December 25. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER, 
203 
open; Out as in large cities it is not always possible to give 
them their liberty, because, being generally placed on the 
roofs, they would too often become the prey of cats, which 
are continually lying in wait for them; we must, therefore, 
take such measures as to be able to let them always enjoy 
the sweet influences of the air and tire rays of the sun. For 
this piu'pose we must fix near a window, but outside of it, a 
very large cage of wire lattice-work, in which they can go 
out and take their exercise at all such times and hours as in¬ 
clination may dictate. The flooring must be of planks, the 
sides of wirework, and the top covered with a wooden roof, 
which will prevent the rain from entering, otherwise it would 
form, with their dung, a dirt which would stick to their feet 
and their feathers. 
As soon as the eggs are hatched in a nest, we should he 
very careful to keep it clean ; every two or three days, from 
the date of the birth of the pigeons, we must change the 
straw in their nest, to prevent the dung, with which they 
would otherwise soon be surrounded, from producing insects, 
which are very injurious to them, and sometimes so trouble¬ 
some to the mother as to induce her to forsake her young. 
When we take young pigeons, or when they have left their 
nest, we should immediately clean it out, as well as the 
-whole box, and place some fresh straw in it. We must 
keep every part particularly clean, carefully search out all 
those places which may conceal mites or bugs, or other 
insects, and destroy them by means of a small stick or 
brush, or even with boiling water. The dung must never 
be allowed to remain inside their dwelling, and we must 
also take the precaution of removing it to some distance. 
We should see that the floor is well swept, and as often as 
possible; but in performing this operation we must be 
careful not to raise the dust, for it is extremely sharp, and 
when the pigeons inhale it, it may carry into their throat 
and lungs seeds of incurable diseases. 
We must always keep an abundance of wholesome food in 
their troughs ; and rinse the water in their troughs two or 
three times a week, and in the winter we must be very 
careful that it does not freeze. Besides the water necessary 
for them to drink, it would be extremely useful, especially 
in summer, to give them a tub, as we have described for 
the dovecot, so as to facilitate the wholesome pleasure of 
taking a bath occasionally. 
To avoid quarrels, and prejudicial confusion, we must be 
very careful to take away all those birds which have not 
coupled. The uncoupled males especially, will cause a great 
number of unfertile eggs to be produced, by interrupting 
those which are coupled, and the females also will cause as 
much mischief, by enticing away the husbands. As soon as 
the young ones can feed themselves, they should be placed 
in a breeding-cage, and not taken back to the aviary until 
they have coupled. 
Lastly, if we wish to stock an aviary all at once, we must 
do as we have described in the article on the dove-house, 
and be careful always to procure birds hatched in spring. 
Further, all the precautions laid down for the dove-house, 
suit equally w r ell for the aviary. 
(To be continued.) 
DESCRIPTIONS OF PIGEONS. 
SIXTEENTH RACE. 
Carmelite Pigeons (Columba carmelitana ).—They are 
very small, and low on the legs ; the feet and claws are orna¬ 
mented with very long feathers; a tuft at the back of the 
head ; beak short, and smaller than that of the Turtle-dove; 
the under part of the body and wings almost white; the 
male and female resemble each other. These pretty birds 
are very fruitful, but the small size of their young ones 
causes them to be little sought after by those who prefer 
useful productions to graceful individuals. 
Common Carmelite Pigeon (Columba carmelitana vul¬ 
garis ).—The shortness of its legs makes it appear as if it 
squatted; its cloak is iron-grey, fawn, purple, or light-grey. 
The feathers which cover the feet are always the same 
colour as the cloak; those on the legs are very long. It is 
very prolific. 
Yellow Carmelite Pigeon (Columba carmelitana luted). 
—It resembles the preceding, but the top of the head, the 
wings, and their covering, as well as the feathers of the feet, 
instead of being grey or purple, are invariably yellow. It 
has the same fecundity. 
SOLFATERRE ROSE. 
In reply to Mr. Beaton on flowering the Rose Solfaterre 
(in The Cottage Gardener on the 20tli ult.), I beg to say 
I have had it to flower well for three or four seasons in 
succession. The first season I had it, I planted it under a 
low wall at the end of my greenhouse, where it flowered 
nicely, but I found it of too robust a habit the second 
season to remain, and removed and planted it against the 
front of my house (stone wall, a south aspect, and sheltered 
nicely both from tbe east and west winds). The soil is of a 
light nature, dark in colour, and I believe sometimes called 
black sand; I mixed some leaf-mould in the soil at the time 
of planting, and occasionally used manure water. It grew 
luxuriantly, and the second season after removing attained 
the height desired (ten feet to a parapet to the wall), and 
the last summer it was very beautiful, with nearly or quite 
thirty clusters of blossoms, from three to six and seven 
blossoms to each cluster, and the perfume at times deli¬ 
cious. 1 have raised a young one, which is now two or 
three years old, wdiich had several blossoms the last summer; 
the end of May and beginning of June is the principal time 
of flowering, but I have had several stragglers during the 
autumn. The Rose Cloth of Gold will not flower with me; 
in short, I have had it five years, and it has not yet borne a j 
blossom. It is against a south wall, but not protected as j 
Solfaterre is ; it has not grown so luxuriantly, nor had it so 
much leaf-mould mixed in the soil, still it is got to seven 
feet high. J. Hemming, Miclcleton. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
*** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers Of 
The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and 
expense. All communications should be addressed “ To the Editor of 
The Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Cornel•, Paternoster Row , London. 
Allamanda Cathartica—Dipladenia Crassinoda ( A Son of 
Witless"). —Keep them in a temperature of 50° to 55° at night, and from 
6u° to fifteen degrees higher in sunshine, until towards March. Then 
gradually increase the temperature ten degrees more, and give plenty of 
moisture, especially to the Allumanda. 
Gesnera Zebrina (Ibid). —The cause of this, and Ipomrea Horsfallise , 
dropping their flowers, in a temperature of 65° by day, and 50° to 55° by 
night, is partly owing to the time the plants have been in bloom, and the 
very dull weather we have experienced. Of the Gesnera, three weeks 
ago, we had fine specimens, but now there is scarcely a bloom, but the 
main stalks had been long beautiful. They all dropped in a day or two, 
and for no want of care. If not all gone, give them 45° at night. 
Charcoal for Agricultural Purposes (W. E.).— “I have 
several hundred bushels by me ; what land shall I apply it to, whether 
turnips or grass lands ; what quantity per acre, and what time of the 
year ? ” Mr. Fish wishes that some agriculturist who has used it would 
answer this, as he has had no experience with charcoal on a large 
scale, and would, therefore, decline giving an answer, chiefly on that 
account, and also because, in an economical point of view, he doubts 
