THE COTTAGE HARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, January 21, 1860. 
262 
■will cover it. Any wall under ten feet high may he covered in one season 
and a half by planting Ivy of from seven to ten feet high out of pots, 
about two feet apart. We have done so nearly four years back, and by the 
middle of the second season every brick was covered; but for a higher 
wall we would use strong dwarf plants, and put them in about April, at 
one foot apart, and water them with liquid manure, in summer, for the first 
two or three years. No plant we know will better pay for heavy watering 
than Ivy, and with the garden-engine to dash the water up among the 
leaves. 'When once the wall is covered, the labour and care begin. The 
knife, the eye, the hand, and the brains must go in harmony to “keep ” 
the Ivy short as the lawn. No shoot is allowed to get one inch from the 
wall; and, like seedlings, the shoots must he thinned where too close, 
and so must the leaves. Also, the very long and the very short-stalked 
ones, hut no one out of a thousand takes such pride in Ivy as to make a 
model of it. 
Ribbon-border (D. G.).— Your border (thirty yards long by six yards 
wide) is eight feet too wide for its length to make a telling ribbon of it. 
Anything wider than five feet for a piece of ground of fifty feet in length, or 
over ten feet if the ground is 100 feet long, will not tell as a ribbon on a 
good eye. What we would do with it temporarily, would be to plant three 
rows of three kinds of Dahlias at the back,—one kind of Dahlia only in 
each row,—the “backmost” row would be the tallest, and the gayest 
scarlet and white fancy, striped, or topped kind. The next, a sulphury or 
canary-yellow kind. The third, the best rose kind, and in front of those 
three shades begin the ribbon in earnest by a row of Zelinda Dahlia. If 
you have old roots of such Dahlias, you are in time to get the four rows at 
the expense of lOrf. for each row. The other rows may be of your own fancy, 
as a row of Tom Thumb , of Calceolaria, of Flower of the Day, or Golden 
Chain, or Mangles'. or what you please, with blue Lobelia speciosa, and a 
front line of Cerastium. The cheapest selection we can think of. 
Rainfall (A Constant Leader).—V or what district of England do you 
require the “ sum total of the fall of rain in each year for the last twenty- 
five years?” At Chiswick we have the following returns 
1835 . 
. 23-17 
iiickcs 
1848 . 
. 28-34 
inches 
1836 . 
. 28-73 
1S49 . 
. 22-84 
>» 
1837 . 
. 19 88 
1850 . 
. 18-28 
1338 . 
. 21-57 
1851 . 
. 20-79 
1339 . 
. 28-30 
1852 . 
. 32-55 
18H) . 
. 18-87 
1853 . 
. 24-37 
»> 
1841 . 
. 30-97 
1854 . 
. 18-92 
»> 
1842 . 
. 22-27 
1855 . 
. 24-38 
1843 . 
. 25 48 
185G . 
. 22-72 
1844 . 
. 21-34 
1857 . 
. 2106 
1845 . 
. 23-33 
1858 . 
. 15-78 
184G . 
. 27-71 
1859 . 
. 25-54 
yy 
1847 . 
. 16-67 
>» 
Erica Wilmoriana Culture (An Amateur). —You are quite right in 
supposing that this requires similar treatment as respects pruning as 
E. hyemalis. Both of them bloom best on well-ripened shoots of the pre¬ 
vious summer’s growth. Your mode of pruning will therefore depend on 
the means at your disposal for securing nice, long, well-ripened shoots. 
Thus, if you must keep your plant mostly in the greenhouse, as soon as the 
plant has finished blooming cut in the young shoots a third of their length, 
and this will encourage the side-shoots to grow a little and some others to 
take the lead. Towards autumn give all the air and light possible to 
harden the wood and set the buds. If, however, you can command more 
heat than the greenhouse—say from 50° to 60° —prune fully half way down, 
let the plant stand for a few days to rest itself as it were, and gradually 
give it a higher temperature and a moister atmosphere, with plenty of 
light, so as to encourage sturdy growth. By-and-by turn the plant into a 
cold-pit, where, by regulating air, you can keep it rather close to encourage 
growth. Towards autumn give all the light possible, and plenty of air; 
but prevent a powerful sun beating on the sides of the pot. In either case, 
if the plant wants repotting, give it a larger pot after the new growth has 
proceeded two or three inches. Another mode by which to make a great 
bush in a short time. Remove all the dead flowers and merely the points 
of the long shoots ; bend and tie them out so as to occupy all the space 
possible ; treat the plant as above : and with good care a good-sized bush 
may be procured in one season, especially by giving a liberal shift. Our 
own experience, however, would lead us to conclude that such hastily- 
formed large specimens do not last long. 
Trees Overhanging a Neighbour’s Ground (A. /?.).—If he insists, they 
must be cut back until they do not overhang his ground. There is no 
other rule that we know of. 
Numerous (A Practical Gardener).—The dibble should be cased with 
iron; it is only calculated for using on fresh-dug light soil, such ns 
Potatoes should be grown on. Of your dwarf Apple tree prune off about 
ohe-third of the length of each strong year-old shoot, and two-thirds of the 
length of each weak one annually. To prevent canker returning, we must 
first be told how it was occasioned. It is good practice to plaster over the 
wounds of old Apple trees with Forsyth’s Compound. 
Melons and Cucumbers (J. C .).—Of Melons the Trentham Scarlet, 
Beechwood, and Bromham Hall, will one and all suit you. It would be 
difficult to say which is “the earliest and best” Cucumber. AVe grow 
Cuthill’s Black Spine and Yictory of Bath. 
Lobelias.— A. Constant Reader wishes to know where seeds of the 
following can be purchased : —Lobelia lutea (yellow), L. varifolia (yellow), 
L. i He if alia (pink), L. corymbosa (rose), L. bicolor (blue), L. oderata 
(white), anclX. minima (white and rose). 
Orchid Culture (A Subscriber ).— William’s “On the Culture of 
Orchids,” will suit you. 
Plungino Material (IE. X. TV.). —We prefer sand. It does not 
harbour either insects or fungi. Forcing Sea-hale in the open ground does 
not injure the plants. Full directions will be given next week in answer 
to another correspondent. 
Names of Auples (J. Close ).—All we can make out of your Apples are 
—No. 1 .Tulip. 3. Adams' Pear main. 11. Oxheccd Pea'r’main. 12. Broedon 
Pippin. If you will have the goodness to send them again next j-ear we 
inay be able to assist you further. 
Names of Pi. ants ( TV. S.).— One is Tritnma media , but the other speci¬ 
men is too small for us to discern the name. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
January 31st and February 1st and 2nd. Chesterfield and Scarsdale. 
lion. Secs., Mr. J. Charlesworth, and Mr. T. P. Wood, jun. Entries 
close January 11th. 
February 11th to 15lh, I860. Crystal Palace (Poultry and Pigeons). 
Sec., Mr. W. Houghton. Entriesclose Jan. 14th. 
February 29th, and March 1st, 18G0. Ulverstone. Sec., Mr. T. Robson. 
Entries close February 11th 
June Gth and 7th. Beverley and East Riding of Yorkshire. Sec., 
Mr.Fras. Calvert, Surgeon, &c. Entries close May 31st. 
July 18th and 19th. Merthyr Tydvil. Sec., Mr. W. II. Harris, 142, 
High Street, Merthyr. 
N.B.— Secretaries will oblige us bg sending early copies of their lists. 
LIVERPOOL POULTRY SHOW, January 18-20. 
This is unlike any other. It is a small, snug, limited Exhibition. 
All the pens shown are composed of birds which have either 
won before, or are, in the opinion of competent judges, good 
enough to do so now. It is a great treat to see all good ones ; 
but there is almost a feeling of regret that perfect birds should, 
per force, be content with such mention as we can here give them. 
It is as though all the stars of the stage were congregated together 
for the performance of a fourth-rate piece in a barn, and Mrs. 
Siddons and John Kemble descended to bring in messages, and 
remove chairs and tables, in fulfilling the only vacant parts. Just 
as these parts would gain by being in such hands, so these good 
though undistinguished pens tend to make this Show superior 
to almost any other. There is not accommodation for a large 
number, nor is there the desire for them. The entrance money is, 
therefore, high, and this tends to make it a select and first-class 
Show. 
All the gentlemen who undertake the office of Stewards are 
practical amateurs, and spare neither time, expense, nor trouble 
to insure the comfort of the birds and the satisfaction of exhi¬ 
bitors. The Meeting comes at the conclusion of the season ; and 
after the grand effoi’t, victorious and defeated may rest:—the 
former to take all pains to maintain their position ; the latter to 
add where there is deficiency, to take the last opportunity of com¬ 
paring with others, and to decide finally on steps to be taken to 
insure success next season. 
The Spanish brought eleven pens, eight of which were perfect, 
although one was disfigured by trimming the hens. But for this, 
we have no doubt, they would have figured in the prize list. Miss 
Bake was first, followed by Messrs. Brandrit and Teebay. We 
have never seen a better class than this, and the condition of the 
birds contrasted most favourably with the same class last year. 
There was a noble class of DorHngs, and Captain Hornby was 
first. He should not be beaten at home ; but he was hard run 
by Messrs. Burn and Wakefield, who took second and third. 
The increase in the size and weight of the Silver Greys is very 
great, and at this Show there were some that would have stood 
well in open competition ; but we are hound to note there were 
instances in this class where sufficient care was not taken in the 
selection of the hens, and in avoiding those spots on the plumage 
which cannot he considered part of the Silver Grey colour. Now, 
seeing this class is imperative in its requirements on that head, 
it follows any deviation must be fatal to success. The prize 
birds of Messrs. Dolby and Berwick, and the Hon. W. W. 
Vernon, were highly meritorious. 
We have never seen better Cochins, either for size, shape, or 
colour. Mr. Tomlinson was first, Miss Musgrove second, and 
Mr. Stretch third. Mr. Copple for White; Messrs. Stretch, 
Eelton, and Cattell for Grouse and Partridge. These names 
will be a guarantee for the truth of the remark with which we 
opened our notice of these birds. 
Liverpool is a Hamburgh district, and we were prepared to 
find them numerous and good. We were not disappointed. 
We would especially notice the Golden-pencilled and Silver- 
spangled a9 being more numerous than we expected, judging 
from late Shows. We must refer to the prize-list for particulars ; 
but it would be unfair not to mention Messrs. Archer, Munn, 
Won-all, Hyde, and Mrs. Pettat as having sent birds of unusual 
merit and beauty. 
There are few Shows where Game are so popular as they are 
here, nor where the competition is so close. For the first time 
the class for Black-breasted Beds stood alone, and there was 
another for Brown Reds. The first added to the laurels of Mr. 
Moss, the second to those of the Hon. W. W. Vernon. Success 
