628 
[By Rosecomil] 
According to my promise, I now continue 
my notes on the moulting of the members 
of the Columbarian family. During the sea¬ 
son given over to the process of moulting 
insect life grows apace, therefore the birds 
should be allowed free access to the bath. 
Many people who keep pigeons just in a 
casual way forget that they are fond of water, 
and thus neglect to provide them with a good 
large pan or tub in which to perform their 
ablutions. A good bath every day does much 
to promote the growth of the new feather, 
because it cleanses the skin, keeps down its 
irritation, and prevents the growth of insect 
life. 
The tub or pan used for the purposes of 
the bath, if round in shape, should be about 
18 in. in diameter; if oblong, then it may 
be about 16 in. in width by 2 ft. in length. 
It should not be more than 5 in. deep inside ; 
if this depth is exceeded a very young pigeon 
might some day get in, not be able to get out 
again, and thus come to an untimely end. 
It is wise to have a broad flange around the 
edge of the bath. This serves a twofold pur¬ 
pose. It prevents the water being splashed 
about the pigeon-house or pen, and it also 
affords the birds a nice, resting-place upon 
which to rest and stroke themselves when they 
emerge from the task of cleansing themselves. 
During the moulting period all stimulating 
and heating food, such as. maize and barley, 
should be left out of the dietary. A little 
additional wheat may be added, especially 
inew wheat as soon as obtainable. A good 
food for use during the moult is equal parts 
of wheat, dan, tares, and Peas. Every 
other day a little sulphate of iron should be 
placed in the drinking water, a piece about 
the size of a large Filbert nut to each gallon 
of water. 
Pigeons are very foncl of green food, and if 
a large Cabbage or Lettuce is cut in halves 
and hung up in the house or aviary just within 
their reach they will consume a considerable 
quantity, and it will act most beneficially 
upon their blood, and in turn upon their 
general health and beauty of plumage. 
Another point which must not be over¬ 
looked at this time is grit. Pigeons cannot, 
be kept in health without a good supply of 
grit. The same remark also applies to salt. 
Some breeders give both separate, their sys¬ 
tem being to put a quantity of very fine grit 
in one pan and a lump of rock salt on the 
ground in the outside aviary or flight. This 
has several disadvantages. In damp weather 
the salt dissolves very quickly, and is ob- 
sorbed by the ground for some considerable 
distance. The birds are attracted by the salt, 
and are apt, in their love for salt and their 
endeavour to get it with some grit as well, to 
peck the ground, which is often contaminated 
by their excreta, and as a consequence disease 
is contracted. 
My'plan is to obtain equal quantities of 
fine flint grit, very fine-crushed oyster shells, 
red sand, and common salt. These I mix well 
together, keep in a dry place in a box or bag, 
and take therefrom as the pigeons require it 
By supplying it in this manner the birds will 
obtain enough salt to keep them healthy and 
well, and not enough to upset them. When 
birds are able to get at free salt they are apt 
to take too much ; this causes an inordinate 
THE GARDENING WORLb. 
August 5, 1905. 
thirst, to quench which the birds drink an in¬ 
ordinate quantity of water, and this often 
causes derangement of the digestive organs. 
The grit should be supplied in small quanti¬ 
ties at a time, and in flat open earthenware 
pie-dishes. 
A 
FLORIFEROU5 
CLI/ABER. 
(Polygonum baldschuanicum.) 
A well-constructed and well-fumished per¬ 
gola gives a most stylish and enchanting ap¬ 
pearance to a garden throughout summer and 
autumn, and among plants available for fur¬ 
nishing the pillars and arches thereof few 
things excel the plant above named. Given 
a good, deep root run in well-prepared soil, 
it throws out long, strong growths with great 
rapidity, climbing over and hiding the wood¬ 
work with a mantle of elegant verdure, which 
from June onwards is draped with flowing 
masses of plume-like racemes of shimmering 
white flowers. These flowers, although ex- 
■ceedingly light and feathery when closely 
examined, are borne in such profusion as. 
renders the plant conspicuous when seen from 
a distance. 
We would not assert that nothing among 
climbing plants is so lovely as the subject of 
this note, for all climbers are beautiful, but 
we certainly may claim that this is one of 
the choicest gems among them, and one that 
should never be overlooked when selecting 
plants for the purpose mentioned. It has, 
we are happy to say, become widely distri¬ 
buted during the half-dozen or so years since 
its introduction into this country, and that 
it will increase in popularity is a moral cer¬ 
tainty, for no garden-lover can fail to take 
steps to obtain it when once seen in full 
vigour and bloom. 
It is not, moreover, on the pergola alone 
that P. baldschuanicum may be used to ad¬ 
vantage, for in isolated positions on grass or 
beside carriage-drives, and, indeed, in many 
places that will suggest themselves to any 
gardener, it may be made an imposing object, 
a rough tree-trunk or cluster of faggot-wood 
being so placed that the plant may completely 
overgrow its support. In gardens where a wall 
upholds a- bank of soil the Polygonum may 
be planted on the top of the bank, so that 
OUR PRIZE COMPETITIONS. 
SPECIAL COMPETITION 
For Members of Local 
Horticultural Societies. 
Prizes. — (1) Three guineas. 
(2) One guinea. 
(3) Ten shillings and sixpence. 
Open only to members of local Horticultural 
Societies. 
The above prizes are offered for the best article 
or essay on the following subject:— 
“How to extend the membership 
and usefulness of local Horticultural 
Societies.” 
The length of the essay should be about 1,000 
words, and it must be sent in before the end 
of August next. Mark envelopes in left-hand 
corner with the words “Society Competition.” 
it overhangs the face of the wall on the other 
side. 
Plants in tubs on the roof of a verandah 
may be so placed that the growth will hang 
in festoons down the front. Propagation is 
best effected by layering shoots of the cur¬ 
rent season’s growth in autumn, leaving them 
undisturbed until well into spring, but it is 
also possible to secure plants from eyes in¬ 
serted in sand on a gentle bottom heat, in 
the same may as Vines are propagated. 
Heather Bell. 
OTHER PEOPLE’S GARDENS. 
II.—Shiplake Court. 
In continuation of my previous notes I will 
now refer to the gardens of Shiplake Court, 
the residence of Mr. R. C. Harrison, which 
lies almost in the centre of the pretty little 
village of Shiplake, on the G.W.R. branch 
line from Twyford to Henley. The kitchen 
garden, of about three acres in extent, is 
situated on the opposite side of the road to 
the mansion, and quite opposite the house of 
the genial head gardener, Mr. J. A. Hall. 
Nothing can be seen of the gardens from the 
road, and there is an approach by a winding 
path through a good growth of trees and 
shrubs, fringed by many herbaceous plants. 
On entering the garden proper one is struck 
by the middle walk, bordered on each side by 
all kinds of annuals and perennials. These 
borders are to b© remodelled and remade as 
soon as time permits, for many of the plants 
have quite outrun their original limit. At 
the points where side-walks branch off are 
Rose arches, and at the time of my visit they 
were in their beauty. At the end of the 
middle walk the glasshouses are situated, 
and here everything was in the best of trim. 
Carnations, Regal Pelargoniums and winter 
flowering Zonals are made a speciality of, and 
to judge from the appearance of the latter 
there will be a good show in the dreary months 
of the year. A good breadth of early flower¬ 
ing Chrysanthemums was out in one border, 
while on the other side of the path was a 
large bed of mixed Spanish Iris, with a 
groundwork of Pansies of all colours, giving 
a very pretty effect. 
Mr. Hall is a great Onion grower, and his 
bed of Ailsa Craig was in fine condition. Po- 
tatos looked well, as did all the kitchen crops. 
Apples were thin except on a few trees, but 
Pears and Plums were hanging plentifully. 
I visited the beautiful terraces surrounding 
the house, passing through a small Dutch 
garden on the way. From thes© and the well- 
kept lawns and grassy slopes and wild garden 
some lovely views of the Thames Valley can be 
obtained. H. C/ 
Wash your Fruit.— Fruit gathered, mar¬ 
keted, or handled under insanitary conditio s 
is often the means of conveying disease. Ex¬ 
periments have been made to determine the 
number and kinds of micro-organisms which 
readily adhere to the surfaces of fruits. The 
smallest number were found on Plums, anc 
the largest on Currants and Cherries. V ash- 
in tr will remove the greater number of these. 
* * * 
The “ Horse ’’-chestxut.— This Chestnut 
which is not to ho confounded with the edibh 
kind, was introduced to this country fron 
Persia about 1683. It is named Horse-chest 
nut because the Arabs of the desert used t( 
grind the nuts for mixing with food for thi 
treatment of a broken-winded steed. 
