93 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Mat 11, 1858. 
Blue Polyanthus {Beta). —No doubt your Polyanthus is blue, -with 
a yellow centre. 
Seed of Cedars ((?.).—We replied at the time that the “little kind 
of nut” was the seed of the Cedar. One cone seems to have proved 
fruitful, fallen, decayed, and shed its seed. Cuttings of Laurels, stuck 
in winter, sometimes strike root. The best coating for your stuccoed 
cottage will be two paintings with boiled linseed oil. It will render 
the stucco waterproof, and last for years. 
Vine Leaves diseased ( JF. C.). —They are affected with some kind 
of fungus, or mildew ; dust them over with flowers of sulphur. Your 
Vines seem weak; give them every week a good root-soaking of liquid 
manure. 
r-ieor ox Pelargoniums ( Cerco ).—We suspect that one cause of the 
evil is your syringing the leaves of the Geraniums, and the sun striking 
upon tile foliage before the leaves are dry, and, altogether, having a 
closer and a moister atmosphere than is suitable for the plants. When 
they are smoked for the green fly, and get a good syringing afterwards 
to clean them thoroughly, they should be shaded, and plenty of air 
given, until the foliage is thoroughly dry. Plants are more subject to 
spot in winter, when kept in pits with glass merely over head, than 
wlien grown in houses with glass in front as well as on the roof. 
Coldness and closeness in winter, especially if the soil is extra m®ist, 
is also greatly promotive of spot. Standing upon a damp bottom, 
such as upon earth and ashes, also promotes this evil, even though 
great care should be taken to ventilate, as exhalations are apt to rise 
from such a standing medium. The best securities from spot are an 
average temperature of 45° in winter, just enough of moisture to keep 
the plants slowly growing, and from flagging, abundance of air, keep¬ 
ing the plants oil wood shelves, if possible, and letting no water drop 
on the floor that can be avoided. In pits, sunk beneath the ground 
level, it is difficult to keep the foliage dry enough. Great care at all 
times should be taken that the leaves, whether wet with condensed 
moisture or syringed, should be thoroughly dry before the sun shines 
upon them. We do not know the “ Catechisms on Farming.” 
Marine Aquarium ( Felixstowe ).— The drawing answers your ques- j 
| tion, showing that the oysters were outside the bottle. 
Temperature in the Shade {Clifton). —The thermometer should i 
hang on the north side of a wall; a foot from it, and five or six feet 
from the ground. 
Pat.Ma Ckristt {Long Tom Coffin). —It is an annual. 
Grubs destroying Peas (— Pollock). —These marauders are the 
larvae of the common “Daddy long-legs” {Tipula olcracea). We 
cannot think that they caused the death of your fowls who eat them. 
Insects {R.B., Tedding ton) .—The insects sent are the beetle parent 
of the Wireworm, Plater obscurus; and the almost equally destructive 
Weevil, Otiorhynchus vastator. If the ground is full of them, as de¬ 
scribed, we recommend the surface to be pared off two or three inches 
deep, and burnt. The Ants were hunting for Aphides, or Scale insects 
(Coccidae). If so, your trees must be in a foul state; we do not 
hink the Ants attack young buds. 
Variegated-leaved Geranium (IF. JV.).—The leaf of your seedling 
scarlet Geranium is the richest we have seen of that kind of variegation. 
It has a Golden Chain outer edge, then a crimson Horseshoe, and a 
purple Horseshoe behind it, with a small space of green in the centre. 
The one which her Majesty admired at St James’s Hall, in the Welling¬ 
ton lload Nursery collection, is the nearest to yours of all that have 
been exhibited; but we have had not one that way, which holds its 
colours permanently in summer, but only early and late in the season. 
Pond Surface becoming Green.— “ In the flower garden under my 
charge, there is a small pond of water, which looks very unsightly, 
from the surface being covered with a green scum. We occasionally 
skim it off, but in two or three days it is covered again. If you, or 
any of your correspondents eould suggest a remedy to prevent it, I 
should feel greatly obliged. The supply, a good one, is from perpetual 
springs, which rise in the bottom ; this is paved with pebble stones. 
There is a large pond at some distance, into which the water discharges 
itself; but nearly on the same level. So that I cannot get a sufficient 
fall for the scum to run off.”—G. C. [We shall be obliged by any cor¬ 
respondent giving us some information of a remedy for this annoyance.] 
Various ( IF. J. TF.). —1. The best time for budding Apricots and 
other wall fruit, is as soon as the bark of the stock “rises,” or parts 
fieely from the young wood, some time in June. 2. Plum stocks for 
Apricots are grown from layers, suckers, and seeds. 3. The Manetti 
Hose stock is propagated by cuttings planted in October. They should 
be from four to six inches long, and the bottom eyes taken out, leaving 
two or three eyes at the top. 4. lioses on their own roots should be 
pruned just the same as when on stocks. 5. Newly-rooted Hose cut¬ 
tings need no stimulant till they are two years rooted, and very little 
the third year. 6. It is best to remove Rose cuttings struck in autumn, 
the autumn following. 7. Mr. Cranston is a nurseryman in Hereford¬ 
shire. His name is well known at the post-office of that quiet old 
city, Hereford. Address him there. 
Ground Bef.s {Mrs. Stainer).—We know of no mode of destroying 
them, except by a fusee of tobacco rolled in touch paper inserted into 
their holes. Be assured that they are perfectly harmless, and do not 
' feed on the roots of your Anemones. 
POULTRY SHOWS. 
May 26th, 27th, and 28th. Birmingham (Summer). Secs., Messrs. 
Titterton andCattell, 26, Worcester Street. Entries close May 10th. 
June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Bath and West of England. Sec., Mr. 
John Kingsbury, Hammet Street, Taunton. 
June 9th and 10th. Beverley and East Hiding of Yorkshire. 
Sec., W. W. Botilton, Beverley, Yorkshire. Entries close on the 1st 
of June. 
June 28th, 29th, and 30th, and J uly 1st. Sheffield. Sec., Wm. Henry 
Dawson, Sheffield. 
July Sth. Prescot. Sec., Mr. James Becsley. 
August 7th, 9th, 10th, and 11th. Crystal Palace (Summer Show). 
Entries close July 10th. Sec., W. Houghton. 
August 18th. Airedale. Hon. Secs., J. Wilkinson and T. Booth, 
Shipley. 
August 30th and 31st, and September 1st. North Hants. Sec., Mr. 
T. Moore, Fareham, Hants. 
November 29th and 30th, December 1st and 2nd. Birmingham. Sec., 
Mr. J. Morgan. Enti'ies close November 1st. 
December 17th and 18th. Halifax Fancy Pigeon Show. Sec., Mr. 
H. Holdsworth, Woolshops, Halifax. 
January Sth, 10th, 11th, and 12th, 18.59. Crystal Palace (Winter 
Snow). Sec., W. Houghton. 
N.B .—Secretaries will oblige us by sending early copies of their lists. 
OFFICIALS EXHIBITING. 
At tlie last general election, the success of many candidates 
was helped by a Crimean medal, and a halting address was 
“ lifted along ” by one of those accidental speeches from some 
man in the crowd—“ He will stand by the people here, as he 
did by his colours in the Crimea.” What a cheer this pro¬ 
duced, and how the waverers turned on the strength of it! 
This was because they were collected in a crowd, and the en¬ 
thusiasm was catching. But, past services ought to form a 
strong claim, and the Homans thought so when the candidates 
for office stood, on the day of election, with bare breasts, to 
show the scars of the wounds received for their country. 
We cannot help thinking, that the Committees of Poultry 
Shows stand somewhat in the position of these candidates. 
Many of them can point to the records of their deeds, and 
some can show" scars, especially in their purses. How one of 
them would move exhibitors, if he held aloft a long green 
purse, which moved with every passing breeze, and if lie 
showed it torn open at the end, and shouted—“ See what a 
rent the last Show’s failure made!” What an appeal this 
would be. But would they rally round him ? 
We know it is said that, in agricultural districts, the repairs 
and alterations that w T ere required by the outgoing old tenant, 
and the refusal of which caused the conclusion of a tenancy 
that had been hereditary for centuries, are readily conceded to 
the new one wdien he enters. Why is it? Is it that, like 
Sanclio of old, people are full of proverbs, and fancy a new 
broom sweeps clean, or is it a love of change inherent in man ? 
AVe do not think, in many instances, exhibitors esteem 
Committee-men as highly as they should. Now, w 7 hat a 
notion it is, that a gentleman filling that office shall not 
exhibit. What, in the name of all that’s desirable, would 
make a man take the office, but a love of the pursuit; and 
what gives him such an interest in it as competition ? Take 
that away, and he will have the delight of incurring responsi¬ 
bility, of receiving and unpacking fowls all night, of attending 
the Show during two days, and then, last scene of all, of re¬ 
packing and sending off again. And this shall be incurred, 
in order that others may exhibit, and carry off the prizes ! 
Let them do so if they can, by all means, but let those who 
have the trouble, also have the opportunity of winning. 
All credit should also be given to those who have success¬ 
fully carried on Shows for many years. They are the veterans, 
the tried men, and they should not only be respected but 
supported by amateurs in general. 
The on dits of a Show should be discouraged. “ The Com¬ 
mittee and Judges are too intimate,” says one. “ I heard 
one of the Committee tell one of the Judges, he had a 
shoulder of mutton and onion sauce at two,” says another. 
It reminds us of a passage in a French play, in which 
Potier played many years ago. The gossip of the place crept 
stealthily after a head man. 
“ There is a conspiracy a foot! ” 
“ Ha! who is at the head of it ? ” 
“ Pitt and Coburg! ” 
“ Who told you so ? ” 
“ Horatius Codes, the tinman round the corner.” 
ENTRY CHARGES AT POULTRY SHOAYS. 
So much experience and real practical ability have been 
brought to bear upon the drawing up of the schedules for 
our principal Shows, that oue hardly likes to suggest any 
alteration. AVhat private amateur can hope to teach any- 
