38 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, October IT 1857. 
[Yes, and that is the proper way to manage it; hut hy 
September it gets ragged.] 
“4. Of Dutch, Scotch, and Turban Ranunculuses which 
sort do you recommend for bedding, and which for pots?” 
[The Turbans only. None of them are good pot plants.] 
A Subscriber. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Compost for Greenhouse Plants (Alice).— We cannot deter¬ 
mine the name of roiir Geranium from the leaf. The compost to pot 
I “ all common greenhouse plants” in, is too wide a question to be decided 
| offhand. Three parts loam and one part of peat and sand will suit a 
i vast number of greenhouse plants. Some of the softest and fast-growing 
kinds require leaf mould or very rotten dung instead of the peat. Some 
kinds require three parts peat and one part loam and sand, and some all 
peat and sand. A compost of rotten garden refuse or leaf mould one 
part, and three parts of loam from the Onion or Cauliflower borders of 
the kitchen garden, with one-sixth part of sand, will do to pot bedding 
plants in ; and for seedlings and cuttings of the same use double the 
above quantity of sand. This is the easiest compost of all, as all gardens 
can supply it except the sand, and any kind of sand will do. It is not so 
good, however, as fresh soil from a common or pasture. 
i Lilies (Paul Bicaut ).— Your Lilies will not suit in a continuous 
row, but a row of them in patches not nearer than a yard will look well 
on a mixed border. Plant the bulbs four inches deep, and do not disturb 
them for a very long time, or till you see signs of weakness among them. 
The border should be deep and of light garden soil, not very sandy, or of 
a binding nature. An inch of sand under them, round them, and over 
them is better than all the composts that could be made, and it is a 
good plan to mulch well over them in' winter. 
Name of Plant.—Calceolaria Cuttings (J. S. L .).—The plant 
sent is the Leonotis leonurus, an ornamental winter-flowerin' 5 " plant • 
and as your plant is in the ground it should be lifted with very great 
care, so tha* a single leaf or blossom should not feel it, and then it 
wUi flower half the winter in a cool conservatory-like place. Nothin' 5 - 
can be better than your unoccupied pit for cuttinors of any kind, and in 
which they may remain till next March. The Calceolaria cuttings will 
do well in the same pit, as very little more heat is required than just 
enough to exclude all frosts ; then the pit will suit all your cuttings the 
whole winter. ° 
. ^ RUNIN ® the Vine (Doctor’s Boy). —Very interesting. Another 
instance of experience tallying with the experiment. The members of 
the Pomo.ogica 1 Society would be gratified with the fruit and the history 
of the orchard selection and so forth. 3 
Caterpillars on Cabf>ages (An Old Subscriber ).-There is no 
™, e S f lke hand-picking; and we can say from long experience that 
\ery litt.e care and trouble m this way are effectual. Caterpillars are 
killed by dusting over them the powder of white Hellebore. 
Garden Pegs.— A Devonshire Dumpling has inclosed us a peg evi- 
i e " cin f * than . be expected from his assumed name. A 
a C ?u Uf ? J nt0 twenty-seven pegs, each four inches long and 
thSmf r l* ls f har Penecl a t the end to be thrust into 
t e flev^hli' A f mali . hole 1S through the other end, and a piece of 
f e flexible garden wire passed through it. This wire is twisted round 
the layer or branch to be pegged. 
Potatoes (M.).- Walnut-leaved and Ash-leaved Kidneys may he 
obtained of any seedsman in London. The Onwards we have but few 
0 ., and we must devise some plan of distributing them widely. 
** L \*™f Green )‘—Lavender and Mignonette would 
point. t ptlnS t0 c Uldren as Geraniu ms. We cannot advise on such a 
t>Iw o C ti, N0 (Idem). The following is from The Cottage Gar¬ 
dener sDictionary ‘Trenching is one of the readiest modes in the 
gardener s power for renovating his soil. The process is thus conducted 
From the end of the piece of ground where it is intended to berin take 
° U r t ,, a , t fi rc " ch two spades deep, and twenty inches wide, and wheel the 
j Y l . h v t0 the opposite end to fill up and finish the last ridge. Measure 
off ,, th . e , Wldth , ot another trench, then stretch the line and mark it out 
outfinif ^fi ade ' v P L°n eed ' n this Way untiI the whole of the ridges are 
outlined, after which begin at one end, and fill up the bottom of the first 
of th » Undone, then We ,h. 
! bottom spit of the latter, and throw it m such a wav over the othe- 
1 £.£ f T' an e,eva ‘ ed sharp-pointed ridge. By this means a portion of 
fresh soil is annually brought on the surface in the place of that which 
the crop of the past season may have in some measure exhausted.” 
Crocuses (T. A.).—-You. may take them up now • but if vou do not 
undisturbed!^ rem ° Val f0r Some P ur POse they will be much finer if left 
Cerastium tomentosum (T. M .).—No specimen was inclosed. 
PLA A TS ^ S • Tnyl °,Your plant marked No. 1 is one 
the Sedums, and from so small a specimen as the bit sent we belicvp 
plant NoA 6 i?Z 0 Mn?h rP ir„ Or Ml'-'"”* *«*“■ Th 
common plant. think il ’ iZ “ 
r? r^imra-- t-vauMm 
If 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
October 28th and 29 th. Dorsetshire. Sec., G. J. Andrews, Esq., 
Dorchester. Entries close October 14th. 
November 25th and 26 th. Gloucestershire, Sec., Mr. E. Trinder, 
Cirencester. 
November 30th. and December 1 st, 2 nd, and 3rd. Birmingham. 
Sec., Mr. John Morgan. Entries close the 2 nd of November. 
December 16 th and 17 th. Nottinghamshire. Entries close No¬ 
vember 18th. Hon. Sec., Mr. R. Hawksley, jun., Southwell. 
December 30th and 31st. Burnley and East Lancashire, 
Entries close December 1 st. Secs., Mr. Angus Sutherland and Mr. 
Ralph Landless. 
January 1st, 1858. Paisley. Poultry, Pigeons, and Fancy Birds. 
Sec., Mr. W. Houston, 14, Barr Street, Paisley. 
January 4th, 1858. Kirkcaldy Poultry and Fancy Bird 
Show. Sec., Mr. Bonthron, jun., Thistle Street. 
January 9th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, 1858. Crystal Palace. 
January 19 th, 20 th, 21 st, and 22 nd, 1858. Nottingham Central. 
Sec., Mr. Etherington, jun., Notintone Place, Sneinton, near Notting¬ 
ham. ° • 
February 3rd and 4th, 1858. Preston and North Lancashire. 
Secs., Mr. R. Teebay and Mr. H. Oakey, Preston. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
HINT TO POULTRY-KEEPERS. 
- Increase the quantity of food given to poultry,, and 
close the windows or ventilators of their houses at niMit. 
Mornings and evenings are cold, and the birds are° in 
bad feather now. 
WORCESTER POULTRY SHOW. 
October 1st and 2nd. 
We are now accustomed to report these meeting havirn 
considerable experience therein, and we endeavour to do st 
with truth and impartiality. Without fear of contradictor 
we assert, theii, this was one of the best managed and mos 
comfortable shows we have ever attended. We cannot dr 
better than print the exclamation of one who is seen ai 
most, of the principal exhibitions : “ This is indeed a gentle 
mans show!” It was held in the Corn Exchange, a ven 
large, lofty, square building, perfectly lighted from above 
in this place Were ranged 194 pens of poultry, all birds 61 
this year, and as near perfection as maybe attained. Cooke’s 
pens, from Colchester, were hired for tiie occasion, and they 
again proved they are the best we have ev6r had The 
Show was open only a day and a half, as it was in connection 
with the Worcestershire Agricultural Society’s Meeting 
Ei>ery bird was packed and at the railway station by half¬ 
past seven on the evening of the Exhibition day; but we 
have heard the railway company did not keep their promise 
ot sending them all away the same evening. 
Although it paid its expenses, yet, as ‘it did not carry 
out the original intention of its promoters, it is our duty 
to give to the public the result of our inquiries on the 
oDOlt 
The original intention was to have a Chicken Show of 500 
entries. Failing that number, the Committee pledged them- 
onlv e to t ooo Ct, Tl 1 a 'r' monies in fall. . They amounted 
. J,. ~ * The Committee then wrote to every intending 
re11 ! n°hhe at, ‘ ;g their willingness to carry on/the Show® 
antimnJtp l P llzes one-half. it must he recollected they 
rules thif d «S° Pe rt 0nal ad ™ n ^ e ’ as the Y publishedin their 
u ls that all profits would be handed Over to the Worcester- 
offer e ed b Ural S<M ? e * • If ’ then ’ with 200 -tries they 
ofleied halt the sum m prizes that were to be the rewards 
w-s n f 1T? S 500 com P eti "S Vens, the balance 
entitled ^T ex nblt - s ’ and we think the Committee are 
and fm 1 ll the P° ultl T world for their exertions, 
and for their straightforward manner of dealing. Most of 
i sew i° had entered appreciated their upright and anxious 
terms V for' V*™! ° We I er ’ did not ’ and wrote in peremptory 
terms for the return of ten shillings without delay, and 
