Weekly Mail

\RURAL NOTES.' i „i f'_ i (By Mr. J. Muir, Margam Abbey, i Glamorganshire, s '• ANSWERSxo C0»nE8P0NDBNTk Unless in special cases, no replies mil be sent C to readers by post, but all inquiries will have prompt and careful attention under this heading, and we invite notes and questions on ALL rural subjects, FDOMHSGS WITH WHITE FEATHERS IS WIHGS.— fYork».Sometimes one',or two of the large feathers In the wings are partially white, but this is hardly fYork».Sometimes one',or two of the large feathers n the wings are partially white, but this is hardly (noticed when the wing is closed up. In such a Case it might pass, but white feathers are not correct. I would reject a bird that had many of them. I have had birds that were all grey on the wings when pullets the first year, but after moult. ing the second or third year many white feathers 'appeared. In judging these at a show some judges would not regard this as a defect in aged birds. In buying or breeding you should avoid (White wings as much as possible. I POSITION FOR BBBHIVBS IN WMTM.—" Ugurlan." r-Thay should stand on a dry spot whore the drainage is good, If you have a low part and a bigh part in your garden, place them in the latter so long as they are not much exposed to ;i|rind. A windy position is not suitable, but a sunny aspect is must desirable. The hives should .be placed in such a position that they will face the sun from morning till night. Is Wild TO PBUNS GOOSBMBMM.—W. Salter.— JProm the time the leaves have fallen until the piddle of March, or before the buds begin to f well in spring. Where birds pick out the buds to tny extent, it is better to defer pruning till the spring. The fruit being so small this season is, !eo d8ubt, accounted for by the bushes not having been pruned for six years. Tiiey should be done Annually. NAMB O* APMJL—P. R. Tucker.—Worcester jPearmain. Specimen very good. BBST BEB-HIVB, &c.—" Trecynon."—You have Jone quite right to allow the bees to remain undis- 'turbed in the straw ekeps. It is a mistake to transfer them very late in the season to bar-framed hives. It is also wrong to attempt to take the iioney from the skeps after September, as the bees tiave no opportunity of rectifying themselves and the results would be most injurious. Mr. William Gay, bee expert, of Pontypridd, South Wales, has lately constructed a bar-frame hive which pre- vents swarming and offers facilities for profitable and easy bee-keeping that I have not seen equalled in any of the other hives. Write to Mr. Gay for particu!ars.—"Nemophiita insignis," a annual that produces a profusion of bluw flowers in summer, is a good bee flower. II Lyman- thus Douglasii" is another plant that yields much hooey. They draw large supplies from clover, especially the white, as they also do from heather. ^Ttnre is hardly a flower, wild or cultivated, that they do not make use of in collecting pollen or gathering honey. Any nurseryman will supply you with young wallflower plants to bloom next spring. INCREASING RHUBAEB BY DIVIDING THE ROOTS.— Beginner."—This is a good way of increasing it. You can divide your large roots into half a dozen at more plants. Dig the large roots out of the ground before cutting the root into pieces, and do this in such a manner as to save the crowns as much as possible. This may be done any time during the winter, but best in March, when the divided parts would begin to grow at once after- wards. HOLLIES.-Henry N. Davies.—(1) Holly Lucida or Silver Queen. (2) Holly Argenteo Margiuata. Hollies of all sorts succeed very well in pots or tubs, and, by cutting them in a little to train while growing, they form very ornamental sub- jects. They require a somewhat stiff soil, not clay, touta strong loam. A little manure induces more luxuriant growth. They may be transplanted at present or any time during the winter. They bear a town atmosphere better than many shruba of less value. They are a fine class of evergreens, and when they produce berries their ornamental character is greatly increased. Fowts III.— A. Smith.—Cease feeding on Indian corn use cats and barley and barley meal. four run is probably damp. I have known this to produce the ailments you specify. A dry floor In the roosting house is very necessary. The liquid named Douglas Mixture would do your fowls much good. It is composed as follows :—Half-a-pound of sulphate of iron and one ounce of sulphuric acid dissolved in two gallons of water. Put this in a jar, and give two tablespoonfuls in a pint of water each day. STACKTS TUBERIPBRA.P. Rhodea.-This tuberous-rooting new vegetable is termed the Chinese artichoke, being not unlike the Jerusalem artichoke, which is better known in gardens. The tubers range from one to two inches in length, and are about half an inch in diameter. They are left in the ground all the winter, and dug up when wanted. They are cooked by boiling, steaming, or roasting, and served with melted butter, and they form a very acceptable dish. FLAX AN A FJELD CBOP.—"Lancashire."—Flax will grow on a variety of soils, but very light or stiff clay should be avoided. A cool soil without excessive moisture suits it best. The proper time to sow is March or early in April, It is grown for two purposes—to produce the linseed of com- merce and for fibre used in the manufacture of linen. To produce linseed sow It bushels per acre for fibre three bushels per acre. The seed weighs about 501b. per bushel. As to whether it would succeed with you or not is a matter upon which I could not write accurately. There could be no harm in you trying it on a small scale to test its fitness as a profitable crop. LIMING THE SOIL.—" M. A. Ash."—Do not dig before applying the lime, but spread the lime on the surface of the soil first and then dig the lime In by turning it and the soil quite over. PAIRING CANARIES FOB BHEKDINQ.—"J. R. C."— Early in Febiuary is a good time to pair for breed- log. You would not derive any benefit by pairing before the New Year as you sugge&t. OATS FOB RABBITS.—W. Cook.—Oats may form part of the food of rabbits in hutches, but I do not advise yon to feed wholly on oats. A small quan- tity once daily or every other day will be sum- cient. Turnips and carrots, which you will have no difficulty in buying all through the winter in the Liverpool market, will be keenly relished by them. EGGS FOB HATCHING:—" Manchester."—If you wish to set your eggs on January 1 the fowls should be mated and penned for breeding by the 1st of December, G'owit g Hyacinths in Glasses. As is well known, there are few winter flowers so showy and sweet as hyaoinths. They can be grown in the open ground, but do not Bower there until April or May. tThose with glass houses can force them out In any of the spring months, but dwellers in towns, with no glass and no gardens, can also enjoy them, it being a feature of hyaoinths, possessed by very few plants, that the flowers may be produced in water alone and without the ordinary Boil, manure and the like. There are hyacinth glasses of various colours and forms, specially made for growing hyaoinths in water.. Any or all kinds of hyacinths may be grown in this way. The process is very simple. It merely consists of filling each glass up to near the top with rain water. The bulb is then placed on the top with its base nearly, but not quite, touching the water. The glass is then removed into a dark oupboard, where the temperature does cot exoeed 60 degrees. They are retained here until the roots have penetrated the water and the top growth has pushed forth from one to two inches. During the time this is going on it is necessary to examine the glasses once or twice weekly to make up the water to the original height in the classes. When the growths have attained the dimensions suggested the glasses may be brought out and placed in the windows, where $hey will gradually develop into blossom and prove highly attractive. Those who try this mode of growing hyacinths for the first time are generally immensely gratified with the result, and a few seasons practice enables the grower to produce almost as fine spikes in water as can be grown in soil. There is another way of growing hyaoinths in glasses that may be followed with much success. This Is to fill the glasses with damp sand, and afterwards treat them in all respeots as if they were growing in water. I know of a MdlJttUiJS&t jp the centre of a large town who asserts that she grows hyacinths both ways, and, although she is partial to the old- fashioned one of plaoing them in water, she manages to produce the largest spikes from the bulbs grown in sand. « j Treatment of Fowls in. Co!d Weather, "Novice" (Manchester) asks :-(1) What is the best treatment for fowls that they may lay well and be free from disease in cold weather? (2) What breed of hens lay the largest eggs? (3) What is the best to give fowls when moulting P (1) Fowls that have not moulted until now will be slow in re-gaining their feathers, much more so than if they had moulted in the warmer weather. They should be kept under oover in wet weather; given very warm food in the morning, and one teaspoonful of flowers of sulphur should be allowed for each fowl per day. This should be mixed up with their meal. The older the fowls the longer they take to moult, and very old hens are severely strained by it, but I am not in favour of keeping them until they are very aged. (2) As to which breed lays the largest egg it is somewhat difficult to deter- mine. Black Spanish, Plymouth Rooks, and Minoroas are oredited as layers of extra large eggs, but experience leads me to assert that the Scotoh Grey, taking the eggs the season round, is the layer of the largest eggs. Some ten years ago my strain of these useful fowls were noted as winners at the Palaoe, Birmingham, and other big shows, but, like the majority of poultry fanciers, my fancy fluctuated, and other kinds were substituted, but not one of them has equalled the greys in general usefulness. I do not, however, count muoh on large eggs, unless they are very frequently laid as the hen that only lays a large egg two or three days a week does not pay so well in the end as the one that lays five or six days out of the seven, espeoially as, from a market point of view, a dozen large eggs rarely fetch more than a dozen medium or small size ones. As all the year round layers I have not had any so prolifio as Leghorns. Cold weather is by no means unhealthy for fowls. Many of them seem to brighten up under its influence, be- oome redder oombed, and more lively. But, to keep them laying all through, they must receive the best of treatment. The roosting house should be waterproof, dry, and airy. Their drinking water must be fresh daily, and always pure. They must have a oonstant supply of green food. Indian corn is supposed to be fattening and heating therefore, many give it in winter under the impression that a fowl in good oondition must lay eggs, but it is an injurious food if given in any quantity. Success will be much greater if they are fed on barley meal, mixed into thick dough with warm water, milk, or beer. Oats, if good, are a valuable egg pro- ducing-food. Barley and wheat are also good, and if the bones from the kitchen are given to the fowls to pick, they will form a substitute for summer insects, and contribute wonderfully to producing eggs. Fowls in confinement should be supplied with a quantity of old lime rubbish or oyster shells beaten small. A defioiency of these oauses the hens to lay eggs without shells. The Douglas mixture, particulars of which are given to another reader, should be kept in stock by all poultry keepers in winter. No great supply of eggs will iJfc produced by hens over two years old. Young pullets that began laying in October will, if well treated, continue to lay until next summer. The different kinds of Coobins are said to be good winter layers, but this is not my experience, and their eggs are very small, # WallfLwers in Autumn. There are few common flowers regarded with so much favour by all as wallflowers. They are so hardy and require so little at- tention that they frequently grow and pro- duoe their extremely sweet-scented flowers without any attention. I have frequently noticed them in fine condition about disused gardens and in out-of-the-way 'places where they had not received the slightest attention for years. They never lose their hold on publio affeotion, and many aver them to be their favourite flower when in blossom. I have just said that they grow unoared for in many instances. They are sweet and pleasing in such a form, bat they, like all flowers, are readily improved by culture. Plants grown in good soil will always make a better show than the wild forms; The double German, and, indeed, all sorts, are admirably adapted for deoorating beds and borders connected with small resi- denoes in winter and spring; and where wall- flower seed was sown in May or June, as advised then, there will now be plenty of nice plants in the seed bed. These should be dug up individually with a ball of soil attaohed to the roots and planted in the beds now vacant by the removal of the summer flowering plants. If planted now they will beoome estab- lished and flower much better than the plants that are not transplanted until the spring. They may be put in singly here and there, or in a mass in a bed or border. If planted near a residence their fragranoe, when in flower, will be much appreciated. They will grow and bloom in almost all situations. I have noticed bushy plants become attractive in lime rubbish and on the top of an exposed wall, their designa- tion wallflower being no misnomer. The plants need not be raised from seed annually, as old plants [may be kept on from year to year, but those raised last spring from seed will be found to be the neatest in habit, and will produce the largest spikes of blooms. At the present time I have tens of thousands of little wallflower plants that have been self- born in the beds where the wallflowers bloomed and seeded in June, w Chris! mas Roses. the impression that these are related to the ordinary roses, but they are not, being a olass of hardy herbaceous plants of an evergreen oharacter, and only attaining a height of nine inohes or one foot. They bloom naturally at Christmas and mid- winter, and produce a profusion of white flowers that are charming and most acceptable to all, more espeoially those with no glass houses who desire to possess choice winter flowers. I might appropriately desoribe the blossoms of the Christmas rose as resembling May thorn flowers in their construction. but of more substance and as large as a crown piece. The Christmas rose cannot be forced with any degree of success, but they are for- warded and much benefited by being pro- tected. If a hand-light, frame, or anything of the sort is put over them now, the flowers will open all the better for it, and as they are produced so near the soil, the protection will prevent the white flowers being splashed with mud, which often occurs in the open. I have often nailed four boards together to form a box about 15io. diameter. put this over each plant, and cover the top with a piece or two of glass. Protecting Violets. All violet plants are quite hardy, but the blooms are somewhat tender, and if the plants are left fully exposed in winter, few or no flowers will be produced until the spring. To have a supply of violets during the shortest days the plants must be protected. Where they are growing olose together a frame or frames may be put over them and oovered.witb glass-light*, whioh will IJBAQao many flowers to open that would not have appeared until spring. It is also a good plan to lift the plants with a good deal of soil attaohed to the roots, pot them, and then place them in a gentle heat, when a profusion of flowers will be shortly produoed. ••• r A Cinorarles, Cineraries are favourite flowers with many amateurs. They require little or no artificial heat so long as frost can be excluded from them. This is much in their favour. They are, however, amongst the worst of all plants to generate and harbour inseots,and the plants will not remain long healthy when infested with green and black fly, thrip, &o. The oritical time for them is just at hand. Before the winter advances further the plants should be oleared of inseots. Fumigation is a sure means of doing this, but not always conve- nient for amateurs. The beat way of treating them will be to dissolve one ounce of tobacco in a gallon of water, place the necessary quantity in a large bucket and turn the plants upside down into this with the hand over the soil in the pot to prevent the plant falling out. The plant should remain in the water for several minutes. Snowdrops, Botanlcalty the snowdrop is known as Galanthus." There are upwards of a dozen varieties. G. Elwesii" is the largest flower- ing sort, but in my opinion none of them are so pretty and pleasing as the oommon sort, G. Nivalis," with its dwarf single flowers, which produce such a display of white in February and the early spring months. They all require the same treat- ment and should be planted in November. The bulbs are small, and may be bought at 2s. and 4s. the hundred. They are never seen to better advantage than when springing up amongst grass on lawns, pleasure grounds, woods, and graveyards. The bulbs should be dibbled in about three inches apart all over the surface. They are not difficult to suit in either soil or situation. w • Fruit Culture. There are many indications that fruit cul- ture in this country is vastly on the inorease and that it now commands an amount of attention from the press and the publio hitherto unknown. The horticultural papers and horticultural societies may be oredited with helping to produce this satisfactory state of matters, but if I may judge by the very many inquiries received through these notes on fruit and fruit culture, I would assert that weekly newspapers have had no small hand in disseminating a desire amongst the masses for extended and improved fruit culture. Foreign fruit is at all times so .very expensive and home-grown produce so inadequate to meet the demand that it is not surprising that an immense desire should exist to in- orease the home supplies. Although apples, pears, and plums are regarded by many as the leading fruits, the smaller fruits, such as gooseberries, currants, raspberries, and straw- berries, are, in my opinion, of equal impor- tance, and they are more likely to prove remunerative, for many seasons pass without the pear and plum crops being a success, whilst small fruits are rarely a failure. Many people are aware that in London there has existed for many years a body termed the "Fruiterers' Company." Its past aims and accomplishments are unknown to me, and probably are to all, excepting the members of the company, but the recent exhibition at the Guild-hall has brought it into general pro- minence, and their recent actions and present intentions have been most favourably received. These were lately related by Sir James White- head to a representative of Trade, Finance, and Recreation, who interviewed that gentle- man on the subject of fruit culture in England. Sir James explained that the Fruiterers' Company now intends to be useful, and that their chief idea is to supply to farmers and cottagers the know- ledge that will enable them to produoe a variety of good apples, pears, and plums from trees that are at present comparatively unpro- ductive owing to the lack of instruction in such matters as suitable soil, situation and aspect, pruning and grafting. As a rule, the trees are stuck in holes and left to take their chance. Sir James believes that the value of fruit as an article of diet is beooming recog- nised more and more every day. He finds that he can work on a fruit diet as well as on any other, though he is not a vegetarian. England is the home of the apple," he remarked, and the very best kinds can be produced here, notwith- standing the outcry about climate. The ex- ample of Lord Sudeley shows that fruit-growing pays when carried out on a large scale. He has a farm of some 500 acres, which yield 500 tons of fruit. One hundred and fifty tons consisted of plums, and these realised, on an average, JE30 per ton. The 500 acres produced £ 10,000 this year. As to the mode of im. parting the necessary instruction to small growers he advocates the plan of giving lectures in different parts of the country, with practical illustrations of planting, pruning, grafting, &o. Annual shows, too, would tend to popularise the idea. But the orux of the whole question lies in the terms of land tenure. To meet this Sir James thinks that, unless the landlords are prepared to give longer leases, they them- selves should plant the trees, making it a oondition that the tenant should keep them in good bearing order. The Government is believed to be willing to make grants to agri-. cultural colleges where horticulture is taught, as well as to horticultural colleges. That the nation has begun to make real progress. is an article of faith with the worthy baronet, who believes, with many others, that nationally we eat far too much meat and not nearly enough fruit.