1 
4 
Plums and Damsons .. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Grapes. 
1 
6 
5 
0 
Strawberries.. 
.. ft. 
0 
0 
0 
0 
Lemon. 
15 
0 
21 
0 
St. Michael Pines 
..each 
2 
0 
8 
0 
VEGETABLES. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
s. 
d. 
8. 
d. 
Artichokes .. 
. dozen 
2 
0 
to 4 
0 
Mushrooms .. 
punnet 
i 
0 
to 1 
6 
Beans, Kidney 
100 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Mustard and Cress 
punnet 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Beet, Red 
. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Onions . 
bushel 
2 
6 
8 
3 
Broccoli .. .. 
. bundle 
0 
9 
1 
0 
Parsley .. dozen bunches 
3 
0 
4 
0 
Brussels Sprouts 
. ) sieve 
1 
6 
2 
6 
Parsnips. 
dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Cabbage .. .. 
. dozen 
0 
6 
1 
0 
Potatoes. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
6 
0 
Capsicums 
. 100 
1 
6 
2 
0 
,, Kidney .. 
cwt. 
4 
0 
5 
0 
Carrots .. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Rhubarb. 
bundle 
0 
4 
0 
0 
Cauliflowers .. 
. dozen 
2 
0 
3 
0 
Salsafy. 
bundle 
1 
0 
0 
0 
Celery .. .. 
. bundle 
1 
6 
2 
0 
Scorzonera 
bundle 
1 
6 
0 
0 
Colewort3 doz 
bunches 
2 
0 
4 
0 
Seakale. 
basket 
1 
0 
1 
s 
Cucumbers .. 
. each 
1 
0 
1 
9 
Shallots. 
.. ft. 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Endive .. 
. dozen 
1 
0 
2 
0 
Spinach. 
bushel 
2 
6 
3 
6 
Herbs 
. bunch 
0 
2 
0 
0 
Tomatoes 
.. ft. 
0 
3 
0 
10 
Leeks .. .. 
. bunch 
0 
3 
0 
4 
Turnips. 
bunch 
0 
3 
0 
0 
Lettuce .. .. 
. dozen 
1 
0 
1 
6 
THE WELSH BREED OF CATTLE. 
It is notorious that amid the enthusiasm of breeders in 
reference to other breeds, the Black Cattle of Wales have been 
almost as much disregarded as though they did not exist, and 
it is therefore our intention to give the best information 
respecting the style and characteristics of the several variations 
of the breed to be found in the different districts in Wales. 
The Black Cattle are natives of the counties of Pembroke, 
Carmarthen, and Cardigan, and are subdivided into Castle- 
martin and Dewsland breeds. From Cardiganshire they also 
extend along the North Wales coast up to Anglesea. We learn 
from an article in the “ Live Stock Journal Almanack ” of the 
present year that Mr. Richard Harvey, in his preface to the 
“ Welsh Cattle Herd Book,” says, “ The cattle are generally of a 
black colour, and frequently with white marks on the udders of 
the cows, also a few white hairs at the end of the tail. Some¬ 
times a few white hairs are mixed up with the coat, but this 
is not always hereditary, and only comes out occasionally. A 
brown-black, approaching chocolate, is considered a good colour. 
Occasionally there are some cows striped red and black, also 
some quite white, with black ears, muzzle, and feet, but these are 
becoming very rare. The late Lord Dynevor had some very fine 
specimens of the white breed near Llandilo, and the five-year-old 
oxen were very fine animals. The horns should be of a rich 
yellow. They are generally tipped with black, and do not come 
out yellow to the very end like the Herefords. There is a 
diffei - ent pitch of horn for bulls and cows. A bull’s horn should 
be low and well spread, the cow’s narrower and the pitch more 
upright. The steers and oxen take more after the bull. This 
description applies in a great measure to the Anglesea cattle. 
They are, however, broader on the back and shorter in the legs 
with more hair; the heads are heavier and horns not so yellow. 
Mr. Morgan Evans, who is one of the best authorities as a 
breeder of Welsh cattle, took exception to portions of the above 
description by Mr. Harvey. He says he never saw a black cow 
with a brown face. He has seen cows in Pembrokeshire with a 
