THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, May 10, 1859. 86, 
apt to go over the bank and be stranded. Numerous logs may 
be seen high and dry all along the sides, and the following year 
the flood lifts them. At night, floats are brought to under steep 
banks, in deep water; they are then tied to the trunk of some 
adjoining tree; occasionally the banks fall in, and serious ac¬ 
cidents occult-— {Dr. Cleghorn in Scottish Gardener.) 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Number or Bunches of Grapes to he borne ( G. A.). —Much depends upon 
the vigour of the Vine. Mr. Hoare’s rule is founded on the circumference 
of the stem. If it is three inches, the crop may be 5 lbs.; six inches, 
35 lbs.; nine inches, 65 lbs. If you deduct two inches and a half from 
the circumference of the stem you may allow at the rate of 10 lbs. per 
inch for the remainder. It is a safe rule to have half as many bunches as 
there are laterals. 
IIornby Castle (J. C.) —Mr. Richardson is the gardener there. 
List of Greenhouse Plants—Notes of Treatment, &c. (II. J. T .).— 
We will try and oblige you ere long, though at the risk of repetition. 
Boiler for a Small House (B.) —A small conical boiler would, in your 
case, be best—such as Rogers’; and, if fed with coke, would annoy you with 
little smoke, and you would require no great height of smoke-funnel. By 
means of a damper, and a close ashpit door, the fuel will keep hot a long 
time. Tne next best would be the small retort of Thompson’s, well se¬ 
cured with a damper. Y'ou could have two separate flows and returns, 
with a stop-cock on each ; or one flow to a common cistern, from whence 
you could heat either department at pleasure. If you wish to heat both 
departments at once, you will need neither cistern nor slop-cock, if they 
are on a similar level. 
Seedlings. —Mr. Judd, of Althorp Gardens, sent us samples of a new 
seedling variegated Geranium, and one from the old Unique ; also an 
Azalea and a Petunia. The variegated Geranium is after the Golden 
Chain in the leaves, and like Tom Tnumb in bloom, and will be a tirst-rate 
bedder. The Petunia is just the same colour as the Shrubland Rose, with 
the eye not so white, but with a fixe, strong habit. This has always been 
a great want, all that breed being unsuited to many kinds of soil. Dr. 
Lindley said the Marquis de la Ferte would drive Scrubland Hose out of 
the garden; and Mr. Beaton said nearly the same thing, from seeing it in a 
pot; but he confessed, long since, that that was a mistake on his part, and 
tne Doctor ought to have been equally candid. Countess of Ellesmere is 
no great favourite ; and now this is the third of that breed after Shrubland 
Rose. The Unique seedling is a cross by the pollen of Bagshot Bark 
Geranium, and is different from all the Unique seedlings that \\ e have seen. 
It is true rose and purple, and there were twelve iiowers in the tinss. The 
Uniques stand in the same relation to greenhouse Geraniums as the 
Nosegays do to the bedding sorts, and this is a lovely addition to them. 
The Azalea is a very large flower of great substance, a regular exhibition 
kind, and is cross between the Glory of Sunning Ilill and Ferry ana. 
Sowing Cyclamen Seed—Hybridising Pelargoniums (A Subscriber). 
—Sow the seeds of the Cyclamens as soon as they are ripe, in light, sandy 
loam mixed with a little peat and leaf mould, and plunge the pots in the 
shady corner of a cold frame, and keep them between wet and dry till the 
seedlings are up, some time in October. The seeds never sprout till the 
time it is natural for the bulbs to vegetate ; and if they are not sown as 
soon as they are ripe, they take two seasons to grow, and seldom grow at 
all. Leave the seedlings two years in the same pots, and treat them 
exactly as you would old plants of them ; then put each little bulb or tuber 
in a small 60-pot, and do them as you have done the parents, and good 
luck may follow them. Mr. Beaton says what yon will get by crossing 
Houle de Niege and Lady Ilume Campbell, will be love’s labour lost; but 
should you get that cross, no matter wbat it is, the first plant of it will bo 
worth just one hundred guineas. But if you will buy the Royal Crimson 
and the Model Nosegay, and cross them, you will easily get into a new 
strain of pretty hybrid oeddeis, an entire new race ; then get Mrs. Vernon, 
Atrosanguinea, of Ivew, or Patrick’s Nosegay, which is the right name, 
together with the two kinds of FothergilHi, or old Nosegays, and cross 
them all with the ltoyal Crimson. You will soon learn as much as any of 
us. We are not quite practical enough just yet to give you reliable advice 
ou crossing double Petunias, but we are studying ; and as soon as we pass 
our examination, if we do not break down, you shall have something worth 
minding, and to work upon. 
Diseased Cucumbers (A Young Beginner). —We think if your Cucum¬ 
bers were too dry last year, you have jumped out of the frying-pan into 
the fire this season. Unless the plants cover a large space, the immense 
watering must have thoroughly saturated them. If you had a good strong 
heat, and neglected to give air, not only in the day, but also at night, your 
plants would he in a regular vapour-bath ; and in such dull weather as we 
have had since Good Friday to this 3rd of May, the leaves would have no 
opportunity of perspiring freely, and thus the young fruit would be stuffed 
and glutted With moisture. That may he one reason; too rich compost 
may be another ; and old soil a third. We would remove what we easily 
could of the loam and the leaf mould, and substitute sweet fibry loam, 
lightened with a little silver sand. If that did not give enough of strength, 
we should top dress with rotten leaf mould. We are inclined to think 
extra damp, and want of sufficient air—and perhaps coolness at the bottom 
—have had their influence ; as these would he ail aggravated by having 
the place filled with other plants. This few of us can avoid; but we 
■ should try to neutralise the effects as much as possible- We often act 
with our breathing, living plants as if we were to pack men, women, 
horses, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs, and birds, in one small place, shut the 
doors and windows close, and then expect all to be flourishing and happy, 
and nothing whatever of the results of a black hole of Calcutta. Here is 
a mine of thought well worth working. Meanwhile we will mention the 
requisites for nice, healthy Cucumbers in a frameSweet fermenting 
material for bottom heat; temperature at roots from 80° to 90°; sweet, 
well-aired soils, rather light, and not loaded with much manure; not too 
much space for the roots to occupy, as that encourages luxuriance rather 
than fertility; atmospheric temperature from 60° to 65°, and in mild 
weather a few degrees more at night; from 65° to 70° and 73° in mild, dull 
days without sun; and with sun heat, provided a little air is given early, 
allowing the heat to rise to 80° and 85°; giving water only as needed, 
according to the weather; and air as much as possible every day, and 
even a little at night, provided the state of the heat at command will 
permit it. 
Hybrid Rhododendrons in Tots (Constant Reader and Old Sub¬ 
scriber ).—All the plants you name can be kept in pots for two or three 
years under the circumstances. The pot3 should he plunged to the rim, 
and the place he mulched, and abundance of water given regularly to 
the plants all the summer and autumn months, until the middle of October, 
and very little all the winter till March. 
Ventilators (Inquirendo ).— We decidedly prefer ventilators in the 
north wall, or by a small hipped sloping sasli at the back, not only for the 
reasons you name, but also as a great saving in glass shattering, from 
moving the sashes. Provided you make your furnace large enough, there 
will be no difficulty in heating the two houses from one fireplace ; but it 
is very likely the one flue may draw stronger than the other, and, there¬ 
fore, the sluggish one must be assisted by partly damping the other. We 
foresee no difficulty under ordinary care. 
Seedling Geranium (Mrs. Preston). — Your seedling seems a good 
variety of the Salmon Geranium ; hut it is too early yet to judge of such 
seedlings. The best we have of that strain is Kingsbury Pet, and Countess 
of Beetine. If you have these, compare your seedling with them, you will 
then be able to judge it yourself, as these are the only ones in competition 
with it. Mr. Beaton’s address is Surbiton, Kingston, Surrey. 
Vine Shoots dying (A Subscriber ).—We hardly know by your descrip¬ 
tion what is the matter with your Vines. You should have sent a shoot 
with the disease. Probably your soil, dull days, and the lowish tempera¬ 
ture, may have had something to do with it. A fresh fibry loam is tbe 
best for fine-flavoured Grapes ; such soil being lightened with old lime 
rubbish and charcoal. If the Vines do not improve it would be advisable 
to take them up, and replant them in autumn. When we know more 
particulars we shall be glad to advise you. If there were no fruit to speak 
of we would not wait till autumn. 
Bruomansia Kniqhtii Buds Falling (M. F.). — The flowers of the 
Brugmansia are so massive and large, that they require a temperature of 
from 50° to 55° at night, and from 10° to 15° more dining the day, to open 
them freely. Had your plant shown buds in July or August," it would 
have swelled them well. They were starved in winter. We would place 
the plant as much in the sun as possible, as we are almost sure that the 
same shoots that showed the buds in winter will show more as it grows. 
If it should not do so, set the plant out of doors ip. a sunny place in 
July, and then, most likely, it will soon bloom ; hut if not, refrain from 
giving much witter in the "autumn; prune it a little at the approach of 
winter, keep the plant secure from frost, and prune it back more in spring, 
and then the young shoots will show bloom freely. We expect, however, 
that you will have buds and flowers all the summer. This shrub drinks 
enormously in summer. In winter it should be kept rather dry when in a 
state of rest. 
Ciiusan Palm (Idem ).—The Chusan Palm grows moderately well in an 
exposed place north of London. It would grow quicker ar.d look more 
graceful in a greenhouse. Loam and peat, with a little broken bricks, 
seem to suit it. 
Names of Plants (TV/se ).—Probably an Ipomoea; but the flower too 
shrivelled to be certain. (A Subscriber). —1. Rhyncospermumjasminoides, 
Jasmine-like Rhyncospermum. 2. Too much injured to he recognised. 
3. Justicia coccinea, scarlet Justieia. (T. IV., Pei gate).- —1. Limnantlies 
Douylasii. 2. Pyrethrum erythrinifolium. 3. Grislea, tomentosa. No 
benefit rubbing the rust from the Grapes. (K. Copland ).—Your shrub is 
one of the CrattEguses, probably C. Crus-galli, var. nana of the Cottage 
Gardener’s Dictionary. This i- as near as we can judge from so small 
a specimen, and without its proper leaves. If you doubt about it, 
send us another and a better specimen, and say whether spiny or not, and 
all you know about it. (Rev. W. J. Jenkins ).—We presume—1, blue to 
mean the Cross-wort; if so, it is the Lunaria biennis, a very showy biennial 
plant at this season of the year. 2, puce, is a choice, hardy, herbaceous 
plant, Pulmonaria virginira, which dies down early; therefore, a ’able 
shook! be kept to such a plant, so that it should not be lost or otherwise 
injured. 3, red, is Corydalis bulbosa. This, also, dies down early. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 11th and 12tli. SuirTON (Yorkshire). Sec., Thomas Robinson. 
May 25th and 26th. Beverley. Sec., Francis Calvert, Surgeon, &c. 
Entries close May 10th. 
June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1859. Bath and West of England. At Barnstapla, 
Devon. Director, S. Pitman, Esq., Rumwell Lodge, Taunton. Entries 
close May 1st. 
June 6th, 7th, and 8th, 1859. Glasgow. See., Robert M'Cowan, 17, Gordon 
Street, Glasgow. 
July 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th. Sheffield. Sec., Wm. n. Dawson, Sheffield. 
Entries close the 15th of June. 
July 21st. Prescot. Sec., Mr. James Becsley, Preseol. 
August 27th. Halifax. Sec., William Irvine, Ilolmfleld, Ovenden, near 
Halifax. 
October 11th, 12th, and 13th. Worcestershire. Sec., Geo. Griffiths, 
7, St. Swithin Street, Worcester. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
BLACK HAMBURGH FOWLS. 
There appeared in your most useful and instructive paper a 
short lime since a letter from “ Bed Ensign,” asking whether 
Black Hamburghs were a breed of fowls distinct in themselves? 
The question was raised in connexion with the great Brahma 
controversy; but as yet no one has answered it. 
