THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION_ June 10,1856. 
100 
GERANIUM COLUMBINUM. 
“ The Vale of Pewsey, in "Wilts, is remarkable for its pro¬ 
fusion of wild flowers. From the time the Snowdrops fill 
some of the woods, till the Campions and Geranium pra- 
tense disappear, the coppices are carpeted, and the banks 
and hedges enamelled with flowers in vast variety. The 
plant I send, plainly a Crane’s-bill, grows in a bank which is 
dazzling to the eye, at this moment, with Campion, Stitch- 
wort, Bluebell, Speedwell, Mouse ear, Geranium Robertia- 
num, Geranium molle, Geranium columbinum, and here and 
there a plant of Erodium cicutarium. This plant I did 
not see there in former years. Now, for about thirty yards 
of the length of the bank, it is abundant. Its bright purple 
colour, long calyx, and very long flower stalks (generally 
coming from the root), and its dark green, smooth, hard- 
looking leaf, distinguish it very decidedly from any species 
I have seen, and from all figured or described in Smith ami 
Sowerby’s English Botany.—M. A. G.” 
[The Geranium dissectum , or Jagged-leaved Crane’s-bill, 
and the Geranium columbinum , or Long-stalked Crane’s- 
bill, are both nearly allied to each other. One might say 
that in dissectum the flower-stalks are shorter than the leaf¬ 
stalks, which is not the case in the specimen sent, for here 
the flower-stalks are the longest of the two, and the capsules 
hairy; whilst in the Geranium columbinum the flower-stalks 
are longer than the leaf stalks, and the capsules are quite 
even and smooth. The specimen sent shows nothing of 
the capsule, therefore we cannot avail ourselves of that test; 
but under all circumstances, and from its adpressed, hairy 
stem, long flower-stalks, &c., and allowing a little for gross 
growth and other variations, which all plants are more or 
less liable to, having had all the English Geraniums through 
our hands and before our eyes many times, we certainly 
think your plant is the Geranium columbinum, and not the 
dissectum .] 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Seedling Geraniums {P.G.). —Our decided opinion is, that your 
seedling is among the very best of the new variegated Geraniums as 
] far as can be judged from leaves and trusses. If it stands the sun and 
I rain, and is of a good, free habit, we know of none better. 
Heating Orchard-house {G. A.). —Why not use cast-iron piping? 
| It would be very little dearer, and much less liable to accident than 
I piping of galvanized iron. Buy “Greenhouses for the Many it will 
give you, for sixpence, all the information you need. 
Gold Fisii (S. T. G.).—IIow can wc tell why they died when you do 
not tell us how you kept them, nor a single symptom att nding their 
death ? Does the part of the paper we publish to-day throw any light on 
the subject ? 
Ants ( Vermin). —Try watering their haunts with lime-water, and the 
other remedies suggested in previous volumes. 
Seedling Unique Geranium (S. IF.).—Your seedling is very pretty 
indeed, and is dillerent and distinct from the mother; yet it is not a 
cross, but merely a variation. It is too near the mother in resemblance 
to be useful as a trade plant or bedding plant. Its real value is as a 
pot plant for in-doors, and for its fertility of pollen in a sterile section. 
You should call it Wright's Pet. It is the most likely of them all to 
induce the Shrubland Pet to seed. Two such pets, if they would but 
breed, would do wonders. The large-leafed purple kind is closely allied 
to Cucullatum, the Eve of the florists* Geraniums. 
Geraniums for Bedding (J. B. IF.).—Mr. Beaton says, “Twenty 
plants will not cost more in carriage than two plants ; therefore, I think 
it better not to specify or tie down any one to 'particular kinds.’ The 
‘great guns* have sent one of every kind, and when the one hundred 
and one * rounds * arc fired, who knows but among the odds and ends 
j will be found the most valuable of all the contributions ? But I ‘ spe¬ 
cify * Pelargonium peltatum roseum , the running Pink Ivy-leaf. What 
| I have been growing for it, since last October, has just flowered, and 
{ turns out to he Viotaceum , instead of Roseum. I want the latter to 
| cover the rafters of a conservatory, after the fashion introduced by Lady 
Southampton, which they have 4 took to ’ at the Crystal Palace. I will 
also 4 specify * Peltatum purpurenm , the only inveterate seeder among 
the Ivy-leafs. Peltatum violaceum is not a bedder, but is a good rustic 
I basket plant to run over the edges, as it flowers freely when old, and is 
i thus partially confined at the roots, as all basket plants must be as coin- 
; pared with the freedom of the beds.” 
Seedling Calceolarias (G. A.). —“Your hamper came quite safe, 
i and I am very much obliged. They are just the things for a bed, and 
| you shall hear all about them after awhile; but why not give your real 
! name? Your letter is filed, however, with all on this subject. If wc 
could return herrings for sprats you would come in for a real Caithness. 
We are out 4 a fishing,* at all events.—D. B.” 
Super-phosphate of Lime ( R . C.).—It is prepared by treating 
ground bones with sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol). 
Sowing Berberis Asiatica (Fence).—If we had any seed we should 
; sow it now, though it ought to have been in the ground two months ago. 
j It requires a light, well-drained soil. As you purpose sowing where it is 
| to remain, dibble it in half-an-inch deep and three inches apart. You 
can thin out the plants where too thick. 
Mangold Wurtzel Seed failing ( Paddy Green Crop).—We should 
like to have specimens of the grubs or worms that eat out the centre of 
this seed. We heard similar complaints last year. Try sowing again, 
soaking the seed in weak manure-water for twenty-four hours before 
sowing. This will hasten its vegetating. 
Names of Plants ( ).— 1 . Asplenium filix-foemina; the red¬ 
stemmed variety. 2. Cystopteris fragilis. Your Hymenophyllum uni- 
la terale, or Wilsonii , is, probably, not growing in a well-drained soil. 
{Quis).— Ceanothus azureus. {Fanny). — Menyanthes trifoliata, common 
Buckbean, or Marsh Trefoil, one of the most beautiful of our native 
flowers. (R. //.).—Lonicera Ledebourii, Ledebour’s Honeysuckle. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
Agricultural Society (Roy'al). At Chelmsford, July 14th to 19th. 
Sec. J. Hudson, Esq., 12, Hanover Square, London. Entries close 
June 1st. 
Anerlf.y. July 29th, 30th, 31st, and August 1st. 
Bristol. June 25th and 26 th. Sec. Robert Hillhouse Bush, Litfield 
House, Clifton, Bristol. Entries close 26 th of May. 
Essex. At Colchester, 8th, 9th, and 10th of January, 1857- Secs. 
G. E. Attwood, and W. A. Warwick. 
Hull and East Biding. At Hull, June 25tli. Sec., B. L. Wells, 
Esq., 23, Bishop Lane, Hull. Entries close June 18th. 
Leominster. Thursday, October 16. 
Manchester and Liverpool Agricultural Society. At Wigan, 
Thursday, August 7th. Secs, for poultry, J. H. Peck, and J. S. 
Marshall, Esqrs. Entries close July 24th. 
Norwich. June 20th. (Norfolk Agricultural, for Subscribers only.) 
Sec., Mr. E. C. Bailey, Little Oxford Street, Norwich. Entries close 
May 31st. 
Nottinghamshire. At Southwell, December 17 th and 18th, 1856. 
Sec., Richard Hawksley, jun. Entries close November 19 th. 
Nottingham Central Poultry Association. January 14th 
and 15th, 1857- Sec., John Spencer, Nottingham. 
Prkscot. July 8th. See., Mr. J. F. Ollard, Prescot. Entries close 
June 21st. 
Thorne (Yorkshire). June 18th. Sec. R. S. Jewison, Esq. Entries 
close June 11th. 
Whitby. July 1 6 th and 17 th. Sec. S. Burn, Esq., 1, East Terrace, 
Whitby. Entries close June 30th. 
Yorkshire Agricultural Society. At Rotherham, Wednesday 
and Thursday, August 6th and/th. Sec., J. Hannam, Esq., Kirk 
Deighton, Wetherby. 
N.B.— Secretaries t rill oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
EXETER POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
On the 20th and 30th of May, this Society of Amateurs 
held its accustomed meeting for the improvement of do¬ 
mestic poultry, and also the distribution of premiums of 
far greater intrinsic value than those offered here for public 
competition in preceding years. 
It will be seen that the day selected for the general re¬ 
joicings consequent on the restoration of Peace, and those 
of this Society’s Meeting, were identical, besides being com¬ 
bined with the additional attraction of a view of the Exeter 
Floral Society’s Meeting. All contributed to increase the 
attendance, and very few poultry shows have taken place 
under more auspicious patronage. The first day proved a 
general holiday—festivities and good humour abounding on 
all sides; indeed, we cannot permit the present opportunity 
to slip by without recording the spontaneous act of liberality 
of the citizens of Exeter, who contributed considerably 
above one thousand pounds to provide the neighbouring 
working classes with a public dinner suitable to the occasion, 
of roast beef, plum pudding, Ac., &c. Above ten thousand 
persons availed themselves of the hospitality thus offered 
to them. At earliest dawn, the continuous firing of cannon 
proclaimed the approaching festival, and that nothing might 
be wanting to contribute to the pleasures of the assembled 
multitude, a visit to the Poultry Show was permitted by the 
Committee, and most gladly availed of by extraordinary 
numbers. 
All the streets of Exeter were gay with banners hearing 
various inscriptions. Among these we particularly noticed, 
“ Peace brings plenty,” and “ Make your neighbour happy, 
it will make you so too.” Tho shops being, without ex¬ 
ception, closed, and business suspended, the streets were 
thronged to excess, hut considerable difficulty existed in 
passing, from the incredible quantity of Firs, and other 
evergreens, that were temporarily arranged along the sides 
of the footpaths, to appear as though growing there. Many 
of these being the Larch Fir (the branches of which 
spread far and wide), they offered very serious and con¬ 
tinuous impediments to locomotion, more particularly in 
