980 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
December 23, 1905. 
of the sport are smaller, with more spreading 
and darker, almost crimson, florets with yel¬ 
low edges and reverse. Some of the market 
©rowers were of opinion that this excelled its 
parent and in the matter of colour that migh 
have been so, but we are very partial to the 
beautiful soft bronze of Tuxedo. 
Mr A Smith had the best three vases ot a 
white market Chrysanthemum in Mrs. J. 
Thompson, and best crimson m Exmouth 
Crimson. Messrs. Cragg, Harrison and Cragg 
had the best three vases of a pink variety, 
showing the silvery-pink Mine. L. Chariet. 
Each of these received a large Silver Medal. 
[By Rosecomb.] 
Feeding for Eggs. . 
This is a very important consideration 
anyone who attempts egg production, whether 
it be as a means to add to their incom 
merely for their own personal household use. 
If properly fed, a hen should not cost moie 
than Id. to li-d. per week. The Jab e 
should include Sussex ground oats, pollaid, 
barley meal and biscuit meal, wheat, maize, 
and oats. When I say the dietary is to be 
composed of the various grams and meals here 
mentioned, I must not be understood to con¬ 
vey the idea that they are one and all to be 
included in each day’s feeding. Not at all . 
How to Feed. 
The morning feed should at all times be 
soft food. The reason for this is that whole 
corn takes a long time to digest but warm 
meal mashes do not, and tlieir nutritive pro¬ 
perties are much more quickly absorbed into 
the system than are those of hard coin. 
Thus,'in the morning, when the birds crops 
are empty, soft food is much more beneficial 
than if given at niglit. Hard gram should 
always be the feed the last thing at night, 
because it takes longer to digest, and birds 
can take sufficient of it to last them through 
the long, dark hours of the .wintry nights, 
and thus keep up the heat in their systems. 
Changing the Feed. 
For one week it is advisable to give the 
morning feed entirely of ground oats ; another 
week the ground oats may have a handful oi 
two of barley meal mixed with them ; another 
week ground oats and pollard in equal quan¬ 
tities may be given ; another may see pollard 
providing two-thirds, whilst the other fluid 
is barley meal. This variation of diet keeps 
the fowls healthy, gives them a zest for then- 
food. prevents them from becoming surfeited, 
and adds both to the weight and bulk of the 
ego- basket. The various grams mentioned 
must be used in a similar manner, or nearly so, 
although wheat may be more generally used 
than either of the other grains, and maize the 
lesser. 
Preparing the Food. 
The morning feed of soft food should always 
be given warmed during the winter months, 
say"from September till May. The best way 
to prepare it is not to pour the hot water over 
it and mix it up at once, but to put the meal 
in a bucket, scoop a hole in the middle, pour 
in enough water for the meal to absorb suffi¬ 
cient to make it crumbly moist, and leave 
it for twenty minutes or half an hour before 
using. 
Grit and its Value. 
If one wishes fowls to give ill© biggest egg 
return possible they must 1st the bir.ls have 
plenty of grit, and grit it must be, good sharp 
flint grit, not soft common stone that, cannot 
help the birds in the grinding of their food. 
The best way to give the grit is m the soft 
food, about one good handful daily to each 
half-dozen birds. ^ If any of my readers wish 
to test the value of grit, let them feed one 
pen of birds with grit and another without 
for the space of six weeks ; the egg basket 
after the first fortnight will begin to tell them 
that grit is equally as valuable and important 
as food where egg production is concerned. 
Meat as a Feed Constituent. 
Meat is of the greatest value in promoting 
a plentiful supply of eggs, and two or three 
times a week a little meat should be intro¬ 
duced into the soft food in the morning. There 
are various forms of meat advertised by firms 
who cater for poultry breeders, and tallow 
chandlers’ greaves are also of service. Should 
one be fortunate enough to live near a butcher 
who kills his own meat, bullocks’ paunches 
should be obtained and boiled, and, if raw 
horse flesh can be obtained, it also should be 
used. 
Answers to Correspondents. 
Hens not Laying (R. G. B.). — The 
Brahma is a good winter layer, and your pul¬ 
lets certainly should be laying now. I can 
only surmise you are feeding too generously, 
and that, as a consequence, the birds arc be¬ 
coming fat and lazy. If the egg-producing 
organs become fat they are weakened, and 
lose the power to perform their normal func¬ 
tions. You must remember that fa-t stock is 
not healthy stock. Give less warm food in 
the morning, and, if at all possible, provide 
your birds with some loose litter to scratch in. 
The exercise will stimulate the egg-producing 
organisation into healthy activity, and you 
will soon be having new laid eggs for break¬ 
fast in the morning. What about grit? Are 
you giving your birds a, plentiful supply of 
this all-essential commodity ? Grit means 
Breed of Pigeon (White Bar).—From your 
description I should say the bird is a white- 
barred blue Blondinette. It is one of the 
Eastern races of pigeons, and comes to us from 
the Orient. The Orientals are one of the 
largest, as they are one of the most valuable, 
races of pigeons known to English breeders. 
4 * 
The Editor invites enquiries, which may cover 
ami branch of gardening. Questions should be, as 
brief as possible and written on one side of the 
■paper only; a separate sheet of paper should be 
used for each question. Readers are invited to 
aive their fellow gardeners the benefit of their 
experience by sending supplementary replies—see ^ 
Prize Competitions. 
Replies cannot be sent by post. 
Garden Plans .—Gardeners who would make 
the best use of this column are invited to prepare 
and forward to us a rough outline drawing or plan 
Card of Measurement. 
Can you tell me where I can procure a card 
of measurement used in judging Leeks. 1 have 
seen a printed one. but could not find out where 
they are published. (Jafonica.) 
We have never seen a card such as that you 
mention, and have been making enquiries, but 
fail to find out where such a card is published. 
Mr. Robert Fife, of Messrs. Dobbie and Co., says : 
“Your letter regarding a card for the judg¬ 
ing of Leeks has been passed on to me. _ I never 
before heard of such a thing. The judge of 
Leeks has to use his own judgment to a very 
large extent, and decide when the length and 
thickness of a Leek are proportionate, and any 
undue preponderance either way is usually con¬ 
sidered as points lost.” Leeks are even more 
largelv grown in Scotland for exhibition puiposes, 
and possibly also in private establishments, than 
in England, but it does not seem that any card 
of their gardens, indicating the position of beds 
and Lawns, the character and height of the fence 
or wall ; position of vegetable garden, orchard, 
etc. The north side of the garden and any over¬ 
shadowing buildings should be denoted. Itshoula 
also be stated whether the garden is flat or on a 
declivity, and all large trees should be 'marked. 
Particulars of the nature of the soil will also 
help us to give satisfactory replies. 1 Vhen such 
plans are received they will be carefully filed, with 
the name and address of the sender, and will be 
consulted by the Editor whenever an enquiry is sent. 
to drain away moisture. If they get' a suffi¬ 
ciently high temperature to ripen them propel lv 
before the approach of winter, they should flowei 
in early summer, after which they may be cut 
back to keep them in shape, kept' rather dry for 
a time, and encouraged to make fresh growth by 
freely syringing them and keeping them m rather 
a high temperature. After the growth is fan- y 
well advanced they may be placed in the open 
air in a warm, sunny, sheltered position to en¬ 
courage the thorough ripening of the wood and 
the development of flower-buds for next season s 
display. They do not, as a rule, get sufficient 
sun in this country to develop and mature their 
wood unless assisted artificially. This applies 
specially to plants that are cut back. You can 
grow Oleanders in a greenhouse, and put them 
out in the garden as soon as the weather is suffi¬ 
ciently warm, and if the summer is fine they may 
not only bloom but' prepare for flowering in the 
following year if not cut hack. 
Oleanders in Tubs. 
I have a fancy to grow some Oleanders in tubs 
to place in my back garden. What soil and 
treatment' would they require? Some simple 
directions would oblige. (Nemo.) 
Oleanders produce ail abundance of roots, and 
may therefore be grown in a rich and substan¬ 
tial soil consisting of good fibrous loam and 
well - decayed cow manure in about equal pro¬ 
portions. Some sharp sand will also be necessary 
Bulbs in Moss Fibre 
Is it a fact that spring flowering bulbs can 
be grown without soil, and simply by using moss 
fibre ? How long would they take before flower 
ing if planted about now, and kept in a sitting- 
room? Must they be kept in the dark before 
being rooted? Is any drainage wanted- 
(T H S ) 
Most of the spring flowering bulbs can be 
grown with perfect success in moss fibre, and 
some of the varieties would even flower with 
