35f> 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, March 6 , 1860. 
not one in twenty could give directions about keeping it from blooming, 
save by nipping out the bud of the flower-spike as soon as it was seen. 
The soil and the potting are just the very same as for forced Hyacinths, 
and the watering the same also. It is a stove bulb with very thick leaves, 
and all stove hulbs with stout, fleshy leaves, like a start for the yearly 
growth in moist bottom heat from six weeks to two months, and the 
bottom heat to be just 10 ° hotter than the heat of the air for the leaves. 
From 70- to 75° is the right bottom heat for this charming Amazon, and 
for ninety-nine out of every hundred of such stove bulbs, and, of course, 
10° lower for the air of the pit or hotbed after the middle of March; 
between January and March, if any such bulbs are put to forcing, the top 
heat must bo 15° lower than the bottom heat. But F.ucharis will do and 
bloom without this start. The grand secret with all of this kind of stove 
bulbs, is to have them cooler in the winter, and in the height of summer 
than common stove plants. Fifty-five is the very highest degree any one 
of them should ever get from October to March ; from March to June, 
bottom and top heat as above; and from June to the end of August, a well- 
aired greenhouse is the right place for them, and all the evergreen ones, 
like this Eucharis, to be in the stove with abundance of air, and not much 
moisture in September. Your plant is Pilea muscosa. 
Water Impregnated with Iron ( Lhnjn Off a). —Without knowing the 
constituents of the water, we cannot advise you with certainty, but as the 
iron is, probably, kept in suspension by the water, owing to the carbonic 
acid which it contains; the addition of a little caustic lime, a small spoon¬ 
ful to a bucket of water, will, probably, help to throw 7 down the iron. At 
all events trying the experiment is neither difficult nor costly. 
Lobelia and Dielytra Seeds {J. Farnsworth). —Your Lobelia is not 
ramosoidcs, which never seeds, but one of the endless varieties of erinoides. 
We proved five packets of the same name as j-ours, to have been as here 
stated, last season. One of them was gracilis, and every packet which was 
sent out from the old Chiswick chroniclers of Lobelia ramosoidcs, was 
actually and alltogether nothing more or less than this gracilis. No 
wonder, therefore, if “ Staft'ordshirers ” need turn a new leaf and a deaf 
ear in such matters. Be wide awake to the naming of bedding varieties at 
Kensington Gore, by Mr. Evles, and forgive and forget all about Chiswick, 
it was a mistake entirely. But much obliged to you and everyone like you, 
who wishes to put his hand to the plough. None of the seedlings of 
Dielytra spcctabilis has yet showed more disposition to cross than the old 
Chinaman. 
Perpetual Tree-Carnation Culture ( W. X. IF.). —There is not the 
value of a straw of difference between the treatment of the new Perpetual 
Tree-Carnations and the old Tree-Carnations that were not Hybrid l’er- 
petuals. The old Cabbage Rose, and the old Moss Rose, do not vary in the 
slightest degree in their old-fashioned treatment, from the new and very 
fashionable Bishop of Nimes (Dceque dc Nimes), and other ecclesiastical’, 
military, or politically-named Roses of the first and second waters of 
floristical fancy; and so it is with our good old friends, the Tree-Carna¬ 
tions and the new Perpetuals; good soil, large pots, ordinary care and a 
little enthusiasm will keep them on their legs for some years. But to get 
them to bloom well in the winter, they do better by the same treatment as 
for Anna Boleyne Pinks, that is, to be struck from cuttings early in the 
spring yearly. 
Index eor Vol. XX. ( C. II. II.). —The index for Yol. XX. was issued 
with Number 525. On sending your address to our office you can have 
another copy sent you. 
Holcus saccharatus (It.P. II.). —You will find directions for its culture 
in our No. 574, p. 389. If you look at the last page of each number you 
will find the “ Contents.” 
Weeping Lime Branches Dying (A Seven Years’ Subscriber). —When 
it was removed the branches should have been thinned, the roots by the 
removal were so reduced in number, that they cannot supply’ sap sufficient 
for the growth of the present head. Thin the branches; mulch over the 
roots in summer and keep the mulch well watered. 
Various ( Lclia). —We should prefer potting Hydrangeas now that had 
rested all winter; but in your case, having potted them in autumn, and 
they are now growing, we should prefer top dressing. The Heliotropes 
had better be repotted now, giving them small pots, and rich, light soil at 
first. We do not like growing Potatoes year after year on the same 
soil; but, for a change, we should try Ash-leaved for early, and Flukes fol¬ 
iate use. 
POULTRY AND BEE-KEEPER’S CHRONICLE. 
_ 4 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
March 15th, 10th, and 17th. Cumberland and Westmoreland. lion. 
Secs., Mr. J. J. Lonsdale, and Mr. W. D. Hastwell. 
May 23d and 24th. Beverley and Fast Riding of Yorkshire. Sec., 
Mr. Fras. Calvert, Surgeon, &c. Entries close May 17th. 
July 18th and 19th. Merthyr Tydvil. Sec., Mr. W. H. Harris, 142. 
High Street, Merthyr. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
KEEPING POULTRY PROFITABLY. 
Our first series of profitable poultry keepers seek to make it 
so by showing. Here let us observe, that we rejoice to find the 
old prejudice against poultry keeping and showing by gentry 
to be disappearing fast. It was a remnant of the dark ages. It 
was on a par with the rule that excluded certain costumes from 
Kensington Gardens, and with the enlightenment of Chelten¬ 
ham, which within these few years has allowed, if it does not still 
allow, an inscription to the following effect:—“ Tradesmen and 
domestic servants are forbidden to enter.” Ladies and gentle¬ 
men now freely enter the lists, and we rejoice when they are 
successful. They strengthen the pursuit, and they encourage 
others. All classes like an aristocracy, and where it does not 
exist, they create it. If it were possible to examine the hearts 
and read the thoughts of twelve conspirators or plotters for 
equality, it would generally be found each meant himself for 
President. 
The first competition was at agricultural meetings, hut the 
animals required were not accessible to the masses. It may he 
I said of cattle as of poultry, that the greatest exhibitors are not 
real farmers ; they are gentry, opulent traders, or retired 
tradesmen. It requires a man of some means to show even a 
pen of sheep good enough to hope for success ; and poultry was 
hailed by many who had .looked and longed at cattle shows for 
the opportunity or the means of sharing the honour, or at least 
of entering the lists. 
Few of the gentry follow it with a view to profit, beyond the 
unquestionable gain of substituting a good for an inferior fowl 
on the table. There are two ways of showing. One by sending 
birds that must either take first prize or run it very hard, and 
consequently, in all probability, he claimed at a large price ; or, 
several pens may he sent, all above the average, and at remu¬ 
nerating prices. In the first case the entries will not be 
numerous. However good the stock of a yard may he, there 
are not many pens of sufficient merit to carry success by storm, 
or to render their sale almost a certainty. The price put on 
these birds must not be a prohibitory one, hut it may he a large 
one. There always have been certain yards or strains that 
could insure a sale at a large price of one or two pens at every 
great show. 
In the second class of exhibitors many pens are entered and 
all are carefully lotted, that they shall all be highly commended, 
or at least commended. Well carried out, the following will be 
the usual result of a yard where the birds are good and are 
carefully selected with a view to sale. Such yards seldom 
achieve any great success, hut they rarely fail to make a good ' 
profit. Next to buying a prize pen is to buy some of the same 
breed. Let, us suppose A. B. G. shows six pens of Dorkings, 
Nos. 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177. All are put in at six guineas 
the pen. He knows 174 is worth more; he believes it will take 
a prize, and it does, if it were entered at more money buyers 
would, of course, find that it was plainly superior to the others ; 
but if all are put at the same price, one gets second or third 
prize, and the rest are either commended or highly commended. 
When D. E. F. runs to the prize pen, “ only £6 6.?.,’’ he will 
most likely find it sold. His attention will naturally be drawn 
to the pens at the same price belonging to the same owner, and 
so much like the prize pen that lie cannot see the difference. 
He will buy, so will others, and all will he sold. We are not 
here drawing upon imagination. We have known the cases we 
describe; and we could, if necessary, point out now the yards 
where these things are constantly done. In both cases, as in all 
others where birds are shown, they should he alike in high 
condition and perfect feather. 
Both these are independent ways of making money at shows. 
Like every other tiling worth knowing or following, there is 
something to he learned before it can he done. The latter of 
the two is most successful; because it is easier to breed a 
number of good birds than even a few of those that ar - e pre- 
eminent. Both may, however, he done, and are done, 
CRYSTAL PALACE POULTRY EXHIBITION. 
Although your excellent report of the late Exhibition leaves 
hut little room for further observation, still I trust a few remarks 
by one who visited this meeting, and wishes it a continuance of 
all its present success and popularity, will not be deemed intrusive. 
That the Crystal Palace never yet had so good an assemblage 
of poultry at any previous Exhibition few persons will dispute, 
and that the general arrangements throughout reflect the highest 
credit on the indefatigable Secretary, Mr. Houghton, every one 
must as most willingly admit. 
The only improvement that suggested itself, indeed, through¬ 
out was some little alteration in the pens, to keep the cocks 
(always decidedly more pugnacious at this season of the year) 
from fighting their next-door neighbours. This is very readily 
accomplished by affixing two intermediate bars between the four 
last bars on either side of every coop, as at the Birmingham Show. 
The same annoyance was the order of the day at Bingley Hall, 
as the one now alluded to at the Crystal Palace Show, until the* 
