610 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
July 29, 1905. 
Last week I set out with the intention of 
telling mv pigeon readers how to manage 
their Thirds at this time of the year, but 1 
wandered oft on a branch line, and instead o 
reaching the terminus I intended I found my¬ 
self telling gardeners how useful pigeons were 
to them. However, I will hasten to make up 
for my digression, and to-day will give my 
pigeon-loving friends some really practical 
advice as to how to treat their pigeons just 
now. , , , 
In the first place, all of those who have not 
stopped breeding should do so at once. 
Pigeons hatched in August cannot moult 
properly this year, as they do not commence 
until the cold nights are upon us, and then 
their energy is needed to keep the cold out. 
Birds which moult during the cold, damp 
months of winter are liable to colds, roup, 
bronchitis, and other diseases and ailments 
to which pigeon flesh is heir. Then feathers 
grown in the winter are never so strong and 
hue as those which are grown whilst the days 
are long and the nights short and warm. A 
slow moult is more exhausting and enervating 
to a pigeon than a quick one. Owing to the 
fact that when a bird is moulting its blood 
is in a more or less feverish state, its' skin 
is hot, and as it does not possess so thick a 
coat as at other times, the body is very much 
exposed and apt to contract ills many and 
various. It will therefore at once be most 
readily seen by the most inexperienced of my 
readers why I recommend the early discon¬ 
tinuance of breeding. 
Then it is not only the young birds which 
one has bred this year which are to be con¬ 
sidered. There are the old ones, those which 
have served us well both this year and last, 
and possibly a year or two beyond. If they 
breed late they cannot moult at the time 
intended by Nature, and their systems, already 
exhausted by the cares and troubles of 
parentage, are not equal to the task of grow¬ 
ing a healthy crop of feathers. As a conse¬ 
quence their enfeebled constitutions are 
rendered more feeble still, their blood lacks 
strength and vitality, the old feathers are not 
properly cast off, the new growth is not so 
complete as it should be, the blood is clogged 
with gross humours which in a healthy moult 
would be thrown off by the skin, the bird gene¬ 
rally droops and becomes lethargic, and if it 
escapes the perils of the winter it will not 
prove successful in the breeding pen next 
year. 
The pigeon breeder does not live for to¬ 
day alone, and the old Biblical adage about 
“ sufficient unto the day being the evil 
thereof ” does not apply to him. If he would 
rear strong, healthy stock, if he would have 
his youngsters plump and fat so that they 
may be converted into the most delectable of 
pies, pies which shall fascinate the most 
epicurean taste, immediately after they leave 
the nest he must see to it that all birds 
which are to be bred with next season have a 
quick, healthy, natural moult in the year of 
grace 1905, if not they will neither do them¬ 
selves nor their owner credit when next asked 
to do what they can in the procreation of their 
kind. 
To stop the birds from breeding all nest 
pans should be taken away, and the breeding 
boxes either removed or shut up. All eggs 
laid in the latter half of July should be 
destroyed after they have been sat upon for a 
week or ten days. I advocate tins partial 
course of the incubatory period being given to 
the birds because I think that after the pro 
cesses of driving to nest and laying both cock 
and hen are all the better for a rest. It does 
them good in many ways, and especially in 
promoting a quick, healthy, natural moult. 
My space is exhausted for this week, but 
next week I hope to say something further 
about the treatment of pigeons during the 
moult. 
f ---------- 
OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
ESSAY COMPETITION 
Prizes.— (1) Two Guineas ; (2) One Guinea. 
Open to all Readers. 
The above Prizes will be given for the best 
essays on:— 
“What I would do with a Villa 
Garden, in the production of flowers, 
fruits, and vegetables.” 
The garden may be of any shape, providing the 
area is approximately 3,000 square feet. Give a 
rough plan of the garden, indicating which is the 
north by an arrow; show the position of the 
various crops ; if it is decided to have a lawn and 
flower-beds, their position with regard to the 
dwelling-house should be shown. Walks, flower- 
borders, fruit-trees or bushes, and vegetable 
quarters should be so disposed as to give the 
finest effect from the house and be in harmony 
with the surroundings. State if the garden is 
enclosed with a brick wall, open or closed fencing. 
The skill and taste displayed by the competitor 
in his arrangements will have great weight in the 
adjudication of the prizes. The expenditure in 
first stocking the garden with seeds, plants, trees, 
bushes, and fertilisers should be stated, and the 
annual cost afterwards. The essay should be 
about 1,000 words, and must be sent in on or 
before July 31st next. Mark envelopes in the 
left-hand corner “ Garden Competition.” 
____ / 
Plants Certificated 
BY THE R.H.5. 
June 20th. 
Orchid Committee. 
Odontonia Lairessiae. 
The parentage of this remarkable hybrid 
was Odontoglossum crispum x Miltonia fus- 
cata. The aspect of the flower strongly recalls 
the last-named, but the lip is different in form 
and colour. The sepals and petals are purple- 
brown with white edges and tips. The lip 
is nearly orbicular, with a very large central 
purple blotch, shaded with coppery-brown in 
the centre. All parts are crisped at the 
edges ; otherwise the flower is nearly flat. 
Award of Merit to M. A. de Lairesse, 6, 
Avenue de Comte, Schlessin by Liege, Bel¬ 
gium. 
Sophrolaelia laeta orpetiana. 
The aspect of this beautiful bigelteric hybrid 
recalls a giant Sophronitis grandiflora, of a 
new or different colour. The parentage was 
Sophronitis grandiflora x Laelia pumila 
dayana. The sepals and broad petals are in¬ 
tense carmine-rose, with prominent scarlet 
veins, which give a decided tone to- the whole 
flower. The lip is much larger than that of 
the seed parent, and scarlet overlying a rose 
ground ; the interior of the tube is bright 
yellow. First-class Certificate to Capt. G. L. 
Holford, C.I.E., C.V.O. (gardener, Mr. H. 
Alexander), Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucester. 
Floral Committee. 
Streptocarpus Royal Purple. 
The flowers of this handsome variety 
measure 2 in. to 3 in. across, or nearly, and 
are of a rich violet-purple, with a blackish 
blotch on the lower lip. They are borne in 
cymes of three to' five on stout stems 9 in. to 
12 in. high. Award of Merit to Lord Alden- 
ham (gardener, Mr. E. Beckett), Aldenham 
House, Elstree. 
Iris pallida Neptune. 
The falls of this handsome variety are dark 
blue-purple, netted with brown lines on the 
claw, with a prominent orange-yellow beard. 
The standards are of a uniform clear blue. 
Award of Merit to George Yeld, Esq., Clifton 
Cottage, York. 
Impatiens Holstii. 
The leaves of this Balsam are not unlike 
those of I. Sultani, but they are larger and of 
a. darker velvety green. The flowers are of a 
rich orange-scarlet. The stems are stout, 
short-jointed, and thickly spotted with purple. 
Award of Merit to Messrs. H. Cannell and 
Sons, Swanley. 
Hemerocallis Corona. 
The flowers of this Day Lily are of a rich 
golden, almost orange, yellow, the only con¬ 
trast being the brown anthers. The parentage 
was H. flava x aurantiaca major. Award of 
Merit to G. Yeld, Esq. 
Rodgersia pinnata alba. 
The leaves of this plant consist of five to 
nine obovace, wrinkled, dark green leaflets. 
The i flowers are produced in pyramidal cymes 
about 9 in. to 15 in. long, and creamy white. 
The type has rosy-red flowers. Award of 
Merit to Messrs. Jas. Veitch and Sons, Ltd., 
C'helsea. 
Paeony Her Grace. 
The flowers of this variety are globular, very 
full, and of a pleasing but delicate flesh-pink. 
The outer petals form a guard to' the others. 
Award of Merit to Messrs. R. H. Bath, Ltd,,, 
The Floral Farms, Wisbech. 
Paeony La Fiancee. 
Here again the blooms are of large size, 
semi-globular, and pure white, with the ex¬ 
ception of the golden yellow anthers, which 
are hidden. Award of Merit to Messrs. R. H. 
Bath, Ltd. 
Sweet Pea Henry Eckford. 
The flowers of this grand new variety are 
of a rich -salmon-orange with a glossy lustre, 
and remarkable for their size. They are 
borne in racemes of two to three on a stalk 
and measure 2 in. across the standards. 
Award of Merit to Mr. Henry Eckford, Wem, 
Salop. 
Aster subcaeruleus. 
The flowers of this herbaceous plant measure 
2 in. to 3 in. across the heads, which are 
borne singly on the stems. The rays are very 
numerous and pale lilac-blue, while the disc 
is orange. Award of Merit to Amos Perry, 
Hardy Plant Farm, Wincbmore Hill. 
Petraea volubilis. 
The starry blue calyx of this climber is ; 
much more durable than the corolla, and 
highly ornamental. A Cultural Commenda¬ 
tion was awarded to Sir Trevor Lawrence, 
Bart, (gardener, Mr. Bain), Burford, Dorking, 
for a plant grown in a pot. 
