■":^i UMASS/AMHERST 312066 0333 3101 0 K -^^^^^^*^|a^J^!T!^i7^^ ? LIBRARY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE No— 5ia_52 DATE._2.-JS.8_7 souHCE.X-_I].W._T]ceT\C,la. t i(^KA,r;v COUNTEY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION. 1 1 1 1 1 CONDUCTED BY GEORGE W. JOHNSON, ESQ. EDITOK OF THE " GAEDENEBS' AUiiMACK," ETC. THE FEUIT AND FORCING-GARDEN, by Mr. R. Errington, Gardener to Sir P. Egerton, Bart., Oulton Park. THE KITCHEN-GARDEN, by Mr. J. Kobson, Gardener to the late Earl Comwallis ; and Mr. T. Weaver, Gardener to the Warden of Winchester College. THE FLOWER-GARDEN, by Mr. D. Beaton, late Gardener to Sir W. Middleton, Bart., Shrubland Park. FLORISTS' FLOWERS, by Mr. T. Appleby, Victoria Nursery, Usbridge. THE GREENHOUSE AND WINDOW-GARDEN, by Mr. R. Fish, Gardener to Colonel Sowerby, Putteridge Bury, near Luton. ORCHID CULTURE, by Mr. T. Appleby, Victoria Nursery, Uxbridge. AGRICULTURE, and the Economy of the Farm-Vard, by Mr. J. Blundell. MANAGEMENT OF BEES, by J. H. Payne, Esq. POULTRY-KEEPING, by the Eev. W. W. Wingfleld, Secretary to the Cornwall Society for Poultry Improvement. DISEASES OF CATTLE, by a distinguished Member of the Veterinary College. DISEASES OF POULTRY, by W. B. Tegetmeier, Esq. ALLOTMENT GARDENING, by Mr. Errington and others. HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY, by the Authoress of " My Flowers." VEGETABLE AND OTHER COOKERY, by a Lady. THE AVIARY, by a Naturalist and Bird Fancier. VOLUME IX. LONDON : PUBLISHED BY WM. S. ORB AND CO., AMEN CORNER. 18 5 3. J 6£65 v.^ 'V (-.', TO OUR READERS. Although placed at the commencement of the volume^ this, our vote of thanks, is necessarily composed at its conclusion, and, on the present occasion, requires to convey from us even a more than ordinarily emphatic expression of gratitude. You, our old friends, have continued to sustain us; and you, our new friends, have added to our strength, and have united in enabling us to adopt fresh and, we hope, effective measures for an increase of our usefulness. We have the written evidence of many witnesses that we have been useful, but they must remain unpubhshed, and for our own cheering-onward only. There is, however, one fact which so redounds to the honour of others, whilst it is deeply gratifying to ourselves, that it requires to be particularized. No one can read the sketches furnished by the Authoress of " My Plowers " without feeling that the best appeal to the heart is truth told simply. Among her sketches will be remembered "The Widow Indeed." Its unadorned pathos stirred up more than one good Samaritan, and " The Widow Indeed " now asks for a blessing upon those dwelling not far from the Halls of Knowsley who have secured to her every comfort she needs for her decHning years. Turning from the past to the future, our friends will have already learned what to anticipate, since we have included other departments connected with the culture of the sod, and our staff has been strengthened by an increased number of weU-qualified labourers. Nor do we purpose that our efforts to attain increased usefulness shall here cease: but we prefer pointing to what has been effected rather than to that which is intended, and when we resume our prefatorial duty, at the end of another six months, we confidently trust that a general assent will be again given that our labourers have been successful in their " diggings." INDEX. Abelta unillora and its culture, 453 Acacia culture, 441 ; dealbata, or affinis hardy, 421 ; celastrifolia, 500 Achiincnes in autumn, 114; list of, for green- house, 151 ; culture, 440 Advertisements, 33 iEgilops ovata, 215 Aerides, culture, 2:13 iEschynanthus splcndidus, !22 Agapanthus umbellatus, 20 ; list of, 141 Age, exemptions, 413 Agricultural Society of England's Meeting, 4G5 Agricultural training for boys, 46/; operations for March, 503 Air, promoting its circulation, 333 ; admitting, 440 Albuca, list of, 141 Aie, the pint o', 464 Allamanda, treatment of weak, 53 ; in pots, to manage, ig4 ; Schottii, 1()4 Allotment Farming — November, 64 ; December, 148; January, 247; February, 32/; March, 407 ; April, 506 Allotments, rules for their establishment, 204 Alpinia nutans not flowering, 472 Alstromerias, list of, 142, iGO; dying down, lf)l Amaryllis, culture at Claremont, fiO ; list of, l6l ; reticulata, 2'JI ; to discern from a lily, 303; culture, 332; Atamasco and formosis- sima culture, SQ3 American garden, to construct, 27 1 Animals, notes about, 46g Anomatheea cruenta and juncea, 240 Antholyza, list of species, 203 Annuals, rules for sowing, 134 ; sowing in turf, 491 Apis muscorum, 89 Apples, list of, for espaliers, 33 ; Beauty of Kent, 36 ; list of dessert, 157; descriptive list of kitchen, 176 ; gathering, 294 ; list of, 314; annual imports, 357, 397; in Oerbyshire, 39 i Approaches, to form, 296 Apricot as a standard, 72; pruning, time for, 194; diseased, 234; cause of decay, 317 Aralia japonica, 82 Araucaria Hidwilliana, 499 Arbor vitJe sowing, 351 Arches over walks, 20 Asparagus, beds, making, 325; forced, 42] Attachment, singular, 313 Auricula, soil for, 363 ; spring treatment of, 281; autumn and winter culture, 306 ; its winter treatment, 323; its properties, 342; diseases, 343 ; list of, 343 Australia, plants for, 20 Azalea japonica, 142; sowing, 353 ; indica cul- ture, 441 Azara integrifolia culture, 284 Babiahas, their culture, 203 Bacon Hopper, 252, 354 lialsam cuttings, 52 ; sowing, 374 ; culture, 442 ; sowing for July, 431 Bank, sloping, for fruit, 94 ; plants for a green, 233 ; plants for river, 234 Barnardia seilloides, its culture, 203 Barrenwort, 55 Bath and West of England Agricultural Show, 413 Beans, culture of, 385 Beatonia, species of, 203 Beautiful, influence of the, 221 Bedding-out plants, 26 ; distances for, 134 Bedding plants and bulbs, 20 ; white, 374 Bees : honey harvest, 15 ; new mode of manag- ing, 15, 53; particulars of twelve stocks, 16; drones seen late, 33 ; honey season in Nor- thumberland, 48 ; confining, 49; wild, Apis lapidaria, 51; Calendars — November, 66; December, 150 ; January, 248 ; February, 328; April, 507; ventilation, 66; north aspect for, 66; dividing hive for obtaining artificial swarms, 66; Taylor's notes on, 66 ; Golding's improved hive, 73 ; age of young broods, 73 ; wild, 89, 112; harvest of 1852, 93 ; honey- harvest on moors, 1 10 ; swarming with young queen, 153; management, 173; in Taylor's hive, 174; using old comb, 174; notes on, 192, 252; honey harvest in Lincolnshire, 213; destroying royal cells, 214 ; leeding and hives, 248; necessity for feeding, 269; in boxes, 353 ; feeding, early breeding, cleaning floor- boards, snow, recipe for barley-sugar, 409; excess of drones, 491 ; entrance to Taylor's hive, 492 ; artificial swarms, 430 Bee-boxes, 449 ; with the comb broken down, 452 Begonia parvifiora hybrid, 17; Kvansiana, win- tering, 105; hybrid, 123; winter blooming and culture, 304; Thuaiteaii and culture, 415 ; sowing, 47I Bell-glasses, 496 Belts of trees, 474 Berberis vulgaris, 21 Bessera, list of species, 204 Bignonia radicans, treatment, 53 ; radicans major not thriving, iga Birds, familiarity of, 19 Blandfordias, list of and culture, 204 Boleti, list of eatable, 169 Bomareas, list of and culture, 240 Borders, arrangement of, and list of plants, 345 Botanical terras explained, 452 Boufiuet in Covent-Garden, 78, QQ ; model, 158 ; d'amour, 313 ; price of, 341 Bravoa geminiflora, 241 Brodieeas, list of and culture, 24 1 Brunsvigias, 242 ; list of and culture, 260 Buds and bulbs, on the possibility of combin- ing, 375 Bulbine, 301 Bulbs, hardy and half-hardy, their culture, 140, 160, 203, 240, 260, 301, 319, 361, 399, 438, 477; for large beds, 173; leaves, 451 Bullfinch diseased, 114 Cabbage, culture of Thousand-headed, 33 ; tribe, notes on, 40 ; protecting, 248 ; culture, 328, 38G ; weevil, 359 Cabbage- worts, their value, 65 Cactus culture, 4/2 Calceolaria seed, sowing, 52; listof yellow, 152; for bedding in shades, 412, 471 ; culture, 459; compost, 431 Calendar for November, 73; December, 153; January, 253; February, 333; March, 413; April, 510 Californian agriculture and horticulture, 373 Calliphruria Hartwegiana, 302 Callithauma, species and culture, 302 Calochortus, species and culture, 302 Calostemmas, list of and culture, 319 Calthorpe's (Lord) small garden tenants, 153 Camellia buds falling, Q4 ; turned brown, 252 Campanula Carpaticas flowering, 113 Camptosema rubicunda, 1 Canna, wintering, 105 Cantua dependens culture, 8; injured by heat, 33 Ciipe Jas:nine not flowering, 152 Cape of Good Hope wines, 318 Carnation soil, 73; layering, 191; culture of l)crpetual, 205 Carpodotes, its culture, 320 Carpolyza spiralis, 320 Carrot failure, 234; culture on unsuitable soil, 4G3 ; sowing, 506 Cassia corymbosa as a standard, 145 Castuses when resting, 194 Cattleya guttata, 220 ; mossiee, culture, 233 ; pallida, 500 Cauliflowers, wintering, 46, 63 Ceanothus rigidus culture, 9, 275 ; azureus, 33, 92; in Devonshire, 275; listof and culture, 281, 422 Celery blight, 94; best kinds, 134; coal-ashes as a preservative of, 185 ; cause of decay, 234 ; and its cultivation, 484 Celsia Cretica, 91 Cercus (night-blowing) in greenhouse, 52 Chaffinch's familiarity, 1 9 Cheese dairying, 138 Chclidoniums, 473 Cherries in Derbyshire, 304 Chilworth's (Ilev. J. L.) residence, 103 Chiswick Shows in 1853, 138 Chlidanthus fragrans culture, 320 Chorclis, list of and culture, 320 Chrysanthemum forcing, 20 ; Porajjone Hen- dersonii, 82; time of flowering, 122; culture, 223 ; list of, 243 Cider-making in Herefordshire, 291 ; sweet, making, 488 Cinchona Calisaya, and culture, 493 Cinchonads, how known from Madderworts, 75 Cinerarias mildewed, 20; sowing, 73, 4G0 ; blooming in November, 152; blooming in March, 294; amelloides, propagating, 412; compost, 431 Claremont, visit to, f^O Clianthus puniceus, wintering, 204, 314 ; in room, 234 Climate, vicissitudes in our, 486 Climbers, a purple autumn, 33 ; for greenhouse, 72 ; list of tender, 173 ; in stove, 332 ; hardy, 393 ; for high wall, 413 ; combination of, 422 Clivia nobilis culture, 320 Coburghias, list of and culture, 320 Cochlearia ucaulis, 83, 342 Cockle beds, 72 Cockscomb culture, 442 Collanias, and their culture, 36l Coloscordium culture, 302 Commelina scabra, and culture, 35; wintering, 105 Conantheras, and their culture, 36l Coniferae, 86, 125, I64, 206, 244, 285, 324, 365, 403, 443, 432 ; at Finedon Park, I06 ; sowing Himalayah, 253 ; planting, 431 Conifers, time for planting, 33 Conservative walls, their use, 224 Conservatory, heating a small, 134 Cooperias, and their culture, 36l Coreopsis filifolia, 83 Cornelian cherry, as a fruit, 59 Coronillas, list of, 422 Correas, list of, 422 Cosmos bipinnata, 83 Cottage garden and its November crop, 48 Cottagers, prizes for, at Shows, 106; a chsipter for, ass Couch grass, its impoverishing power, 467 Country Gentleman's Companion, 152 Courteen Hall Gardens, 144 Couve tronehuda, 492 Covent-Garden notes, 2, 23, 36, 56, 77, 99, HT. 136, 157, 176, 198,216, 236. 257, 298, 316,337, 359, 378, 398, 417, 435, 456, 475,495; fraudu- lent measures at, 278 ; cut flowers at, 341 Cows, oat straw for, 214 ; turnips required for, 214 ; murrain in, 432 Crab stocks, grafting, 114 Crinums, and their culture, 36l Crystal palaces, Rivers's, 13 Cucumber house, 73 ; pit and its management, 187; forcing, 234; early, in dung-bed, 239; removing male blossoms, 253; culture, 412; useful sorts, 432 Cummingia, species and culture, 399 Curminghamia sinensis, 9 Ciipressus, various hpecies, 9; list of species, 45 ; Govenii in bloom, 458 Cuttings, how to strike, 152; bottom-heat for, 354 Cyanella, species and culture, 400 Cyclamen, leaves decaying, 173 ; lost their leaves, 393 Cyclobothra, species and culture, 400 Cypella, species and culture, 401 Cypripedium soil, 492 Cyrtanthus, species and hybrids, 401 ; list of species, 438 Cytisus filipes, 422 Dacrvdiums. list of, 86 Dahlias, seedlings for J853, 29; house-sewage for, 114 ; of 1851, 186, 29O Dammaras, list of, 87 INDEX. U^mp, what is, 191 ; wiills, to cuic, •23 k Uainsons, 03 ; wine, tinui};, 33:i Danish Isles, sixteen mouths in, 119; aljunduucc of fruit there, 119 Diintzic, a visit to, -128 Daphnes, a few of the best, 113/ ; iudica nihia, 221 ; list of, -122 Datura just blooming, 19; requires shelter, i l:i ; wiaguinea in the open border, 221 ; in room, 234 Daubenyas, laQ Deeay, its increase in plants, 3:iS Decorative planting, 4/3 Decoy pond and its water-fowl, \90 De la Pre, iOO Dcndrobiuni nobtlc BI;i,r.dlanum, GOO Dessert, fruits for winter, 259 Dcutzia gracilis and scabra culture, S Dewing, its meaning and mode of applying, 402 Dianclhis, 139 Dibble for wheat, 233 Dichorisandra, S2 D^laeus puniceus. 422 ].louble-glazing and a well as i)i'otectois fioiu frost, 455 Draining, 65, 4f)7, 505 Drain, to construct, 134 Drimias, 439 Dryandras, list of, 423 Duug-beds, construction of for forcing, 2S6 Early life of Poor Plan's well-wibhcr, 2/2, 4S0 I'Icheandia tcrnifolia, 439 Echeveria rosea, 421 Edgings, 108 ; Hogg's, 253 Edwardsia grandiflora seeding, 214, 333, 423 Eiscnbeck (Professor Von), 118, 158 Elder juice frauds, 36 Elisenc longipetala culture, 439 Elm, the faatigiate, 452 Epimedium Aljiinum, 55 Eianthemuma, 305 Erica bicolor, with pale flowers, 73 ; 15anli&ia dropping its buds, 152 Erioljotrya japonica, 423 ICrythrina erista-galli propagating, 20, 423 Eseallonia macrantha culture, 9, 423 Jiispalier rail, 234 Eucalyptus, 423 Euchilus obcnrdatus culture, 203 Eucomis culture, 440 Eucrosia bicolor, 440 Euphorbia jac(nnniIlora, for wreaths, 59, 305 Eutaxia myrtifulia culture, 2(i2 Everlasting flowers mingled with grasses, '2'2'S Exhibitors of Ilowcrs, their trieks, 413 FAinv-iiiNCiS explained, 4G9 Eault (A) among us, 297 Feathers, difl'crcnt markings described, oti7; their varieties, Pencilled, 40(); the Laced, 4G5 Fevns, moving hardy, 51; fogging olf, 91 ; Bloorc's labels for, 99 J shoots, cooking, 314, 354 Ferrarias. 440 Finedon Park, lOG Fish diseased, 4/2 Fitzroya wood, 498 Flax thrashing, 4y2 Flower-beds, plans to be given, 20 ; a new onc^ Go ; new mude of trying colours in, 471 Flower-buds, to distinguish double and single, 33 Flower-garden plans, (No. 1) 67,73, 113, (No. 2) 147, (No. 3) 289, 393, 427 Flower-markets, London, 212 Fbnvcrs, general conn>etition with, 218; co- loured everliisting, 47 1 Forcing, preparations for early, 101 ; notes on, 238 ; ojierations of the season, 280 ; its general principles, 300 Forest Trees of Great Britain, 355 Forests (Royal), their mismanagement, y79 Forsaken Heritage (The), 13 Forsythia virldissima jiruning, 394, 423 Forsyth MSS., 3, 36, 77, 98, 146, 357, 377, -117 Foureroyas, 410 Frenelas, list of, 87 Fruit, stores, managing, 38 ; and vegetable cul- ture combined, 80 ; influence of soil on, 313 ; growing, its eommeiclal importance, 395 ; how to secure a crop, 4 19 Fruits, Belgian Commission on. 300 Fruit-trees, general planting of, 137; on walls, their distances, 152; far north walls, 152; renovation of, 178, 218; for Cumberland. 2gi; after the mild winter, 318 ; grass-walk over routs, 333 Fuchsias, list of good, 32 ; speetabilis, 33, IM; with a single stem, .12; wintering, 53, 105; libt of and culture, 92 ; TiHt of best, 132; Btraggling, 152; Fuehaia bed, to make, 171 ; culture, 2;9, 4G0 ; budding, 2yi ; coruata, 342 ; serratifolia culture, 412 I'umigating greenhouse, 54 ; injury from, 471 Fun-i", British eatable, 14; eatable, 109, IG9 ; British, 189, ^^8 ; useful kinds, 312 Funkia subcordata, 1/ ; grandiflora alba, 27 Galaxias, -140 Gardeners and their mastcis, 22 ; who arc im- postors, 257 Gardenias for walls, 4Gl Garden-orchard, SO Garden, restoring an old, 424, 431 Gardens, benefits of exhibiting tlicm, 222 Gardiner (W.), proposed biography of, US Gas, heating by, 133 Gastronemas and their culture, 477 Gaura Lindhcimcri, 26 Geissonieria aurantiaca, 420 Geiasorhizaa and their culture, 478 Gclasine and Gcthyllis, 478 Geraniums, moving into greenhouse, 20 ; pro- pagating Golden-cbaiu, 20; wintering scarlet, 33; wintering, .'j3, 104,4/1; (Scarlet), Aniuzon and others, 102; cuttings of Unique, 113; as standards, 144; turning yellow, 151; un- pruned, 231 ; (Commander-in-Chief) as a bedder, 273 ; management of scarlet, 354 ; gangrened, 354 ; treatment of seedling, 394 ; for forcing (Queen of February), 457 Gesncra Zebiina, culture, 52, 1 03, 205 ; clong.ata culture, 304; Suttonii alba, mealy bug on, 314 Gladioli, notes on species, 174 Gladiolus gandavcnsis, planting out, 194; cid- ture, 479 Glasgow, garden near, 53; Floral Exhibition, 418 Glaueium lutcum, 375 ; cornieulatum, 395 Glazing, double, 20; laps in, 20; its bcncfils, 55 ; to remedy drip, 94 Gloxinias not bulbing, 33; management, 173 ; list of and culture, 252 ; from leaves, 3/6 Gold fish in vases, 450 Goosander, red breasted, its habits, 37 Grafting on upper side of branches, 252 ; in a hotbed, 482 Grapes, preserving, 20; Black Barbarossa, 84, 499; growinglatc, 124; caterpillars on berries, 134 ; diseased. 1/4; the Fox, as a stock, 180; forcing, good specimens of, 233 ; cause of their shanking, 381, 428; the Trebiana, 477; Es- pcrione and others, 500 Grasses as ornaments. 223 Greasing the wheel, 166 Greenhouse construction, 2ft; stages, 59; plants fur back wall, 72 ; trellis plants, 84, 94; and vinery, 114, 363, 382; with west aspect, 114 ; facing the north, 214; plants, winter-bloom- ing, 282 ; vines and flowers in, 294 ; arrang- ing a new, 294 ; heating, 333, 387 ; climi)ers, 3/4; modes of heating small, 422, 430; in March, jottings for, 459 ; work there, in March, 440 Grindclia grandiflora, 1 15 Guano, its composition and value, l/G Guernsey Lily done flowering, 273 Guzmannia tricolor, 83 ITabranthus and their culture. 4/9 Habrothannms clegans and fasciculatua culture, 282 Harmony, what is it? 114 Hardenbcigias, list of and culture, 84 ; mono- phylla treatment, 234 Haricot bean, a large white, 174 Heath cuttings, management of, 351; propa- gating and growing, 412 Heat, how to retain, 4 15 Heating, easy nvode of, 38? ; economical mode of, 410; Ijy gas, 413; a small greenhouse, 433 ; modes of, 501 Hedyebium Garunerianum, 471 Hellebores, winter-llowcring, 421 Herbaceous plants, list of, 27 Hickory nuts, sowing, 33 Hippeastrum aulicum platypctalum culture, 312 Hippophae rhamnoidcs, 174 Hives (Taylor's), 294 Honrca melanantha, 1? Hollyhocks, list of, 33, 53 Honey harvest of 1852, 372 Horticultural and Pomological Association, 399, 452, 470 Horticultural Society's Meetings, 81, 122, 220, 341, 420, 457, 498 Horticultural Society, rules for a Provincial, 265; Pcubleshire. 266; of London first -■•ug- gcated, 358 ; its first formation, 377 ; in Tiji- jierary, 477 Hdtbed, a shallow, 17 i its duration if shallou', 152; for early forcing, 366; its construction and management, 480 Hothouse, law of removing, 314 Hot water in bottles to exclude frost, 430 Hot-water versus Polmaise, 245 Hyacinths in pots, 294 ; with many offsets, 471 ; deformed, 510 Hybrid between Hhcep and deer, 470; between pheasant and fowl, 470, 472 Hydrangea culture, 413 Ice, preserving, 214 " 1 have no one to take care of mc," 407 Indian seeds, I73 ; corn, 499 Indigofera decora pruning, 353 Insects, Stephens' Collection, 496 Ipomieas, to keep free from red spider, lyi Iris (China) culture, 54 Irrigating with sewage, 153 Ivy keeping walls dry, 252 ; pruning and propa- gating, 354 ; against a wooden fence, 4yi Ixias, propagating, 53; culture at Clarcmont, 61 Jackdaw's familiarity, 19 Japan l>ilies for garden decoration, 508 Jasminuni, dwarfs, Gl ; sambac, mauagcmcnt of, 194 Jones, William and Ann, 88 Junipers, list of, 126 Juniperub, list of species, lG4, 206 Juslieia spcciosa culture, 304 Ki!ARSLEY House, 63 Kennedya, list of and culture, 64 Kidney beaus, new varieties tried, 100; forcing, 239 Kitchen-garden crops, 326; routnie, 3G7, 385, 408; crops, arranging ceuiiomically, 504 Labels for Roses, 234 ; cheap, 336 Laburnum, origin of the purple, 19G Lachcnalia tricolor, S3 Lady gardeners, 490 Landscape Gardening, 29G, 473 ; Major's, i-}5 Lantana mutabilis culture, 314 Larch, its value and species, 206 Laurels, pruning, 152; time for cutting down, 231 Leaves, conseiiucnces of removing, 135 ; re- moving from bulbs, :i35 ; reciprocate with the roots, 336; propagating by, 452 Lemon trees unhealthy, 4/2 Lettuces for London markets, 78 Libroccdrus, list of species, 244 Light, its importance to plants, 40? Lilies, mixture of, 214 Lilium lancifolium, culture in greenhouse, 46I ; in open ground, 508 Limatodcs rosea, culture, 220 Limnoeharis Humboldtii, hardy, 399, -157 Lions, tame, 4/0 Lic|uid manure, Roe's mode of ai)plying, 79 Liquorice culture, 494 Lithospcruium rosmarinifolium culture, 281 Lobcbas, tall, propagating, 44, 62; culture, 02 ; wintering tall, 105 ; syphilitica and cardiuaUs, their culture, 151; list of tall, 152 Look round. Taking a, 13 Lo<[uat, 423 Lotus jacobious, managing, 194 Lupins, to arrange a bed ol, 83 Macgillivrav (Dr. W.), his Itritish Birds, 3? Machicrantlicra tanacetifolia, and culture, 165 fliagnolia grandiflora propagating, 354 iVIaiva unibellata, 220 I\Iaiide\illa suaveolcns, propagating, 412 ]\Ianettia bicolor culture, 24J DIangold sowing, 50G MantclKDr. G. A.), 199 Market gardens round London, 379 Masters and their Gardencis, 134 Maurandya Barclayana culture, 19 fliauritius, its sugar and gardening, 178 McGlashcn's transplanting inachiue,379,453, 4/0 IMcasurea in Covent Garden, 435 Mcconopsis cambrica, 335 Medinilla Sicboldii, 82; not flowering, 152 Melidores, or IMaladorcs, 91 Melon seeds, good age for, 234; culture, 412 ; under rough plate glass, 509 I\leliantluis major, 180 Meteorology in Mauritius, 359 Rlichaclnuis Daisy, hybrids, 115 Mildness of the season, 359 Miltonia speetabilis culture, 353 ftlistlctoc sowing, 114 IMltraria coccinea culture. 9 Mushroom beds, preparing dung for, 29 ; modes of cooking, 169 ; to establish on lawn, 234; preparing, 292 njussel layers, 71 flJustard, its derivation, 300 Nectauini! (Stanwick) not hardy. 139 Nclumbium spceiosum culture, 510 INDEX. Vii NciuaiaiUlius loiigiims, ns ;i sliow pliiut, 52 Newbury IIoiLiciiltural Society, 3y9 Nicotiana alata, 1/5 Nivcn, I\Ir,, 3;jt) Nuiniamly anil its pouUry, 111 Niinuamly, 170, 2/:!, 21)0 Northampton Horticultural Show, 105 ; Nursery Gai'dcus, Ml Notes, conipariug, 113 Nuphar Lutca, 135 Niu-jiciyuicn as fruit dealers, 139 Nympbtua alba, 95; cccrulea hardy, -15? Oak, Sclscy Forest and Stephen's 355 ; height of the upright, 452; soil, 46? O;it-sowinjj, 505 (Eiiothcra macrocarpa and missounensc pio|)a- t^atinp:, 20 Okl garden, renewing an, 413 Oneidium i)ai)iUo culture, 233 Onions, roping, 30; (potato) culture, 174; sowing, 328; culture, 405 0[iium, its production, &c., 295 Oranges and lemons ix)r bacit wall of green- house, 152 Orange-tree culture, 31 1 ; sickly, 471 Orchard-house, fruits for, 113; Rivers', 299 Orchard, trees for, 252; notice of early, 336; hints on planting, 33S ; in ISth century, 35 d ; in Kent, 395; planting, 497 Orcharding, its profit, 4/2 Orchids, sale of, 78; culture, 233, 394; from seed, 500 Osmaston Manor, 43 Osalis howeii, and other spccics,tlicif culture, 124 ; list of, and times of blooming, 125, 134 ; Dcpi-ii not blooming, 252 Oxford liotanie Garden, !80 Oxyanthus tubiflorus and culture, 75 Oyster layers, 71 ; vegetable, 214 Palm.\ CiiKiSTi out-of-doors, I7 Pampas grass, 96, 379; getting seed, 27 Pansies, descriptive list of, 184, 207, 308 Papaver argcuione, and hybridum, 195 ; nudi- eaule, 215; dubium antl rhceas, 255 ; somni- feruin, 295 Paper of straw, &c., 43G Paraguay, 96 Parsnip culture, 385 Paterson to DIr. Forsyth, 3 Paul Jones, 79, 436 Paulownia imperialis, 235 Peach, Shangliae, 10(j; forcing early, 101; tree, liordcrs, 1/9; pruning, time for, 19I ; trees, cause of decay, 317; house management, 3f)0 Pears cracking, 20; Hessle, and Louise d'Av- ranches, 23 ; J3rown Beurre, 21 ; best baking, 57; in October, 84 ; new seedling, 100; Louis Bonnes, 114; Louise Bonne, its history, 134; list of dessert, 193, 217; on quince stocks, 214; as wall-fruit, 275; history of, 276; gathering, 294; list of, 314; early culture in England, 315; for wall culture, 3l6 ; in Derbyshire and Northumberland, 894 ; effect of dilrercnt stocks, 413 ; why gritty, 451 Peas in October, 83; new, varieties tried, 100; growing early, 127; culture, 3S6; from France, 457 ; growing early, 504 Peat, its use and treatment, 54 ; charcoal for camellias, 273 Pelargoniums flarge) dying, 93 ; improvement in, 364 ; raising from seed, 333 ; propagating by cuttings, 404; summer treatment, 423, 442 ; two-year okl, 462 ; winter treatment, 483; grafting, 423; Sowing, 471 ; list of, 491 ; house for, 443; seedling growing, 447; the spot in, 502 ; preparing for show, 502 ; sowing in autumn, 509 Petunia, its characteristics, S5 ; cuttings and seed, 106; soil for, 126; summer and winter treatment, 145; management for exhibition, 165 Pheasants, reaving, 52, 391 ; keeping, 370 ; silver, a vagrant, 418 Phlomis lloccosa, account of, 54 Phyllocladus, list of species, 244 Physalis alkekcngi, 153 ; edulis, 294 Phytolacca dccandra culture, 93 Picea, list of species, 285 Pigeons, diseased throat in, 274 ; Antwerp carriers, 311 ; disease in, 311; treatment of canker in, 332; kinds to keep, 354; house, lilacc for, 394 ; consequences of mixing, 4?! Pilferer, the garden, 326 Pine culture, Hamiltonian, 4, 24, 159, 201 ; ventilation, 24 ; heating, 25 ; propagating, 57 ; descriptive terms, 58 ; house lor, 58 ; soil for, 58 ; culture, tan for, 120 ; weight of fruit, 123; query as to fruiting, 152; treatment of fruiting, 332; apples, shifting, 436; tliree best, 499 Pinetura, trees for, 133 Pinna, list of species, 324, 36'<, 403, 443, 433 Pit for forcing, &c., 53; for propagating, 412 Pits, management of plants in, 181 ; covering cold, 401 Plants, packing for exportation, 40 ; their gradual development, 2l6; liardy in Ireland, 230 ; spontaneous growth of, 468 Pleetranthus concolor-|>icta, 82 Pleroma elegans, pruning, 193 Plum, Purple Gage, 21; in Derbyshire, 39I ; for standards, 452 Poinsettia puleherrima, 305; culture, 4/1 Polniaise heating, 245, 252 Polyanthus narcissus culture, 273 I^otygala Dalmaitiana, 500 Pomological societies, 298 Pony, tlie Cottage Gardener's, 370, 388, 445, 488 Poppy-worts, I95, 215, 255, 295,375,395,433, 473 Por])hyrocoma lanceolata culture, 374 Potiito niuvrain and large produce, 2 ; disease, 30; autumn-planting, 33; planting in clay soil, 54 ; early good varieties, 54 ; culture, 65 ; ])lanting, 73, 253, 328, 408 ; quantity con- sumed, 76 ; a variety not atfected by murrain, 76 ; successful mode of culture, '/'i ; kinds most free from disease, lOG; murrain, 111 ; grown without leaves, 136 ; farcing, 208 ; growing. 211; failure, 234; manufacturing yfinng, 337 i experiments in its culture, 465 ; Malfaiti's, 4/7; planting Ash-leaved, 506 ; hybridising, 510 Pot-herb culture, 444 Pots for training, 134 Potting sand, 314 Poultry, Liverpool Show, 17; mania for Cochins, 18; prolificacy of Cochins, 19; hens' nests, ly, 43 ; cram[) in, 20 ?■ Winchester and South- ern Counties Society, 22; cost ot keeping Cochins, 32, 294 ; Andrews' Cochiu-Chioas, 38 ; Cornwall exhibition, 38 ; Cochin-China FiAvl's remonstrance, 49; sending to the Show, 49 ; prolific ducks, 58 ; fatting Cochins, 54; Cochins ». Spanish, 51; experiments on feeding, 6S ; visits to the chief yards (Stur- geon's), 69; Polands at Dominica, 73; roup, treatment of, 73 ; what is a pure breed, 73 ; North Staffordshire Show, 79 ; Cochins, Dorkings, and Spanish, 90 ; expense of feed- ing, 91, 94, 131, 150, 153, 192, 250, 273, 29I ; for laying, 91; White Shanghae, gi, 354; Ducks not laying, 94; choice of Shanghae, 94 ; Lovell's, 94 ; time for sitting, 94 ; results (.f Mr. Sturgeon's sale, ^'o; chief yards of England (Capt. Hornby's), 108 ; cross-bred, 114; Spanish, ^'c., 114; its literature, 115; Mowbray and Dickson on, II6; soil for, U6; colours of, 116; increased importance of, 118; Penzance poultry yards, 129,210,248; Cochin-chinas, weight of, 129 ; laying soft eggs, cure for, 133; Silk fowls, 133; doubts about keeping, 134; cooking Shanghaes, 134 ; use of December eggs, 152; eggs for travelling and hatching, 152; feeding Shanghae, 152; pronenesstosit, 153; ornamental and domes- tic (Dixon's), 155, 178; egg halching, works on by Nolan, Kichardson, and Bady, 156 ; Hamburgh described, 156 ; shows, their abuses, 158; cross breeding and roup, I68; Shanghae described, I7O; Dorchester show, 171 ; Hitehinshow, 172, 233; Cochin-China, no such breed, 17'1; ^t the Mauritius, I78; Winchester Show, IS7; rapid growth of Shanghae, 189,211,250; the Dorking, 191; Blusk Duck, 192; Polandsu. Hamburghs, 194, 274,490; lot at Sturgeon's sale, 194; Great Metropolitan Show, 109, 251, 308, 369; di- mensions of cocks, 210 ; Dorkings v. Shang- haes, 212; inflammation of egg passage, 213, 350 ; to prevent a hen sitting, 214, 233, 273 ; fencingfor yard, 214, 374 ; points in Shanghae fowls, 214; Birmingham Show, 225, 250; dealers should not be judges, 226; broken limbs, to treat, 230; Mr. Punchard's yard, 231 ; Itristol Show, 232; Shanghaes unrelated, 233; colour of Shanghae's legs, 234, 432; rape and linseed dust for, 234 ; price of Shanghae, 238, 294 ; white Polands with white crests, 238; Salisbury Show, 251 ; laced Polands, what are their characters, 252 j rules for exhibitions, 256; Cochin, Dorking, and Spanish, 269 ; Great Metropolitan, Dublin, and Birmingham Shows, 270 ; white comb in Shanghaes, 2/2; Black Bantams, their cha- racteristics, 273; sickle feathers in Shanghae cocks, 273; Black Shanghaes, 274, 333,354; Silver-Spangled and Gold en- Spangled Ham- burghs, 274 ; eggs, to detect fecundated, 27J ; arrangements at Birmingham proposed, 276; Brahma Pootra, 288, 413; disease of (Apo- plexy), 289 ; hatching, nests, and breeding, 292 ; pens at shows, 292 ; Dorkings, their characteristics, 294; eft'ecta of long shows, 297; sales of Shanghae, 299. 136; Cheltenham Summer Show, 300 ; cross-hrccding ami use of mcdicino, 312; paralysed limbs, 3U ; Truro and Penzance Shows, 328; Duhhu Amateur Show, 332; feathers, 332; breeding pure chickens, 332 ; comb of Dorkings, 332 ; roup in Shanghaes, 333 ; rheumatism in, 333; con-> se(|uences of shows, 338 ; memorial to Bir- mingham committee, 338 ; dealers as judges, 317,447; Doncastcravid Huniton shows, 349 ; ]iea-fowl, 351 ; Mr. Winglield's yard, 351 ; cross-breeding, 352 ; Silver-pencilled Ham- burghs, their characteristics, 354; Birming- ham show rules, 357; price of eggs, 36o ; Torquay, 368; mistakes at shows, 369; judges and auctions, 369 ; Spanish at Truro, 3(j9 ; exhibition fever, 3/1, 411, 489 ; apoplexy and jjaralysia, 371; eggs, preserving, 373 393; chicken feeding, 373 ; eggs, impregnating, o7'i ; bhtck-brcasted game, 374 ; three eggs laid in a day, 379 ; different kinds of feathers, 387 ; Hamburghs classified, 388 ; lleigate show, 389 ; Koyal Dublin, Bath, and West of England and Birmingham, ;^00 ; hints on breeding, 393 ; characteristics of Dorking, 393 ; imperfect eggs, 393 ; cuckoo feather, 387, 394 ; prize list ot Itoyal Agricultural Society at Gloucester, 394 ; sale of Mr. Pott's Shanglnie, 399; pencilled feather, 4U6 ; Po- lands and Hamburghs, their distinctions, 409 ; spangle defined, 409; cross-breeding, 410; inlluencing the sex of chickens, 41 1 ; breeding pure, 413; Shanghaes with unfeathered legs, 413; Shanghae eggs, 413; Doneaster show, 418; prizes by our Agricultural societies, 4'^5 ; hints to societies, 426; bantams, their varie- ties, 43) ; Egyptian, 431 ; hybrid with phea- sant, 432 ; Captain Hornby's Spanish, 432, 472 ; Polands, 432 ; Yorkslnrc Agricultural Society's prizes, 434 ; Bath and W^estern Counties prizes, 435; Kendal and Smithficld Club Shows, 436 ; cross breeds, 446 ; rules at shows, 447; laced versus spangled Polands, - 448 ; on shipboard, 449 ; inllammation of their stomach, 450; influencing their sex, 451 ; crowing hen, 452, 491 ; Shanghae chickens since Christmas, 452; weight of Dorkings, 452 ; cross with pheasant, 452 ; egg-eating pullet, 452 ; lameness in Dorkings, 452 ; Nutt's Shanghaes, 456 ; Newcastle Show, 457 ; the laced feather, 465 ; beards of Polands defended, 467; egg-eating hen, 471 ; summer ducks, 471 ; sudden death of Shan- ghaes, 472 ; laying soft eggs, 472, 492 ; weight of Shanghae cock, 477; Batli and West of England Society's rules, 477 ; Laced Polands, 436; on shipboard, 487; egg-bound, 489; frost-bitten, 401 ; keeping breeds distinct, 492 ; wh'te Bantams, 492; profits of keeping, 492; Spanish, 492; Bath and West of Eng- land exhibition, 494; sale of, 496; Great Northern show, 496; Bearded Polands, 507 ; egg-eaters, 509, 510; size of house required, 509; Egyptian, 509; Bolton Greys, 510; cross between Shanghae and Dorking, 510; shape of egg, 510 Pourettia (Pnya) longifolia, 499 Preserving specimens of animals, 372, 391, 432 Prices in 1675, 37 Primroses (Chinese), how to grow superior, 458 Primula Palinuri, 459 Propagating tender plants, 321 Protecting crops, 2fi5 ; fruit-trees, 313 ; plants, various modes of, 4l0, 419 Protection from frost, 455, 456 ; to early forced vegetables, 457 Psoralea csculenta, 158 Pterocarpa Caucasica, 60 Ptinus holoscricus, 20 Puya zeylaniea, 83 Pyrethrums, white, culture, 234 Quince, mildewed, 72 Raqdits, liver complaint in, 54 ; importation of, 119; long-cared, 253 Rain, quantity fallen, 199 llanunculus planting, 471 Raspberries, soil for, 234 Ravens and their young, 469 Redbreast's familiarity, 19 Red spider, destroying, 412 Rhododendron ciliaris, hybridizing, 458 Rhubarb forcing, 114, 14(>, 243; earliest and most profitable, 252 \ Rhynchospermum jasminoides, 421 j Ridging, its importance, 149 j Rochea falcata, 314 Rogiera amo-na, 420 ; Roezlii, 458 Rolleston Park, 44 Ronieria hybrida, 433 1 Rookery, to establish, 33 ' Rooks, 52 Vlll Rooms, showing plants in, 6l Root storing^, 65 Root crops, removing leaves from, 236; digging for, 408 Rosa inicrophylla culture, 281 Rose and Ivy, 94 Roses arranged according to their colour and growth, 10; protecting Tea-scented, 3n ; on turf, 5J ; renovating moss, 51 ; pegging down, 54; soil for, 73; newly-Ijcdded mismanaged, /;) ; on back wall of forcing-house, lOii ; pruning budded, 113; climbing, 113, 451; Devonicnsis, 153; management of Laniarque, 1/3; pruning standard Chinese, 193; felicite perpetual, 253 ; pruning climbing, 3/4 ; plant- ing cuttings, 413 ; leaves mildewed, 451 ; near London, 452; from eyes, 509 Rotation of crops, 149 Rustic scats and gates, 20 Sail-cloth for sheltering, 54 Salading, lists of, 342, 500 Salix, its species, 3() Salt, goat's fondness for, 339 Salvia patens, wintering its roots, 73 ; hardy in Ireland, 152 ; sowing, 432 Samphire pickling, 54 Saponarla Calabrica culture, 374 Schotia speciosa, 4/3 Scotland, state of crops, 39 Scrapers, garden, 218; moveable garden, 410 Screen of evergreens, 491 Sea-kale, forcing early, 145 Selago distans culture, 284 Sewage, removing its smell, 111; how to use, 134 ; unfermcntcd, and irrigating with, 153 Sliadcd border, plants for, 234 Shanking, to prevent, 248 Sheldrake and its haunts, 50, 70 Slieep buving, 153 ; barking trees, 452 Shows, list of, 4, 24, 38, 57, 79, 100, 120, 13C, 159, 1/8, 201, 218, 238, 258, 279, 300, 318 Shrubs, list of hardy, 94 Silk, its growth in England, 77 Sinclair (Sir J.), 11, 98, 136 Siphocampylos microstomus culture, 311 Skimmia japonica, 82, 220 Smith (Sir J. E.), to Mr. Forsyth, 36 Snow as a protection from frost, 456 Soil, what is a poor, 113 Soils for fruit-trees, 179 Solandra Uevis, 82 Sonerila orbiculare, 221 ; japonica culture, 341 Song Birds (British), 132 Soot as a manure, 273 Sowing small seeds, 510 Sparaxis propagating, 53 Sparrows, out-manoeuvering, 253 Spinsters, a word to, 367 Sports in plants, 2 16 I INDEX. t Spring crops, preparing ground for, 344 I I Spud (a useful garden), 371 ; Siauntonia latifolia, a new hardy evergreen j climber, 421. 471 I Stoneleigh Abbey. 63 , j Stones beneficial to light soil, 373 [ j Stove for pines, 4 ; plants for exhibition, list of, ' 35 ; in greenhouse, 303 \ Strawberry, two new varieties, 100 ; forcing , I early, 102 ; forcing those in bloom in open ! ground, 274, 279 Structures, gardening, 50O ^ I Styvechale Hall, 63 Suburban gardens, forming, 87 ; walks and edgings for, 107 Succulents in the Oxford Garden, 181 Suffolk Heaths, 130 Sulphur, on hot surfaces, 273; symptoms of excess of, 413 Sweet Pea, cuttings of roots, 472 TaCSONIA SANfiUINEA, 315 Tailor, the poor, 246 Talc, as a substitute for glass, 133 Taste, jottings about, 27 i Taxodium sempervirens, 20 ; in bloom, 458 Tea seeds, 459 Tender plants that may be dormant in winter, lOi Tetrathcca pruning, 274 Thunbcrgia alata in the open air, 6o Titlark, its treatment, 132 Tobacco, cultivating and harvesting, 31 ; plants producing, 175 Torenia asiatica sickly, 114; culture, 304 ; pro- l^agating, 412 Training with eyed nails, 314 Transplanting large trees, 238; M'Glashen's plan, 379, 453 Trees before a house, 20 ; fast growing, 1 13 Trellis, climbers for, 20; table, for fruit, 420 Troprcoluni tuberosum, its produce, 174; tri- colorum, 174; tricolorum shedding its leaves, 193; Lobbianum varieties, 220; Lobbianum, pentaphyllum, and tuberosum culture, 242; tricolorum culture, 31 1 ; roots, cooking, 412 Trymalium odoratissimum, 500 Turnips, produce per acre, 236; sowing, 50/ Tying-down training, 273 1 Umity of expression in gardens, 27 Vanda cffiRULEA, 81 ; influence of heat on, 123; suavis, 220 Vegetables, imported, 457; borders, turfing, 471 Ventilation, 252 Veranda, plants for, 394 Verbenas, damping off, 152; mode of preserv- ing, 194 ; propagating, 471 Veronica speciosa in room, 234 ; Andersonii and speciosa culture, 283 Victoria Rcgia at Glasgow, &c., 258 Village Feast, 209 Vinery, management of, 339 ; choice of vines for,*412; heating a small, 510 Vines, culture, 20 ; at Bishop Stortford, 30 ; admitting stems, 31; for cool greenhouse, 54, 393; in pots, 72; border, ^\, 152, 194; forcing early, 101; removing, I06; bark re- moving, 152, 194 ; dressing for, 253; mildew, its prevalence, 258 ; grafting, 274 ; in pots from eyes, 274; disbudding, 339; stopping, 340; shoots drooping, 413; forcing, when to begin, 457; dressing, 472; stdl unpruned, 472; blighted, 509; gnawed by a dog, 452 Violets their historjS 3^ ; Russian Superb, 36 ; modes of cultivating ditferent kinds, 162 Walks in small garden, 93, 10/ ; their classifi- cation and arrangement, 397 ; in orchard, 498 Walls, conservative, and heated fruit, 183; forming a conservative, 264 ; furnishing, 274, 305; plants for preservative, 343, 384, 422, 461, 503; for fruit, 497; flowers, &c., for north, 509, 510 Wall-trees unfruitful, 2/4 " Wanting for nothing," 128 Ward's case, plants for, 2/4, 49I Water for orchard, 498 Water lilies, 95; yellow, 135 Watsonia fulgida in border, 193 Weather during last fifty years, 486 Wedgewood, John, 357, 377 Weeds, modes of killing, 3u6 Weigela rosea culture, 9 ; jiruning, 193, 391 M'est Indies, useful plants for, 417 Wcstringia Dampicrii culture, 262 Wet days, work for, 29 Wet season, influence of, l65, 265 Wheat, its origin, 215; sowing, 300; sowing spring, 485 Whitley Abbey, 63 Widow' indeed (The), 47 \\'ilderness. shrubs for, 181 Wild Flowers (British), 21, 55, 95, 135, 195, 215,255,295, 335, 375, 395, 433,4/3; profit from, 214 ; walks after, 300 M'indow gardening, points in, 42 Wintering plants, easy mode of, 231 AVireworm, mode of destroying, 330 Woodlicc, destroying, 402 Wrest Park Gardens, 143 Vf.au, close of the, 264 Young, Dr. G., 417 Yuccas, new mode of culture, 6; list of, 7 ZEniVRANTnES Ataimasco culture, 393 Ziehyas, list of and culture, 84 Zinc, for garden pots, 62 Zygopctalum fliackayi, culture, 233 WOODCUTS. PAGIi Camptoscma rubicunda - - 1 Ikrljcris vulgaris - - - - 21 Front light of Vinery - - - 31 Commclina seahra - - - 35 Epimedium alpinum - - - 55 Flower-Garden plan - _ . 67 Oxyanthus tubitlorus - - - 75 Nymphica alba - - _ . 95 Griiuiclia grandirtora - - - 115 Titlark - - - - - 132 Nuphar lutca - - , . 135 Flower-Gardcn plan - - - 147 Maeluoranthcra tanacctifolia - - 155 Nicotiana aliita - - - - 175 Cucumber Pit- - - - 187 Papavcr argemonc Papaver nudicnulc Garden scraper Mr. Pnnchard's Poultry Yard Paulownia impcrialis - Papavcr dubium - Tent for Exhibitions - American garden plan Ccanothus rigidus Flower-Garden plan Poultry basket Papavcr somnifcrum Tacsonia sanguinea - RIeeonopsia cambrica Salcey Forest Oak I'ACF. PACK HJ5 Glauciuni lutmin - 375 215 Label . - . - - 38G 2IB Hot-water .iitparatiis - . 387 231 Glaucium corniculatuni - - 395 235 Pencilled feather - -luG 255 Moveable garden scraper - - 410 267 Begonia Thuaitcsii - 415 271 Flower-Gardcn plan - 427 275 llonieria liyljrida - 433 239 Hot-water apparatus (gas-heated) - 434 292 Abclia uniflora - 453 295 Laeed feather _ - - - 465 315 Chclidoniuni majus - - 473 335 Cinchona calisaj-a - - 493 355 October 7. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 7Ta 8 F S Sun M Tu W OCTOBER 7—13, 1852. Wbather near London in 1861, Barometer. jThermo. Wind. Rain in In Beech leaves fall. J29-7X.5 —29.669 fio— 40 S.W. White Poplar leaves fall. I29 955 — 29.833| 59— 32 W. Hazel yellow. !29 924 —29. 802 fill— 56 S. 17 Sunday AFTER Trinity. Cam. T.b. .10. 168 — 29.535] 68—46 W. Old Mich. Day. Oxford Term begins. 30.224 — 30.188 68—63 | S. Fieldfare comes. 30.283 — 30 274 68 — 54 S. Elder leaves fall. J30. 129 — 29.989 62—54 S.W. 09 13 Sun Rises. Sun Sets. 13 a. 6 15 16 18 I 20 21 23 23 a. e 21 18 16 14 12 10 Moon R.&S. 11 18 morn. 0 31 1 52 3 16 4 42 sets. Moon's Clock Age. bef. Sun. Day of Year. 24 25 26 27 28 29 12 IS 12 32 12 48 13 3 13 18 13 33 13 47 282 283 284 285 286 287 Meteorology of the WEEK.-At Chiswicl: from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 61° and 43° respectively. The greatest heat, 75^ occurred on the 13th in 1845 ; and the lowest cold, 26°, on the 13th in 1850. Durmg the period 84 days were fine, and on gi rain fell. RUBY-FLOWERED CAMPTOSEMA. (Camplosema ruhicvniia.) Plants of this coniparativelj new genus have been likened to, and called, Kennedyas, in gardens. In their outward appearance, and in their general habit, they much resemble some of the species of Kennedya, Zichya, and Harden- bergia, yet, when they are examined botanically, they exhibit a wide departure from that group, and come nearer to Canavallias and Diocleas. The genus was founded by Hooker and Arnott, and the name derived from laimptos, bent, and sema, a standard, alluding to the form of the flower branches. Instead of Pupnionacea;, as formerly, all the pea-fiowering, and all plants, whether with pea- flowers or not, that bear their seeds in pea or bean-like pods, as the Acacias, are now called Leguminous plants, because such pods, in the language of botany, are called legumes ; and to get rid of the old associations about pea- flowers, or papiUonacea:, leguminous plants are now called Fabacea; or Beanworts. This species of Camptosema is a native of Brazil— a very gay climber, with ruby-coloured, pea-like flowers hanging down in long racemes, and pro- ducing a fine effect. It requires the heat of a .stove to make the most of it, but a warm conservatory will probably be found sufficient for it. It was first introduced to the German gardens four or five years ago, under the name of Kennedya splendens. Lenflels smooth, milky-green beneath; racemes oi flowers about nine inches long, drooping; calyx with two small bractes at the base, somewhat two-lipped, and from 4 to 6 lobed ; petals nearly equal, deep ruby -red in colour, the largest rather bent back, clawed with two blunt teeth at the base of the lamina; other petals clawed, each with two blunt teeth at the base of the lamina. It is in the Dladelphia Decaudria of Linnaeus. The stamens axe in two groups, nine and one. — Botanical May., 4608. Culture and Propagation. — From what I have learnt about this new fine climber, I have no doubt but that it will succeed well where the Beaumontia grandiflora and *<.'- phnnotisfloribunda thrive and flower. It is 'true the latter will do just as well in the Calcutta orchid-house, the common stove, the early vinery, and the warm conservatory; but the Beaumontia will not do in either heat nor cold — that is, in a stove or in a greenhouse— but in a place intermediate between the two ; and such intermediate temperature, I am quite sure, is best for this Camptosema : and, being a strong grower, it must have sufficient head-room to extend itself freely before it will flower much. Cuttings from small side shoots is the nursery way of propagation, but, for private use, make layers of long shoots of last year, in the spring, and so get full-grown plants at once. D. Beaton. No one better than an Editor knows the impossibility of acting so as to please everybody, and even in en- larging our paper, at a certain expenditure of several hundreds of pounds, and with a total uncertainty as to any remunerative return, we are quite sure of dis- pleasing some of our readers. We shall regret the dis- pleasure of even one of them, but conscious of the soundness of our intentions, we hope all things, and pursue our way. That way has been known for four years to our readers, and we can assure them that " the old path " will not be diverted, but only widened. We have felt that for some time. Poultry, and other in- telligence, though strictly within our original purpose, have trespassed upon space that should be devoted to Gardening, yet. Poultry, Bees, the Aviary, and Farming, are subjects on which a large proportion of our sub- scribers demand from us information. Then, again, we have been asked not to print advertisements so that these must be bound up in the volume; whilst other, and very numerous, parties have required, that to these advertisements we should give additional space. We are also fully conscious of the truth of an opinion expressed in a recent number of Tits Quarterly Review, that the contents of our little work are as suitable for the cottage of gentility, with double coach-house, as that usually tenanted by the labourer ; but while we admit thus much, we well know it is, and has been successfully, our aim to write so as to be clear and useful to all. We have the best of all evidence, that the man of education, as well as the self taught laboufer, are satisfied with our pages ; and although we sha:ll so far meet the criticism of our Quarterly corrtc-mporary as to add to our present title that of The Country Gen- tleman's Companion, and while it will be our continued study to cultivate the good will of that important class, we shall still pursue our course unaltered, still study to No. OCX., Vol. IX. THE COTTAGE OARDENER. October 7. Gap.dkxer, Imt witli its usefulness In testimony of this, and we have other new stores of information placed at our disposal, we offer the present number as the best of evidence. be The Cottage again increased. In our last number we stated our conviction that the days of the Potato are not yet brought to a close, but that we look forward with confidence to a recurrence of that state of health in the plant, when uumurraiued crops will be usual, and murrained crops rare. We stated, also, our reasons for thus hoping, and one of those reasons is, that, even in tlie worsi murrained of years, we find many instances of crops entirely exempt from the disease. This exemption is not of rare occur- rence, and though the circumstauoes occasioning such exemption are not with certainty known, yet the ex- emption demonstrates that such circumstances exist. If they exist, they can be ascertained ; and, when ascertained, the days of safety to the potato will be restored. One such instance of exemption has been commu- nicated to us by one of the best practical horticulturists we know — Mr. Weaver, gardener to the Warden of Winchester College. He says — " Early this spring I received thirteen very handsome potatoes from a gentle- man of this neighbourhood, who is fond of having good potatoes at his table every day. They are called the Dalmahny Seedling, being raised by Lord Morton's steward, at his lordship's seat, Dalmahoy, near Edin- burgh. They were all very sizeable — from 3 inches to 3i inches, the widest way of them — and I determined to plant them whole. But where could I plant them? was the next question, as nearly every inch of our ground was under crop at the time. At last, finding a small plot alongside some globe artichokes, a line being set down about five feet wide from the artichokes, here I planted the sets, two feet six inches from set to set in the row. This was done on the 13th of March. The row stood clear of everything excepting a few weeds ; the plants were not earthed up at all, and I believe nothing was ever done to them from the time they were planted until they were taken up about the middle of August. On taking up the first root, seeing the tubers so numerous, induced me to eount them. The following is the number found at each root: — 58, 62, 47, 33, 54, 41, 45, 48, 29, 30, 8a, 57, 47. I took them up myself, and, I believe, every one of them : the sample very fine for the season. After they were taken up about six or eight days, they were looked over, and all diseased ones removed, which was nearly one-third of the bulk. This has been found the case in all our general crops that were in the ground so late as the middle of August. " One kiud, whicli we call the Herefordshire Early Purple, is a kind which we generally begin taking up for use about the second week in July, having done so for many years. Wanting the quarter for another pur- pose, these were all taken up by the 20th of the month, and stored away in the potato honse, where most of them are at this time. In these we have not seen a diseased potato at all this season, from the first to the present time. " Another favourite, called HeigJis Norhury Seedling, a beautiful potato, allied to Walnul-kaved Kidney, and a great bearer, was taken up on the 1st of August, and scarcely any diseased ones have been found among these from first to last. The same observation applies to Rylott's Flourhall — scarcely any diseased, and taken up at the same time. Ltiker's Oxonian, taken up at the same time, nearly one-third diseased. Forty-folds, about four bushels of which were taken up at this time, were much more free from disease than those which remained in the ground to the middle of August. Among these last taken up, full one-third were diseased. And in a quarter of York Regents, which were somewhat shaded by trees, upwards of two-thirds were diseased." We may add, that Mr. Weaver entirely coincides with us in recommending planting none but early kinds, planting whole sets, and plantiag early. COVENT GARDEN. There were many fine gardens in London once ; but what Mr. Dickens calls " The Great Invasion " has so squeezed and circumscribed them, that, yielding to " the pressure from without," there is nothing left of them now but their names. We can imagine in our own minds what these old gardens were like, with their trim hedges, clipped " greens," and " allies artly devised in the same ; " to say nothing of "the proper knots," as fiower-beds, wliich would have supplied, with credit, designs for any " Knitting, Netting, and Crochet Book," even of the present day. We can imagine, too, what the old gardeners were like, with their long beards, Elizabethan ruffles, and high conical hats. These are what some people call " the good old times;" but they have all passed and gone, and with them the good old gardens, and the good old gardeners, of London, leaving scarcely even a trace of where this one " grafted all sortes of trees," or that otlier practised " the right ordering of all delectable and rare flowers." The only place of this kind, bearing the name and aspect of what it once was, is Covent-Garden ; and, as if unwilling to he banished from their former haunts, it would seem as if the ghosts of these old times still met and held their midnight revels there — for during the time tliat mortals sleep, there are produced, in this once fertile spot, such fruits, and flowers, and esculent plants, as would excite the incredulity of those who have not seen thera. It would astonish some of our country friends who have never witnessed such a sight as is there exhibited every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning, to see the ponderous cabbages, the unuieasure- ablc carrots, the enormous celery, the gigantic rhubarb, the snowy turnips, and the curly parsley ! produced as if by fairy power, or coming from, we hardly know where. It is of CoventGarpen that we intend weekly to furnish the readers of Tht Cottaof. Gardener with a report. Our object shall be to notice everything as it October 7. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. comes into season, witli siicli comments and remarks on tlie most important productions as we conceive will be interesting. In tins way thoy will havo a sort of calendar of liorticultural produce, as well as a good indication of what to grow and what to avoid. These ghosts of whom we have spoken know well, and none know better, wliat is worth growing, and what suits best the taste of this great world of London. During the past week there has been an abundant supply of all kinds of fruit. Apples are very plentiful, and range in price from 3s. to 8s. per bushel. Fearn's Pippin has made its appearance as gay and ruddy as ever; this is much grown by the market-gardeners of Loudon, for, besides being a good market apple, it is a great bearer, and its fine, brisk, and sugary flavour render it suitable either for dessert or kitchen use. Golden Pippins and Bibstons are " in," and there are still a few Kerry Pippins left, but they are very small and very shrivelly. Pears vary from 3s. Od. to 7s. Od. per half-sieve,::- and are also very plentiful ; besides a number of nondescript varieties, there are several of the best sorts already in perfection. Williams' Bon Clire- lim are going out; they are getting very yellow and very " sleepy ; " these have been very plentiful this season, more so than that respectable individual, " the oldest inhabitant," ever remembers. Hessle, not Hazel nor ITessel, has also furnished a large supply, but is going out, and giving way to the Autumn Bergamot, Beurre Capiaumont, and Marie Louise ; as these will be in season for some time to come, we shall have an opportunity of commenting on them on a future occa- sion. There are some very fine OanscVs Berc/amots, from Guernsey, for which the epicure must give from 3s. to 5s. per dozen. The Jersey OratioU has also ap- peared during the week ; this is a most delicious pear, but very little known : everybody who wishes to plant six trees should have this one of them ; we shall speak of it again. Louise Bonne of Jersey has been in for some time ; this also is a very fine and very beautiful autumn pear, which ought to be in every collection; it may be said to come in between the Williams' Bon Chretien, Jersey Gratioli, and Marie Louise. Pi.oms of inferior baking kinds, such as Musole, and other hedge varieties, are plentiful still, at about 2s. Od. to 3s. the half-sieve. Damsons are also very plentiful, at the same prices. Among the dessert varieties, Ooe's Oolclen Drop, and some small shrivelled Oreemjayes are all that are to be seen. Of Peaches, the Late Admirable, and a few Catherines, are making their appearance ; but we would rather have a good Jersey Gratioli, or Jfarie Louise pear, than all the Catherine or other late peaches the garden can produce. Grapes, both home and foreign, are plentiful. Blaclc Hamhurghs constitute the former, and fetch according to quality and colouring, from 2s. to os. per pound. The foreign are from 9d. to Is. per ])ound. Many fruits which are merely enumerated in the present notice, shall be treated of at length, as we have occasion to refer to them in subsequent reports. H. * Hnlf-a'Sieve contains threc-and-a-half gallons. FORSVTH MSS. In our last notice of Lieutenant Paterson (vol. viii. page 3T8), he was at Norfolk Island, in the May of 1702, and there, and at Port Jackson, he continued until nearly the close of the century, but before that he had become Captain in the New South Wales Corps. He then returned home, but did not remain there long, for under the date of February 22nd, 1800, and from Port Jackson, there is this letter from MRS. PATERSON TO MK. EOP.SYTH. We arrived here on the 4th Novemljej', after a tolerable speedy voyage of less tlian iive months, wliich was a for- tunate circumstance for us, as the ship was excesf>ively uncomfortable, and ill calculated for passengers, and besides very leaky. We put into St. Salvador, on the coast of Soutli America, to refit, from which place, imtil we arrived here, we had constant gales and had weather. In one of these severe storms Col. V. was nearly killed by a fall in the cabin, bemg very mucli liruised, and three of his ribs broken. Ho is now, thank God, quite recovered, and has been lately exploring the banks of the river Hawkesbmy, principally for coal, wdiich was not found just at the spot where he expected ; but there is plenty in other situations. He was amply rewarded, however, for his trouble, by dis- covering many new plants, and in visiting the different settlers in that neighbourhood. The crops of grain those farms produce are wonderful, but, notwitljstandiug the line country and climate, the colony is in a most wretched state, from bad management. An active, able man, is much wanted here, as Governor, and that soon, or I fear it will take a long time to bring it about again. 1 send this letter by Mr. Cover, one of the unfortunate missionaries sent out in the Dutl". He is a worthy man, and can give a correct idea of this place, having been here above twelvemonths. He will also be able to give you every information respecting that unsuccessful mission. The cultivation of the vine in this country is very mucli neglected, from the two or thVec last seasons having failed. Fruit-trees, particularly apricots and peaches, thrive uncommonly well, esjiccially the latter, which in general produces fruit the second year from the stone. Col. P. would havo written to you himself, but is very much engaged in arranging regimental business to send hojne. — E. rAiEKsoN. He returned to the colony not only as Colonel of his regiment, but as Lieutenant-Governor, and continued to retain that office until his final retirement. His last letter among these manuscripts is dated from Sidney, October 13th, 1800. COLONEL PATERSON TO MR. FORSYTH.- Governor Hunter being about to quit this country gives me an opportunity of saying that both Mrs. P. and myself are in good health. Since my arrival in this country I have had very little time to pursue my favourite amusement, what with the duty of the corps, and the constant watch we are obliged to keep over the United Irishmen that have been lately sent to this colony. We have discovered several plans that were in great forwardness to subvert the government, and to put every one to death that would not join them. On a committee (to investigate the business), of n'hicli I was one, it clearly appeared that their plan was to have seized on a detachment of soldiers doing duty at Panamatta, in the time of Divine Service, and to have attacked us at liead quarters. We fortunately discovered their diaboUcal intentions the day before it was to have been attempted, and, from their obserring our preparations, they did not assemble ; but we found several of their ringleaders. Some of them have been punished, and a party of them sent to Norfolk Island. There are three of our officers that return to England by this conveyance ; one of them, Captain Johnston, is a prisoner under my arrest. As Govener Hunter would not .allow a court-martial to try him in this country, the evi- dences are taken on oath, and sent to the commander-in- 4 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. October 7. chief. I shall be anxious to I;now the resnlt. From all these ch-curastances you will easily conceive that my situ- ation in this country is not very pleasant. He retired from New South Wales in the spring of 1810, and among the deaths recorded in that year, we find this entry. "June 21st. At sea, on board His Majesty's ship Dromedary, Colonel William Paterson, Lieutenant -colonel of the 102nd regiment, F.R.S., Member of tlie Asiatic Society, and many years Lieu- tenant-Governor of New South Wales, from wliich colony lio was returning to England in the command of the 102ud Kesiment." The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poxdtnj Shows of which we arc at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad- ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se- cretaires. HOETICULTUEAL SHOWS. Bury St. Edmunds, Nov. 2C (Chrysanthemums). {Sec. G. V. Clay, Esq.) Caledonian (Inverleith Row), Edinbm-gh, Dec. 2. Hampshiee, Nov. 18 (Winchester). {Sec. Eev. F. Wick- ham, Winchester.) London FLORicULTnnAi (Exeter Hall, Strand), Oct, 12+, Nov. 0+, 23,Dec. 14+. North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. South London (Eoyal), Oct. 14+,Nov. 11 1, Dec. 9+,]C. POULTRY shows. Birhingham and Midland Counties, 11th, loth, ICth, and 17th December. Bristol AGRicuLTURiiL, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. {Sec. James Marmont.) Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Birming- ham. {Sees. Eev. W. W. AVingfleld, Gulval Vicarage, andE. H. Eodd, Esq.) Dorchester, Nov. 18th. {Sec, G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor- chester.) t For seedlingg only. PINE-CULTURE: THE HAMILTONIAN MODE. We have, during the last few months, received so many queries, or heard inquiries about Pine-culture, from persons of moderate means, who wish to indulge occasionally in that luxury, and occasionally to make the i'ruit, by sale, pay the expenses incurred, that we think it will be but an act of justice to take up the subject in a step-by-step way ; the dryness, or tedium, necessarily attending this course in the eyes of the experienced, will, we hope, be excused for the sake of the class alluded to. Too much generalisation befits not persons of this caste; they want the very alphabet of culture itself; and to make ourselves useful, we must, to use an apposite saying, " begin at the beginning." As much confusion has continually arisen from a jumbling together the pot and tho open-soil modes, we must, in this series of papei'S, confine ourselves to the opon-soil, or Hamiltonian mode of culture, believing it to be the very best of all for tlio amateur ; being the easiest to learn, on account of its extreme simplicity, and requiring so small an amount of labour and atten- tion. It is somewhat fortunate tliat tlie subject should force itself at this period upon us, when, of all others, perhaps, tlie least advice is required in other affairs. Stuuctuue fob Pink-culture.— Wc come here to the consideration of the form, the angle, or roof pitch, the glass, tlio interior fittings, &c., each of wliich will bo handled in due course. Having much faith in our friend Hamilton, whose long experience in this matter, to say nothing of his being the originator of this system, highly qualities him to oiler advice, we have written to him on the subject, in order to see if he is prepared, by subsequent experience, to confirm what he had pre- viously laid down in his useful book. He has most kindly and fully answered the inquiries we had to make, and also permitted the use of his name, if necessary. Mv. Hamilton has, within these four or five years, built a new bouse for his pine system ; and it will be well to give a detail of its character. It is a span-roofed structure, running east and west, thus presenting a south roof and a north one. The pitch of the roof is three-and-a-balf inches to the foot, the length of the house fifty feet, and the breadth fifteen feet. There is a walk up the centre, beneath the ridge, of two feet in width ; a bed of five feet on either side, and a trench, or cavity, eighteen inches, front and back, for the piping. This house holds one hundred plants, and, according to friend Hamilton, each plant ought to produce one full-sized fruit annually, of some five to seven or eight pounds — to fix a weiglit for the purpose of enabling our readers to form a calculation. Of course, it will be understood, that whilst the weight here assumed would be too much for such as the Queen section, so, in like manner, will it be below the standard for such as the Providences, Envilles, Cayennes, &c. ; — thus much to obtain a clear view of the question. To return to the digressive point — the external character and dimensions of a bouse proper for this system — we come now to the mode of heating. "Each bed," says Mr. IL, "would require two pipes, in order to equalize the heat at the roots of the pines ; two would be far better than one of greater calibre, for it is not a high concentration of heat at one point that is requisite, but a steady and given amount equally diffused. Moreover, it will be seen, that in hot-water heating, although a circulation 7nai/ be established in one pipe or tank, yet it would be necessarily sluggish ; and a return pipe to the boiler ensiu'es a lively circula- tion, in addition to the end in view — the equalization of the bottom warmth." Thus much for bottom or ground-beat ; now for atmospheric warmth, for which spcchil piping is requi- site. Mr. H. says there should be two pipes back, and two in front, that is to say, a flow and a return belong- ing to it. It will here be seen what value is to bo attached to the idea of growing pines out-of-doors, in Britain, like so many artichokes. When such is well accomplished, rents will assuredly rise, for some thou- sands of acres will be needed for vineyards and pine- gardens, for the demand for both will be enormous. Thus it will be seen, tliat eight parallel Hues of piping are considered requisite by Sir. Ilamilton in such a house, and if pines are to be grown in the highest degree of perfection of which they are capable at any season, wc join in Mr. PL's opinion. The beginner in pine-culture must here observe, that the pijies to heat the soil arc no more than an equivalent for tho loss of tan, or other fermenting material, so that such may be fairly left out of the question of expense ; for although, in the event of tau-yards being close at hand, the bottom-heat from that source might be obtained at a cheaper rate, yet, when tho extra labour and uncer- tainty are taken into consideration, a certain loss in the cud may bo counted on. When tan has to bo drawn halfa-dozcn miles, wo consider tlio proceeding most preposterous, according to the old adage, " penny wise and pound foolish ; " those, however, wlio do not care about wiutor-pincs, but would rest conteut with a good lot of such as Queens, Providences, and Efivillcs, I'roni •Tunc to October, may succeed with one-half of tlie piping for warming tho air of the house Tlio bottom- heat piping, nevertheless, the same as before stated. To return to Mr. II., ho says, "my boiler is atone October 7. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. cud of the lioiiso, iu the centre, and outside. Imme- diately opposite to it inside, I liave a reservoir, or iron pan, of about two feet in depth, by lialf-a-yard square, and tliis has six pijies attached to it." It will be here seen that tlie reservoir is but a centre, common to all the pipes, which all take their flow here, and here deliver their return. This, we suppose, is partly to save the expense of what are termed elbow-joints, and other complex affairs. In this description we are not quite sure that wo understand Mr. H. ; if, however, any error should creep in, we shall soon get it rectifled. Mr. H.'s words are these, " the reservoir will require six pipes attached to it, so that the pipes which heat the air of the house can be plugged or stopped at any time, when only bottom-heat is requisite. This answers much better than valves." We saw Mr. H.'s house about twelvemonths since, and witnessed his thus turning off the flow, which he did in an instant, by merely thrusting a roll of coarse cloth into the advance pipe. Having thus far followed Mr. Hamilton's plans pretty closely, we may be allowed a few comments as we pro- ceed. In the first place, it does seem matter of astonish- ment, that a practice so simple, and consequently econo- mical, so much in accordance with the habits of the pine, as stamped in indelible marks by nature's own impress, should not before this have become more general. What said Pope ? "Truths would you teach, and save a sinking land, All hear, none heed you, and few understand." And so it has ever been with inventions which carry a great amount of simplicity in the face of them ; they pass unheeded by the majority of minds for want of the appearance of that degree of elaborateness, which, in fact, is the bane, instead of the true merit of most inven- tions. In speaking thus, we do not wish it to be in- ferred that the Hamiltoniau mode ought to supersede all others ; by no means. There are cases in which the pot mode may be more desirable, inasmuch as the pines may, with facility, be removed to a cool room in the pot, when necesssry to retard them for particular pur- poses; and, indeed, it is still a question whether the Hamiltonian mode is equally applicable to all kinds ; that it suits the Black •Jamaica, or what is termed Mont- serrat by some, is undeniable. This pine, at least, seems quite at home under this treatment ; and as a pine for general use, and especially for winter, it will be long, we think, before it is superseded ; albeit, the rising popularity of the Cayennes threatens hard. We may here offer an opinion about the form of the house, which, indeed, is the first thing to begin with. Mr. H., it has been seen, is an advocate for span-roof houses, running east and west. Now, we really do not see why this mode should hold such a strong position in the minds of our practical men. " Speak well of the bridge that carries you safe over," is a trite maxim, and doubt- less will apply to the case in hand ; but a too stiff ad- herence to established modes is but too apt to assume a pertinaceous character, and to prove a barrier to pro- gression, which, in the most unmistakable manner, is the order of the day. Why not north and south ? Pines, it is said, occasionally enjoy a little shading for three or four hours during bright and hot days, and the mid-day- sun can very well be dispensed with on such occasions. But to build span-roofs with a southern facing, is to set a trap to catch all the mid-day rays possible. Sir Joseph Paxton, breaking through the trammels of prescription long since, shewed by his ridge-and-furrow-roof that there were more ways than one of building houses. The ridgo-and-furrow of course is simply a multiple of the span-roof, with an eastern and western slope, or in other words, a morning and an evening side. Now, if it can be shown that a half-day's sunshine will suffice for pines, whether that half-day be an eight to twelve o'clock affair, or a twelve to four o'clock, why the rest of the question would seem to follow as matter of course. We have tallied over this subject with several first-rate men at various times within the last half-dozen years, and have almost invariably found them with a latent desire to break from southern slopes, " willing to wound but afraid to strike." Not every one, however, who can con- ceive a project carrying promise of advance, has the power to sliew forth his conceptions iu real bricks and glass. To sum up, then, as far as the roof question is con- cerned, we may be permitted to ofl'er our impression, which is, that" it appears tolerably certain that the southern slope may be departed from in the case of pines, and exchanged for a morning and evening side, as in a span running north and south, as to its longi- tudinal direction, or, indeed, to some other points of the compass, as the case may be ; and that much latitude may be fairly given in this respect, the pinery giving up a point occasionally to existing circumstances, perhaps as an adjunct to the villa or to other structures. But if a span-roof running east and west must bo adopted, we think that some little change in the modifi- cation of the interior fittings might be resorted to with advantage. For instance, it is a matter of principle that an equality of light should be enjoyed by the pines; those on the north side of the walk should have an equal chance in that respect with those on the south bed. To eifect this, the bed on which they stand must necessarily be somewhat higher. Admitting, then, a span-roof perfectly equal in dimensions as to the exte- rior, we would have the back bed half-a-yard, or nearly so, higher than the front, or, if you please, the front bed half-a-yard lower ; all this amounts to the same thing. In such a case, the first and ruling principle would be, to pay a due regard to the ordinary ground level out- side; the front bed should be so placed as to present every portion of the foliage to the solar rays, even iu the depth of winter. This done, the lower the whole structure was sunk below the ordinary ground level the better, according to our ideas ; inasmuch, as the farther this point is carried out, the more the structure would prove self-protecting— a great matter in econo- mising fuel; and every gardener knows that the use of fuel in the dull winter months, or, indeed, at any period, is a necessary evil, to give it a hard name. But not only is a proper economy involved in this arrangement, but' the very health of the pines. There is still another consideration as to the roof question ; and, as we are simply throwing out hiutsfor the consideration of those about to embark in pine- culture as a profitable investment, it will be well, per- haps, to offer suggestions with freedom, and to make our comments keep pace with the order of the subject. In pursuance of this, then, we would say, if a span-roof, running east and west — are both sides of the span obliged to be equal? In thus widening the question, we shall give a free scope to a full examination of the whole subject. As the south front is too apt to admit of too groat an amount of the solar rays, why not make it less in width, say as two to three? Many other remarks might be offered on the character of the roof, but as they interfere too much with the lino of our subject, we must postpone them until we can ofli'er a chapter on roofs. The structure, then, should be so far sunk below the level, as that the front sill of the sashes is but above that level ; other parts will follow as matter of course. As to glass, Mr. H. has omitted to mention it in his correspondence ; but before closing this subject, we will take care to ascertain this, which, with anything else that may arise, together with omissions, &c., will be introduced at the conclusion. It seems probable, in the event the house having an east and a west roof, that the British sheet would be most eligible ; and as to a south and north roof, rough plate on the south, and 0 THE COTTAGE GiVTvDENEU. OcTOBEK 7. sheet on tho north ; Uowcvov, wo have uo cxporioucc of the rongli plate. As ail cneoiu-agcmeiit to those about to venture on the Haniiltouian system, it may bo observed, that Mr. H. lias had it in operation for many years. At lirst, in a poor, low, contracted, and rough-looking house, which, without the noble pines it contained, would have been but a sorry afl'air. Such, however, was his success, that his employer empowered him to build a handsome new house to his owu liking, and here the system may be seen duly carried out. We now give an extract, in concluding Uda lyiipcr, from Mr. II. 's letter now on the table: " The gardener of H. Marsland, Esq., of Wood- banks, is going by my instructions. He has three plants of the Monlscrrats (?) witli three fruits each, and there is every probability of the nine fruits weighing thirty-three pounds." R. EniiiNGTON. {To he coniiniicJ.) YUCCAS. In these days of plant-growing, for fame, for gold or silver medals, or for hard cash, such old plants as Adam's needle, and the like of it, that are thought beyond the art of the specimen grower, are left to nature, or ratlicr are taken from her care, and then turned adrift to take care of themselves as best they may. Yuccas will grow or live in any kiud of soil, if it is not too wet, and when one flowers any thing beyond the common run, it is reported in the periodicals as something strange, like the flowering of the American Aloe, as it is called, and no one turus his attention to the improvement of the race, or, if he docs, he thinks there is little merit in saying much about it. Hence it is, that if you wish to Ilower a Yucca, and would learu tlie easiest and best way to go about it, you may loolc through all the authors, from Phillip j\liller to the last number of The Cottage Gardeneb, and not be much the wiser. Indeed, I do not remember a single author who has given a full account of the propagation and cultivation of Yuccas as a class, except Mr. Gordon, of the Horticultural Society's Garden, at Turuham Green, and that was seven years ago (Oanlcncrs Chroniule, 18i!j,p. .■!84). Since that time, Mr. Gordon has so far improved on his own re- corded practice, that his success surprised me the other day on looking over the garden. Like most other gardeners, I never dreamed tliat Yuccas are as sus- ceptible of impr-ovoment, at the present day, as thol'inc- applo plant was twenty years ago ; but so it is, without any shadow of a doubt, and not only that, but it may be so managed as to become a regular competitor on the exhibition tables. As far as I can make out, we have only one instance on record, in which a Yucca was exhibited in a ])ot for a prize, and that was in Eifeshire, in Scotland, some years ago. 'L'lie flower-stem of this plant rose seven feet from the jiot ; the plant was exhibited in September, and was only struck from a cutting the Marcli before. We know that some people run away with an idea that the Yucca, and the American Aloe, flower only once in a hundred years ; others are as far wrong, who assert that a Yucca will flower regularly every year, after it once comes to a flowering age. The opinions about this ago are also as far from the truth as tlie rest of the story. Some will tell you that five or seven years will bring it into a flowering state ; others say ten years ; whilst a third sn.ys fifteen, and a fourtli goes as far as twenty. All this is in black and white, in my own library; but there is a Yucca in the next parish to me. Long Ditton, which did not flower for twenty-five years alter being planted, and it niiglit liave been two or three years old at the time. It is now in bloom for tlie tliird lime, and there wore just five years between each time of flowering. The truth is, however, that the flowering of Yuccas depends on soil and situation, rather than on certain or uncertain dates. Yucca gloriosa is the one we hear most about, and this plant is a native of the sea-shore, in the southern states of North America, and although it lives with us in almost any soil or situation that is not absolutely wet, it jirefers tlie sea-coast, a full southern aspect sheltered from all other points, tlie best friable loam, and a rock, or chalky bottom perfectly dry. In such situations in Devonshire, Cornwall, the Isle of Wight, and the South of Ireland, it blooms every year as well as it does in Virginia or South Carolina. At its full age, it is not proof against those very severe winters w'e sometimes experience in this country. For instance, the great celebrated tree Yuccas, in the Oxford Botanic Garden, with stems five feet high, clear of leaves, and wliich Mr. Baxter, the no-less-celehrated curator, successfully transplanted, were cut down to the ground by the frost of the winter of 1^37 — .38, but they s]n-aug again from the roots, while plants of four or five kinds of tliem, not nearly so large or ripe, as \vc may say, stood out in Kilkenny without any protection whatever. It lias been observed, that more Y^iccas flowered with us in the hot summer of 1820 than in any one season before or since. In that year, a Yucca ghjviosa superha, the best variety, with the purple on the back of the petals, flowered for the first time, after being twelve years planted, and two years when planted in a nursery at Windsor. The top of the flower-stem was twelve feet six inches from the ground ; the flower-stem itself being upwards of nine feet; out of this stalk grew forty-seven side branches, eighteen inches and upwards in lengtli, and each produced from twenty to tliirty flowers, or probably 1,100 flowers in the whole. Who would not envy so noble a specimen of this much - neglected plant. " But stop a while " — another individual of the same species, wliose girth, at fifteen inches from the ground, was ii5-J- inches, produced six flower-spikes at the same time, on wdiicli was counted in one day no less than 2,701 flowers. I'lut the most splendid specimen of Yucca on record, nnder cultivation, is a plant, or rather tree, of the Aloe-leaved species, of wiiieh the Countess Dunraven sent a drawing to Mr. I.oudon, from the gardens at Adare, in Ireland. This drawing is given in many of Loudon's works; in the Vegetable Kiiigilom of Dr. Lindley; and in other works here and on the continent. This Y'ucoa was twenty-eight feet high ; at ten feet from the ground the trunk girted seventeen inches, and at twenty feet it divided into " six massy branches, each terminating in a pyramid of flowers." Notwithstanding sueli instances, a Yucca ghriosii- that is from three to live feet high in the stem and leaf, with a flower-stem of about equal dimension, would bo a very fair specimen to pride oneself on, after a few years cultivation, on the principle advised by The Cottage GAiniENEn. It is very strange that no writer has sufficiently ad- mned the Yuccas as fit plants to introduce into geometric flower-gardens, for wliich they are admirably suited, wheu reared with the sole view of tliat kind of furnish- ing; and no less so, that some of our great architects — Sir Cliarles ]3arry, for instance — have never thought of them as architectural plants, as one may say, instead of the great aloes which Sir Charles, at any rate, is so fond of for rearing np on pillars and corners in his elaborate designs. I could name more than one place in which Sir Charles Barry introduced, not only an aloe or two, but aloes in great numbers, as architectural oruanients, such aloes being cast in lead, and jilaced in stone, or composition vases, after being daubed over with ii vile liglU-green colour, cockney i'ashion ; and these aloes, too, anything but real imitations of the natural ]ilant. Add to all this, a sharp north-easter, the thermometer OoToBEn 7. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. three parts down to zei-o, and a lot of gardeners sliding on the ice-clad lake, or carrying a cabbage on a long pole, looking over the liall, the castle, or the mansion, decorated in tliis psoudo style, and you have auytliing but a picture true to nature or to art. Altliough tlio Yuccas have been cut down to the ground by some of our severest winters, tliey are yet suffloiently hardy to be allowable, iu elBgies, as accom- paniments to architecture, without outraging our ideas of means to an end ; at any rate, they are liigldy appro- priate for planting in corners, angles, or other spare places in regularly laid-out gardens, as any one may now see, looking at the new plantation of Yuccas in the American garden of the Horticultural Society of Ijondon. There is not such another batch of Y'uocas in the three kingdoms — tliat is, so fit for planting as ornaments to a llovver-garden. I'eoplo far off in the country, who knew the old arrangement of this garden, will recollect a large mass of Y'uccas which stood, for half an age, not far from the great and celebrated Qlyeine, where a short piece of wall projected from the long conservatory wall on which the Glycine is trained. All this is now altered : the cross wall is taken down, and the Y^uccas are removed ; so that the whole of the conservatory wall, from the cloak- room to near the council-room, can be seen at one glance — an immense improvement. Some of the Y'^uccas look as old as if they were the very plant i'rom which Adam toolv his needle, and some of them had I know not how many lieads. But now, in their new bed, they are all single-headed, and look as yoiuig and thrifty as Mr. Eri'ington's pines which he struck from his best suckers last March, and much after the same style of growth, without any visible sign of a stem to any of them. Many of them promise to flower next year, and that in a inanner as far superior to the usual run of Y''uccas, as the present state of pine-growing is from what it was when Mr. Errington first went into Cheshire; and it is in this very style that they will soon bo seen iu our best flower-gardens all over the country. But it is sad news to us who are poor, and are members of this Society, to learn that they will not be able to supply us with a single Y''ucca from our own garden, at least, for the ne.Kt four years, foL- this reason, tliat the whole stock has been divided to the last head and sucker for the new plantation, and that the young plants are in such a vigorous state of health, that one can hardly look for ft sucker from any of them before the time specified. We must all trudge to the nurseries ; meantime, 1 shall keep on hammering at the subject until every plant of Yucca, in every nursery in the kingdom, is made the most of, like those in the Society's garden ; and who will venture to say there is nothing new inider the sun when I describe the perfectly new way by whicli the old Yuccas in this collection have been renewed to the age of mere suckers ? The more usual way of increasing this family is from suckers which rise from the roots, and from divisions of the head that are branchy; these are slipped ofl:' in the spring, and some of the lovver leaves being removed, and a few days allowed for the wounds to dry, the suckers are cither planted out in tlie open ground, in sotae light soil, where they will root during the summer, or tliey are potted in a light compost, and then plunged in bottom-lieat, where they will root much sooner. But when neither suckers nor side branches are produced. Miller, the only author on whom I can lay my bauds, who has recommended the plan, directs the head to be cut off, taking a portion of the old stem with it, potting this, and applying bottom-heat to it, when it will soon root ; " and this cutting off the heads will occasion the stems to put out suckers, which they seldom do without Imtil they flower ; so that by this method the plants may be obtained in plenty." This is the method wliicli JMr. Gordon adopted with tlie tops of all his old jilants, after divesting them of all side branches. Suckers and ofl'sets he formed into one lot, and all the tops into another, taking off long pieces of tlic old, dry stems along with single lieads ; but, instead of nursery rows, and potting for hotbeds, he removed the whole at once to his new plantation, and planted them in as novel a way as his success is complete. Indeed, I never saw anything answer better ; formerly ho reconnnended a hole for them, a foot deep and two feet across, to bo filled with a good compost: then to plant a sucker, or a weU-established plant in the middle, and to press the soil firmly round the stem ; on this occasion, however, he tried a new experiment. After opening the holes, he made a compost of half clay and half cow-dung, and stuck in his plants so that the bottom leaves were just within the surface, and tlien he rammed the compost round the stems as hard as if he was laying the founda- tion for a pyramid ; and if the plant was at all top- heavy, he put a stone on the to]) to steady it still firmer. The cow-dung kept the chiy from drying Loo hard for the new roots to work through, while the clay was yet firmer than any loam could be for steadying the plants ; and as soon as roots were made, there was a rich feast for them to begin with, and the plants now show that they took advantage of it. I have often seen young ]iirie-a])ple jdants healthy .enough to gladden the heart of any old gardener, but I never saw plants more healthy, or better-looking iii their way, than these Y^uocas. And now, for Thi.; Cottage GAnDENEU : just look round and see if you have a starving Yucca anywhere about the garden, with a crooked stem as hard and dry as a May-pole, and if it has ever flowered, the chances are that it has more than one division in the head; all the better; every division of the head will make a new plant. You inust now trace where the head divides, and strip olf the leaves below that point; then it will be easy enough to slip ofl' every division but the one which seems the most central, this must be left to go with eighteen inches or more of the hard crooked stem to form yoiu- premier plant. Never think, for a moment, of taking up the roots, and of transplanting the whole as it is, for that would spoil the whole experiment ; you cannot force blood through dry bones, or sap from the old roots np through a stem as dry as a eoi'k; but get young fleshy roots from the very bottom of the leaves, and as far down the piece of stem as they like to come, the sap will flow vigorously, and the leaves will sooir be as green as leeks, and as stiff as pokers ; and if you plant them as above, and arrange them so as to bo in pairs, no matter how far apart, there are no plants that will more stamp the character of a terrace garden, the front of a box terrace, or, indeed, any geometric figure. At the end of next March will be the best time for all this ; Yucca yloriosa sirperha the best plant to use — the one with the purple back to the white flowers, and Yucca (Iraconis, or rcciin:a, or recuriifolia, or acuminata, for it goes under all these names, is the next best. This kind turns back the leaves in the middle, looking as for- midable as a dragon, which gives meaning to the second name ; but recKrwrt means that kind of turning iu the leaves. The third best kind is Jthimentosa, and it has no stem, but it flowqrs very freely, and is easily known by the white threads or filaments which hang from the edges of the leaves. There are many more kinds, they say as many as thirty, but these are enough to begin with iu a small way. Jf I had a long walk with grass on both sides, I would make an avenue of these Yuccas, planting them ten or twelve feet apart, and six feet from the walk ; a more ambitious man, with a large stock of plants in the reserve garden, would try to have every other plant in bloom along both sides at once, and the other half the year following. D. Beaton. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OcTOBFn THE GREENHOUSE. I SHALL shortly advert to several plants, to meet the inquiries of several subscribers. CANTUA DEPENDENS. "I have a jilant twelve mouths old ; should I let it get quite dry in winter, or how manage it?" This plant may be treated, in many respects, as a fuchsia, but it will not stand so much dnjiicss in winter, because its stems are much more slender, and less succulent. Even fuchsias, though rejoicing in a rest in winter, are frequently in- jured by being kept too dry at that period, especially when it is intended to preserve any part of the old stem. One of the finest plants I have seen of the Cantua, was, in my opinion, injured in a similar manner. It had been grown freely during summer in an intermediate house, and was beautifully branched all round from a central stem. It was then put in an airy place, in autumn, to ripen the shoots, and kept cool and dry in winter ; but in spring and summer it only showed a few flowers from the strongest and terminal shoot. I think one of two courses should have been followed : — to have kept the plant slowly growing without a check, and waited for the sunny-days of spring and an airy position to get masses of bloom from the end of the shoots ; or, w4iat I shoidd prefer, with a strong established plant, allow the wood to get ripened before autumn, give the plant a temperature of about -Hi' in winter, with no more water than would keep it just moving ; then prune it back considerably in spring, place it in a warmer place, or the closest and ■warmest end of the same house ; re-pot, if necessary, when the young shoots are one inch in length ; shade, syringe, and encourage with suitable moisture, and, if possible, additional heat, and an open airy position, and the stiff, but luxuriant shoots will furnish you with its beautiful dependant fuchsia-like flowers. The plant will thus require similar management, but a little more care than a fuchsia. Propagation. — The small side-shoots, formed after pruning hack, when a little firm at tlieir base, and from two inches in length, make the best cuttings. Take them off, if possible, close to the old stem, wounding it as little as may be ; use a lancet-like knife for cutting clean across at the base ; remove a few of the lower and small leaves, and then insert the cuttings in silver- sand, over sandy-peat, in a well -drained pot, cover (after watering) with a bell-glass and place any where where shade can be given, and a temperature secured a little higlier than the parent-plant previously enjoyed. Potting. — On getting a small tiny plant, you may continue giving successional pottings as the pot gets filled with roots ; but after twelve or eighteen months growth, when the plant is pretty well established, one potting, as instanced above when growth was pro- gressing, would, in every respect, be preferable. Compost. — Sandy peat, a little turly loam, and broken pots, for the first potting, increasing the loam in subse- quent pottings. When the plant gets established, let the loam be nearly one-half, witli a portion of charcoal, broken pots, and dried nodules of cow-dug. Watering. — Give liberally when the plant is growing freely; lessen as autumn approaches; just see that the soil is not dry in winter; apply weak liquid-manure •when the first flower-buds peep, and let the water be aerated, and always as warm, rather warmer, than the temperature in which the plant is growing. Temim-ature.—iO" to 4.5° in winter, 50° to 65° in spring, 60° in summer, 50° to 55° in autumn, with from 10° to 15" rise for sunshine, during which, in spring especially, the syringe may be used. /wsecis— Keep free, is the grand thing; fumigate for fly, use sulphur for the spider, but care/itUi/, as the plant 18 very sensitive to brimstone. DEUTZIA GRACILIS. It is complained that " this will not grow." It is, however, one of the prettiest things lately introduced; but I sus])ect it always will be a plant of slotc, as well as slender growth. A correspondent may expect his plant, four inches high, to produce its pretty white flowers next March, or tho beginning of April, if lie keeps it all the winter in a common greenhouse. After satisfying himself with seeing the first flower, I would recommend every flower-bud to be removed, and the points of the shoots to be stopped, and the plant placed in an airy, warm corner, to encourage growth. Not that the plant ahsoluteh/ requires heat, for I believe, ultimately it will be found that it is as hardy, or nearly so, as D. scabra ; while that, again, in many places, has proved itself as hardy as the Philadelphus, or IMock Orange. So long as D. gracilis is rather scarce, and in a small state, it would be folly to place it in a shrubbery, or even at the foot of a wall, though, no doubt, ere long, it will be placed in both positions. At present, and especially when in a small state, a dry, cold frame, or pit, or a common greenhouse, will be the most suitable winter quarters. It produces its flowers one season on tho slender, well-ripened shoots produced in the preceding ; this must be kept in mind when growing and pruning. It grows so slowly, that little pruning, farther than nipping the points of shoots and thinning the young ones, will be required. If these young shoots are well ripened in autumn, extra heat will bring the flowers out any time in winter, especially after Christmas. Compost. — Equal parts of sandy peat and loam, when young, increasing the loam, and adding leaf- mould and cow-dung as the plant gets older and larger. Watering. — Give liberally when growing and flower- ing; lessen the qviantity in autumn, and just see that the soil is moistish in winter. In bright days, at the latter period, it will be better to lessen evaporation, by a dusting over the top with the syringe, in preference to soaking the roots. On this account, many small plants, in little pots, that require 7-est in winter, are best kept when plunged in, and the pots surfaced with moss. The roots arc thus kept easily in an equal state, neither wet nor dry. Propagation. — Cuttings of ripened one-year-old wood, taken oft' in autumn, and inserted in sandy soil, under a bell-glass or hand - light, in a cold-pit, the glass, however, not being pressed close down ; or small side- shoots in spring, when 1-i- inch long, inserted under a bell-glass, and placed in a temperature a few degrees higher than that of tho plant from which the cuttings were taken. DEUTZIA SCABR.V. This, though an old plant, is still a most interesting one, whether used for the greenhouse or the open shrubbery. It is easily propagated by young, stifl', side- shoots, under a hand-light, in a shady place, in June; but easier still, by inserting ripened young shoots in a shady, sandy border in autumn, just as you would do a currant cutting. If grown in pots, and taken into tho greenhouse, it will bloom in the end of March and in April. If wanted earlier, it will stand a gentle forcing. Few things are more lovely than its shoots, from two to four feet in length, covered with its beautiful snow- white flowers. ^Yheu done flowering, and the young shoots are growing freely from the bottom, all the old shoots should be cut away, and the young ones thinned to the required number ; five or seven being a good number for a large ])ot. When growing, the plant will , relish manure waterings. Ripening the youug shoots I is the great thing to ensure fine flowering. Treat it in ! every respect as you would a favourite raspberry-bush, A good loamy soil suits it. [ OOTOBEU ' THE COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 9 TVEIGELA ROSEA. This, when treated as a gi-eoubouse plant, may be managed almost in every respect as the above. It seems quite as hardy as any shrubbery Philadelphus, or Honey Suckle. I never suooeoded so well with it as with the Deutzia, though certainly it is worth a little attention for decorating a house in the spring months. It blooms chiefly, not on last year's shoots, but on those of the cui'ront season, coming from well-ripened buds on last season's growth. In pruning for blooming, therefore, we must take the vine, and the rose, and not the rasp- berry, as our example. Tlie bush character is thus easily produced. Both the Weigela and the Bcutzia may now be lifted carefully, and potted, and if the pot is plunged in any material containing a little heat, while the top of the plant is exposed, the rooting process will be encouraged, and the plants may after- wards be set in the greenhouse, or forced in sjoring. ESCALLONIA MACEANTHA. This, " with a stout stem, eighteen inches high, and nice side branches, four inches long," may be expected to yield you a few of its pretty flowers next season. If, however, a fine specimen is your object, I would not be too anxious for many flowers. Keep it in a moderate greenhouse during winter, and place it in an airy cold pit out-of- doors in summer- Use rather more peat than loam at first, increasing the loam by degrees. The plant, when two or three feet in height, if a young stock has been secured, might be ventured against a conservative wall. Stubby young shoots will strike under a hand-light in summer. Younger ones will strike more quickly at an earlier period ; but they must be inserted in sand, over sandy-peat, covered with a bell-glass, and kept in a frame or pit. CEANOTHUS FJGIDUS. This, " nine inches high," can hardly be expected to bloom next season, nor would it be desirable, though the species or variety will bloom when in a small state. This and dentatus, from their stiff habits, are amongst the best of the semideciduous kinds for greenhouse deco- ration. Like others, they chiefly bloom on young shoots of the current seasons growth, proceeding from well ripened buds of the former year. The plant should, therefore, be kept moving, and no more, during the winter. The young shoots should be cut back to the lowest bud in spring, or nearly so, and this will throw more strength into the young shoots. A warm corner in the greenhouse will be the best place for them until May, then, a cold pit in summer, and full exposure in autumn, defending the plants at the close from heavy rains and incipient frosts. Cut off the greenest part of the shoots in winter ; keep the plants cool then, and neither wet nor dry. The increase of heat and sun-light in spring, and the necessary increase of moisture, will give an impulse to the vegetative powers, and young shoots will be freely produced; which, if the plant is old enough, and the wood matured last season, will yield you charming blue ilowers in summer. These young shoots, taken off close to the stem when from two to three inches in length, make nice cuttings when in- serted under a bell-glass, or hand-light, in sandy loam, with sand on the surface. The pots for plants must be well drained, and then loam, with a little sand and peat will grow them well. Though ornamental for a cool greenhouse, a conservative wall, protected with a glass case, would be the best position for this and the greater part of the species that did not require a tropical temperature. MITEAEIA COCCINEA. This has as pretty a scarlet tube as any Gesnerwort of them all ; but, unlike the most of the group, instead of soft sucouknt stems and lai'ge leaves, it is a eompast littlo shrub, with small neat foliage. The first time I saw it, visions of flower-beds of it flitted before me. These I have not yet seen realised, and, perhaps, the flower droops rather too much for the purpose; but, as a hardy greenhouse plant it will be of great use in spring and early summer. I am not aware that it has yet been tried out of doors. It will grow nicely in rough peat and loam, and, after it is some size, will stand in a cold pit, or out-of doors in summer. Fibry peat and sandy loam, rough in proportion to the size of the shift given, will grow it well. Little pruning, farther than nipping the point of a strong shoot, to produce uniformity of growth, will be required. The pots should be well drained, and about a seventh part of the compost should consist of broken pots and clean charcoal. With good drainage, waterings will be required freely in the growing and blooming season, decreasing as the end of autumn approaches, and giving it but seldom in winter ; the temperature in the latter period, with air, at all suitable times during the day, may range from 38° to 45°, allowing a rise for sunshine. I have no doubt the plant would do well near a conservative wall, especially if furnished with a glass- case. Stubby, halfripened shoots will strike quickest under a bell-glass, when having a slight rise of tem- perature, shade, &o. Older cuttings wUl require less trouble, but more time. R. Fish. CONIFERS. {Continued from page 398.) Cdnningh.uiia sinensts (Chinese Cunuinghamia, or Broad-leaved Chinese Fir). — Named in honour of its discoverer, Mr. James Cunningham, by L. C. Richards, a celebrated French botanist. It was originally named, by Mr. Salisbury, Belis jaeulifoUa, and by Mr. Lambert, author of a Monograph on Pines, Finns lanceolata. It is the only species yet discovered. Very ornamental, but too tender for the northern parts of England. In Devonshire and Cornwall, and even in Gloucestershire, it has as yet withstood the severity of the climate. No doubt, in many parts of Ireland it would thrive well. It is a very ornamental tree, rising to the height of fifty feet in China and Japan. It is as yet very rare. CupREssus (Cypress). — This genus contains an as- semblage of trees and shrubs highly valued for their beauty, and well adapted to ornament the pleasure- ground, or form beautiful objects in the Pinetum. Their style of growth, generally upright, and densely clothed with branches and foliage of a pleasing dark green, in some instances, and light green in others, renders them exceedingly beautiful objects. Many species were known and highly valued by the ancients. Pliny mentions a Cypress at Rome which fell in the time when Nero was Emperor, and was judged to be as old as Rome itself Five hundred years' ago a Cypress was planted on the grave of the renowned poet Haflz, and is yet alive, a living monument to the memory of the poet. Tliere is a remarkable Cypress at Lomna, in Italy, which has attained the height of one hundred and twenty feet, and is more than twenty feet in circumference at the base of the stem. The use of the Cypress as a memento of the departed in cemeteries is well known ; even to this day it is used for that purpose in various parts of the Old World : the far-famed Funereal Cypress was seen by Lord Macartney in China, in the " Valley of Tombs." All these particulars ]-ecommend the plants of this genus to the peculiar notice of the antiquarian, the scholar, and the man of taste, as well as to the owner of plea- sm-e-grounds, the planter, and the nurseryman. Even the name is interesting, being said to be derived from Cypavissus, a handsome youth of the Island of Ceos, who was, aeoprdlng to heathen mythology, changed Into 10 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 7. a Cypress; though some authors think the name is derived from the Jslo of Cyprus, whore one species abounds. C. OoRNEYANA (Mr. Conioy's Cypress). — China. A very liandsouio species, of an elegant drooping habit, not mucli known, but well adapted to ornament cither a small or large garden. Very scarce. C. FAST[Gi.\TiV of Decandolle (Common C'ypi-ess), — This species is extensively spread over the South of Europe, Greece, Turkey, and Asia Minor. It is the Cypress of the ancients. It is the species so often re- ferred to by Homer, Virgil, Ovid, and Lucan, in their poems. The wood is remarkable for its durability. I'or avenues, it rivals the .Tunipors and the Arbor Vitres, associating admirably with the balustrades of a terrace- garden. It is useful, also, to break the outline formed by round-headed low trees. It is perfectly hardy, cheap, and plentiful in the nurseries. There are two varieties, ono named ThiijufoUa, irom resembling an Arbor Vitas, and Variegata, from its foliage being variegated. C. funebhts (Funei'cal Cypress)..'— This species has been already referred to, as having been seen by Lord Macartney, and it was noticed also by Sir G. Staunton ; but we are indebted to Mr. Fortune for introducing it to this country. He published an account of it in the Horticultural Society's Journal, where he describes it as " a noble-looking fir-tree, about sixty feet high, having a stem as straight as the Norfolk Island pine, and branches drooping like the weeping willow. The branches grew at first horizontally with the main stem, then described a graceful curve upwards, and droojicd again at the points. Erom these main branches, others long and slender hung down towards the gro'md, and gave tlio whole tree a weeping and graceful form. The form of the tree was very symmetrical, and reminded me of some of those largo and gorgeous chandeliers which ono sees in public lialls in Europe. It has a most beautifnl and striking eflect upon the Cliineso landscape." Per- haps the largest stock in Europe of this favourite Chi- nese tree is in the nursery of Messrs. Standish and Noble, at Bagshot. We saw them on a visit there already alluded to in writing on the Grtjptomeria japo- nka ; but the largest of them has not as yet assumed the drooping form. Hitherto it has proved perfectly hardy, and is so plentiful, that nice plants, nine inches high, may bo had for 2s (id, or even less, if a quantity is taken. C. GowENiANA (Mr. Gowon's Cypress). — Named in com]iliment to j\lr. Ilobert Gowen, Treasurer to the London Horticultural Society. This is said to bo a low shrub or tree, of some ten feet or fifteen feet high in its native country, California; Tint, from what wo have seen of its quick growth, it nnist in this country eventually attain a mucli higher altitude. An interesting, upright- growing species, with very bright green foliage. C. noRizoNTAi.Ts (Spreading Cypress). — A native of the South of Europe, but perfectly hardy in Britain. Described by Du Hamel as a variety of the Upright Cypress, with tlje branches spreading out at right angles from the stem. It is like the species in every otiier respect, and forms a handsome tree forty feet high. C. Knigutiana (Mr. Knight's Cypress). — The origin of tliis beautiful species is unknown. From the plants that wo Ijave seen of it, it appears sulllciently distinct; it is allied to G. toritlosa, and, like that species, is rather tender in tlio northern parts of Britain. T. Aitiehy. (7'o ha cuniinucd.) HOSES ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THEIR COLOUR. A CdRRESPONnENT, who signs himself " A Derby- shire Subscriber," writes for information about selecting Roses, so as to have only such as are distinct in colour. He says, "The great objection to these flowers is their sameness of colour. I want to get all the really and strikingly distinct shades, from the darkest crimson to pure white, and thence again to bright yellow." Now, wo think this idea a good and uselul one, and, as our correspondent suggests, one that would be useful to others, as well as himself, that are about to purchase roses. AVe, therefore, shall draw up a selection of Roses possessing the property of colour in high perfection. Suggestions of tins nature from our readers are always uscliil ; they lead tlio writers for The Cottage Gau- jjeneI! to enter upon such subjects as our subscribers wish for information upon, and, by that means, difiuso the knowledge required. Correspondents, therefore, wanting information suitable to tlieir particular locality, need not fear writing for it; but they ought always to send full particulars as to locality, soil, and subsoil — whether the soil is high or low, whether well-drained, and any other particular they may think necessary to be known, in order that the answer may contain the fullest instruction in evc'ry point. To return to our subject of selecting Roses, our corres- pondent wishes to combine roses for the open border and roses for a wall, or trellis, in the selection. This is somewhat difficult, as there are not so many climbing roses of distinct colours as there are in those that are not climbers. The list may appear somewhat long, but our correspondent, or others, may easily shorten it in giving their orders. The varieties are all good, distinct, and will, we believe, come true to the colours indicated. T. Ari>LEr,Y. COLOUR: dark; crimson. SOMMEB ROSES FLO-nTEHINCl IN IMAY, JUNE, AND JUT.V. Sylvain FOa THE OPEN EORPEi;. Moss. Colina Countess do Noe Cranioisie foncee Du Luxembourg Etna Laiiei Damask. Reine de Francais Prince Regent Jll/liiid Provence. Gaiibakli lltjhrhl Chinese, Aurora Ghent-dole llouueur de Montmorency Marie de Champlouis ITi/hrJfl Bourhon. Paul Eicaut Vulcan GaUiea. Jules Bag(5t La Ametliyst Old FOR WALKS AND TRELLISES, OR rilXABS. TIi/hri at a distance with her new pai-tuer for life ; but the sad truth was soon made known and blazed abroad. Her poor little girls came among their old friends in the village with melancholy tales of all their misery ; their backs and arms wore black with blows ; and they were glad to get out of the house and wander about any where, and any how. The sons were as miserable as the daughters ; they idled about, rather than go to such a home ; and instead of being clean, and well cared-for in their dress, they could not get their clothes properly washed or mended. Mary is seen now and then stealing through the village, downcast and dispu'ited. Her neat, cheerful look is gone, and she turns away as fast as she can from the gaze of her former acquaintance. How she must mourn in heart as she passes the grave of her first husband, and the cottage where the promise rested, and gave her so nuany blessings ! How she must weep as she reads the title-deed that God has given to the widow, and that she threw madly away ! She had trial the deed, and found it " faithful and true," so that her sorrow and self-reproach must, indeed, be almost too great to boar. Her vi(dent husband treats her as cruelly as bo treats her children ; they share the same fate ; but tlie bitterest pang to the mother's heart must be the sli-oko that falls upon her helpless and unofl'cnding oi"phans. Let the fate of Mary Spioer ring in the ears of all in her circumstances. Let it bo a powerful warning to them not to east otf their "tirst failli," but to hold fast to the promise, and fear not that it will ever fail. While Mary sat quietly in her cottage, with her children round her, all went well with her; the hand that rules the world, and that guides the liolt of heaven, can cover the heads of those that trust in Him, and shield them from every danger. Has Ho nut said Himself, " heave thy fatherless ehildivn, I will presene them alive, and let thy widows trust in me :' " In my next paper, I shall sketch the life of one who dwells in the same village with Maiy Spicer, and who is " a widow indeed." BRITISH EATABLE FUNGI. In treating on these, I shall first speak of them col- lectively, and, secondly, confine myself exclusively to those indigenous to our British isles. Fungi are the most nutri- tious of all vegetables, and the neai'est approach to animal food; some, if moderately used, are most nourishing in their raw state, as they lose their good qualities by culiniiry preparation ; and those whr> have li\'ed entirely upon them in their raw state for some tmie, with bread and water, state that they have experienced rather an increase of strength than otherwise. When eaten in this state, however, those should be chosen which have a solid flesh, aiul an agi'eeable smell and taste, as Afjoricus campeslris (Common IMiish- room), Aijaricus procerus (Tall Agai'ic), and Tuber ciherinm (TrulUe), etc. I have little doubt that the very dread of tlie term Toad- stools, and the unsightly appearance that some assume when growing in damp, gloomy, and imhcaltby jilaces, to those who do not appreciate tlieir veiled beauties, togcllier with the idea that the venom of serpents and toads renders fungi poisonous, and that, with the exception of the common mushroom, they ai'e all injurious, has caused, through pre- judice, which is too iirevalent in this land, that valuable and most extensive order of plants to be despised and rejected as an article of food. A gentleman, who has travelled neaaly all over the continent, informs me, that fungi appear in most of the nuvrkets, and are abundantly eaten, and that he never saw in the iniblic journiUs, or otherwise heard of a case of poisoning from them. In liussia, I'olaud, and throughout the greater part of Europe, they form delicacies amongst the rich, and a regular article of diet to the poor people, whide tribes being frequently nearly wholly sup ported by collecting them ; for, in addition to the immense amount cd' food they supply in their fresh state, they are abundantly preserved by drying, or soaking in oil, vinegar, or brine, and form a valuable article of commerce, from the products of which the jioor man is enabled to ijurchase other necessaries, which he otherwise would be depri\ed of. To such an extent was the sale of fungi carried on in Italy, that in ISUT it was deemed necessary to fix a dolinite time and place in the public markets for the sale cpf fungi ex clusively, and to appoint an inspector, who sliould examine the baskets brought into the city by the peasants previously to their sale. In most uncivilized countries they have been used as an article of diet by the natives, and in Australia, Miltita Auslrulis is a fungus known as " nati\'e bread." ;-.- AVith respect to the cultivation of esculent fungi, little has been done in Britain, with the exception of the Aijorinis camiiestris (Mushroom), which it is well known is cultivated by good gardeners with as much success as other vegetables, and it is extensively cultivated in the ancient quarries which run under part of the city of Paris. The Aijnriciis cmii- jjestris is native to the whole of Kurojie, part of Asia, yM'iicn, and America — reaching as far north as Lapland, and as far south as Bai'bary. On the continent many others have been tried, with more or less success ; and I see but little reason why many should not be cultivated largely in this country, and enable us to enjoy a good supply of delicious food, which is now entirely neglected. Bohlns edulis is cidlivaled largely in Paris, simjdy by watering the ground under oolc trees with water in wliich a quantity of the Boloti liave been alhnved to ferment, the only precaution necessary being to protect, by fencing, the ground destined for their production, ns deer, pigs, and rabbits are very fond of them ; this plan is said lo be infallible, and much practised in France. Jn llernniny, the Morels were so much esteemed, that the peasants wlio collected them, observing that they grew ]nost ubundunlly where wood hod been burnt, sot fire to largo forests to October 7. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 15 favoui- llieir growth ; and to such an extent tlitl tins in- jurions practice proceed, that it hecame necessary to enact severe laws for its suppression. The Tnijfk has been cul- tivated oJi the continent with more or less success ; a light, dry soil appears most favom-able to its growth ; hut, lilie other fungi in their natural state, it is a most capricious plant. It is well known that serious accidents have arisen from the careless way of collecting and preparing fungi for the table (which I shall endeavour to explain in a future paper on the Poisonous Fungi). For collecting, therefore, line dry weather should be jareferred, and those should be chosen cautiously which grow in wet, shady, and unhealthy situ- ations, although tliey are well known to be wholesome species ; those being preferred which are found in open, dry situations, and exposed to light and a free current of air. A fiat-bottomed wicker basket, with clean cloth, as used in the south of England in the markets for eggs and butter, should be chosen, also a house-painter's brush should be provided, to remove dust, dirt, leaves, insects, &c., and a knife to remove the roots ; the stems may be cut otf close, and should generally be rejected, and the fungi may then be closely packed. They should always be gathered before fiUly grown, and all that are maggoty, or attacked by insects, also all that liave been dislodged from theii' resting-place by boys or cattle, should be rejected. Having obtained as many as retpiired, they should be conveyed home, and, with as little delay as possible, prepared for the table, or pre- seiTed for future use. I find space will not allow mo, as I intended here, to enumerate those most esteemed as food in different parts of the globe ; I shall, therefore, defer it to my next paper, which will also contain receipts for cooldng. — F. Y. Bkocas. {To he continued.) THE HONEY HARVEST. I BEO to offer my mite to the common stock. Up to the month of July, I never knew so bad a season since I have had bees. An agreeable change at that time took place, we had copious showers of rain, and then splendid weather to the end of the month ; after which the honey gathering season is about over in this locality, as it is principally an hay-growing district. My No. 1 swarm, an artiticial one, was taken off June Iflth, and put uito one of Taylor's Bar Hives, and placed where the stock formerly stood (according to the "Country Curate's" jilan, which answered very well in jireventing any casts from coming oif). But there is danger of over- doing it, as a neighbour of mine did, as in his case there were not bees enough left to defend the hive, which wiis attacked by a neiglibour's bees, wlio succeeded in carrying oO:' every iiarticle of honey, in spite of narrowing the enti-ance to the liive. However, I could not, by any means, induce them to work in the super, although the stock-box was full of honey, nearly down to the floor-board. So I fumigated them, and took two bars of comb out weighing 7 lbs. No. 3, also an artificial swarm, taken off June 9ord, into a common cottage hive, plundered it the middle of August, and took 18 lbs. of honey from it. No. 0, natural swarm, June Qiith, which was a very small affair, as we did not see it go off, but found it hanging from a tree close by, late in the evening, and 1 suppose the prin- cipal part of the bees had returned back again to the pai'ent stock. I supposed, by placing the swarm in the stock's place, I should get plenty of bees to it. But I was wofully disappointed, for a most deadly warfare commenced. The result was the loss of a greater part of the bees. Can any of your readers account for the fighting ? — the swarm must have come out of tlie hive that I attributed it to, there being no other at all likely. (But I obsei-ved fighting, more or less, at all the swarms that had been put where the stock formerly stood. ) From this swarm I took 12 lbs. of honey, by destroying the bees. No. 4, a Nutt's Hive, the bees of which I could not induce to work in the side-boxes. Swarmed July 1st; hived it into one of the side-boxes, thinking it would commence working there; but no, the next morning I found tliern all united in the centre-box again. At the end of seven days, that is, July sth, it swarmed again, and a magniticcnt swarm it was, and I hived it into a conmion hive. In the course of a week I placed an eke under it, and at the end: of fourteen days it swarmed. From this swarm I took 3n lbs. of honey. The same Nutt's Box threw off a cast, a few days after which I hived it into a straw cup. From iliis I took (J lbs. of honey, by fumigating it, and adding the bees to one of my stocks, as I considered they would be princi]3ally young bees, and might be of some service. 1 have abandoned the jilan of adding tlie bees that I plundered to those intended for stocks, as I could see no benelit from it the spring following. I consider they only help to eat' up tlie food of the stock, and then die before they are of any service to the stock, unless bees live to a greater age than is generally supposed. By-the-by, I saw a notice a sliort time ago, in The Cot- tage CfjiKDENEE, that the Entomological Society had oflered a prize for the best treatise on the longivity of bees. I am anxiously waiting the result. I think it a very good hit of the " Country Curate's," to preserve the brood from the hives you are plundering. I took mine carefully out, and aixanged it upon the top of two of my stocks, then placed empty hives over it, and the bees iiresently came through, and hatched it out, which appeared to strengthen those stocks very much. — H. T. N. P. S. — I have just seen a drone bee go into my No 1 stock (Sept. Soth). I saw a great many the beginning of this mouth. Do you think they are without a (jueen ? if so, what • wUl be my best jilan witli them '? NEW MODE OF MANAGING BEES. 1 HAVE much pleasure in complying with your request, and forward you the following particulars relative to the method adopted by me at your suggestion, in the case of the only fom- swanns wliich came off in my apiary. As soon as the swarms had left tlie hives, tlie stocks were stopped up; the swarms, as soon as hived, put in the place of the stocks, and the stocks removed a short distance, and kept closed from 2i to 36 hom's. No. 3 sent out, 10th June, a swarm weighing SJlbs. On unstopping it, the workers began to eject the lU'ones with frightful rapidity, no other kind of work was carried on, and the hive, for we could see into it on the back side of the box, appeared clear of them in a few days. On the 1-lth day from swarming, a few were seen ; on the 20th, piping was heai-d ; and the following day a young queen was cast out. On the 26th July, some of the old combs were re- moved, from which i} lbs. honey were run ; 1^ lbs. of bees was added to this stock on the 26th August, and 3 lbs. sugar, and IJlbs. honey, prepared as directed in Golding's Is. Bee book, Wiis supplied previously to the 1st September, wdien it weighed OJlbs. From the swarm No. 19, ten ])ouuds of honey were run on the 19th August. No. 13^eut out, 19th June, a swarm weighing 4:^ lbs. Im- mediately on its being unstopped, drone ejection commenced, and in a few days the work appeared to be completed. On the 30th July, some combs were removed, from which 0 lbs. of honey were run. No drones were then seen. As this stock did not appear to progress well, it was taken up on the 4th August, but contained no honey, no brood, no queen, and only half a pound of bees. The swarm. No. 15, was deprived, 29th July, of 7 lbs. of honey. No. 6 sent out, 1st July, a swarm weighuig 4^- lbs. The pan on top v/as removed, and as it contained comb with drone and worker brood, and royal cell with princess, it has, with the addition of 2ilbs. of bees and feeding, made a little stock. As soon as the parent-hive was unstopped, the workers threw out, in the course of two or three hom-s, between sis and seven ounces of drones. No honey has been taken from this hive, li lbs. bees was added 24th August, and it weighed, 1st September, 12'f lbs., or a little more than one-half of what it weighed 1st September, 1851. The swarm. No. 4, was taken up 24th August, and yielded 71bs. honey. No 2 sent out, 3d July, a swarm weighing i^ lbs. Drone ejection was proceeded with, as in the three cases above- named, with great rapidity. Removed side-combs, 30th J 16 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OCTOBEB 7. July, and mn aj lbs. of honey. No brood was observed. On the ."ith August, added Jib. bees; 30th August, 1-J lbs. bees. Prepared food, 0 lbs. sugar, IJlbs. honey, was given previous to 1st September, when it weighed 7 lbs. From the swarm No. 10, when taken up 24th August, 7 J lbs. of honey were run. No cast has issued from either of these hives. My assistant and myself, in tliiuking over the case of No. 13 within the last few days, have considerable doubts as to the existence of any royal cell in it. On taking up No. 7, that had not swarmed, none was found. I must leave you to judge of the merits or demerits of the new mode. On these particulars you may rely. It is my intention to try it again next year, but I would not recommend it to be adopted with all the stocks in an apiary, since, from the wliolesale and sudden expulsion of the drones, and the uncertain nature of our climate, the requirements of the queen might not be met in time. Huber, if I remember rightly, states that this should be within thirty days. I send you herewith an account of what twelve stocks and four swarms have done with me, North Bucks, and having had under my notice from fifty to sixty other hives that have been taken up, a very lai'ge portion of which I fumi- migated myself, I am of opinion that my own apiary pre- sents a more favourable report than I should have been able to give, could I have ascertained in all cases the weight of honey run from each hive. In many ca.^es of stocks and swarms, of whicli I have heard, it has varied from four to six pounds. I fear there are very few stocks or swarms in this locality that can stand the winter without feeding. I shall hope that we may be favoured next year with a season as productive as that of wliich C. R. K. writes. Query. Does he weigh his hives, swarms, honey, &c. ? As accuracy is so essential to the formation of correct opinions, I would sug- gest to him and your other correspondents, to avoid in future the terms "very large," "enormous," "amazing quantity;" the ideas they convey are so vague. A bee- keeper of forty years standing sent me, as he said, an " enormous" quantity of bees, and laid a wager, for which I reproved him, with the person who brought them, that they weighed Olbs. I weighed them accurately, and they were found to be only '2\ lbs. B. B. P.S. I should feel much obliged to C. E. E. if he would give me the size of his " very large " hive, the weight of his " enormous " swai-ms, as well as that of his " amazing quan- tity " of honey of other sorts than top honey. Particulars of Twelve Stocks and fom' Swarms. — Season, 18.52. Description and kind of Hive used. eg 8 a d o o "55 ■S. 3 Stocks. 1. In Neighbour's cottage hive 2. In straw-hive, wood top, 12 by SJin. - 3. In Taylor's bar -hive, U^in.sq. by8iin. 5. In straw-bar hive, wood top, ISbylOin. 6. In common straw-hive, 12 in. bySiin. 7. In dOi do. do. 8. in straw-hive, wood top, Hin.by7in. 9. In bos diag. bars, lljin. byC.J in. 10. In straw-hive, wood top, 12in.by8iin. 11. In do. do. do. 12. In common straw-hive, I2in.by8iin. 13. In do. do. do. SWAEMS. 14. In Taylor's bar-hive, 112 in. by 8jin. 15. In common straw-hive, 15 in. by /in. 16. In do. do. do: 4. In straw-bar hive, r2in. by S^in. g-7i lU I6i i 731 1850 1851 snpd. 50 1851 supd. 50 1851 unkwn. 1851 supd. 50 1851 IS31 1851 JJ p.6i g-6 g-1 Sug. Hon. 5 Ij 3 li 183 1231 26 12i I 253 Ni 74 20 63 i6i 27J' 24 Swarmed and east, 1851 ; cast re turned; 7:i lbs. comb in glass taken, 1851. Two swarms lOth June, 1851 ; U^lbs. comb taken in small hives in 1851. 15^ Sent out a swarm of 7 lbs. 21st June, 1851 ; 3^ lbs. honey taken from side combs in 1851. Formed from 7 lbs. bees put into empty hive at various times, be- tween 11th and 18lh Aug., 1851. 23) Swarmed and cast, 1851; U lbs, comb in glass, taken in 1851. 19 Formed from 7 lbs. bees put into an empty hive at various times, be- tween 26th August and 8th Sept 1851. 14i Swarm of 1st of June, 1851 ; de prived of 134 lbs. honey, and fed freely for winter of 1851; east of 2 lbs. added 17th June, 1852. 174iTwo casts of 1851 ; no honey taken in 1851. 13 Stray swarm of 1851 purchased igth June ; no honey taken in 1851. 203 Swarm of 2Ist June, 1851, weighing on that day 64 lbs. ; no honey taken in 1851. 16 Did not swarm, 1851 ; no honey t.aken in 1851. 153 Cast of 21bs. 23rd June, 1851; no honey taken in 1851. This hive increased from 3rd to 10th July, 8i lbs. This hive increased from 3rd to 1 0th July, 9i lbs. This hive increased from 3rd to 10th July, 6i lbs. This hive increased from Ist to 10th July, 9i lbs. 22J I cannot speak with certainty respecting all these hives, liut, judging from the eight wliich I weigliod several times, lamof opinion that they Jiavo, on the average, decreased since the 18tli July. Looking at the above statement, it is evident that had no honey been token from these 10 hives they would, after consuming OOlbs. sugar, and fijlbs. honey, and receiving 7^1bs. bees, have only weighed on tho 1st September, IS.'i'J, 243 lbs., or 7 7 lbs. less than tliey shcmld have done to stand the winter. Your readers must furiu their own judgment from these facts. B. B. OCTOBEB 7. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 17 I THE LIVERPOOL POULTRY SHOW. ' The fifth annual show of the Manchester and Liverpool Agricultural Society was held on the 23rJ of September, in the capacious Market Place, in Great Honier-slreet, Liver- pool. For the first time, the Society added a show of poultry to the otlier attractions of its Exhibition, and we congratulate them on the succei3s of their first expeiiment 1 in this interesting depai-tment of rural economy. This, as j our readers are aware, is not a good time of the year for showing to advantage their feathered favourites, hut, making reasonable allowance for this drawback, this new feature of the Society's exhibition was highly creditable. As is our usual practice on such occasions, we proceed briefly to notice each class. The Boikbujs, which were the first class here, presented some good pens of fowls, the prize being awarded to Capt. W. Hornby, for three very good birds. The same gentleman carried off the prize in the Spanish class, in which there was nothing approaching in excellence the birds exhibited by him ; and he was equally successful in the Game class, against two or three very good competing pens. In the Cochin class, the prize was very deservedly given to Dr. Gwynne, of Sandbach, for three very fine fowls ; this class altogether was not first-rate. Of Malays, there were none shown, and the Hamhunjh and Poland classes were not good enough to deseiwe notice. The Geese came next, and Mr. Townley Parker again carried off the prize, as he did also in the class of Goslings — Capt. Hornby nmning him very close in both classes. Capt. Hornby obtained the prize for Ayleshunj Ducks — those for Rouens, and for " any other variety" being awarded to very good pens belonging to Mr. Henry Worrall. One pen of Turkeys only was shown, by Mr. E. W. "Wilmot, but they were excellent, being of the " wild American breed." In the Duckling class, the prize again fell to Capt. Hornby, for six beautiful Ayleshurys ; Mr. Townley Parker's Rouens being but little inferior to them. In the class of " six chickens," some very fine birds of several varieties were shown, and the judges gave four prizes. Three of them were awarded to Capt. Hornby, for Cochins, Dorkings, and Spanish, respectively, and the fourth to William Copple, for Bolton Greys. The Society's medal for the best pen of birds in the yard, was adjudged to Capt. Hornby, for his six Cochin chickens, making the tenth prize obtained by him ; a proof of what may be accomplished by the judgment and attention of an individual fancier. Witli the exceptions to which we have referred, there were some good birds shown in each class, and we have no doubt that the success of this, their first attempt, and the interest excited by this portion of their exhibition, will induce this spirited Association to repeat the show of poultiy in succeeding years ; and that as the interest taken in them increases, and the encoui'agement given by the different Societies is extended, the different breeds of domestic fowl will be improved, and disseminated through- out the country. The judges were Mr. Bissell, of Birmingham, and Mr. Nolan, of Dublin, and their decisions appeared to give universal satisfaction. The arrangements of the show by the secretary, Mr. White, were very judicious, and the poultry pens were as good as we have seen anwhere. UST OF PKIZES. One male and two female birds to be shown by each competitor. For the best white, speckled, or grey Dorking Fowls, £\. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowaley, near Prescot, pen of fowls, of the Dorking breed, aged about 2 years. For the best Spanish Fowls, £1, Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowslcy, near Prescot, pen of fowls, of the Spanish breed, aged about 2 years. For the best Game Fowl, ^1. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowslcy, near Prescot, pen of fowls, of the game breed, bred by himself, aged 2 years. For the best Cochin-China Fowls, sSl. William Oust Gwynne, M.D., Sandbach, Cheshire, three fowls, of the Cochin-China breed, bred by himself, and hatched, the cock at the end of March, and the pullets at the middle of march. On sale. Price 382O. For the best Malay Fowls, £\. No entries. For the best Golden-pencilled Hamburgh Fowls, f£\. The variety called "Bolton Bays" or " Golden Hamburgh " fowl, must be exhibited for this premium. No entries. For the best Silver-pencilled Hamburgh Fowls, s£\, *' Bolton Greys," *' Chitterprats," and *' Silver-pencilled Dutch," to be shown for this premium. John Taylor, Halshaw DIoor, near Bolton, pen of fowls of the Silver-pencilled Hamburgh breed, bred by William Hill, aged 4i months. For the best Gold-spangled Hamburgh Fowls, £\. " Golden Pheasant," *' Golden Blooneys," " Copper Moss," and "Red Caps," to be shown for this premium. R. C. Lowndes, Club-moor, near Liverpool, pen of fowls, of the Golden-pheasant breed, bred by himself. For the best Silver-spangled Hamburgh Fowls, ^'\. " Silver Pheasant," *' Silver Mooney," and " Silver Moss," fowl, to be shown for this premium. No award. For the best Poland Fowls, £\. Black, with white crests, golden or silver. No award. For the best of any other breed or cross of Fowls, £\. The breed to be stated on entry. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of fowls of the Gold-laced Bantam breed, bred by himself, aged 1 year and 3 months. GEESE. For the best Geese, £\. Thomas Townley Parker, Sutton-grange, near St. Helens, geese of the common breed, aged 3 years. DUCKS. For the best Aylesbury Ducks, £\. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of ducks, of the Aylesbury breed, bred by himself, aged 1 year and 4 months. For the best Rouen Ducks, £\, Henry Worrall, Knotty-ash House, Liverpool, pen of ducks, of the Rouen breed, bred by — Henderson, Esq., aged 8 months. For the best of any other variety of Ducks, z£i. Henry Worrall, Knotty-ash House, Liverpool, pen of ducks, of the crossed wild breed, bred by himself, aged 1 year and 1 month. TURKEYS. For the best Turkeys, £\. Edward Woollet Wilmot, Hulme Walfield, near Congleton, pen of turkeys of the wild American breed, hatched April, 1851. YOUNG POULTRY. The day on which they were hatched to be stated. For the best Sir Goslings, £1. Thomas Townley Parker, Sutton-grange, near St. Helens, goslings of the common breed, bred by himself, hatched on the 10th April last. For the best Six Ducklings, £1. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of ducklings, of the Aylesbury breed, bred by ' himself, aged 4 months. For the best Six Chickens, s£l. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of chickens, of the Cochin-China breed, bred hy himself, aged 5 months and 5 days. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of chickens, of the Dorking breed, bred by himself, aged 4 months. Captain W. W. Hornby, Knowsley, near Prescot, pen of chickens, of the Spanish breed, bred by himself, aged 5 months and 1 weeki EXTRA PRIZE. For the best pen of Poultry in the show yard, the Soeiety^s Silver Medal. The judges awarded it to Captain W. W. Hornby, for Cochin-China chickens. NOTES UPON BACK NUMBERS. The Palma Christi is not difficult to grow as an out-of- doors plant. It should be raised in tlie spring hotbed, shifted once liberally, and treated exactly as a balsam till the frosts are over, when it should be planted out in very rich soil, or what would be still better, plant it like a vegetable maiTOw, with a baiTOwful of hot manure beneath the soil. Many other tropical plants would grow and show their fine foliage in the summer time if treated thus, and there is not a handsomer one than the Palma Christi. All laterals and blossoms should be carefuUy removed till the plant is four or five feet high. The Hybrid Begonia parviflora by Cinnabarina, is now in flower in my stove. It is a minature Cinnabarina in habit, more branched and flowery, but inferior in colour. The pollen of Cinnabarina colours some of its mules highly, but others not so well. Pankia subcordaia will not flower satisfactorily out-of- doors, and generally not even in the greenhoiise, the flowers being usually deformed by the curling or unequal expansion of one side of the flower. In the stove there is not a more exquisite plant. The flower is of the whitest white I know, the scent delightfid, and the leaf a form for the sculptor. Small plants do the best, grown from pieces broken off from the mass in the spring, and each containing one, or at most two crowns. Your correspondent's " black Geranium " was probably Hoarca melanantha, a weed, in fact, as he says, but some pretty mirles were raised from its pollen some years ago. He must not be cross about his first turn at African bulbs. They, and all imported bulbs, are hard to establish, even for an old hand, sometimes. These little Africans are highly interesting plants, and the time mil come, and that soon, when everybody will be running after them again. Our good instructor, Mr. Beaton, alludes to a tropical ex- periment of mine. It was not, however, an old hotbed, but a new one made for the pm-pose, only very spacious and is THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Octobeh 7. shallow ; one foot WM the depth of hot ilun^, but this was trotlden \'ery firmly tlown on the hrick bottom, ami enclosed by a little briek-wall to that height. I wished to try if a large and shallow mass would produce and retain the heat as well as the same quantity in the usual more cubical shape, and I thini; it did so. Most of the tropical plants likely to be experimented upon, such as the South Ameiican Scilimiiiicii; and the like, would, if our chmate continued as it is to day, be in their beauty, as to blossom and good de- velopment, about Christmas day. We, therefore, try to give them such a start, by means of the bottom-heal, as will enable them to begin soon enough to be ready to flower and thrive while our fine weather lasts ; but this, the per- fection of the thing, will not be done till we try Mr. Beaton's plan of a cheap and simple means of bottom-heat, always at command ; while above ground, the jilant enjoys what it never gets in' our plant-houses, fresh air and exercise. Many men have many mmds, and so have the many members of the large family Amaryllis. Scarcely any two require exactly the same treatment. The name of the sorts should be gi\'en to jirevent poor Editors giving evasive answers. Much of this difficulty will cease when warmed borders in the open In two minutes I shall be on my hobby, so adieu. — A Coekespondent. (From whom we hope to hear very often. — Ed. C. G.) MR. PvIVERS'S CRYSTAL TALACES. To gardeners and amateurs. You are all well aware of the annual trouble and expense of fruit-trees on walls, after jirunuing, nailing, and covering {but not protcctiiirj), for' that is almost an impossibility in our northern pai'ts, and frequently is an entu-e failure in the more southern districts. Gardeners have been for yeai's crying out — " I'm afraid I shall not be troubled with much fruit this season, as my pcaclies, pears, phmis, and cherries, all apparently are cut oft' by the frost, and it's nothing but an entire disappointment." Now, to prevent all this, I would earnestly recommend all horticulturists and lovers of gar- dening to step into Mr. Kivers's nursery, and see there fruit grown to the greatest perfection, such as peaclies, plums, pears, apricots, and apples. I, myself, was highly gratified, two months ago, by a visit to his niu-sei^, likeuise, at the same period, to the seat of Lord lloden, Avhere I saw, iu Ijoth places, peaches and apricots in pots, laden wth ad- mirable fruit. What would be more pleasing and interesting than to have one or more of these pots, witli the sides washed, and the surface covered with a cai-pet of moss, placed on a nobleman's table, viilh three to four dozen of beautiful fruit on each plant, which is very easily to be had with only a slight attention. There is no nailing, no tying, and no covering at night with these, only a little additional watering and pruning, as om- kind friend Mr. R. du-ects. And I am sine that the ladies would take great pleasm-c iu gathering the fruit themselves in their dining-rooms. Some are apt to say that the " orchard-houses " are nothing more than rickety cowsheds, but for them to be convinced about that, I should strongly recommend them to pay one of those structures a visit. Perhaps some of our aged friends, in the same capacity of gardening as myself, would like to know linw Mr. K. manages to produce his fruit so abundantly, and if they inquire of him, I have no doubt lie will inform them, as I know he is always pleased to give any one hiformation concerning their well-doing. I can safely say, that I could grow fruit in the same way very satisfactorily, although not of so much experience as some; but I hope, as glass is so cheap, that I shall be able to sec, one day or other, an orchard house as large as the Crystal Palace that stood in Hyile I'ark. A. 13. C. rOULTRY MANIA. DOEJUNO, versus OOCIIIN-OniNA. " Tantiis comjwncrc tites.'* (To decide ao great a controversy.) VtrgWs Eclogues, Cock vioiTTiNo, as a national pastime, has become de- funct, and in lieu thereof, the owners of cocks have entered mto strife among themselves; happily, however, the fight is a bloodless one, and iit the main is limited to ink- shedding. Most learned liave been the ci>ntru\ crsies, most conflicting have been the facts ; and but one truth stands conspicuously forth, namely, that a fov.i which passes under the name of "Cochin-China," is just now "liie pet of the fancy." We hate foul play, and, therefore, candidly confess, that why this has come to pass we cannot determine. A'ulgar people insinuate, that it arises from a vain desire to imitate Majesty in small things ; and just as the daughters of the honest biu'gesses of this realm, on all occasions, threw back their veils in a coil around the sides of their bonnets, and tied them in a knot under their chin, on hearing that the Queen, in a stormy day, was seen with the bonnet thus accoutred, so have " Cochins" become the fashion, because a few "noble specimens" of the breed occu|iied a conspi- cuous position in Her Majesty's aviary. '\Ve reverence royalty, wherever we find it. When a king squints, it becomes his subjects to squint likewise. We have beard of a courtier who said he would bow to a thistle, if it were surmounted by the crown of lis sovereign. We honour the sentiment. '\Vhere is the himgry donkey that woidd not perform a like act of homage '? But to return to the Cochin-China fowl ; what are its qualities? In what special excellence does it transcend the whole race of Spanish, Dorkings, I'olauds, or Game'? In size — in that estimable quality in which a painted sign- post surpasses one of Midready's cabinet pictures — in that important endowment in which Daniel Lambert was supe- rior to Lord John Russell, and iu which the elephant sur- passes a^man. All its qualities are colossal; and, therefore, in an age when jieoiile wish " to get as much as they can for their money," they are popular, fashionable, and " tlie pel of the fancy." It is true, that ndien they are young, tliey are superlatively ugly ; when at adult age, superlatively tough ; and when old, these two qualities ai'e blended in a superlative degree. But then, they are very large, very dear, and very fashionable; and these quahties, with the majority, are sufficient to compensate all other defects. The i50ultry-shows, generally, proclaun that these tailless birds ai'e, as we have decribed them, " pets." They have all the " prestige " of novelty. All the fervour and enthusiasm which Englishmen lavish on foreign favourites, whether Italian singers, French ballet-girls, Swiss valet-s, or German nurse-maids, are now bestowed on these emigrants from India, Cochin-Cbinn, and the Malay peninsula. Their names appear daily in large capitals in the advertising sheets of the Times, the Gardener's Clirouielc, and other fii'st-rate journals. Mr. Stevens, llic auctioneer for all the property connected with natiual history in its wide-spread ramifications, exhausts his oratorical powers in their praise ; and every daudy who hears of poulU-y- shows exclaims — " Aw, I've no taste for these things, except, aw, except for Cochins ; the rest are low, sir, decidedly low." And yet, in spite of all this dilettanti dandyism — this popular favour — we venture to predicate, that the Coohin-China fowl will disappear as such ; — like the Arab horse in England, it will become lost in crosses with other breeds, and be repre- sented by a race possessing their great size, without any of the numerous defects which now characterize the bird. During the past summer, we saw a Cochin chicken running about at three months old, with"dowl" upon his Ijack, with legs nearly as long as a Flamingo's, and as bare behind as a picked goose. He had, it is true, " roughed it" bitterly, and, therefore, (hd not resemble very closely the pets of Sturgeon and Pnnchai'd — yet be was a genuine Cochin; and around hiui, reared imder, and ex- posed to precisely the same influences (birds of the same nest and hatch), were gaily congregated chitleprats. half- bred game chicks, and a host of mongrels, carrying in their veins as heterogeneous a mixture of vital fluid as rolls in the ai'teries of a Yankee, and yet these wore all well- fea- thered, respectable, and decorous, waraig then- titils with modest dignity, while the imfortunate Cochin ran about as boi'e, if not as ornamental, as that variegated Iiaboon, who rejoices in the euphonious name of " Cynocephalus maimon." It would become the exertions of benevolent young lailies to midie flannel coverings for lliese ornilho- logical nudities, if such a breed is to be encouraged to the exclusion of the more useful and ornamental denizens of the poulti'y-yai'd. October 7. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 19 A sboi't time ago, some Cocbin-China fanatic was awfully etagry with the Koyal Agricultural Society for placing the " Dorking Fowl " in Class A of their prize list, instead of the Cochins ; but what coiihl a farmer do with a lot of naked Cochins ? He requires a breed that shall come early to maturity, and weigh heavily, and lay well ; and in these particulars the Dorkings far surpass the " pet of the fancy." A Dorking pullet, hatched in April last (12th), within one hundred yards of the unfeathered Cochin above referred to, weighs, at this date, six pounds, and has laid eggs every alternate day for the past three weeks. This is thu breed for the agriculturist ; and the Society has acted wisely and well in their selection and arrangement of the prize list ; for if a genealogy, stretching back for centuries, even far beyond the age of the learned Aldrovandi; if associations, classical as the Bard of Avon's writings can make them ; if the authority of Pliny and Columella can outweigh the ephemeral opinions of the fashionable dandyism of the present day ; or, what is far more to the purpose, if beauty of plumage, early maturity, great size, fecundity in eggs and chickens, whiteness, and delicacy of flesh, constitute claims for preference in the gallinaceous tribes, then, may the high-bred speckled Dorking calmly "■ abide its time," and treat with proud and becoming indifference the popular mania in favour of the long-legged, tough, tall, and tailless Cochin-Chinas. Such, at least, is the modest opinion of Mickleover, Sept. 23, 1852. Amicus Galli. FAMILIARITY OF BIRDS. The Robin. — The nursery ballad on the " Children in the AVood," has done much for the protection of the Eobin. He is a biid which never congregates, but is widely spread; and there are few localities in the country that are not enlivened by his presence. He is a general attendant on the gardener, particularly on the operations of the spade, in search of worms and insects. He is very familiar, and, if encouraged, soon becomes half-domesticated. For two or three yeai's a robin formed one of my family ; seldom did I sit down to a meal without his being on the table. He would enter the house by any door or window, and watch his opportunity to pass into the room as the servant brought in the dishes. At other times he would appear at the parlour window, and on being admitted, would fly to my knee, or perch upon the book I was reading ; but his favourite post was the lid of a lady's workbox, and among its contents of bobbins and reels of cotton he would find great amusement. Upon this lid he would warble by the half-hour together, in soft, musical notes, which, at times, appeared to come from different parts of the room, as though he was a ventriloquist. He would feed from the hand, and was not disturbed by the movements of the family. The Chaffinch. — Another of my familiar acquaintance was a hen Chaffinch, an almost constant visitor. One morning she brought, for ray amusement, her little family of four young ones, and having arranged them in a row on the breakfast table, commenced feeding them. After their re- past a difficulty arose; she wished to withdraw them, but they remained immoveable, and it was interesting to observe her endeavours to accomplish this object, flying in and out of the room, and calling to them, but without avail. They appeared to enjoy their position, and were deaf to her soli- citations ; at length, one of them flew out, and the rest followed in succession. The Jncktiaw. — One day a female of my family, on visiting a neighbouring farm, brought home a young Jackdaw, which had been caught by a boy. He was turned loose in the garden, and but little thought of him. He grew up, however, vei'y sociable, and though he had full use of his wings for six years, he never left us, and was found dead at last on the gravel walk, apparently killed by a stone. His first concern of a morning was to call me up, by tapping at my chamber window; he would then attend me in my rounds before breakfast, to pick up the earwigs, as they were emptied out of the flower pots, placed as traps on the tops of the dahlia stakes. He invariably assisted in our garden operations, seizing the small worms, grubs and insects. During the day, his favourite resort was an elm tree by the road-side, and his great delight consisted in holding collo- quies with the children as they went to, and returned from, school. He would visit the neighbouring cottages, par- ticularly if any workmen were employed about them ; would sometimes accompany bis mistress to church, which he was with much difficulty prevented from entering, and became at length so troublesome, that on these occasions he was obliged to be shut up : if at liberty, he would watch for her return, and call to her the moment he saw her among the crowd. He would meet me on my coming home from a neighbouring town, and tly for a mile by the side of my gig, uttering " Jack." He would attend me in my country walks, sailing over my head, and alighting on some tree in advance to invite me onwards. When drinking tea on the lawn, he would testify his joy by exhibiting all manner of gambols, sometimes over our shoulders, sometimes hiding himself in the folds of a lady's dress, but generally ending in seizing a slice of bread and butter, and flying off with it. His faults were — his over-familiarity, and making too free with what did not belong to him. Few animals exhibited greater sagacity ; he knew wdien he had done wrong ; his life was a system of schemes and contrivances, and his death a family loss. To those who are fond of studying the habits of birds, and whose position in life enables them to indulge in it, a delightful source of instruction and recreation may be found in cultivating their familiar acquaintance. S. P., Etishmere. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Prolificacy of Cociiin-China Fowls. — Mr. E. George, of the Rookery, Clialdon, says, " Being a breeder of light-coloured Cochin-China fowls, pprliaps you will permit me to add my testimony in their favour, which I think your readers will allow the following facts to be. I have had seventy chickens, from one hen, since the end of February last, besides using some of her eggs in other ways, and one dozen now hatching ; and, to my own knowledge, she has laid a double-yolked egg and a soft-shelled one within twelve hours. I have had a brood of chickens from eggs of a pullet hatched the middle of March last ; cockerels of same age weighing above nine pounds ; pullets six pounds; and others, a month younger, fi^'c pounds and three-quarters. As to their hardihood, I can only say the numbers we have lost in rearing does not amourit to seven per cent., and nearly half of those have been accidents, such as getting into the wrong coops, and beinp killed by the hen, &c. Now and then a bird will gain weight even faster than those already mentioned : for instance, a cockerel, which I exhibited at Lewes, has con- tinued to gain more than an ounce a day ever since." Hens Nests.— il/r. W. J. Beeby, of Chaldon, rear Coulsden, Surrey, says, " Referring to former numtiers of your periodical, in which it has been endeavoured to show the best place for setting eggs, allow me to remark that, having kept the Cochin-China fowls the last five years, I have set the eggs on the bare ground, in wooden boxes on the ground, and, lastly,' in wooden boxes raised from the ground, and (by way of cx- pfriment) lined with kamptulicon, (a composition of India-rubber and cork) ; and I am of opinion that a hen will hatch equally well in either of the above situations, if comfortahlv placed — the number of chickens brought forth depending entirely on the health of the layers and sitter.-t. Can you tell me whether there have been any of the Cochin-China fowls imported of a pure while colour, with top-knots? Fme specimens of this variety are to be had at Hong-Kong and Shanghae, as I am inlormed by a party who has been at those pUces." We have not seen or heard before of white Cochin-China fowls with top-knots. We saw a buff one the other day with a slight tuft of feathers on the head ; liut we think it was symptomatic of a cross in the blood of one of its parents. Datupa just Blooming {Greenhorn). — In the first place, give it abundance of water all the time that it is in bloom, and, as we are bo near the winter, cease watering altogether as soon as it is out of flower ; the leaves will soon droop, and the plant will look deplorable for ten days or so, but you may smile the while. If the leaves do not fall in ten days after the drooping, pull them oiT, and let the plants stand naked all the winter, and, unless the green top branches begin to shrivel, you need give no water ; but if they di), give the pot a good soaking, to keep the tops fresh for cuttings. Any time in March or April, when you have a cucumber bed at full work, cut down your Datura as far as you like — or say, at a venture, to within a few inches of where it began to grow from last season ; then with a thick paint made with water, soft soap, a little sulphur, and a lump of clay, cover the whole body of the plant, and let this remain as long as you can— it is to kill and keep off insects Every joint of the tops will make a cutting ; but you had better keep two joints to a cutting when the joints are far apart — one joint at the bottom for roots, the other for leaves ; and so, when the joints or eyes are close on each other, make the cuttings four or five inches long. They like a brisk bottom-heat, but not much water. Maurandya Babclayana (/A/rf).— It is a perennial, and it may be cut in a good deal, and taken up and potted, but not cut down altogether. Keep a foot or so of the main stem, or stems, and six inches of as many of the side branches as you can train without crowding ; and if there be any very small branijhes near the root, keep all of them, and at their full length. You had better do all this cutting at once, but let the plant remain to the end of October. One of the greatest errors in gardening at the present day is cutting in, or pruning, any plant, except the very commonest thing— as a laurel — the same day, or tlie same week, as it is to be potted from the borders, or transplanted elsewhere ; Maurandyas particularly so, as they make such long wiry roots, with few fibres ; but 20 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 7. few plants deserve to be kept from year to year more than they. They also want to be in a cool, airy place all winter, and not get much water until you see them prow away freely. We are going to keep all our old p'ants of Maurandyaa, Lophospermuma, Eccremocarpiis, and Cobeeas, this winter. We shall have them in different len-ths, from one to ten feet. Flowee-beds (S. S.).—\Ve are poing to give plana of different kinds of aower-sardena, single beda. and angle beds, and groups ; and to open the war for all this, we only propose, at first, to engrave actual flower- eardens as thev now stand, with accompanying criticisms and su^'gestions. Your plan wiU appear in the series as a good example of a very useful way of making the best of a limited space of ground ; meantime, we shall file your letter, to see what we can do for what you want most. Cheysanthemums fLora).— "Howsoonis it advisable to force them; I have a large stock, and grow for show in greenhouse only ? " They stand no forcing. From the I5th to the 25th of October we have put those with earliest flower-buds into a house, with doors open at both ends night and dav, and we gained UL-arly a week, whic j was a great feat. Geeaniums in Pots (Mirf). — " These are intended for show in green- house; mine are already cut down, thinned, and kept outside. When should I take them to the greenhouse 7" Aa soon as you see your well- arranged letter in print. _ , r^, ,,lyanthuses. About the 10th of May you can remove a bed of Hyacinths, &c., and plant it the same day with Verbenas, or Calceolarias, &c., filling in the spaces between the plants quite well with autumn-sown annuals. Next day it will look quite as well as with the Hyacinths, and next week it may be in full bloom, according to the kind of annual used. Double Glazing (Y. J. B«i/f^).— We made double-glazed windows for the fruit-room, when common glasi? was Is. a foot, and we liked it much. A double-glazed frame would be as warm as a single-glazed one with double mats on— one inch, or less space will do between the glass. When we h''ar where glass is to be had at a penny per foot, aa lately stated in our pages, we shall return to the subject. Arches over Walks (H.). — Vour plan is most eicellent, and the best we know of for the display of hardy climbers. A walk seventy yards long arched over, the arches " nine feet apart, and about seven or eight feet high," will look extremely well. Let the centre of the arches be full eight feet above the walk. The standards to spring the arches from should be six-and-a-half to seven feet high ; from these, and on both sides of the walk, arches should spring along the line of the walk, as well as across the walk. Let us earnestly advise you to adopt this sug- gestion. Then use duplicate plants along the whole line— that is, begin with 2 Clemntis jnontana, one on the right, the other on the left hand; then 2 Japan Honeysuckle, 2 Crimson Boursmdt rose, 2 Clemat's cirrhosa, to flower in February and March ; 2 old Double Musk rose, or some good old Noisette to flower in the autumn ; 2 Aristoluchia sipho, for their broad, handsome leaves, and for the sake of variety ; then 2 Felicite Per- petual rose, 2 Saeet Clematis, 2 Laura Davoust rose, 2 Clematis Hen- dersonii, 2 Solatium jasminoides. The following Ros"3 are also eligible for your purpose :— Queen of the Belgians, Rampant, Princess Marie, and Myrianthes, lUvers's Queen, and Wells's White, or Madame d'Arblay. Try also Tecoma, or Bignonia rndicnns major. We would plant " annual and perennial creepers " as auxilaries, but not till after the prmcipala had one season's growth. Then we would try Gloire de Rosamene rose at the bottom of the rose pillars ; Clematis Sieboldi and purpurea, with their kind ; Eccremocarpus, Pussion-Jiower, Lophos- permutn, Comiolnolus major, &c. Golden-chain Geraniums (Hosa) — This, and the Flowcr-of-the- day, are best propagated in the spring, and should not be kept in pots during summer. In winter both of them will require little water, and to be grown in good turfy peat. Ea\TaEiNA Curista-galli (Ibid) —Th\s is also best from spring cuttings, just like I)j.hlias, when the old plants make shoots three inches long. We do not usually recommend gardeners. Vines (Rhydy Gros).—" Your vines have rooted from the very top of the stem under ground." Thi« is well ; encourage such habit. For your insects, look to our back numbers for advice at the dresaini used at pruning time. If they commence operations on the foliage in the ensuing spring, see to fumigations, and the use of sulphur, as repeatedly advised in these pages. You mutt be moderate in your crop nest year, suffering merely the strongest shoots to carry a bunch. The long-rod system is certainly manageable, but the close spur system for us, on the whole. Peaches (A. B. £?.).— See an article on root-pruning in page 380 of last volume; this will meet your cane. The large yellow (Enotherax, macrocarpa and missouriertse, are hardy ; but iht best way to propagate them is to pot a few old stools, and frame them, and propagate u Dahlias. Thpy may be raised from seed, also, sown early in February. Verbenas will doubtless keep in the way you describe, but beware of confined damp, and use stout cuttings. Pears Cracking {E. H F.).— Your Althorpe Crasanne cracks through a capricious soil— that is to say, one suddenly liable to drought. If you cannot transplant, apply a top-dressing in the end of April, consisting of three parts manure, and one part adhesive loam, nearly six inches in thickness. PEA.cn AND Nectarine Over-luxuriant {A Cheshire Rector).— Your main stem should have been pinched when it had grown nearly a foot; it is now established as a glutton, or robber, If the rest of the tree is disposed to grossness, root-prune immediately. Wntch the shoots produced by your robbers next June, and pinch them as soon as six or eight inches long, repeating it in July in the next growth. Greenhouse (Rev. R. Blarkl>urn).—Yi^ur plan is good, and will succeed. This kind of house, with some trifling modifications, is much wanted by the amateur. We would have sashes at front, to slide hori- zontally in a groove, in order to reach the pots with facility, as also for ventilation purposes. Be sure you have capacious ventilators in back wall, the roof of ciurse fixed. We would have four in yours, which is 17 feet 6 inches long, each half-a-yard long, and six inches wide, placed close to the t(>p. You will also do well to provide a canvass shade, with a penthouse at back to receive it. You had better have four or five vines ; when they are so far from the roof they have a tend.mcy " to draw," or run upwards, and any attempt to oppose this will be well-nigh futile. If you have no piping in front, you may readily obtain another shelf. Plants for Australia (J. T. W'.).— As for fancy things, like florists' flowers, annuals, or any other kind of phmt that you like or admire, you will find them just as useful in Australia as if you were only going with them from Inverness or Aberdeen to Exeter. All the bulbs of South Africa, and all the greenhouse bull)s from Washington, to the shores of Patagonia, do better in Australia than in Devonshire ; so you may take out any bulb, root, plant, or seed you can lay your hands on ; but we must not say where is the best place to buy anything. It is per- fectly useles^s to ask us, or any other authority, what are the best plants for Australia. Whatever plants yott like best are sure to be the best for you, either here or in Australia. Trees before a House (Subscriber from No 1).— Your "good lady" evinces better taste than many whom we could name, that are satisfied with such common thing's as Lime-trees before their doors, near London ; and as you want them more for ornament than for screens, let her, by all means, have something handsome, and more aristocratic — say a couple of Scarlet or Dwarf Horse-chcsnuts, the handsomest tree in England while in blossom. Ask for it by the name of ^sciifiis rubi- cunda ; and those Thorns which make an equal display with either their flowers or fruit, and you can cut them to anything, if need be : CrntCBgus aronia, with splendid yellow, large haws, that are good to eat; Crata-gvs orientalis, the Mespilns orientalis of Tournfort, also with eatable fruit of a coral colour; Crat^gus tanacetifolia, large yellow fruit. Then the pink and sr.arlet-fiowering Thorns, and also the double -flowering varie- ties, white, pink, or scarlet. They are the sort of trees for "good ladies ;" while Lime-trees are very useful for screening shops and butchers' stalls. Flower-garden Plan [C. il/.).— Your plan will be engraved, and will appear in our series, with such remarks as will suit your inquiries. Your proposal of festooning the roses towards the centre is a new and distinct feature, of which we much approve. PREstcRViNG Grapes [Susan). —We. have kept grapes until after Christmas, hy allowing them to remain on the vine, giving as much air as the weather permitted, to keep them dry. Plants may be grown well in the same house, for directly the leaves of the vine begin to turn yellow they may be stripped off. Grapes keep longer on the vine than anywhere else. Glazing Greenhouse {E- E.).—\>o not let the glass lap over more than one-eighth of an inch. We prefer the laps not to be close. Taxodium sempervirkns [D. p.) —There is some doubt about the identity of this tree, which is a native of North- West America, and that which is native of New Zealand. It is spoken of in the Horticultural Society's Journal as Sequoia sempeniirens. Cramp in CocuiN-CniNA Fowls (/Arrf).— We are told that they are liable to this disease, but we have never witnessed it in our own yard, where they have dry, warm shelters, and are liberally fed. Your diet for them is good, and tUeir roosting-place warm. H.ave they a covered dry place to shelter and busk themselves in when it is wet weather 7 Various. — Nomre will see he has been attended to. Short Notices (/. B. P., Dublin). — You will perceive we have not lost sight of your request. We try to meet the case of every reader, so far aa we know his wants and wishes, and never look upon anything as a trouble. Rustic Seats and Gates {An Old Subscriber). — We shall be glad if any one will send us drawings of such as they think ornamental. We will not lose sight of this. Nettles can only be destroyed by being con- stantly cut down, and by sowing salt over them very thickly. Names of Plants (M. A. L.).— No. I, Nigella hispnnica; No. 3, Ulmus campestris, vauety variegata ntba ; No. .S, Ph/omis frurticosa ; No. 4 too much shrivelled to be detected. The Weeping \\'^illow (Salix Babylonica) is a native of the Levant, and introduced to this country in 1730. The Weeping Ash is a variety of the common ash, propagated by grafting upon it. Insects (Margate).— TUq insects sent as infesting old papers, closets, &c., are the Ptinus holosericus, a species which has quite recently been imported from Russia in dried skins. It has spread with amazing rapidity. It feeds on dried animal remains.— J. O. W. London: Printed by Habrt Wooldridgk, Winchester High-street, in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendar ; and Published by William Somerville Orr, at the Office, No. 2. Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— October 7Lh» IS63, October L4. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 21 M D 14 15 16 1? 18 19 20 W D Tn Son M TO W OCTOBER 14—20, 18.52. Weather near London in 1861. Sun Rises, Sun Sets. Moon R.&S. Moon's Clock Age. bef. Sun. Day of Year. Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Lady-bird hybemates. Gossamer abundant. Martin last seen. 18 SONDAY AFTER TrINITY. St. Luke. Virginian Creeper leaves fall. Hen Chaffinches flock. 29928—29.841 62—44 29.430 — 29.336 56—32 29.606-29.502 57—28 29.894-29.802 57—36 29.941 —29.742 59—52 30.0! 1 — 29.930 62-65 30.080 — 30.045 64—35 W. W. S.W. W. S.W. S.W. w. 03 34 01 01 25 a. 6 26 28 30 32 ; 33 35 7 a. 5 6 3 1 IV 57 65 6 a 7 6 35 7 7 7 49 8 43 9 44 10 63 1 14 1 2 14 14 3 U 26 4 14 33 5 14 50 J 15 0 7 15 10 283 289 290 29! 292 293 294 Meteorology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twentj turcsof these days are .18.7° and 41.8° respectively. The greatest heat, 76°, occurred on in 1850. During the period 101 days were fine, and on 74 rain fell. -five years the 14th in the average highest and lowest tempera- 1845 J and the lowest cold, 24°, on the 15th BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. BEEBEKIDS. — BEEBEEIDACE/E. Chakagteks of the Oedek. — Sepals 3, 4, 6, deciduous, in a double row, surrounded extenaally by petal-like scales. Petals below tlie seed-vessels, either equal to the sepals in number, and opposite to them, or twice as many, generally with an appendage at the base in the inside. Stamens equal in number to the petals, and opposite to them; anthers generally with two separate cells, opening elastically with a valve from the bottom to the top. Ovarium solitary, one- celled ; style rather lateral; sti(/ma globular. Fruit berried or capsular. Seeds attached to the bottom of the cell on one side, 1, 2, or 3 ; albumen between fleshy and horny ; embryo straight in the axis. Shrubs or herbaceous perennial plants, for the most part smooth. Bekbebis : Berberry ; BarbeiTy. Genekio Chakacter. — Calyx below seed-vessel, of six spreading, reversed egg-shaped, concave, coloiu'ed, deciduous leaves ; the three outer ones smallest. Petals six, opposite to the caly.x, and not much longer, roundish-egg-shaped, concave, spreading, deciduous ; the short claw of each bearing internally two oblong, more deeply colom'ed, pro- bably, honey-bearing glands. Filaments lineal', flattened, blunt, opposite to the petals, but shorter, attached to the base of each. Anthers of two separate lobes, on the opposite edges of the summit of the filament, each opening by a valve, from the bottom upwards. Germen oblong-oval. Style none. Sliijma single, globular, broader than the germen, acutely bordered, permanent. Berry oblong, blunt, of one cell, pulpy, opening at the top. Seeds two or three, oblong, cylindrical, erect, attached by short stalks to the lower part of the cell. Beebeeis vulgaeis : Barberry; Pipperidge Bush. Description. — It is a deciduous shrub attaining the height of eight or ten feet. Stems upright, branched, bark ash- coloured, slightly grooved, yellow inside, armed with shai-p thorns, usually in threes. The first leaves are reversed egg- shaped, finely tooth-edged. Stipules terminating in a hair- like tooth. Stem-leaves alternate, the lowest slightly lobed, with spiny teeth. Secondary leaves in pairs, oblong, and saw- edged, and between the lower leaves and the thorns are smaller leaves. Flowers towards the end of the branches, in drooping bunches, or racemes, with a bracte to each flower-stalk. Petals yellow, frequently saw-edged, with two orange-coloured nectaries at their base. Anthers roundish and yellow. Stigma greenish. Berries at first green, but wlien ripe a brilliant scarlet, cylindric-egg-shaped, rather bent, with a brown perforated projection at the end, and very acid. Seeds usually two, rarely three, loose in the berry, except slightly fastened to it at the bottom, oblong, thicker at the top, smooth, reddish, and hard. There are many varieties, some being without seeds ; others with white, yellow, purple, or black berries. Places where found. — In hedges, and on bushy, chalky- soiled hiUs. Time of flowering. — May and June. History. — Its British name is the Pipridge, or Pipperidge ; the Botanical one, and its corruption. Barberry, being bor- rowed from the Arabic. When the anthers are thoroughly ripe, if the base of the filament be irritated with a pin, or a bristle, the stamen rises with a sudden spring and strikes the anther against the summit of the pistil, affor- ding a remarkable instance of one of the means used to perform the important ofiice of impregnation. This sin- gular vitality of fibre, which we denominate irritability, and which is particularly apparent in such plants as are called sensitive, excited the attention of that very ingenious ex- perimentalist Kiih-euter, who observes that the cells of the anthers do not split open lengthways, but that the outer coat detaches itself along the edges of the partition, which separates the two cells, and raising itself up with the greater portion of the pollen adhering to the inner sur- face, finally faces towards the stigma ; having the inner surface that fronts the stigma covered with poUen. It is by this beautiful expedient that natm-e has so completely succeeded in her object of fecundation by the emission of pollen; for by this mode of opening of the anthers the stamens have gained so much in length, that they are enabled to reach with precision the stigma on which they are to dis- charge their contents ; had the cells opened in the usual way, the stamens would have been too short for their intended functions. And here we may well exclaim with Cowley, " If we could open and inbend our eye, We all, like Moses, should espy, Ev'n in a bush, the radiant Deity." When a stamen has gone through this movement, it draws the petal to the base of which it is fixed a little toward itself, and this is the reason why, when we have suddenly stimu- lated all the stamens of a flower that was before nearly ex- panded, wo see it half closed again. The anthers are insensible to stimulus ; the filaments evince most irritability nearest their base. The phenomenon may be fully induced by a burning lens ; and when the flowers are electrified, and sparks are drawn from them by the approach of a metallic body, the stamens immediately spring toward the pistil. If it could happen that during the season of bloom the flowers were to remain uninfluenced by adventitious stimulus, the stamens would continue extended at their wonted distance from the pistil, and no fecundation could take place. But let us see the means adopted by Divine Wisdom for insuring the fecundation of this useful vegetable. Each petal has near its base two oblong honey-bearing glands. Between every two of these glands a stamen is placed, so that when- ever an insect (of which abundance present themselves in the com-se of a day, beetles, flies, bees, and wasps, seeking No. CCXI., Vol. IX. 22 THE COTTAGE QAEDENER, OcTOBEn 11, tlieir own food), atlemiHs to extract the liouey cxiuled by the glands, it mnst toucli, especially the lower and most in-itable part of the filament, upon which this organ imme- diately springs up and proceeds to cover with its prolific dust the upper part of the pistil. A process nearly analagous may be observed in Arislolochiri, Orchis hifnlia, and some few other indigenous instances : caprification has been long known to alford remarkable exemplification among exotics. The leaves are gratefully acid. The flowers are offensive to the smell, when near, but at a proper distance their odour is extremely tine. Dishes for the table are often garnished with bunches of the ripe berries. They ai'e so very acid that l.iirds will not eat them, but boiled with sugar they form a most agreeable rob or jelly. They are used likewise as a dry sweetmeat, and in sugar plums. An infusion of the bark in white wine is purgative. The roots boiled in lye, dye wool yellow. In Poland leather is dyed of a most beautiful yellow with the bark of the root. The inner bark of the stem dyes linen a fine yellow, with the assistance of alum. An opinion is entertained by many who desei-ve attention, sustained as they are by some facts, that the T.arbeny causes wheat growing near to it to be attacked by the mildew. On the other hand, there are many evidences that wheat may lio grown in its vicinity without being so afl'ectcd. It is quile certain that the yellow parasitical fungus found on the leaves of the Barberry, is not the fungus that is tljc cause of the mildew. They are not only diiferent species, but of diti'erent genera ; that on the Bai-berry being JEHUium Ber- bcridis, and that on the wheat is PiicciJiin (/ramitiix. The peculiar constituent of tlie bark of the Baj'berry, which renders it not only a powerful tonic in medicine, but useful as a dye, has been named Bcrhcriie. It was first ob tained pure by M. Buchner, in 1835. lie administered it to some of his patients, in doses of ten gi'ains, and found it a powerful tonic. Berberite answers very well as a dye-stuff, giving a fixed yellow colour irithout any mordant. Chloride of tin improves the colour. AYhen the cloth is previously im- pregnated with sulphate of copper, a beautiful greenish-yellow colour is obtained. With nut-galls the colour is yellowish- brown. {LhuUey. Smith. Marltjn. Withering. Thomson.) Toe Editor of Tue Cottage Gardener, as one of the Honorary Secretaries of The Winchester and SoutJiern Counties Society for the Encouragement of Poultry, will be greatly obliged by subscriptions being forwarded to him. Every subscriber of five shillings or upwards, thereby becomes a member, and every one wisliing to become a member is requested to forward bis or hei' subscription immediately. This is desirable, because the amount of prizes at the Society's first Exhibition, to be hold on or before the first of December ne.\t, will be increased iu proportion to tbe Society's funds. The following excellent classification, first arranged by the Birmingham Society, is that also adopted by The Winchester and Southern Counties Society. black with white Spanish. Dorldny ; single-combed. Dorkiny ; double or rose- combed. Dorking ; white. Cochin- China; cmnamon and buff. Cochin ■ China. ; brown, and partridge-feath ered. Cochin -China ; white. Maluy. Game ; white and piles. Game ; black - breasted, and other reds. Game; blacks, and brassy- winged, except greys. Game ; duck-wings, and other greys and blues. GoJilcn-pencilted Havihnrgh. Golden-spangtcd Hamhnryh. Silver-pencilled Ilamhurgh. Silver-spangled Uamhuryh. Polunds ; crests. Polands ; golden, with ruflji or beards. Polands ; golden, without ruffs or beards. Polands ; silver, with ruffs or beards. Polands ; silver, without ruffs or beards. Any other distinct lirced. Bantams ; gold-laced. Bantams ; sUver-laced. Bantams ; white. Bantams; black. Bantams; any other variety. Pigeons, Geese, Ducks. Turkeys. Guinea Fowl. Sir, — Take them as a body, gardeners are very droll dogs. They have tlie bump of obstinacy, and the bump of self- esteem. Gall and Spurzheim tell us that these bumps may be exchanged for other and better bumps, provided the parly owning them will read or listen to advice. In plain English, if a conceited man leaves off being conceited, the bump of conceit or self-esteem would subside, and give place to the bump of inquisitiveness. AVhat strides the gardeners in moderate estabhshments would make, if they could once succeed in being desirous to learn, in place of having an idea that they know more than any body else. Since I first had a gardener, now some twenly-five year's ago, eveiy one who has lived with me has had this unfor- tunate " hump of conceit," which Las always been a great hindrance to him in his work, and always, in irry experience, ended in a change. My jiresent gardener is as obstinate a dog as you can well imagine. I read very regulai-ly and very carefully, week by week, The Cottage Gaisdenee, and mark every thing I tliink worth notice, for my man, and at the end of the week, when I go roimd the garden with him to see what has been done, and what will require to be done, I hand him over your invalualde httle work, offering to him some remark upon the various items wdiich have been noted for his perusal. I always get the same answer — " It's all very well for them gents to write, but I know a great deal more than they do. They only put things in tlieir paper to mislead, and then of course when om' master reads them, he sucks it all in for truth, and that's the way so many poor gardeners ai'e tirrned adrift." In vain I have told him, that Mr. Beaton, Mr. Errington, Mr. Appleby, Mr. Fish, and all the other parties who write in The Cottage G^vrriENEr., do so with a sincere desire nut to mislead, but to instruct and encom-agc both the old and tlie young. I have even myself talcen the trouble to follow out, imder my own superintendence, some hints thrown out by your able contributors. Success has always attended my eiforts, but " A man convinced against his will, Remains of the same opinion still." And so it is with my man ; and yet the man is industrious, but his industry is very ofterr lost for want of that btnnp of imiuisitiveness ; and nothing, I believe, but a new race of men, will ever correct the evils and heart-bmnings which must arise between master and mair. The life of a commoir working gardener is, I am quile aware, against an increase of knowledge. He labours from Monday morTiing to Satiu'day night, and has only Svrnday to refresh and recruit his strength and ideas. I have trieil a different system ; I give my man foiu' set holidays in (be year. I seird him on those days cither to Ivew, C'liiswick, Regent's Park, or Bosherville Gardens, pay all Iris ex penses, and tell him to iiick up some new ideas, and come back as lively as a lar-k. Last year, I sent him and his wife to the Crystal Palace, and desired him, as a mailer of course, to look at all the new garden things there, with a view to his improvement, and my benefit. When lie came honre, I asked him how ho liked the place, and wdiat he saw, Iris answer was — " Nothing new of note in the gardeir fine." And the only things he thought well of, were the warlil;e weapons ! The man is young ( only Si), but his ideas are fixed, and nothing seems to stir him up; and if I were to change him for another, 1 might, by trying to jump out of the frying-pan, just jimip into the fire. Now, what I want you to do, Mr. E.ditor, is to write pretty regularly some jiaper on this sad subject, for I know nothing more disheartening to a gentleman, than continually seeing new faces, without getting even a change of ideas. If 1 were not engaged nil day, and every day, in business, I would only have a good, honest, willing, steady, and hard- working labourer, rather than a man calling himself a gardener. I'laiu directions, and a litUo common sense, October 14. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 23 would do miicli, for nature is always ready to give i)lcnty, if duo diligence is used. Onco more, therefore, good Mr. Editor, liave the goodness to do your best to improve this oljstinate race of beings, you would add to their happiness, and to our comfort as masters, and you would be raising your journal high in the scale of usefubiess. A City Feiae. Sucu is the letter we have just rocoivcd from a gentlc- mau wliom we know to he a mau of sterling sense, and an indulgent master, but we are glad in the conviction that there arc not many cases similar to his own, for we have little power to help the employers of such gardeners as oiu- friend endures. We cannot under- take the office of censor of gardeners, any more than we can undertake to educate them. All that we profess to do, is to pi'epare weekly information appropriate to the season, conformably to the best gardening know- ledge of our time, and to answer such questions as arc addressed to us. That information, and the answers to such questions, are given by some of the best practical gardeners of the day ; and we can state, without any possibility of con- tradiction, that whoever has adopted their recommen- dations cai'efully, never failed in obtaining his object. Now, if a garde]ier, who has had none of the advantages which are possessed by our departmental writers, thinks that he knows as much as they do, and spurns at the information they can give, we can only pity him as a man that of all others is most hopeless of being im- proved, for he is not only ignorant, but is ignorant of his ignorance. Such a man, perhaps, will be surprised to hear, that there is a correspondence continually being carried on between the most skilful of British gardeners, who seek from each other advice, and sugges- tions, and information, when they are carrying out new plans, and when they encounter ditflculties. Such men come also to The Cottage Gaedenek's pages, and one of the most distinguished of them has said that he never took up one of our numbers without benefiting by some of its information. We claim no especial merit for this, because from the worst of publications some instruction must be gleaned. Above all, we have not the pi'esumption to attempt to instruct gardeners. We address ourselves to the amateur, and we advise him, as in the case before us, never to attempt to teach his gardener. There are always modes of conveying our wishes, without making it conspicuous that a man does not know his business, and if he carried our wishes into effect, we should never enquire whence he derived the necessary knowledge, or what means he adopted. He may have plans of his own, and whilst we are quite alive to what results the master has a right to require, we are quite as sensible that as the responsibility of failure rests upon the gardener, the means to be adopted sliould be left to him. Mrs. Ashton Smythe, it is said, requires grapes in the desert every day of the year, and ilr. Sanders, the gardener at Tidworth, regularly supplies the demand, but his emjjloyer never tliinks of dictating how it shall be done. If however, Mr. Sanders did not know how to effect such a succession, and refused to be instructed how Mr. Fleming, of Trontham, accomplishes tho same object, then we should say ho failed in his duty, and was unworthy of his position. COVENT GARDEN. I MUST not forget that in my last paper I promised to refer more at length this week to several subjects that were only alluded to in the report of last. And of these, the first we shall notice are those varieties of fruits which are most likely to be soonest over, and which are not likely to come under our observations again this season. The Hessle Pear, which we referred to last week, and which we observed is not " Hazel," as written by Lindley, nor " Hessel," as in the Horticultural So" ciety's Catalogue, is a variety which was first discovered at the village of Hessle, near Hull, in Yorkshire. It does not rank as a first-rate pear, nor is it to be com- pared to many others of the same season ; but being au immense bearer, and a respectable-looking article for the popular eye, it is admirably adapted for market- gardeners and oi-chardists. The tree is of very graceful habit, having slender pendulous shoots, of a very dark- purplish-black colour, and may easily be distinguished from every other variety by its characteristic appearance. Louise d'Avranohes, and not " Louise Bonne do Jersey," as it is now erroneously called, is one of the very best and most delicious of our autumn desert pears. Tliere have been a few of them in the market during the week, but ere our next report is written their season will be over. It is generally stated, by writer;3 on pomo- logy, that the origin of this variety is unknown ; and having been Lnti'odueed to this country from Jersey under the name of " Louise Bonne," it was, to distin- guish it from the old Louise Bonne of Dubamel, called " Louise Bonne of Jersey." But its proper name is Louise d'Avranohes ; and all wlio value correctness of nomenclature, may take my authority, if they think it worth taking, for stating that it was raised by a M. Lon- gueval, of Avranches, and the original tree is still in e.-iistence in the garden Rue St. Germain, and now in the possession of M. Le Clerc. Of Apples there has been a good supply during the week, and the demand has Ijeen very brisk. Sorts, vi'hich the week previously made 2s. Cd. and 3s. per bushel, have last week been sold for -Is. and 5s. And who do our readers imagine is the cause of this great and sudden rise ? Tho Michaelmas goose. " I could a sold twice as many as I bad, sir, if I could a got 'em," said a salesman to me. " I never see things go off as they did, never, all my life." The sorts wliich were in the market were — Em^teror Alexander, Alfriston, Hamvell Souring, Golden and Winter Pearmains, Soarlet Pearmain, Nonsuch, and many lots of mixed varieties. The Pears which have been most plentiful, are Bisliop's Thumb, but they were generally very small, and inferior in quality, their flavour being styptic. Swan's Eggs have made their appearance, but only to a small extent ; there being only a few bushels of them offered. Everybody knows the Old Swan's Egg, as one 2,t THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 14. of the most highly and pecuHarlj'-flavouvod of our old English varieties. The Brown Beurre is also among the arrivals of the week, and is now just coming into perfection. Many of our readers may not know, and a groat many have never heard of this fine old pear. It is a French variety, which has been held in high estima- tion by the horticulturists, both of this country and the Continent for the last two centuries ; but as it reqvures the protection of a wall to bring it to perfection, it is not so generally cultivated, nor so widely known as it would have been had it been better adapted to general cultivation in this country. The prices which pears have made last week are also considerably in advance of the former. The cold weather is now driving our London population from their summer to their winter quarters, and consequently the demand and consump- tion becomes every day greater. There is nothing new in the way of Plums from what was recorded last week, except a few Reine Claude Violette or Purple Oage, a fruit, which some of our readers will perhaps be astonished to find me say, I prefer to the green gage. Whether grown upon a wall, or as a standard in a suitable situation, and allowed to hang till it is " dead-ripe," that is, till it begins to shrivel, it is one of the most delicious sweetmeats which the most delicate palate could desire; but it must not be confounded with the " blue gago," a very different and inferior variety. There have been some very fine Grapes exhibited during the week, and particularly a few bunches of large well-grown Canon Hall Muscats, which were sold at 5s. and Os. per pound. The Blade Hamlnirghs con- tinue at last week's quotations. Cdoumbebs have been very plentiful, and some of them very good and cheap. I observed a lot varying in length from twelve to eighteen inches, from 2d. to fld., and 9d. each. Eilbeets plentiful, at 9d. per pound. Tomatoes, 4s. to 5s. per half-sieve, or 8d. per punnet, containing eight or nine large ones. Capsicums, long red, 6d. per dozen. Mushrooms are very plentiful and very large, and fetched from 3s. 6d. to 5s. per bushel. Cut Flowers are, of course, not so plentiful now as they were earlier in the season ; they consist of both in- and-out-door plants. As an illustration, I shall give the following constitution of a large and handsome bouquet: — Double White Camellia, Double Chinese Primroses, Qera- niums. Scarlet Geraniums, Azalea indica alba, Migno- nette, Heliotrope, Gardenia, Verbenas, Pinks, Saffrano Rose, and fringed round the outside with leaves of the Oak-leaved Geranium. Of the common kinds there are lots o{ Dahlias, China Asters, French and African Mari- golds, Fuchsias, cfc. Again we must leave much of what we should like to have noticed tOl another week. H. The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad- ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se- cretaries. nORTICULTUHAl SHOWS. BuEY St. Edmunds, Nov. 20 (Chrysanthemums). {Sec. Q. P. Clay, Esq.) Caledonlvn (Inverleith Row), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. Hampshlre, Nov. 18 (Winchester). {Sec. Eev. F. Wick- ham, Winchester.) London Floeiculiueal (Exeter Hall, Strand), Nov. 9t, 23, Dec. U+. North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. South London (Royal), Oct. 14+,Nov. llt,Dec. 9t,]0. POULTRY shows. Blrminoham and Midland Counties, 11th, 15th, ICth, and 17th December. Bristol Ageicultue.u:., December 7th, 8th, and 9tli. (Sec. James Marmont.) Cornwall (Penzance), about a week after the Birming- ham. {Sees. Rev. W. W. WingfieUl, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. Eodd, Esq.) Doechestee, Nov. 18th. {Sec., O. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor- chester.) t For seedlings only. PINE-CULTURE — HAMILTONIAN MODE. {Contiuited from page C.) In the last paper the subject was brought up to the matter of ^fass .- heating being merely pointed at. We here resume it ; and having stated Mr. Hamilton's amount of piping for a house to fruit one hundred plants, we may offer a few observations. It will be remembered that Mr. Hamilton uses a flow and a return pipe all roimd the pit, with the exception of the end farthest from the boiler, and these exclusively to warm the atmosphere of the house. Each five-feet bed, too, has its flow and return pipe ; and if we understand Mr. Hamilton's observations coiTectly, the flow and return in each bed are totally unconnected with each other, or with the flow and return round the exterior. It may also be observed, that the latter is in two divi- sions,— the one passing along the south side, and the other along the north, unconnected ; a flow and return to each ; the only bond of connection being the boiler, or, rather, the iron pan before described, where it would appear all the pipes meet. The two delivery pipes for the atmosphere proceed out of the two sides of this ))an, near to and parallel with the end of the house, and tlie two delivery pipes for the bottom-heat proceed from the front of the pan, and fall at once into a similar parallel, and thence turning right and left into the chambers, the return pipes being, of course, beneath them. It will be seen that by this arrangement there must, per- force, he a great preponderance of heat at the boiler end, which, indeed, is the casein most houses, and so far genei-ally leaves in the mind an idea of incomplete- ness— something to be desired. We stay not hero to off'er suggestions as to the possibility of improvements; space will not permit ; but merely point, as we proceed, to matters deserving farther consideration, and leave it to the mind of the ingenious reader to examine such portions of the subject. Ventilation. — Mr. Hamilton, in his desci-iptive ac- count, has said nothing on this head ; not, however, because it is unimportant. We must here offer our ideas. In all ventilation, as connected with horticultu- ral structures, it is a practice founded on well-known principles, to provide both outlet for the heated air — presumed to be of a depraved character — and inlet of fresh or cool air, of course, pure; these at distinct levels. We need scarcely point to the fact, that such practice is based upon the well-known rai-efaction of air by lieat, whereby warm particles have a constant tendency to October 11. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 25 ascend, and the cooler as strict a tendency to rush in and supply tbeir pldco. These facts are so well known to our readers that wc merely point to them. Of course, under suoli circumstances, the highest level possible naturally seems the most eligible for the outlet, and the lowest for the inlet. The apex of a span-roof is, indeed, the very point where the greatest accumulation takes place, and here we at once suggest some ventilators. This position in sucli a house is tolerably fortunate in another respect ; beneath it is the walk or passage, and here the operator can work such ventilators with facility, by a rope or otherwise. In all cases, we would have the escapes of liberal dimensions. It has been, and still is a practice with many, to have, sliding roof-lights, but this is bad practice, involving much breakage of glass and inconvenience ; a sulEcient ventilation may always be accomplished by the ventilators here alluded to. There are many ways of constructing, fi.xing, and work- ing these things, and we may merely observe, that any mode which will permit them to be worked with facility, and so fitted as to be capable of graduation and of ex- cluding the rain and wind, will suffice. In a house fifty feet long, and of the character before described, we should have apertures of this kind about every ten feet, presenting an area when wide-open of about half-a-yard in length, by a foot in width. It is seldom that they would be required wide-open ; nevertheless, it is well to be provided for contingencies, especially if unprovided with a shade. It must here be understood, that we consider this the minimum amount of escape. And now for the inlet, or admission of fresh air at as low a level as is consistent with other regulations. JModorn practice recognises the propriety of heating fresh air on its entrance to the interior of the house, and there is little doubt that it is really expedient to do so. To this end, the heating apparatus in modern hot- houses is so arranged, that in general one or two pipes are so placed as to receive the cold air at its entrance ; that is to say, the position of the piping is made to bear a relation to tlie front ventilators. In some cases, front sashes are used, and these are made to slide or to swing outward on hinges ; but, it must be remembered, that there is no absolute necessity for front sashes in pine- culture. Be that as it may, there is sure to arise a necessity for piping at the front of the house, and advantage should be taken of this, to have at least one pipe just above the floor level, and the ventilators for admitting fresh air just opposite that pipe. We tliink it a very good arrangement where two pipes, a flow and a return, are wanted in front, so to arrange them, and the boiler level, as that the lower or return pipe may rest on the floor line. This pipe we would have partly enclosed in a trench, say half its depth, and this trench made waterproof, and of some eight or ten inches in width, miglit have a tap at one end, communicating witli a cistern or reservoir, so as to fill the trench with water as often as necessary, whilst, at the other end, should be another tap, or plug, entering a drain, so as that the water at any time could be run off speedily. This we consider a most excellent plan, and not a whit the worse from its extreme simplicity ; it is what we have formerly termed " a pipe in a ditch." The apertures for the admission of fresh air should, as before observed, be opposite the surface of this trench, and the air would pass through the body of the house or pit duly attem- pered with heat and moisture. One thing is very desi- rable, to which we before alluded, viz., the propriety of being able to graduate the front air according to cir- cumstances. Thus much as to the ventilation ; and before quitting the subject, we must beg to recommend a canvass shade to all houses with a southern slope, especially if large panes of sheet-glass be used. This should, by all means, be fixed to work on a roller, after the manner of the orchid-houses about the Metropolis. Whatever people may say about the pine enjoying plenty of solar-light, which is, doubtless, the case when in a very healthy con- dition at the root ; still, there are a few hours daily, in hot periods, when such shade is of immense benefit, if only in preventing a too rapid diminution of air-moisture. But a judicious shading accomplishes much more, and the preservation of their beautiful green-colour, toge- ther with that milky-green tint, for which healthy pines are notorious, is an object connected not only witli appearance, but with liealth itself It will be seen that Mr. Hamilton advocates heating by hot-water ; and, indeed, when properly fitted, we see nothing more to be desired. As to the old smoke-flue for pine-culture, nobody ever dreams of it in those days. We do not say that pines cannot be grown by such a mode of heating; they assuredly can, and well too, if needs he; but what we must aflirm is, that it involves more expense in the end, and more uncertainty; and is, of necessity, nearly as great a consumer, as producer of atmospheric moisture; without a liberal supply of which, it matters not what the mode of culture may be. Whether piping or flues be used, a due provision must be made for air-moisture. It is a very common practice to have flue-covers in the form of a sunken panel, such should be three inches in depth ; for piping, me- tallic trays of a saddle-form, may be placed on the flow- pipe, or the pipes may be obtained with flanges, all of a piece ; and these, too, must be made to hold a liberal amount of water. In all three cases, a permanent reser- voir should be established, however supplied. Those who have a fall of water, and require much for other purposes, would do well to use a "hydraulic ram," which is, indeed, one of the most valuable adjunct a garden establishment can possess. We have had one in work here for some thirty years, and this constantly supplies the mansion, laundry, stables, gardens, farm-buildings, and, indeed, the whole premises. Before quitting the heating portion of the subject, we must beg to advert to another point or two. In the first place, our advice is, be sure you have a liberal amount of piping ; that is to say, secure heat enough and to spare. We would have an apparatus which would guarantee us 70° in winter, when the out-doors thermometer indicated 12° or 15° of frost. Some per- sons may think this unnecessary, but they may be assured that under-heating is a false economy — a sad mistake. When the house is short of heating surface, and hard weather occurs, there is a continual tempta- tion to stir the fires, and the owner may rest assured that every stir costs money. We would so arrange matters, as that little stirring was requisite, and that two good fire-dressings in the twenty-four hours should, if possible, suffice ; all the rest should be regulated by the ash-pit door. In these cases, care should be taken to secure a capacious grate that will hold abundance of fuel. Those who have to " pay the piper," need not be alarmed at these things; we are not going to advocate a greater consumption of fuel than other folks. We know of a Rogers's conioal-boiler, one of the smaller size, that has been working for some half-dozen years, and we will engage that it has constantly con- sumed nearly twenty per cent, more fuel than a capa- cious one would have done. The hopper for fuel is so small, that it requires feeding every two to three hours, and if not waited on as late as eleven o'clock on a winter's night, it is almost sure to go out. Here, then, is a case in point; the working such an apparatus as this for half-a-dozen years, would go far to cure any one of a predilection for small furnaces. As to the boiler, we care little about that ; too much importance has been laid on these things. The best we have ever had to deal with is a " Burbidge," and from the firm of Burbidge and Healy, in Fleet-street. This 26 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 14. is really so complete, as to leave notliiug to bo desired. Tt is on tJie reverberating principle ; and the ash-pit doors, which slide on a round bar of non, give the most comjilete command over the apparatus. One thing, as connected with the lieating, we had almost forgotten to name, and that is, the propriety of Iiaving sliders or openings in the walls of the chamber that contains the pipes for bottom-beat; these, when the bottom warmth proves too strong, may be opened for awhile, and the surplus heat discharged into the air of the bouse. By such means, the bottom-beat and air- lieat may be made " to play into each others liands." Iiaving now disposed of heating matters, structure, &c., we sliall, in a future number, take up cultural details. E. ERRiNOTON. BEDDING, HERBACEOUS, AND ROCK TLANTS. The prettiest plant for a flower-garden, that I have seen this season, and one that is very little known out of London, is called Qaura Lindlieimeri, named after some German of the name of Lindheimer, and is pro- nounced as if written I.yudhy'mcr, with the accent on the ei. Eor those who are looking out for good her- baceons plants, here is one of the gayest, and although not yet proved, I am quite sure it will make as showy a bed as any idant we now possess of a light colour. It is now (2nd October) beautifully in bloom in my own experimental border, and I think we can always rely on it from early in June to the end of September. It will seed as freely as the poppy, and it is perfectly hardy. Here, then, is a treasure, a novelty, and a gay flower to tlie bargain. I received my plant of it from the Hor- ticultural Society. Fellows of the Society are entitled, by long usage, to any little tiling thnt can be spared from their garden ; and many persons join the Society, not for encouraging the growth of cabbages, but alto- getlicr for what stray ]dants they can callfor from the garden ; and some members do call for things most out- rageously, and say all sorts of things if their demands are not complied with by return of jiost or train ; but since 1S30, I never beard of any femplaints of one member being favoured more tlian another, in this respect. On the other hand, many of tlie members think it below their dignity to ask for anylliing from the Society, and would rather see ]3art of their funds expended in keeping a collector or two, in distant parts, searching for now plants. At jiresent, the Society lias no one " out" on such a mission, excepting the ninth- part-of-a-man wlio went out some time since to Oregon. My plant of Qaura lAndkcimcri is not likely to ripen seeds this year, having been removed at the wrong time. Whether it is in the nurseries or not I liave notheard; but there are several large plants of it in the garden of the Society, in the American ground, in patches, and the idea of making it into beds occurred to mc the moment I saw it. The plants of it at Cliiswick are two or three years old, and between two and tliroe feet higli ; the upper half being covered with ilowers in tlio terminal- spike fashion, every branch ending in a s|)ike of flowers. The plant grows in a dense muss ; tlie sjiike begins to flower from tlio bottom, and before it has done flowering at the top, some of the seeds are ripe on the lower part, just as the Clarldas and (JoJclias do. The plant forms a section of tlie same order (Onagrads), as the Clarkias, Oenotheras, Fuchsias, and tlie like. The flowers arc pure white, starry, and as large again as those of Jus- milium iji-dniUjlontm, and the calyx is larger than usual, and of a deep pinkish-red colour, tlirowing a sluide of French-white on tlio flowers as they tremble in tlie air; altogether very ]irctty and pleasing. If we go riglit witVi this new bedder, we need not have it above eighteen or twenty inches high, or about the same size as a good bed of Salria clinmadrioiilcs, and tliis is the only plant with which I can compare its style of growth and flowering, only that this Oaiiru wiU produce three spikes, or three times as many flowers as the Sahna. One may be excused for erring in first experimenting on a plant for a new purpose. But the following is the way I would try our present subject. Sow seeds of it the first week in March, and as soon as the seedlings were up, give them as much air as to Calceolaria seedlings. Pot tliem first into store pots, and afterwards into single pots of the smaller size, and by the end of April tlicy would be lit to plant out in a nursery-bed, or border! Here I would let them remain till about Midsummer, then I would plant them out into the Hower-garden, where a bed of annuals were beginning to fade. When the white and red Clarliins are sown in tlie second week in April, they generally begin to look seedy by the last week in July, and this Qaura Liiiil- heimeri would be an excellent substitute for a bed of white Clarldas in a regular arrangement of colours. Seedlings of the Qaura would be coming into bloom by that time, or if they were in full bloom, they would remove from the nursery-bed with no barm. Some persons would prefer keeping them in pots all the while, but that is too extravagant for half the world, because of so much watering, and too slovenly for any good gardener, for unless a gardener can remove nine- tenths of all his annuals, wilhourt hurt, from a nursery to a flower-bod, anytime before they are in bloom, why. he may as well hundle up and be ott' to " the diggings." The second year there will be no difficulty in having the bed of Qaura, by treating the plant as a biennial. Sow it towards the middle or end of May, in the open ground, in the reserve garden, and if it should throw up for flower in the autumn, let the flower-stalks be cut olf as fast as they appear. It will then be in good order to [dant out next spring where it is to flower. After that, old plants of it may be divided every autumn or spring, so that the plants do not get too high for a bed, or, perhaps, seedling plants will be found preferable. Salvia cocdnea. — I saw plants of this old and long- forgotten Salvia in the same collection, and it is well worth being saved and propagated for bedding-out. The only other one of tlie genus which will remind gardeners of tho aspect of this Salvia, is one that was common twenty years ago, and called Pscudo eoccinca. But this old one does not appear to be so strong, and is a more close and freer bloomer. I also saw a variety of heddiiig Qcraiiiiim, related to the Qohlen Chain, but a much stronger, and a larger- leafed kind, with the yellow on the leaves paler. Wliere the Qoldcn Chain succeeds, as it does at Shruhland Park, this will never be a rival to it, but where the soil does not suit the Qoldcn Chain, this will bo a good, indeed the best, substitute for it. They had no particular name to it. Punch, was tho best scarlet in the flower-beds here, and it stood the heavy rains better than I'om Thumb. There was also a line largo bed of the Sahnun Qcranium, and Lady Middlctun was a great favourite, and preferred before either Chcrri/ Chech or .fiidi/. There was a large bed of a neutral tint, made of Tcrbena trijida, a close grower, and greyish Ilowers, which are very sweet, and the kind is well worth growing, not for heddiiig, hut for cut tlowcrs for nosegays, to ho used as Ilowers of the Heliotrope. The best new Vcrlicna I have seen this year, for a distinct bed, was at Mr. ■lackson's nursery, next door to me, it would make (lie liest pink bed of all I have scon ; the flower is a bright reddish-pink, with a large white eye; the jdnnt was in a pot, hut tho hahit apjieared to be well suited for a bed, and the name is of foreign accent, Madame Cnmoiiissam, or some such word, for tlio tally was not very clearly written. October 14. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 27 HERBACEOUS PLANTS, Tho very best autumn-flowering plant of this descrip- tion that I saw in the Society's garden, was Funhia grandiflora alha. In my younger days, Punldas went by the name of Hemerocallis, or Day Lily, and this white one, though not very new, is the very best of the family, and is, indeed, a conspicuous plant, well worth having ; and flowering so late in the season, makes it still more desirable. There are two plants not altogether her- baceous, or shrubby, but something between the two as they stood in the borders ; one is Clematis tuhidosa, and the other my own great favourite, Iiulirjnfera decora. Both have received medals as green-house plants, but they are sufficiently hardy about London to stand out in the borders, and from what I know of them, both prefer a peat border. The Clematis stood as a tliicli bush, twenty inches or two feet high, and well covered with large light-blue flowers. I saw it in two or three other places this season, where it was not nearly so good, but the nature of the soil made all tho difference. Oeutiana pneumonantlie was in fine bloom in tho Ameri- can-garden, and there were several other species of the Gentian, all nice flowers for a mi.\ed border ; and there are several little shrubs, or half shrubs, that are equally suitable for such a place, and foremost among tliera is the old-fashioned Comptonia asplenifoliu, named after Bishop Corapton, the greatest patron of gardening and botany in his day. It is a North American plant, doing better in peat than any other way, with leaves as pretty as those of a fern ; and Clethra alnifolia, another little American plant, requiring a damp poat-border, and seldom seen out of nurseries. I saw them both in the mixed borders at Chiswick, and I never saw them so much in character before. In the same borders were large patches of the scarce Azalea procumhens, which one hardly ever sees in these days out of botanic gardens; this is a native of the Grampian range, in Scotland, and it is said that at one time its place of growth was only known to the Messrs. Brown, of the Kiuoul Nursery, at Perth, who made a better market of it than of tlio Double Scotch Rose, which was first obtained by tliem in tliat nursery, and I never saw it more flourishing than on this occasion, and I recommend it and Epi/jcea repens, another scarce plant, as pet plants for tlie American borders. A plant of the LiVmm gi[/antemn, of India, one of the most stately of all the ti-ue lilies, has been planted out here in the new American garden, and it lool;s as if it would do out-ofdoors with us; aud if so, it will be a match some day for the Pampas grass (Oyneriimi argcn- teuni), whicli is not far from it in the same garden, and which I hope the Messrs. Dickson, of Chester, will be able to seed, and when Mi-. Appleby calls there again, he would bring us up a large batch of the seedlings ; indeed, it would be worth while to send out to Mr. Tweedie for a peck or two of the seeds of this royal grass. Mr. Tweedie was the collector who first sent it to the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, in Dublin ; and as Mr. Appleby tells ns (vol. viii., p. 414), that " unfor- tunately the Messrs. Dickson have not been able as yet to increase it," writing to Mr. Tweedie seems now the only chance we have of getting a stock of it for supplying the universal demand that is sure to be made for it wherever The Cottage Gardener is read. Does our friend Mr. B., of Philadelphia, know a corre- spondent in the south, who could send him a supply of the seeds ? Let him and Mr. Low, of Clapton, who has dealt largely with Mr. Tweedie, run a race for this grass. KOCK PLANT. But grass or no grass, I must not run away from my little pet plants, till I make known the best rock plant, in England or America either ; it is called Polygonum vaccinifolium. I saw it both at the Society's Garden, and at Kew, and there can be no mistake about it, although some of us are disappointed at not seeing the flowers come out so gay and brilliant as they are given by Dr. Royle, in his " Illustrations of the Plants of India," where the colour of the flower and the spikes is a deep rose, but with us they put you more in mind of a red brick than of a rose ; nevertheless, all the cottage gardeners in the kingdom must get hold of it. It grows as close as a carpet, and runs away " like anything," as Sam Slick would say. It only grows a few inches high, but it flowers all over, like a corn-fleld, in close spikes, three or four inches long, and that too all through the autumn, until the frost puts a stop to it. According to Dr. Royle, it grows up as high above the level of the sea as 13,000 feet, on the peaks of the Himalayas, so that no frost can hurt it here. It would soon carpet a bed for R,hododendrons, like Musk minmlus, or it would cover over rock-work, or blocks, or malce an edging for any block bank, or cover bare places about a Swiss- cottage, like the common Tutzan. D, Beaton. JOTTINGS ABOUT MATTERS OF TASTE. Unity of Exjyression. — "And what about that erankey subject?" good-humouredly write and say many of our friends. "Just let ns know the temperature and the soil, and the waterings, certain plants require, and leave «s to give expression according to our fancy. Your greatest doctors disagree as to the veriest trifles in tliese matters ; why should iiot I have a fancy of my own ? If it pleases me, who has a right to interlerc ? And by what means can you demonstrate that your ideas, your tastes, your arrangements, are superior to mine?" I own there is great force in statements such as these. We all will form opinions of our own, and it requires time, observation, and thought, to alter us a shade in their validity. A man could hardly get along if he did not consider his own plans best in tho peculiar circum- stances. He must be orthodox. The mischief is that, going a step farther, he is apt to imagine that his doxy is the only orthodoxy, while all other doxies are hetero- doxy. Would that these ideas were confined to gar- dening. They meet us in the most momentous aff'airs of life. In our little world of gardening they foster alike rude, independent action, and a servile, copying spirit. " Oh ! such a design will be quite out of character with the rest of your grounds ; it will neither contrast nor harmonise with anything." "Indeed! why? I don't see that a fine wheat stack even shoidd be any disagree- able object on my lawn." Another will have beds of his own quite original in their form, and they are twisted and turned into all conceivable quirks and fancies, in- volving vast labour in making and keeping, and yet never can be made to present an imposing eft'ect. " One arrangement is very striking at a certain place — I will have the same here." It matters not that one position may be on a hill, and the other in a valley — that shut- ting out may be required in one place, and opening up in another ! Water in every shape is a delightful acces- sory in gardens and pleasure grounds ; its very sight cheers — the noise of its gurgle, ripple, or dropping, tranquilises the mind. A gentleman has come from Versailles, or witnessed the unequalled jet d'eau at Chatsworth, and forthwith he must have a spirting miniature fountain in his garden, tlioiigh placed in the highest ground in the neigbboiuiiood, leading every visitor to ask in astonishment where the water comes from. No doubt, even in this respect, much may be done with water-rams and steam power ; but if the natural position of the valley is wanting, the magical influence of a fountain will ever be lessened, if not destroyed. Hence it is, notwithstanding all that has been said and written, that the expressions, " good taste, and bad 28 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OCTODER It. I taste — refined taste, aiid vulgar taste," arc a mere bewil- dering enigma, being interpreted by as many minds to mean as many different tilings. Hence, too, our most learned and able writers on taste, gardenesque effect, &c., speak so astutely ahont" imitating nature^'oUou-ing nature — taking nature for our guide," tbis same nature being a very usel'ui, somewbat undcfinable " looming" — sometliing for adorning a sentence, or clenching an argument. And yet liow indefinite is the idea commu- nicated. We know that in all culture of plants we must take our first teachings from nature, ponder over and endeavour to supply the circumstances in which plants, unaided by man, flourish the most; but there, in an artistic point of view, the matter mostly ends. Surely it is not intended by the " imitators of nature," that our park scenery is to be the beau iilenl of a thick forest, that has received its planting from the winds and birds of heaven ; that our pleasure grounds arc to resemble untrodden prairie, or the thickets by the side of a tropical stream ; or that our flower-beds and plaut- houses should have their exact counterpart in the cir- cumstances, as well as flowers that deck the mountain's brow, and peep through the tangled glade. All these have their charms, and will ever command admiration ; but artistic loveliness — the seen and felt presence of the tending, training hand of man, and yet not offensively obtruded — constitutes the delight of the garden. Make the position and the circumstances connected with every demesne, however humble, the first principle, the ground work of all ornamental gardening operations ; and in- stead of unmeaning combinations, or servile imitations, we shall have little Edens, as interesting as they are diversified. Follow out in such arrangements the imitation-of-naturc principle, and our Paradises would become monstrous wildernesses, eliciting, after all, but little of the kindred emotions we e.Kperience in beholding more natural scenery, that has cost man but little money or labour. True, the introduction of the wild and picturesque in garden-scenery is sometimes attended with the most delightful results. But several things are necessary to secure that result. First : The natural circumstances, as respects character and position, must be suitable. Secondly : The grounds must be so large, that the clearly artistic gardenesque, and the more concealed artistic picturesque, should not be jumbled together. A knotty, wrinkled, hollow pollard, filled with flowers, looks beau- tiful on a lawn, at some distance from an elegant man- sion. An ai'tistic vase looks best near such a house. The beauty of the one and the other consists in their being so separated, that the mind and the eye alike have space for repose, before contemplating their sepa- rate beauties. Place them in juxtaposition, and you destroy the peculiar interest of both. Contrasts of opposite styles do not interfere with ; they even help, and are necessary to a higher style of beauty, to a more perfect ivholeness ; but then these contrasts must be gradual, not commingled or rudely clashed together ; for as we can only contemplate one set of ideas successfully at one and the same moment, for the sake of a bewilder- ing variety and contrast we lose all the benefits and beauties of a " unity of expression." I feel myself a very tyro in these matters, though convinced as to the general correctness of the inferences adduced. In proportion as civilization and refinement advance, it will be found that these trifling things will gain in importance. A good while ago, similar ideas were broached, when, in answer to inquiries, I endea- voured to define the meaning of the terms Greenhouse and Conservatory, mentioning that the first was a house for preserving plants in pots and boxes, while the latter was a habitation for exotic-plants, planted out in the soil. I endeavoured to shew that a higher style of beauty would be insured, by as much as possible attending to these characteristics, and thus instead of confounding, promote ''unity of expression." I do not recollect if 1 instanced any facts in confirnurtion. Let me just mention what convinced me more fully then, and what still further confirms me now. At one of the Regent's Park Exhibitions, two years ago, the show of American plants was in full mngnificencc. One ])CC]) below the awning was a realization of the di-cams of Fairy-land. Even the beauty of the ladies, dazzling as it was, seemed for once to be shaded. Much, no doubt, depended upon the beautiful arrangement, and the ground-])lan so diversified, with bank and declivity, miniature hill and dale, but not a little also depended upon the fact, that not a pot or box were to he seen. As you traversed the regular exhibition-tents, unity of idea was again so far prevalent, that every thing bad its pot, or box, or block, or basket; but when, after this you entered the beautiful conservatory, and felt delighted in examining the fine healthy specimens of growth, there was still a feeling of the heterogenous associated with the whole, and that mostly owing to the fact, that many of the best plants were p>lanted out, while others stood in large pots, &c., while collections of small pots were so grouped in masses that the individual pots were easily seen. It does not become me to criticize the mode adopted there, or at the rival garden at Chiswick. Public bodies must frequently attend to much besides little matters in taste. Still, I think there are few but will own that if in the conservatory at Chiswick, while the side-platform, as now, is devoted to plants in pots, the plants in the centre bed were not partially, but wholly planted out, or so plunged with tlieir pots as to seem to be so, that a higher style of beauty would bo manifested, merely because a unity of expression was thus made apparent. The same facts struck me forcibly as respects the large conservatory at Kew, when I tra- versed it during the summer. I mention these, because the instances are well known, and because, from the great good that has been done by these Societies, and the influence they properly and deservedly exercise, whatever is done is noted down as an example by gar- deners and their employers. Now I have not seen many places where these simple ideas are rigidly carried out, but if I wanted any thing to convince me of their soundness, it would be my recent glance at the grounds, and the well-known large conser- vatory at Chatsworth. The very position of the build- ing is a master-stroke of policy, combining all the ad- vantages of unity of expression, with the pleasure de- rived from contrast, between the gardenesque, the pic- turesquely romantic, and the more purely artistic linea- ments of the noble bvnlding ; situated in an amphithea- tre of wood (or seemingly so), peculiarly its own. Just fancy such a huge airy building, so attractive to the eye outside, by its stripes of blue and white painting, Crystal Palace fashion, set down near the Palace of the Peak, or in the middle, or even at the side of the highly-kept grounds, and imagine the bewilderment with which a stranger must contemplate the scene, purely from tlio want of ?-(7/ios(; between the different objects, the inability to grasp the whole atonce. You come not, therefore, on the conser- vatory immediately on leaving the finer dressed grounds. You enter upon walks, which gradually become moro picturesque, through the wooded hill, that overhangs alike the dressed grounds and the classic Derwont; these walks, as you traverse them, become more wildly romantic. Embosomed in one nook you see masses of fern — in others, and creeping over huge stones, some of the finer and hardy American plants ; now you pass a huge boulder of rock — again, another that rocks at the slightest touch ; and ever and anon you pass huge heights of these masses of rocks, piled securely and firmly, yet wildly upon each other, leading your thoughts back to" the doings of the giant Titans of old, when they OOTOBEB 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 20 rolled mountain upon mountain ; and just wlien in the height of your enjoyment, and wondering where all this will lead to, the large conservatory, with its open area for flower-garden plants, bursts upon your view. Now, in the whole of this wild scenery you never see any- thing directly opposed to nature ; but you never lose sight of the fact, that, the natural circumstances secured, the mind and energy of a human designer had accom- plished the rest. The plants in the conservatory looked vigorous and healthy ; a platform round the side was appropriated to smaller plants in pots. The tvhole of the plants in the vast centre were planted out, or seemed to be so. No huge tub, or dirty red pot, interfered with the fine baso of a stem of one plant, or the graceful, drooping foliage of another. Hero, as well as in the rest of the grounds, the beauty was enhanced from the felt " unity of exjiression " that prevailed. But I must stop. ___^__ ^- Fish. SEEDLING DAHLIAS FOR 1853. A FEW rambling notes by a friend, who signs himself Observer, has been sent to me, and I know the writer to be not only a good and most successful grower, but also one of the best judges of the day of the Dahlia. He says, " I have seen all the following, and can speak confidently of their merits. I begin with Raw- ling's Lilao King ; this is one of the gems of the season ; fine lilac ; the centre is the summit of perfection, very symmetrical. It is with me No. 1. " Sir John Franklin (Turner's). — This is very much in form and substance like the preceding, with all the pro- perties of a first-rate Dahlia; colour, dark orange-buff. " Queen Victoria (Wheeler's). — Yellow, edged with pur- ple; form, first-rate, and very beautiful; the centre well filled up. "Brilliant (Rawling's). — Bright scarlet of the finest form ; centre well up ; easy to grow ; decidedly the finest scarlet Dahlia ever produced; first-rate in every point. "Lord Byron (Pope's). — Is a flower I noticed at several of the leading shows; the form is flrst-rate; colour, a clear bright salmon. " Miss Caroline (Brettell's). — White, tipt with purple ; a flower resembling the Marchioness of OormvaUis Dahlia, but without its faults ; every flower appears to close well. "These six flowers are the gems of the season, and have received the bulk of the certificates. No amateur can mistake, if he wishes to grow the best six varieties for 1853. " I now go on to notice about six more, which will comprise aU I intend speculating in this year among the show varieties. " Plantagenet (Turner's). — Shaded purple, very con- stant, and a good colour. " Boh (Turner's). — Scarlet, rather flat in the face, not equal to Rawling's Brilliant ; rather difi'erent in colour, but useful, as good scarlets are rather scarce. " Lady Dalrymple (Turvill's) . — Light, edged with pink ; a flower well up in the centre; of good form; rather small, but useful. " Annie Nenlle (Keynes's). — Light, edged with purple ; well up in the centre, but rather deficient in outline, but useful from its colour. " British Queen (Drummond's). — Light, deeply edged with purple. I have only seen a flower or two, but what I have seen were good ; rather thin, and I should say difficult to close. "Mrs. Stein (Stein's). — Shaded purple, rather small, but well formed ; one I should grow for its novel colour and shading. It is a very likely show-flower. " These are all the flowers I have noticed out of a great quantity exhibited at the shows, and I have attended many of them. The fancy varieties appear to have made very slow progress this season ; in fact, there has been very few shown. The best I have seen this year is Mrs. James Rawlings, a sort of puce tipt with white. The flower took two prizes at the Surrey Gardens. I liked it there very much. " Wonderful (Keynes's) is a striped flower, one of the best striped varieties, and has taken several prizes. There should be a class for striped flowers, to enoom-ago their production. " Unanimity (Edwards's). — Another distinctly-striped flower. If a new class is made for stripes these flowers will be in demand. "'These comprise my observations on the new flowers. If these notes are of any use to your readers, I may be induced to give my opinion on the last year's flowers, as I have grown most of them. — Obsehveb." I have very few to add to " Observer's" list; he is truly a correct observer, and our amateur friends, growers of dahlias, cannot do better than follow his advice. I pledge myself to the correctness of his descriptions. Mr. Stein, of Highgate, has a promising seedling, a light scarlet, named Bohinson, with great depth of petal, of good substance, and excellent form ; the same raiser has also one named Mr. Loclcner, a pinkish-lilac, novel in colour, good in substance, and of first-rate form. Also, one named Mr. Dickson, a blush-white, smooth edges, well up in the centre, and of excellent form. The suggestion " Observer" makes, that he is willing to give his experience and opinion of last year's Dahlias would, we are sure, be useful and acceptable to the readers of The Cottage Gaedeneb. T. Appleby. WORK FOR WET DAYS. Unlike the last and several previous seasons, the present one seems likely to visit us with all the arrears of rain which our weather prophets told us was due from the di-y winter and spring, which, if not followed by abundance of rains in June and subsequently, would have left our ponds, streams, and wells, lower than was ever known; as it was, they were very low, even in mid-winter, and still more so in ISIay ; however, there seems no reason to think that water will have to be carted at Christmas this season, as it was last, to places where it was only necessary to do so in the summer before. The abundant rains of the last month (to say nothing of the present one and what may follow) will certainly replenish all our fountains, and for some time to come the ground is not likely to lack moisture ; but in the midst of all this wet weather, the question arises, What are we to do ; since out-door work is no longer a duty that can be performed'? It then becomes us to see what can be done to advantage under cover in those successional wet days we have been of late so often visited with. Where there is ample shed-room, the dung for mush- room-beds may be prepared, and the beds made, spawned, and other work connected therewith done; not forgetting to look to those beds that are in bearing, or may be expected to come into use soon. These latter, if they have been enduring the drying influence of fire-heat in any shape, must be supplied with water at those parts most exposed. It often happens that a mushroom-bed is formed in some back shed where the stoke-holes are placed. Now these fires, though heating the structm-es on the other side, very often difi'use an amount of heat backwards sufficient to maintain the temperature of the shed several degrees above similar places where there is no fire. Now this is very useful, as, notwithstanding the healthy, fine mushrooms that are often gathered in the open air imtil very late in the season, sometimes to Christmas, still some little wai'mth is necessaiy to insure a crop at that time, and still more so afterwards. Now 30 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 14. a mushroom-bed made in siicli a situation, is often move productive than those in " the house " set apart expressly for them; so that the amateur, or he of small means, who has no better place than a corner of half a-dozen square yai'ds, may, nevcrtlieless, try his hand with a fair clianoe to succeed in the culture of this capricious production. This vacant space wo suppose to be bounded on one or two sides by the wall of the building; on the other sides some temporary erection must also be put up, to kee]i the dung, &o., from breaking down when looking at tlio bed, gathering the crop, &c. Where dung is ])lentiful, and a bed of this sort is to make, I do not like the plan of throwing aside so very mucli of the litter as is done in preparing ducg for beds in a regular mushroom-house, where they are obliged to be made so thin ; on the contrary, leave a considerable part with the dung, and in making the bed, let it be double the thickness of the others, about two feet is not too thick, but be sure the dung has been well prepared by frequent turnings, and until all the rank heat is driven off. Now this work may bo all very well done on wet days; in fact, if the materials be all inside, it is, perhaps, bettor done at that time than in dry weather. The spawning of beds tliat have been made a few days, and have been left to prove their heating powers, may also bo performed, and earthing them over may also be done at once ; this, in addition to preparing duug, &e., for future beds, may form a very profitable employment for a wet day. It has been customary, from time out of mind, to rope Onions and bang them up ; and though some of our younger brethren may disjuite the doctrine of their keeping bettor in that position tliau when lying on a shelf or dry floor, yet we are not quite sure oiu- grand- fathers were at fault here. A string tied tight about the neck of the onion is likely to prevent the escape of its juices tbrougli that channel, while the position the rope is usually placed in is certainly more conducive to its preservation than when it is, in an indirect manner, in contact witli mother earth. We like an ordinary hay or straw band best for a centre ; and care should bo taken not to bruise the onions in the handling. And we have no doubt but those who compare notes will be led to say in March, that tied-up onions have kept better than others. This job may advantageously be performed on wet days. Root crops may also bo looked to. Carrots keep quite as well in an ordinary cellar when not packed into that close mass so common to some; in fact, I object to pack ihem at all until December, or when the moisture, which more or less accompanies a heap of most productions, passes of; they may, however, be looked to now, and any symptoms of decay, or decaying matter of other kinds, removed, so as to give no chance to putrefaction spreading tln-ougli neglect. Beet and Pars)ii2>s we sup- pose to be in the ground still ; but that most uncertain of all productions, the Potato, must be looked to, and that frequently, as report would seem to imply that the whole crop of ltS.52 is, in many places, fast approaching a state of dissolution; and, if we regard the opinion of the worst of those evil prophets who pretend to foretel future events, both the stock of the ensuing winter, and the seed of another year, will bo a dead letter. Without going the length of fearing such a result, I. must own that I have never seen the disease so bad as it is this season in this district; still I hope that a remnant will be left for us to try again, to see if this scourgo cannot in some way bo counteracted. All that can now be done with those jjotatoes whicli show symptoms of de- caying, will he to pick out all the bad ones as they show themselves, and, after drying the others as well as can be done, to dust tlicm with quick lime. This powerful agent is an antidote to most of the fungus tribe, to which this disease is said to belong. Another job for wet days is the making and sorting of Lahel Stidis for various purjioses ; some very small ones may be prepared, and tied up in bundles, to name varieties of hcddiug-out plants, and others that may be potted off wlien spring comes round ; larger ones, but of the same material, may be made for labelling seed pans and other uses, when something more than the mere name may be added. Then, again, large strong ones of tlie best enduring wood may be made for marking out the position of bulbs, and other unseen plants, that may be scattered over mixed borders; these, when not marked in some way, are apt to have the S))ade driven right into the centre of them when the border is dug ; but a mere mark is not suflicicnt, better smooth one end of the stake, rub on a little white paint, and at oneo write the name with a pencil. If this be well-done, it generally lasts as long as the wood endures. These should be rather stubby than tall, as they are not wanted to show themselves conspicuously : but another kind may bo made longer, to mark the varieties of kitchen vegetables sown and planted. Those ought to bo of such a height as to stand to be seen when the plants have grown considerably ; for this latter pur])Ose, roiinded stakes, flattened and smoothed at one end, are as good as any. All these, and many more duties, may be performed on wet days, to say nothing of that " ridding-uj) " of the sheds and other places, which, in spite of regular good keeping, require now and then " a thorough cleaning out." J. RousoN. VINES AT BISHOP STORTFORD. Fine flowers, fiuo fruits, and fine vegetables, form suhjects for poets and painters, are eagerly sought aflcr hy the rich, and looked at with longing eyes by the poor. A recent visit to Ilaraplon Court, and to Bishop Slortford, has proved to me that there is no royal road to gardening. At Hampton Coiut, all tlie aiipliauccs of tlie jmblic pui'so do not enable our Queen to have at her desert such grapes as are to he seen in a private garden at IiisliOj) Stortford, Tlie Hampton Court vine has been celebrated for nearly 2U0 years, as a ram arbor, and so it was, till others and better were to be fomid. I have no desire to detract from the splendid growth and excellent traming of the Hampton Court vine, but when I tiud a private gentleman, of moderate means, and witli a moderate man f(ir a gai'di'uer, can beat tlie I'oyal vine, 1 think I am justified in saying, there is no royal road to horticulture or to iaiowledge. I will endeavour to describe to such readers ot The Cot- tage GiUtDENEK as cannot visit the royal and the plebinn vines, what I saw, for their benefit. The vineries at Stortford consist of two well-glazed, lean-to houses, each sixly feet long, eighteen wide, and sixteen high at the back. In one house there are fourteen vines of the Black Hambro' kind, entering the house (by a \'ery simple con- trivance described below), not up tho rafters, hut lialt'-way ' between the rafters, and so up the roof, consecpieutly en- joying all the light which can be had under a glazed roof. Each vine has on it about fifty bunobos of grapes, of an | average weight of LJlb., and in size nbiml a small pigeon's egg. The culour is perfect, and but fur a little rust this year, finer grapes never was produced. In the other house there are the same number of lights, and about the same number of vines of tlic Muscat kind. These vinos enter the liouse precisely as the oilicrs do; there are, as nearly as possible, lifly bniulics of grapes on each vine, and each hunch will, whun ripe, perlmiis aviriige from 2.Vlbs. to y lbs. The grapes are very large, very even in size, and very clean in growth. The \ines in both hou.-ics are in perfect health, always feeding upiai a ricli dish, which does justice to tliem, and wdiicli tlicy do justice to. The leaves are neitlier gi'oss nor suudl, but clean, ti'anspareul, and full of liGaUIi, each leaf sionis tho coimti'rpart of its neighbour, and which set oil' the fruit quite as nnicli as the fruit sets oil' them. Tho stem of these vines, only ten yeara growth, is bright OCTOBBR 14 THE COTTAGE GAUDENER. 31 and clean, and as Uiiclc as a burly yeoman's arm. There has been no rampant growth, and there is none now. They ai'e pruned upon the short and close spur system, and growing, as if by order, an exact and moderate length. The houses in which the vines grow and flourish face the south, at an angle of forty-five degrees ; they stand nyoa a steeply- sloping bank, and are planted in a well-drained and well- made bed, in such a way that they can be looked after, and trained with nicety and ease. There is nothing royal in the houses, and nothing royal about the man who waits upon them. The houses are clean and sweet, and the niiin is civil, without servility. There is an air of order and industry about the place, that makes any thoughtful person believe that where there is a will there is a way. At Hampton Court the vine is large and fully grown, and managed from its origin upon the long-rod system ; age, however, begins to tell upon it. The grapes this year are small, and many bunches will never colour, and never lipen. The house is good in size, and clean, but grand as it is, and as it was, it will not compete with the plebeian's vine in Hertfordshu-e. There is something refreshing to my mind in the retro- spect ; it makes one think how much a man may do who puts his shoulder to (he wheel. To be up and doing is the way ; never to be dashed, and never to be daunted ; a no- surrender man is the man for me, and the British, when once fairly on the scent, succeed wonderfully, excel every- body, because they look far and near for information on any subject they take up. The French invent, and we perfect. The foreigner is full of theory ; we are fuU of practice. I am well aware there are many aristocratic vines which will compete with those which I have described, but the reader must recollect these aristocratic vines cost an aristocratic outlay; whereas these plebeian vines are tended by a sohtary man, who must keep watch and ward over them from one end of the year to tlae other. 1 ought to mention that the Stortford vines are not forced, but merely cared for. Eaeli house is warmed by a flue, and these flues are only used in very chilly or very damp days. If the foregoing is thought worthy of a place in your .journal, I may, perhaps, take the hberty of entering upon a further correspondence at some future time.* — Thos. Moxon. The above mode is adopted for admitting the stems of the vines into the vinery without holes in the brick-work. A broad plate of thick wood projects about a foot from the wall, a semicircular piece is cut out of this for the vine- stem to sink into, and the front lights can then shut down close upon the plate. In the above drawing, two windows are shown propped open, and one is closed. At Bishop Stortford vinery, a piece of wooden plate is fastened to each window, out of that the semicircular piece is cut, so that the lilate shuts down upon the vine-stem, but causes all the front hghts to project in a slanting direction, even when closed. * Tlie sooner tbe better.— Ed, C. G. THE CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING OF TOBACCO, In the United States. — Sow as soon as frost is fairly out of the ground, or even in February, if you can get a wann spell of weather sufftciently dry to enable you properly to prepare tlie seed bed. Select a warm, sheltereil spot of virgin land, free from grass and weeds, dig it up lightly, and put the surface in very fine order. For a bed of twelve or fourteen yards square, mix a large wine glass full of seed with about a peck of fine wood-ashes, so as to divide the seed equally through it, that it may be more evenly sown. Sow broadcast on the sm-face, rake with a fine-toothed rake very lightly, and tread or roll the ground veiy firmly. In England.— Sow in a bed, with gentle heat, about the 10th April, or, if only for a few plants, in a small box, or large garden pot, under a frame, with little heat, until the plants appear ; but take care that the plants do not get long stalks, as that is fatal to a good plant. They should, when young, be as flat to the ground as possible ; if they come up too thick, wait till some have got five or six leaves, when carefully prick them out, so as to give more room for the others to come on ; when the largest leaves are about three inches long, plant out where they ai-e to remain, not nearer than three feet apart — in light, warm, well-drained soil, not over rich; if artificially made, let well-rotted leaf -mould form a large portion. Keep the ground well stirred and pricked around it during the period of its growth. The chief ingre- dients it seeks are potash and ammonia ; the latter it ob- tains in a large amount from the atmosphere, through its immense leaves. As soon as any of its blossoms show colour, break ofl: the head of tlie plant, including also the small top leaves ; this will soon increase the size of the leaves, but, at the same time, the plant will again make an effort to blossom, by throwing out side-shoots. As soon as these become about two inches long, or as thick as yom- Uttle finger, break them all off. If tlie season is not too wet, the plant will now begin to open ; the ground leaves first, and so upwards. But sometimes it ivill become neces- sary to let the plant stand till you have to break off a second set of side-shoots. In America, and in a large crop, you must judge by experience when the plant has the best average of matured leaves upon it, and then cut it down and hang it up in a large, open, and airy barn to cure ; but m England, on a small scale, you had better strip each leaf as it becomes ripe, and only cut down what remains when you are afraid of a sharp frost. The small ground leaves gene- rally turn yellow, and in wet weather get partially damaged ; they ought then to be pulled ; with a large needle and piece of twine, string them and hang them up to dry, leaving them so that air can freely pass between them, and in as airy a place as possible, but under cover from night air, dew, or rain. These leaves will cure light and thin, and make vei-y mild smoking tobacco ; the next set of leaves may, or may not, turn yellow, but will look blotchy and rather transparent looking ; they may then be pulled and treated in the same way, and so on as they ripen ; but seldom, if ever, the whole of the leaves will ripen in this country ; so when you antici- pate a sharp frost, cut the plant down, and hang it up also to dry. Now, cured tobacco always rapidly absorbs mois- ture from the atmosphere, and can only be handled whenit has given a little, but it must now remain until every vem in the leaf has become thoronghly dry, and not a particle of sap remams in it; in this damp climate that may be a very long time. After it has once been thoroughly dry and cnsp, watch the next change in the atmosphere, and as soon as it is soft enough to be safely handled, and the middle vein is not crisp enough to snap when bent, take it down and tie it in small bundles, or hands ; put these, if on a small scale, in a box, packed evenly with the butts outside, press them moderately, when they wiU undergo a slight heat ; but this is the most delicate and nice part of managing a crop of tobacco ; on it depends, most materially, its good flavour, and six or eight hours neglect may injm-e the whole crop, indeed totally spoil it; on a small scale, however, it cannot suffer so much from the same cause; when fermentation once commences, it sets in with great rapidity ; all that is requisite, is that a veiy slight wai-mth should be generated, then open it all, shake the hands in the air, so as to let off the heat, and repack it again hghtly, or, if it is in the right 32 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 14. condition, you may pack it down as tight as possible into any baiTel or box, and it will not lieat any more ; and the tighter it is paclced the better it will preser\-e its flavour. The sweating gets rid of the bitter gum that coats it, and, when properly conditioned, it should liave a fine fresh, fra- grant smell, somewliat similar to new hay. The principle of curing tobacco is precisely similar to the correct principle of making good hay, or clover hay, only a more delicate opera- tion. Clover, or grass, wlien partially cured, should always be put into heaps until fermentation takes place, give it then a good shaking out and airing, and it will never injure by heating in the stack ; so with tobacco, only it must be managed with a little more nicety, as it changes its condi- tion so rapidly with eacli atmospheric change. Niti'ate of potass is the chief ingredient in its ashes. The staUi or stem of the plant is of no use e-xoept for manm'e, for which it is valuable for any of the cereal crops. It is erroneously supposed by many to be a great ex- hauster of the soil, and to require very rich ground. The idea is a monstrous fallacy, based upon practical restilts, witliout tracing them to their proper cause. Rich gi'ound will make a very lieavy crop of inferior tobacco, but tlie finest tobacco that can be grown is upon a poor sandy vu-gin soil. The first and second season after clearing off the timber, when tlie plant can obtain a sufficient quantity of potash from the little vegetable leaf-mould that is on the surface, combining whicli with the large quantity of am- monia its extensive system of leaves enables it to absorb from the atmosphere, it forms the nitrate of potass which, with some silicates, forms the principal ingredient of its ashes. A wet season is the most fatal to tobacco, especially if water lies about the roots ; for which reason a little side or very undulating ground will make the brightest crops. Leyton, [The correspondent who has obliged us with this, says it is fm-nished by a Maryland tobacco planter, now resident, and for the last two or three years, in England, and, there- fore, may be relied on. — Ed. C. G.] THE BEST FUCHSIAS. Ar.Low me to say a few words on the six best Fuchsias that are out. For the three dark with pui-ple corolla ; — First, take Nil Dcspcrandum, Clapton Hero, and Alpha. These are the best three darks, so far as quality is the object. If size, then take Orion, Don Oiovani, and Smith's Kossuth. For the hght, take Banks's Conspicua, Ariel (Banks), and Princess (Banks). Tliese I have found to be the most useful light ones that are grown. Their quality I have tested, therefore, if your correspondent, " Lacy," has not them in his collection, I should advise him to secure them ; they are I'easonable in price. He may obtain all tlie varieties mentioned above, at Mr. Smith's, Tollington NiU'serj', Ishngton. If "Lacy" wants something nearer perfection than the Fuchsias I have noticed, he must stop till the spring of 18.03. Then he may procure Bank's Glory — than which in dark Fuchsias there is nothing to equal it. The beautiful deep crimson of the tube and sepals, the corolla being a glossy violet purple, forms a most gratifying contrast. It has had the honour of six first class certificates at the principal sliows this season. Likewise a wliite Fuchsia, Laihi Franklin, is considered the best light- coloured. The tube and sepals being so pure white, and the corolla pinky purple ; it is quite entering into a new class of Fuchsias. If " Lacy " procures these in the spring, lie need not fear competition. Tliere are a few others that ought not to be omitted, if a first-rate collection is wanted. I will name them at a future time. — K. Weaxherill. COST OF KEEPING COCHIN-CHINA FOWLS. Undek the impression that I had sufficiently trespassed on the space of your paper, and the patience of your readers, I had determined to trouble you no more ; but Anster Boim's last letter calls for some remark. I do full justice to her zeal, lier intelligence, and knowledge of the good qualities of Cochin-China poultry— I admire her candour ; but whilst I read with pleasiure her remarks, and readily believe she is fully impressed \vith the reality of all she states, I must, with all courtesy, be permitted to add, that I am not the least convinced that Cochin-Chinas have any right to the great superiority she wishes to claim for them ; nor do I think that Anster Bonn, keeping only one sort of poulU'y, can enter into this comparative discussion witli a mind as unprejudiced as one who, like myself, keeps several sorts of what ai'e supposed to be the best poidtry, and who (only wishing to arrive at what is really the best breed) has no prejudice or pai-tiality to gratify. When Anster Bonn did keep other poulby, by her own account they were " indifferent Dorking, Spanish, a mixed lot, &c. ; " but in my case I claim to have some of the best Cochin-Chinas in England, bred from Mr. Sturgeon's and Mr. Andrews's best birds — not (as Anster Bonn hints) " with length of leg, and upright gait," hkely to have any cross of Malay; but short-legged, good in colour and shape ; and as you, Mr. Editor, have seen my bu'ds, you wiU give me credit for not decrying Cochms from envy. I agree perfectly in many of the good quahties advanced by Anster Bonn in favour of her feathered friends — I admire their laying powers, then' docility and tlieir early maturity ; but even on this last point something may be said. I have heard (and am inclined to believe) that an opinion is gaining ground with some of the oldest, most experienced CochiB-China fanciers, that if this poultry does come into use earlier than other fowls, so they go out of use propor- tionably eai'lier. If this proves to be so, one of the great merits claimed for them is much weakened. Time must prove this. I am inclined to attach great weight to this opinion, coming to me from the quarter it did. Anster Bonn, even, cannot defend the size of their eggs. I heard remarked at the breakfast-table the other morning, when some Cochin-China eggs appeared, " Do you call these eggs ? Why, 1 could eat a dozen of them ! " As for myself, I can sympathise with others, I have detested eggs ever since having been let in for a " horrid thing," I was com- forted by hearing that I had only eaten for a " breakfast C1717 " what was called a "dinner egg" (an abomination of six weeks old). Two points must remain in dispute between Anster Bonn and myself: — The quality of Cochins as table fowls; and the quantity of food they consume. The first must be always a matter of taste. I have now tried several, and still think they are not equal to any Dorking (Mr. Baily's, or anybody's). Of the dinner to which Anster Bonn alludes I had heard some rumom- ; and I do not doubt Anster Bonn's kindness and candour will induce her to inform us, whether the general opinion in the dining-room was pronounced as decidedly in favour of the Cochin-China as she tells us it was " out of the dining-room." I have heard a whisper it was not so. Anster Bonn's statement as to the expense of food of her fowls is to me perfectly astounding. " One penny a week per head ! " It strikes me, either that I (from being, I suppose, a friend to the farmer) have been paying too much for my corn, or that there is a "screw loose" in the domestic economy of my poultiy-pard. I have never kept any correct account of the weekly exjicnse per head, but in a rough w^ay I have stipposcd it to be from 3d. to lijd. per head weekly (unless with the run of a farm-yard, when it would be much less), for common fowls, and more for Cochin- Chinas. I have heard several remarks of — " A penny a-week, indeed ! liidiculous ! Much more like a penny aday, itc." I ofl'ered an old woman, who walks some of my fowls, a penny ! twopence ! tlireepence ! a-wock. She refused them all. A poultry dealer of my acquaintance puts it at 25d. a- wcek. " But then, Sir (he added), I can get my stuff cheaper than you." I am determined, now, to put this to the test. I have confined two lots of fowls (each consists of one Cochin China cock, and two hens) in two sepai'ato yards. A quantity of food had been weighed previously, in separate boxes, for them. From these they will bo fed, and as what is left at the end of the week will be weighed, I can ascertain to half-an-oimce what the consimiplion of food has been, and your readers shall be acquainted with the consumption, the cost, the number of eggs laid in the time (and their joint weight), and they may then form their October 14. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 33 own opinion. These lots, having no grass in their yards, will be furnished with green meat, (/rails. I am also trjing the same experiment with our Cocliin- China cocl;erells at a distance (the results of which you shall lieai'), and I intend to try the same also with some Spanish poultry, I will take every care that the trial shall he conducted with the most perfect fairness, and I feel great interest in the result. I have no leaning one way or the other. I have no object to gain, or prejudice to gratify. I really wish to ascertain, which is the cheapest and most profitable fowl to the cottager. And whilst gladly acknowledging the many merits of my friends, the Cochins, I honestly believe, that as being somewhat of a novelty, they have taken a higher perch in the poultry stage, than they are entitled to, or than they will retain. In the words of the old farce — " I may be wrong, but that's mj opinion." But should further ex- perience prove the error, no one will more cheerfully pro- claim it, or more humbly aclmowledge it than Gallus. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *♦* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed ** To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." Hollyhocks.— A very trustAvorthy correspondent at Durham writes as follows: — "I received the following from Mr. Chater, of Saffron Walden, and they have undoubtedly thrown all the other varieties into the shade : — Comet (Chater), ruby-red, large ; Joan of Arc (Parsons), large, blush; Ladj/ Bra}/d7'ooke (Pa.Tsons),cT\msQu; Magnum. Bonum, maroon; Meteor (Bircham), crimson ; Pulchella (Chater), pink ; Snfrano (Par- sons), pinkish salmon, a splendid flower; Triumphant (Parsons), pale primrose, flower very full ; Spectabilis (Chater), shaded salmon ; Walden Gem (Chater), ruby-crimson ; White Perfection (Chater), splendid white ; Mr. C, Barron (Chater), pinkish salmon. As the Hollyhock has only lately been introduced into the north as a show flower, I think your numerous readers here might be benefited by such lists from amateurs who have grown such flowers, besides being aware that the information is sent by individuals that have no pecuniary interest to promote by making false representations." We shall most readily insert such lists, and any amateur sending us such a list of flowers which he has cultivated and approves, will greatly oblige us. We are obtaining similar lists from professional gardeners, and begin to-day with the Dahlia. Rooks. — In reply to P. P., who wishes for information as to the most practical way of establishing a rookery, I beg to state, that the first settlement of rooks upon our property was effected by conveying a nest of these birds, when the young were hatched, and fixing it securely in a tree. My sister gave a daring boy a trifle to take the nest, and place it in its new position, from which small beginning a rookery has sprung. I believe the rookery from which the parent nest came was that upon a neighbouring estate, a very few fields from what is now our own ; so that the old birds could easily foVow the cries of their young. This took place so many years ago, that I do not remember exactly from whence the nest was brought ; but if it did not come from the nearest rookery, it must have been from one seven or eight miles off, which I think scarcely possible; Beech and elm are the trees preferred by rooks ; our own never fix upon the oaks and limes that stand close to their settle- ment, but remain exclusively attached to the tall beeches. — R. F. I. Double and Single Floweh-btjds. — Senilis says, " At page 424 of the last volume, I read, * We know of no test whereby to know a double from a single Hollyhock before the blossom opens, except that the flow«r-buds of the double are more globular, and larger.* This leads me back fourteen years, next January, when two of the best and most cele- brated Camellia growers in England (nurserymen) came to see my Camellias. Among other plants, I had a beautiful specimen of a seed- ling Camellia, then in full hud for the first time, but none of them were expected to open before April. The plant had all the appearance of turning out one of the best seedlings of that period ; the leaves were as thick and round as those of the old double-striped, or variegated ; the young wood was stout and short-jointed, and the buds were as large and round as any in the house at that stage of development. My visitors made an offer of ten guineas for this plant, and would *' take all chances ; " but no ! the offer rather turned me the other way. Still I regretted that I * did not know of a test whereby to know a double from a single* Camellia thus early. A young German, who overheard our conversation, the offer, and my regret, grinned from ear to ear, but said nought until the visitors departed, when, after a little fishing, I got out of hira the secret how any flower-bud could be proved as being that of a double or single flower. Cut the bud through the middle, and the secret is out to view — a single folding round the stamens ; the double all folds and no stamens. How very simple 1 but well worth knowing." Tea-scented Roses (Q.).— In very severe weather it is a good plan to cover them with a mat, as you propose ; and if you could get moss enough to cover the whole surface of the bed an inch or two, and then stick a lot of small, dry branches, such as the tops of pea sticks, in among them, the frost will not harm them, even in so young a state. Dry sticks, if they are placed thick enough, are much better for pro- tection than boughs of evergreens. Fuchsia spectabilis (TT. S.).— We are not aware that it has been exhibited at any of the shows, and the less that is said about it the better. Perhaps some of our correspondents coi^d give directions for its culture. We have one blooming well in a warm border, the pot being plunged there all the summer. Gloxinias (/6(rf).— As your plants have made no bulbs, you must not let them get quite dry this winter, else they will slip through your fingers. Cantua dependens (rf, S.). — A warm house was sure to play ven- gence with it. The very coldest part in the front of a cold pit, where the sun and frost could not reach it, is what it likes. Hickory Nuts (H. R. L. iV.).— You have brought some Hickory Nuts {Carya) with you from Canada, and wish to know the best mode of culture, and in what soil they should be grown. Preserve them in sand, in a cool cellar, and sow them in rows thinly, in the spring, about the end of March. The soil they like is a strong loam, deep and rich, and well drained. Allow them to remain in the seed-rows for two years, then transplant them in October, into nursery-rows, and after the second year transplant them finally where they are to grow to be trees. Planting Conifers {M, S — — , TTi^aTi).— You will see Mr. Appleby has answered your queries in several back numbers. If you noticed rightly, the season for planting is mentioned by him to h&, first, August and September, and then March. The grand object to aim at, should be to plant them at such season as will allow them time to force new roots before the early frosts of winter and the dry weather of spring. The state of the season, whether autumn or spring, will have influence upon the planting. If wet and cold, wait till it is moderately dry and warm. The small bit of a plant you sent we cannot make out. Send it again when in bloom. Bees.— B. B. says:— "Since I sent you my statement (see pp. 15-16), I have observed in hive No. 2, that the drones are not all destroyed, three or four made their appearance on the 26th of Sept., and about the same time from eight to ten bees arrived with bee bread. I have always been led to consider the appearance of drones at this time is a bad sign. If it be really so, how would you have me act? I have been feeding the beea in this hive for the last fourteen days." Wintering Scarlet Geraniums {B, B.).— Your frame filled with coal-ashes will do excellently to plunge the pots in ; and as you have them already rut back, you will have nothing to do but to admit air to them freely whenever the temperature permits, and to exclude frost by cover- ing the glass with hay and mats. The same treatment will exactly suit your Verbenas. Thousand-headed Cabbage (Doncffs^er).— For late spring-feed for sheep, sow early in March, prick the seedlings out when three inches high, and plant out finally early in July. You may continue planting out throughout August and early September, as more ground becomes vacant. Plant in rows, three feet apart each way. Plants for Flower-beds {Ignotus), — We hope to begin the pub- lication of plans next week. Pine-culture fS^w/jid).— You will have all your queries answered in Mr. Errington's papers. Apples (B). — Six Desert Apples for Espaliers, good bearers and good flavoured, are Lamb Abbey Pearmain, Kerry Pippin, Old Nonpareil, Scarlet Nonpareil, and Sturmer Pippin. Six Kitchen Apples for Espa- liers are Hawthornden, Alfriston, Wareham Russet, Blenheim Orange, Keswick Codling, and Waltham Abbey Seedling. Laburnum now Blooming (A Subscriber). ^It is not at all uncom- mon for untimely blossoms to appear on this tree. White Cochin-China Fowls. — Altqziis vihhes to know where, and at what price per pair, he can purchase these. You will see two adver- tisements of them in our last number. Spanish Chesnut Seedlings (T. M. IF.).— These are quite hardy, and will require no protection. Tobacco Culture (A i^n'ar).— See a very full and excellent paper on the subject in our present number. Autumn Planting Potatoes (J. R., Everton) .—Dig all your light soil over.in November, and plant as it is dug ; that is, as soon as apace enough is dug for a row plant the sets with a dibble, six or seven inches deep, and do not let the ground be trod upon afterwards. Do not add manure of any kind, but in March sow over the surface Epsom Salt, at the rate of three pounds to every hundred square yards. Do not plant any but the earliest ripening kinds ; the Kemps are too late. Back Numbers (Omega). — If you send as you propose, you can have the numbers and the volume bound. Send a note with them, stating what you wish, and your address. Other questions next week. Advertisements (A Watcher).-~It is quite impossible for us to answer for the truth of statements in advertisements. We should have a nice time of it if we had to test the worth of everything advertised. If we are especially asked for an opinion upon any one article, we can do no more than obtain relative information, if possible. Diseases of Poultry (76id).— You will confer a great favour by communicating your observations upon this subject. Forget-me-not Seed (.E/^en). —Perhaps Mr. Carter, Seedsman, High Holborn, London, can supply you. Have any of our readers some seed of this flower sacred to remembrance? Purple-flowered Climber {A Subscriber). — This which you saw against the wall of a villa at Torquay, we have little doubt is Ceanothus azureus. It is highly ornamental, and the more to be prized because blooming in autumn. London! Printed by Habet Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William SoMERviLLE Ore, at the Oflice, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Pariah of Christ Church, City of London,— October Uth, 1852, THE COTTAGE GAKDENER.— ADVERTISEMENTS. rrilE LONDON MANURE COM- J- PANV beg to offer Jis under: — Corn Manure, most valuable for spring drees- ing, Concentrated Urate, Super-Phosphate of Lime, Nitrate of Soda, Sulphate of Ammonia, Fishery and Agricultural Salt, Gypsum, Fossil Bones, Sulphuric Acid, and every other artificial manure ; also, a constant supply of English and Foreign Linseed Cake, Peruvian Guano, guaranteed the genuine im- portation of Messrs. A. Gibbs and Sons, ^g lOs per ton, or ^Q 5s in quantities of five tons or upwards. EDWARD PURSER, Stcretary, 40, Bridge Street Bluchfnars. THE ROYAL EXHIBITION— J- 39, Albemarle Street, Piccadilly, observe, opposite the Voik Hotel.— Valuable newly-in- vented, very small, powerful, Waistcoat pocket Glass, the size of a Walnut, to discern minute oljjects at a distance of from four to five miles, whicli is found to be invaluable for yachting, and to Sportsmen, Gentlemen, and Game- keepers. Telescopes, possessing such extraor- dmary power, that some 3^ inches, with an extra cyc-piecc, will show distinctly Jupiter's Moons, Saturn's King, and the double Stars. They supersede every other kind, and arc of all sizes for the Waistcoat pocket, Shooting, Mili- tary purposes, &c. Opera and Race-course Glasses with wonderful power ; a minute object can be clearly seen, from ten to twelve miles distant. Invaluable newly-invented Spectacle. Deafness — New Discovery — The Organic Vibrator, an extraordinary powerful, small, newly - invented instrument, for deafness, entirely different from all ofliers, to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or probably ever can be produced. Being of the same colour as the skin, is not perceptable ; it enables deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at public assemblies ; the unpleasant sen- sation of singing noises in the ears are entirely removed ; and it affords all the assistance that possibly could be desired. S. & B. SOLOMONS, Aurists and Opticians, 39, Albemarle Street, Piccadilly. Observe, opposite the York Hotel. Lately published, price 5s 6 Shylock (Fostcrj 5 0 Ambassador (Henderson). . 3 0 Beauty of St. John's Wood (Henderson) 3 6 Caliban (Ayres) 5 0 Othello (Henderson) 3 G Princess Royal { Hender- son) 3 6 Richard Cobden (Ambrose) 5 0 Superba (Ambrose) 5 0 Ariadne (Foster) 5 0 Ambassador (Dobson) .... 3 6 Arethusa (Dobson) 3 6 Cliieftain (Hoyle) 3 6 Colonelof the Buffs (Hoyle) 5 0 Commissioner (Beck) .... 3 6 Elise (Hoyle) 5 0 NEW FANCV GERANIUMS, raised by Ambrose, Ayres, and Henderso the 12 varieties for d.''2. 2s. Captivation (Ambrose) . . 5 (1 Electra (Ayres) 2 6 Formosissima (Ayres) .... 60 Gipsey Queen (Ayres) .... 60 flliranda (Ayres) 5 0 NEW SCARLET AND PINK-FLOWERING HORSE-SHOE-LEAVED GERANIUMS. Amazon (Low) 2 6 1 Mountain of Light (Lee) 3 6 Defiance (A. Henderson) 2 6 Odoratissima grandiflorum (Henderson) ..26 Hendcrsonii (Henderson) ... - 2 6 | Shruljland Pet (Henderson) 36 CHRYSANTHEMUMS, fine bushy plants, well set, with flower-buds. 60 Splendid New and Select Varieties, Large-flowering and Lillipulicnnc, for. ... 2 0 0 40 ditto ditto ditto 1 10 0 25 ditto ditto ditto 0 1? 6 Fine Selections, 5s, "s 6, and f)s per dozen. For Vaiieties of Previous Introduction, see Catalogue. Our Annual Importation of Dutch Bulbs lias arrived in excellent condition. We also beg to call attention to our very superb collec- tions of Ranunculi, Gladioli, Iris, and an extensive stock of other roots. Post-office Orders payable to STEPHEN BROWN, Seed and Horticultural Establishment, Sudbury, Suffolk. H ORTICUT.TURAL BUILDING AKl") HEATING BY HOT WATER. Warranted best Materials and Workmansliip, at the lowest possible prices. J. WEEKS & Co., King's Road, Chelsea, Horticultural Architects, Hothouse Builders, and Hot-water Apparatus Ma- nufacturers. The Nobility and Gentry about to erect Horticul- tural Buildings, or the Hot- water Apparatus, will find at our Hothouse Works, King's Road, Chelsea, an extensive variety of Hothouses, Greenhouses, Conservatories, Pits, &c., erected, and in full operation, com- bining all modern improvements, so that a lady or gentleman can select the description of House best adapted for every required purpose. The Hot-water Apparatuses (which are efficient and economical), are particularly wortliy of attention, and are erected in all the Houses, Pits, &c., for both Top and Bottom Heat, and in constant operation in the Stoves. The splendid collection of Stove and (Jrcenhouse Plants arc in the highest state of cultivation, and for sale at very low prices. Also, a fine collection of strong Grape Vines in pots from eyes, all the best sorts. Plans, Models, and Estimates of Horticultural Buildings; also. Catalogues of Plants, Vines, Seeds, &c., for- warded on application. J. WEEKS & Co., King*a Road, Chelsea, London. TEAS ARE LOWER IN PRICE.— The Stock of Tea iu Eiiglaml being -L nearly ten million pounds more than at this time last year, prices have, iu consequence, given way, and enables us to sell really good Teas at very low prices, Tlic Congou Tea at 3s 4d per pound, and the Hyson (Junpowder at 4s per pound, make an excellent Blixture for general use. while the fine, rich Souchong Tea at 4s, and the rare choice Gunpowder at 5s, arc so really good and truly cheap, that we confidently recommend them to all who desire very superior tea. We are also selling pure Jamaica Coffee at Is jier pound, and the best Mocha Coffee at Is 4d. Tea or Coffee to the value of 40s sent carriage free to any part of England, by PHILLIPS AND COMPANY, Tea Merchants, 6, King William Street, City, London. *#* A GENERAL PrICR CURRENT SENT POST FREE ON APPLICATION. rilHE ONLY STOVE WITHOUT A FLUE, for Jl which Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent have been granted. Prospectuses, with Drawings, forwarded free. Plain, 123 to 258. Ornamental, 31s Gd to .^6 6s. Stands for Stoves, 2s fid, 3s, and 5h, each. CAUTION. — An Injunction having been granted by the Vice Chan- cellor in the case of "NASH t). CARMAN," restraining the Defendant from making or selling any colourable imitations of the Plaintiff's Stove or Fuel, the Public is respcctfuUv informed that the "JOYCE'S PATENT STOVE," " WITHOUT A FLUE," and the " PATENT PREPARED FUEL," can only be obtained from the Proprietor or his authorized Agents. Every genuine Stove has the Proprietor's name and address on a brass- plate on the front; — "SWAN WASH, 253, Oxford Street London." JOYCE'S PATENT, for warming Halls, Passages, Harness-rooms, Greenhouses, Watcr-closrts, &c., &c. The above Stoves do not emit smoke or unpleasant smell, and will burn without attention or replenishing from 12 to 48 hours. In use daily at the Sole Projirictor's, SWAN NASH'S, Ironmonger, 253, Oxford Street, and at the Depot (City), liy, Newgate Street, London; and to be had from the principal Ironmongers in Town and Country. PATENT PREPARED FUEL, 23 6d per bushel, only genuine with the Proprietor's name and seal on the s.icU. SWAN NASH, 253. Oxford Street, and lip, NEWGATE STREET. N.B.— Sole Maker of the Portaulk Vapour-Batu. for Families and Travellers, ^c, ^c, ns recommended by the Faculty, complete with large Cloak, £i Ua 6d. SvruoN Air-vent Bekk AND Wine Taps, 3s 6dj electro -silvered, 5s 6d. OOTOBER St. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 30 1\I u "1 W D Th OCTOBER 21—27, 1852. Weathek near London in 1851. Sun Rises. Sun Sets. Moon R.&S. Moon's Age. Clock bef. Sun. Day of Year. Barometer. jThermo. Wind. Rain in In. Sun's declination, 10° 52' s. 30.076 — 29.993 62—52 E. 37 a. 6 63 a. 4 morn. 8 15 20 295 9.9. P Coddv-nioddy Gull inland. 30.137 — 29.986 56—50 N. — 39 61 0 3 9 15 29 296 9.3 S Wood Pigeon comes. 30.255 — 33.219 57—50 S.E. — 40 49 1 14 10 15 37 297 24 Sun 20 Sdndayaftee Trinity. 30.361— 30. 272| 57—37 N.E. — 42 47 2 24 11 16 44 298 25 M Short-eared Owl comes. 30.386-30.348 55—49 N.E. — 44 45 3 32 12 15 51 299 ■26 Td Whitethorn leaves fall. 30.214 — 30.1199! 57—42 E. — 46 43 4 39 13 15 57 300 V \V Tortoise buries. 30.170-30.084, 59-37 N.W. — i? 41 rises. © 16 2 301 Meteorology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of theae days are 56.3° .ind 40.1*^ respectively. The greatest heat, 73°, occurred oa the 2l3t in 1830 ; and the lowest cold 20°, on the 2 1 St 1 in 1842. During the period 80 days were i ne, and on 95 rain fell. 1 ROUGH-LEAVED COMMELIN. {Commdina scabra.) This is one of an old genus of herbaceous plants, natives of different countries, some of them requiring the heat of a stove, others the shelter of a greenhouse, while a thu-d section withstand the rigour of our winters. All of them have fleshy roots or rhizomes, and they belong to the natm-al order, Spiderworts, the genus Tradescantia being the next of the order which is best known to cultivators. They fill up a transition point between the sedges and sedge-like plants, as Xyrids, on the one hand, and tlie Lilyworts on the other. The genus was named in honour of J. and G. Commelin, two Dutch botanists, by Dillenius, a celebrated professor of botany at Oxford, after whom Liuna3us named the genus Dillenia. The subject of this biography was in- troduced from Mexico by Mr. Allardt, of Berlin. It is a half- hardy perennial, and a good figure of it is given in Paxton's Flower Garden, in. 8. Stems in a tuft, milky-green, tinged ^'ith red. Leaves stalkless, sheathing the stems, spear- head-shaped, stiff, horny at the edge, wavy, milky-green, covered with rough elevations. Flower-sheath heart-shaped, downy, enclosing from five to ten flowers. Petals dull purplish-brown. The genus is included in Triaudria Mouo- gynia, class and order of Linnrous. B. J. Culture and Propagation.- — These Commelinas are not much in favour among gardeners of the present day, but I recollect the time when as much care was taken of them as is now given to the Dahlias. As soon as the frost cut down the stems, we housed the roots, which grow after the manner of Asparagus, along with those of the Marvel of Peru, Dahlias, Carrots, Parsnips, and Beet-root, in dry sand, away from the frost. In the spring, s.ay in Ajiril, they were re- planted in light, rich earth in the mixed borders, and if wa wanted to increase them, that was effected by dividing the roots as you would a DahUa, taking an eye or eyes along with each portion of roots. D. Beaton. A CORRESPONDENT asks US whether we think " the Black Violets (Nigra violn. — Eclogue, x. 39), the Soft Violet {Viola molli. — Eclogue, v. 38), and the Pale Violets {Violas pallentes. — Eclogue, ii. 47), mentioned by Virgil, refer exclusively to our Common Violet ? " Without entering into any classical disquisition, or quoting parallel passages from Pliny, Horace, Columella, &o., we reply generally that we believe the references are to one and the same flower, and that that flower is our Common Sweet-scented Violet {Viola odorata). "Dark'' is quite as faithful a translation of niger as " black ; " when the Violet is spoken of as " soft," it is in contrast to the thistle, and other armed plants; and the Pale Violets are quite in unison with our White variety. The same correspondent asks if "our Double Violets are recent results of our floricultural skill?" and we will give a reply in the words of old Gerarde, who wrote in 1597— "The Double Garden Violet hath leaves, creep- ing branches and roots, like the Garden Single Violet ; differing in that this sort bringetb forth most beautiful sweet double flowers. — Violets called the Black or Purple Violets, or March Violets of the garden, have a No, 00X11,, Vol, IX. "~" " great prerogative above others, not only because the mind conoeiveth a certain pleasure and recreation by smelling and handling of those most odoriferous flowers, but also for that very many by these Violets receive ornament and comely grace; for there be made of them garlands for the head, nosegays, and poesies, which are delightful to look on and pleasant to smell to, speaking nothing of their appropriate virtues ; yea, gardens them- selves receive by these the greatest ornament of all, chiefest beauty, and most gallant grace ; and the recrea- tion of the mind which is taken thereby cannot but be very good and honest : for they admonish and stir up a man to that which is comely and honest ; for flowers, through their beauty, variety of colour, and exquisite form, do bring to a liberal and gentle manly mind the remembrance of honesty, comeliness, and all kinds of virtues. It would be an unseemly and filthy thing (as a certain wise man hath said) for him that doth look upon and handle fair and beautiful things, and who frequenteth in fair and beautiful places, to have his mind not fair, but filthy and deformed." Gerarde was a sober and ancient herbalist when be thus wrote, and r 30 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER October 21. we might readily believe, eveu did we not know tbe flower, that the Violet must have exti-aordinary charms, when it could thus excite sedateness to he eloquent. We shall have occasion to dwell more fully upon the admitted virtues of the Violet when we come to it in due course among tlie " British Wild Flowers," hut we must extract here one note from Willsford's " Secrets of Nature," which says, "When Violets flourisli in autumn, it is an evil sign of an insuing plague the year following, or some pestiferous disease." If this he so, then will 185.3 be a year memorable for its pestilence, for we have before us, October 12th, bouquets and gi'owing plants of the most highly-scented and largest Violets we have ever looked upon. These are Shackell's Eussian Superb Violets; they are treble the size, and far more fragrant than the common Russian Violet similarly cultivated, and though their leaves are also very large, yet the stalks of the flowers are so long and stout, as to render them very conspicuous. Mr. Shackell has a large stock of every description of Violets, and intends to sell them at such low prices as to he within the command of all classes. He will, before long, publicly announce his chai'ges. Even Tree Violets will be sold very cheap. rOESYTH MSS. At page 185 of our 5th volume we gave a biographical sketch of Sir James Edward Smith, tbe first President of the Linnasan Society, and author of The English Flora, and other standard works. The following letter is dated Norwich, September 20tb, 180,3. SIR J. E. SMITH TO HE. FOUSYTH. No cause less powerful than the real one should have kept me so long without thanking you for your kind and valuable present of your work, -wliich I now most heartily do. When I received it, I was .iust beginning to be ill witl] a fever of violent erysipelas, which detained me a fortnight at Hendon ; and then, after my journey home, I was for many weeks unable to loojj at anything, and in great pain. My complaint is not yet quite gone, but I begin to use my eyes moderately. Yoiu- book is in great request here, as it deserves. Mr. Crowe has one copy for liis gardener, auotlier for himself, as he makes it his constant study. I luive no doubt the general practice of your directions about trees will be of tlie greatest public use and benefit. Mr. Crowe and I have again this year been hard at work upon British Willows. Our certain species are about forty. Would it be interesting to you to ha\e cutlinpts sent you"^u the winter of all our species, marked witii my names? I should be very glad of this, or any other opportunity, of shewing; you liow much I am, dear Sir, your obliged' and faithful friend, J. E. Sjiitii. It may be as well to explain to the non-botanical reader, that the genus SiiUx includes the British Wil- lows, and, in all, about two -hundred -and -twenty -two species, varying in locality from the 8alix arctica, the last woody plant that lingers in existence as we approacli the north pole, to tlie iSalix Bahi/lonicd., which is found not only " by the waters of Babylon," but in China, Japan, and Northern Africa. These numerous species have been, and still are, the opprobrium of botanists. No one laboured more successfully to arrange tbom than did Sir J. E. Smith, and his friend Mr. Crowe, until since his death, M. Koch, a German botanist, has bestowed upon them an amount of knowledge and deep investigation which has loft little to be desired. COVENT GARDEN. How deep-seated evil practices become! It is upwards of a hundred years since an old writer cautioned the public of that day against the sellers of Elder berries and Elder juice in Coven t-Garden; and it is sad that we should have occasion to do the same now. For a week or two past these commodities have been exposed for sale in considerable quantities. Of tbe former we need make no remarks, as it is hardly possible that any one could be led astray in the choice of berries, provided they made use of common observation ; but against what is sold as Elder juice we would have them be especially careful. This article is generally exposed in tubs, and mixed with a large proportion of berries and stalks; but eveu to a casual observer, the berries show no proportion to the liquor, a great part of which is, in fact, water. " Thus," says the writer above alluded to, " wines and syrups made from Folder berries may prove defective, and discourage persons from making a second attempt, by the measure of water with the Elder juice, or from blightening causes, or its being expressed from unripe berries." We have thought it our duty to [jut our readei-s on their guard against such practices, and would recommend them in all cases, when Elder wine is tlie idtimatum, to provide themselves with sound and well-ripened berries only. In the fruit-market the supplies have been large during the past week, and the demand little short of what we reported in our last. Everything maintained fully as good prices, and there is every probability they will continue to do so. Ai'PLKs, it is generally believed, are a short crop throughout those parts from whicli "The Garden" supply is generally derived, and I am aware of some cases where salesmen have advised their employers to hold, as there is every probability there will be a considerable rise as the season advances. The varieties which have been most plentiful during the week, besides those which we have noticed in former reports, are Beantij of Kent — a beauty, indeed, hut tliis season they are very much deformed, having almost entirely lost their conical shape, and become somewhat flattened and angular ; they still, however, retain their beauty of colouring and russety base. This must not be coiifiised with the Flower of Kent, under wbicli name it is often met with in the market. Though both are good apples, still the former is by far the better one of the two. It is one of the most magnificent apples we know, when grown to perfection, and is one of tbe best autumn baking varieties. Emperor Alexander, of which wc niado mention last week, is in still. It is like a great many more things iu the world, more for show than for use ; and I would, therefore, never recommend any one who has only a limited extent of ground to think of growing it. Peaks are plentiful, and of all qualities, many of them being, as the costermongers call them, " fine mellow pears." However these may have OeioBBB 21. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 37 done a hundi-ed years ago, they will not do now by the side of Beiirre Base, Duehesse d'Avgoulcnw, and Jersey Oralioli, all of which are now to be had iu quantity. The latter is a most delicious, rich, and sprightly flavoured fruit. It possesses that peculiar briskness which is only to be found in a pine-apple, and which one is loathe to call acid ; and at the same time is rich and sugary. This is a variety which can be " highly recommended," and which ought certainly to find a place in every garden. Plums are going out, and we have nothing new to notice besides what we have treated of in former reports ; there are still, however, some arrivals of foreign baking varieties, of what the Germans call Qnetsche family. Tlie Gn,u>Es continue the same as last week, being chiefly Blade Hamhurghs and Cannon Hall Muscats. There Jias been a large arrival during the week of foreign Black Hamhurghs in baskets, in excellent condition, which fetched from Is. to Is. 3d. per lb. There are still some late Peaches to be met with iu the first-class fruiterers', but the few remaining Neoiakines there are do not seem very tempting. Pines are plentiful for the demand, ancj make from os. 6d. to 6s. per lb. In the vegetable department there has been a plen- tiful supply. Cabbages make from Os. to 7s. per dozen, according to the size and quality. The variety which is most extensively grown for the London markets is the Batiersea, which is also known in the country by many names, such as "Fulham," "Barnes," " Emperor," and " London Market." Cauliflowers are excellent, and vary in price fi-om Is. to 2s. (id. per dozen. Brussels Sprouts have come in, and are to be had at from Is. (id. to 2s. per half-sieve. French Beans are loss plentiful, and are, consequently,, making more money. Some weeks ago they could not be sold at any price, but now they are making from 2s. to 2s. Gd. Celery is very fine ; the best can be had at Is. 3d. per bundle. Tur- nips from 2s. to 2s. Od. per dozen bunches; and Carrots 2s. 6d. to 4s. per dozen bunches. Potatoes are on the rise, and likely to continue so; they make from ifiS to £Q per ton; the finest are the Regents, which are in excellent condition, and make from 3s. Gd. to 4s. per biishel. Mushrooms still continue plentiful, at last week's quotations. H. GOSSIP. Among the very numerous charities at Winchester is The Natives' Societij, for the apprenticing of the chOdren of poor citizens. It was founded in 1600, but we only notice it for the purpose of quoting some of the prices paid for articles connected with the Society's annual festival ia the days of yore. " 1075. — Paid for 9 bushells of malt and grinding i£ 1 6 0 Paid for halfe a busheU of barley for the powltry 0 10 " 1070. — For lemonds, 4d. For aples, 2s. For cabidge and cariot. Is. Od. For 4 bushells of wheat, 12.s. Od." At the Yarmouth Poxiltry Show, MissE. Watts took a first prize for dai'k-ooloured Cochin-China Chickens, and not a second prize, as stated in p. 418 of our last volume. There is a brilliancy — a glory — around the fall of the warrior on the field of victory that takes away much from themournfulness of death. We think we are not wrong iu saying that there are few so base as to shrink from facing that death with a firm onward foot, and an unquailing heart, amid the ranks of comrades, and all the excitement and panoply of war. This is courage ; but it is courage which excitement would infuse into a poltroon. There is another courage whioli we consider more admirable, though less appreciated — we mean that of the dying student, who, suifering under the slow inroads of an incurable disease, still labours on in the quiet retirement of his library, intent to fulfil his allotted task, though well assured that death's foot is far ad- vanced across his threshold. This is passive courage — this is genuine heroism — and never was it more forcibly displayed than by Dr. Williaji Macoillivray, late Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Aberdeen. The two concluding volumes of his History of British Birds have just been published, and these are the contents of their concluding page : — " Commenced in hojie, and can-ied on witli zeal, though ended in sorrow and sickness, 1 can look upon my work without niucli regard to the opinions M-liich contemporary wiiters may form of it, assured that what is useful in it will not be forgotten, and knowing that ah-eady it has had a beneficial effect on many of the present, and will more powerfully influence the next generation of our home-orni- thologists. I liad been led to think that I had occasionally been somewhat rude, or at least blunt, in my criticisms ; but 1 do not perceive wherein 1 have much erred iu that respect, and 1 feel no inclination to apologise. I have been honest and sincere in my endeavom's to promote the truth. "With death, apparently not distant, before my eyes, I am pleased to think that I have not countenanced en-or, through fear of favour. Neitlier have I in any case modified my sentiments so as to endeavour tliereby to conceal or palliate my faults. Though I might have accomplished more, I am thankful for having been permitted to add very considerably to the knowdedge previously obtained of a very pleasant subject. If I have not very frequently indulged in reflections on the power, \visdom, and goodness of God, as suggested by even my imperfect understanding of His wonderful works, it is uot because I have not ever been sensible of tlie relation between the Creator and His creatures, nor because my chief enjoyment wdien wandering among the hills and valleys, exploring the rugged shores of the ocean, or seai-ching the cultivated fields, has not been in the sense of His presence. " To Hun who alone doeth great wonders," be all gloiy and praise. Header, farewell." Death, indeed, was " not distant" when Doctor Mac- gillivray penned those thoughts on the last day of July, for in little more than six weeks he was within his grave. The opinion ho had of the work of his dying years, for it occupied twelve, was not too high. We have perused it thoroughly, and we rose from it with the conviction that it is the best work existing on British Ornithology. It is the best for all the reasons that render such a book valuable — for its descriptions are most fidl and most accurate — its anatomical demonstrations more perfect than any previously effected — and the habits, haunts, and associations of each bird are most pleasingly described, not only with all the fi-esbness induced by personal examination, but with all the spirit of a genuine lover of n ature. We have room only for this short description of the habits of the Red-breasted Goosander : — " In the outer Hebrides, in Mai-ch, April, and part of 38 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 21. Jlay, and again in autumn, I have seen \evy large flocks in the small sandy bays, fishing day after day for sand-eels. They sit in the water much in the manner of the Cornao- rants, but without sinking so deep, unless when alaniied, and advance with great speed. It is a pleasant occupation to an idle scholar or wandering ornithologist to watch one of these flocks as it sweeps along the shores. I have many times engaged in it, both with the desire of shooting some of them, and of studying their manners, which are very graceful. You may suppose us to be jammed into the crack of a rock, with our hats oft', and we peeping cunningly at the advanced guard of the squadron, which is rounding the point at no great distance. There they glide along, and now, coming into shallow water, they poke their heads into it, raise them, and seem to look around, lest some masked battery should open upon them unawares. Now one has plunged mtli a jerk, another, one here, one there, at length the whole flock. Now start up, and if you wish a shot, run to the water's edge, and get down among the sea-weed behind a stone, while I from this eminence sm-Ney the sub- mersed flock. How smartly they shoot along under the water, with partially outspread wings, some darting right forward, others wheeling or winding, most of them close to the sandy bottom, but a few near tlie surface. Some flounders, startled by the hurricane, shoot right out to sea, without being pursued. But there, one is up, another, and I must sink to repose in some hole. How prettily they rise to the sm-face, one here, another there, a whole covey at once emerging, and all without the least noise or splutter. But they are far beyond shot range. However, having come near the next rocky point, they now tui'n, dive in suc- cession, and will scour the little bay until arising here at hand they will be liable to receive a salute that will astonish them. A whole minute has elapsed, half another ; but now one ai)pears, two, maiiy, the Avhole flock ; and into the midst of them pours the duck-shot, while the noise of the explosion seems to roll along the hill-side. In a twinkhng all are down, save six that float on the water, four dead, one spinning round, and the other striving in vain to dive. In less than two minutes they are seen emerging, more than a quarter of a mile out at sea, and presently again they are out of sight. On such occasions they seldom fly." A correspondent writing to us from Inverness, saj's: — " An immense breadth of Potatoes is planted here, (chiefly Irish cups) ; about one-half of the produce is destroyed by the disease, and it is astonishing to me with what cool indif- ference her Majesty's subjects allow them to remain in the ground to rot ! For the life of me I cannot understand this apathy for the potatoes. " The harvest is completed in first-rate order, and the produce generally abundant. The Ttirni]y crops are splendid, with very few exceptions, and some mildew. " AVhat capital farming, generally speaking, we meet with in Scotland ; I admire the quiet method of their proceeilings, but the women are worked too hard." We hear that the flrst-olass collection of Gochin-Gldna folds formed by Mr. Andrews, of Dorchester, have been sold by him to Mr. Cattlin, of London, for .£2.50. We hope Mr. Andrews will address himself to raising a fresh yard of tbem. Tlie C'oniwall Societijs Exldhilion of Poullnj, as stated in our advertisement columns, is li.xed for the 10th and ilth of January, 1S53. Its premiums, con- sidering that it must, from difficulty of access, be com- paratively local, are liberal, and its rules good — so good, that several of them have been adopted by the Win- ohestor and Southern Counties Society for the improve- ment of Poultry. We have no doubt as to the show being good, for the published accounts of the poultry- yards near Penzance shew that they have first-rate birds in its vicinity. We hope soon to publish extracts from those accounts, The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad- ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se- cretaries. HOKIICaLTUK.U. SHOWS. BuEY St. Edmunds, Nov. 2C (Chrysanthemums). {Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq.) Causdonian (Inverleith Row), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. Hampshire, Nov. 18 (Winchester). (Sec. Eev. F. 'Wick- ham, Wincliester.) London FLomcuLTUEiL (Exeter Hall, Strand), Nov. 9+, 23, Dec. U+. North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. South London (PiOyal), Nov. 11+, Dec. 0+, 10. POULTRY shows. Birmingham and Midland Counties, 11th, 1.5th, ICfh, and 17th December. Bristol Agricultural, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. {Sec. James Mai-mont.) Cornwall (Penzance), January lOth, and 11th. {Sees. Eev. W. W. 'V^'iugfield, Guival Vicarage, and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) Dorchester, Nov. 18th. (Sec, G. J. Andi'ews, Esq., Dor- chester. ) f For seedlings only. FRUIT STORES. Wb must break in on the series of Pine papers for a week, in order to ofi'er advice on this head. As to gather- ing, of course much of that will have been performed. The gathering, however, is pretty well understood; and the amount of care requisite tolerably well appreciated. Some of our late pears will be still out in places, such as the Winter Neilis, the Glout Moroeau, Beurre d'Arem- bei'g, Beurre Ranee, Ne plus Meuris, and some of Mr. Rivers's new continental kinds, of which, as far as tried, we cannot speak very highly in tbe north ; in the southern portions of the kingdom they may deserve a very high character. We are no advocates for letting the fruit remain long enough on the trees to endure several degrees of frost. A thermometer of 28° may, perhaps, do no harm, but lower we would never go if we could avoid it. Indeed, after the first week of October, it is probable fruits receive but little benefit from the tree : that they may receive harm is certain. The juices of the tree become very sluggish after that period, and the elaborative functions of the foliage almost a nominal affair, as far as the fruit is concerned, and this more especially with regard to fruits from warmer climates. i And now a iew words as to the keeping of our valuable winter apples and pears, about which some difl'erence of opinion still exists. It is evident that the main princi- ples we have to consider in this question are as follows — The temperature. The hygrometric conditions. The action of the atmosphere. Beyond this, we think nothing of any weight pertains to the question ; whether they lie on straw, fern, or paper, or on the mere boards, or ou any other nuiterial, matters little, only as far as they contribute to the carrying-out the necessary conditions, or of saving the 1 fruit from bruises. As to temperature, there is little doubt that coolness, or that amount of cold which would be uniilcasuut to endure sitting in a room, is absolutely essential to the long keeping of fruits. But whilst this is observed, let it not be supposed that a single degree of frost may be permitted. Wliatever injury it may do the fruit whilst in a growing slate on the tree, there is little doubt that much more injury accrues from such conditions when in a transition state from firmness to mellowness. OOTOBEE 21. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 39 Some very peculiar changes of a chemical character are well-known to be requisite, and to take place, unless arrested during the ripening process ; the chief arrest being, we imagine, occasioned by sudden and injurious depressions of temperature. Some of our best pears will become, under such circumstances, like petrifac- tions, and totally insipid. What has been termed " blet- tiug," that is a sweet-tasted decay, as in the Medlar, is probably thus caused, and, indeed, other evils ; this at once points to the propriety of being enabled to remove them, when necessary, to a room where a tem- perature of 50° to 00° can be sustained at any time. Now, we should scarcely think it necessary to fix a heating apparatus in the general store-room; there sliould be a special room for this purpose in all gardens of any consideration. The grudging little outlays for this purpose belongs, we would hope, to bygone days ; for the apothegm " what is worth doing, is worth doing well," gathers strength every day, and has long since invaded the precincts of the garden. In planning new fruit-rooms, we would, from a door at one end of the store-room, enter a Uttle snug box, having a heating apparatus of hot water, the boiler outside, and the interior fitted with a few shelves on one side, and a few receptacles, or nests for shelves, on the other, with a small bench for operations. These shelves would be useful in containing those fruits which, at all periods require a higher temperature, as, indeed, all fruits for immediate consumption would do unless quite ripe. The nests, or receptacles, should be a counterpart of a similar set in the general store-room ; and these two rooms would have to exchange fruits very frequently : those ripe and to be retarded moved from the warm room to the cold one, and vice versa. We are here, as in duty bound, setting forth a somewhat high course of practice ; not high through complicated machinery or mighty expense, but involving a little trouble, atten- tion— perseverance, if you will. Those who can afford to do such things, and who turn back in dread, we must pass by for the present. It is no part of the duties of those who attempt to advise in these times to affect a very low standard, carrying a specious appearance of economy outside, but penny wise and pound foolish within. We are aware that not all small gardeners can do these things ; still it is well to lead even these to a considera- tion of principles, and of the ultimatum to which every- thing in the present condition of society has a tendency. To resume, then, the course of the subject ; having spoken of the warm or ripening room, let us think of the character of the general store-room. This, of course, should be much more capacious ; whatever the size of the establishment, we should say as six to two. Here would be permanent shelves for those ordinary kitchen apples, common pears, &o., which, once housed, would not require to be removed. On the other hand, there might bo sets of drawers, or trays, of a moveable cha- racter, exactly fitting the set of nests or receptacles before described in the warm room, so that one or more might be moved at any time with facility. Thus, then, to put a case : we will say this October the 4th we want to retard some Delice d'Hardenpont pears, and to hasten some Marie Louise; we will then take No. 1 in the warm room, containing the Delice, to No. 1 in cool room, con- taining some Marie Louise, and " ring the changes " Again, No. 15 in warm room is a tray of greengages from a north wall, now perfectly mellow ; they must be " cooled down." Let us exchange them for No. 8 trav in the cool room, which contains Eibston Pippins, and which will be required in a mellow state for some large parties, who are pheasant shooting in the middle of the mouth. As before observed, these trays must be made to fit the respective nests with ease ; this done, the transit is accomplished without the least detriment to the fruit. About the modes of heating, &o., we have not space for an observation ; such may stand over to the long winter evenings, which approach with giant strides. We pass on to the hygrometric conditions, our second postulate ; the amount of moisture permissible or de- sirable in the air of the fruit-room. Tliis is a somewhat puzzling part of the question, inasmuch as authorities of high standing, and too respectable to be totally set aside, may be found, who throw their bias sometimes into one scale, sometimes into the other. There can be little doubt, we think, that the epidermis (skin) in fruits acts by transpiration, and that such transpirations is, in a degree, arrested by a somewhat damp condition of air; albeit, as we think, at the expense of flavour and mel- lowness in fruits. However, in this matter, we ought to distinguish carefully ; to keep late apples from shrivelling, and to preserve such things as delicate- skinned pears, plums, melons, cherries, &c., are two very different affairs. With regard to the varying conditions necessary, and the crisis which occurs from the gathering of the fruit to its consumption, much may be said. Mr. Knight, of Downton, made the following remarks : — " Fruits which have been grown on standard trees in climates suffi- ciently warm and favourable to bring them to maturity, are generally more firm in their texture and more sac- charine, and, therefore, more capable of being long preserved sound than such as have been produced by wall trees; and a dry and warm atmosphere also ope- rates very favourably to the preservation of fruits under certain circumstances, but, under other circumstances, very injuriously ; for the action of those elective attrac- tions which occasion the decay and decomposition of fruits, is suspended by the operation of different causes in different fi'uits, and even in tlie same fruit in different states of maturity. When a grape is growing upon the vine, and until it has attained perfect maturity, it is obviously a living body, and its preservation is depend- ent upon the powers of life ; but when the same fruit is sometimes past its state of perfect maturity, and has begun to shrivel, the powers of life are no longer, or, at most, very feeble in action, and the fruit appears then to be preserved by the combined operation of its cellular texture, the antiseptic powers of the saccharine sub- stances it contains, and by the exclusion of air by the external skin, for if that be destroyed it immediately perishes. If longer retained in a dry and warm tempe- rature, the grape becomes gradually converted into a raisin, and its component parts are then only held in combination by the ordinary laws of chemistry." Thus far Mr. Knight, whose observations went as far in these matters as any man, backed, at the same tim,e, by the most extensive amount of physical knowledge. Now, we have capital illustrations of the soundness of at least one part of Mr. Knight's theory, especially in the Marie Louise pear. This we have growing in all forms — on table trellises, the ordinary espalier, the pyramid, and on east and west aspects, and a noble crop we have. Those on a west aspect have a skin like wax-work ; those on the pyramid or table trellis, and exposed to every blast, have a russet coating ; and those on the east aspect, about intermediate. Now, this has been the case for several years ; every year has produced the same results. And what as to flavour and keeping pro- perties? Why, as might be fairly anticipated, just cor-- responding with the character of the coating, or nearly so. To be nice over such points, however, there is a very peculiar difference between them on the palate, and, for our own part, we can scarcely tell which to covet; our worthy employer, however, who is as keen a judge as most gentlemen, and has a most extensive knowledge of fi'uits, seems always to prefer those with waxy skin, from the western aspects ; and, indeed, they . ai'e lai'ger, perhaps more melting, finer in texture, but 40' THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 21. assm-cdly a lighter flavour, fhoiigli excellent ; but to be I'aiv, those fi-om the standards in oin- north latitude have a kind of snatch of the wildings in them, which, to some palates, is not disagi'eeable. It is to be feared that these observations will appear too digi-essive, and we must hasten back to tlie main fea:tnre3 of our tale- There can bo little doubt that apples, especially the ordinary kitchen kinds, endure and enjoy a greater amount of danger than pears, or, indeed, any tiiin-skinned fruits. They have been well- preserved in ordinary cellars, nay, in pits, or " hogs," and, indeed, much beyond their ordinai-y season by such means, but, as before observed, at the e.xpcnse of flavour. This is, however, another argument for the necessity of two rooms. If we must be compelled to keep a general store of all kinds together, "we should prefer a room on tlie north side of an existing building, tlie floor about a foot above the ordinary ground level, and the exterior walls double, possessing a cavity of about six or eight inches all round the exterior. In the roof, we would have escapements for damp, to be opened at pleasure, and capable of graduation ; and we would have similar openings in front, at two levels — one portion just above the floor, and the other near the top of the room. The admission of liglit need not be the raeaus of ventilation : windows raust be, of course, pro- vided, in order to facilitate, when necessary, any arrange- ments connected with the fruit. This, however, is but a " lumping " of matters ; whilst we write thus, we are perfectly assured that some fruits are the better for a moderate amount of moistiu'e in the air : others the worse; and, as Mr. Knight observed, the same fruit at different periods requires varying conditions, in order to bring out its qualities in the highest perfection. Want of space prevents our pursuing this interesting disquisition as far as existing facts would warrant, and we must pass on to consider The Action of the Atmosphere. — We are aii-aid that in discussing this portion of the question little heed will be paid by some to its importance. There can be little doubt, however, that it is a question worthy of much consideration. As for the first gathering of the fruit, within a couple of weeks after which the fruit undergoes what is termed sweating, a most liberal ven- tilation is necessary to ordina,ry fruit. Here, again, the propriety of having two rooms irresistibly forces itself on our notice. But these things accomplished, a mode- rated course becomes necessary ; and, indeed, towards Christmas, rooms in general require to be hermetically sealed, as it were. That the more rapid the current of air that passes ovet them, the greater the detraction of juices from the skin of the fruit, there can be no doubt ; but this would seem to be, in some cases, necessary to produce flavour. However, any stagnation arising from moisture in excess must be dissipated by such means, or by heat ; and, as before observed, we would have the ordinary stores kept in a cool condition. Whilst, therefore, the warm room would seldom require much air, the cool or store-room would require at times a liberal amount; all this determinable principally, if not entirely, by the character of the air within as to its amount of moisture. Light. — This, although not placed amongst the con- ditions for consideration, is a most important affair ; in formef days paid little attention to. Now, however, the importance of darkness to frnit is almost universally recognised; and most practical men keep their fruit- room slmtters closed. This it was that made us suggest ventilation by other means than the windows, for cases frequently occur when a circulation of air without light is essential. Every body knows that fruit is liable to acquire a tendency to breed those obscure cryjitogamio bodies commonly termed "moulds," and that these, how- ever induced, are increased by a damp air, and by light. These are frequently induced by biiiises ; but some kinds of fniit show an evident predisposition to the produce of this pest. We have reason to believe that darkness is unfavourable to its spreading, and, if so, is another reason for keeping closed shutters. Although the patience of our readers may be exhausted by so much about fruit- keeping, yet we will not confess to the subject itself being e.\hausted : enough, however, has been said to set our readers thinking for themselves. R. Ebkington. SENDING PLANTS TO AUSTRALIA ELSEWHERE. AND This subject occupied nearlj' as much of oiu' attention for the last two years, as that about bees and poultry ; and no doubt, when the flush of the diggings is over, and people there return to their senses, their cottages, and cottage gardens, we shall have an extended sale for our publication in those quarters, and a new impulse will arise in the trade in plants between the two countries. Until the Isthmus of Panama is smoothed down for steam carriage, it is still the safest way to seiul plants round Cape Horn for the different ports in Chili ami Peru, and the trade from London to those ports, as I shall presently show, is reported from the nurseries, and the last accounts from the Cape of Good Hope bring whisperings of gold stores, where the old Catlir Chiefs will one day or otlier join issue with General Cathcart himself, and his " burglier levies," in a diflerent game, after casting their swords and spears into the Fish River. Here, then, is another opening, in antici- pation, for our nurseries and emigration societies to pour in their accumulated stores, to say nothing of the Indian and China market, upon all of which it is better to keep our eye than to sleep with one eye open. I was at O.xibrd the other day, where I made a whole budget of university, or rather universal, news about gardening ; and having, by mere chance, got into conversation witli patrons of The Cott.^ge G.midener, who were dis- cussing the merits of the dift'creut ways of transmitting plants to distant parts, I learned that Mr. Low. of tlie Clapton Nursery, was in the constant habit of executing orders for Australia, New Zealand, and South America ; but to make sure of the point, 1 returned to London the same evening, all in the dark, for the people of tho " Great Western" do not provide lights for their second- class passengers like the South Western Company, in whose carriages you could read the small print edition of Uncle Tom's Cabin any night in the week. I was in Clapton just in time to see a large case of plants packed for New Zealand, and another one in progress tor \'alpa.- raiso. I also saw two more orders, one for Brazil and another for the West Indies. The latter is to he sent out on Ward's jdan, and the case is to be returned with bread-fruit trees and others that are soarre in the trade. Wluit was better than all, the packer is an old play fellow of mine, Mr. j\lcDonald, a well-known gardener of great experience and skill ; and, as a matter of course, he made no secret of his way of packing, which is so sure and effectual, that largo orders are sent to Mr. \,o\w from the most distant parts, through no other interest than the celebrity of his packers. Indeed, a letter was pointed out to me in proof of this, from tho same Brilish resident in Valparaiso to whom tho present consign- ment is to be sent, in whicli he states tliat tlie Inst plants he had from Clapton arrived in as good health as when they left Clapton, and tliat some of the lihododeudrons and Camellias were in full blossom when lie unpacked them. Prom the end of September to about Christmas, iMr. Low thinks is the best time to pack plants for such long journeys; but ho has packed in aU seasons. The case Ogiobeb 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 41 tliat I saw packed for New /oaland is going out witli a vtiverond go^ntlemau (Mr. Baily), wlio is going on a visit to Taranaki. It was four feet six inches long, nearly two feet deep, and as much in width, ol' strong one-inch deal; one-half of the plants were packed with the roots ill the packing materials, placed against one end of the case, the other half at the other end, and thus their lieads met in the middle of the case free from any paoking-stufl'. I was told that a few holes were to be made on either side of the case in the middle, to let oH' any damp or vapour from the leaves or packing stulf, but not so large as to admit a mouse. The whole was nailed down iirmly, the case then strongly corded, and the address was painted on the lid ; and, as an additional strength, sti-ips of half-inch board were nailed all round the case in the middle, and also at both ends, the cords running close to these strips, so tluit they could hardly he " chafled," or worn by the tossiugs of the vessel in had weather. The plants were of a mixed character, twenty-four of them being shrubs or trees, and a dozen Pinuses, and other things of which 1 did not think it worth while to take the names, as none of us know really what is most in demand either in New Zealand or Australia ; but I expect soon to get a sight of a very long and interesting letter, written from Australia, in whicli a great many things are explained respecting the gar- dening want of tlie different settlements, as well as the gardening gossip of the day in these parts. This is just what every one that is interested in the subject wants to know. I copied the following digest from the invoice going out to Valparaiso .- — 400 OamelUas, lOO of which to be the old double white ; 240 maiden plants of twelve kinds of Plums; 25 Ribes sancjidneum ; 12 of the White Bihes, a variety of Sanguineum ; 100 newest DaJdias ; 6 Stan- nick Nectarines, and 50 Daphne indica rubra, together with a host of single plants, many of which, I could vouch for it, were culled from the pages of The Cottage Gakdener. Our friends in South America thus seem to have as niucli confidence in our recommendations as their brethren in the United States, who, as Mr. Brint, of Philadelphia, told me last July, have the fullest con- fidence in whatever appears in our pages about new plants. How lerjient, therefore, ought ovu' home cor- respondents to treat our hesitations about getting up lists of such-and-such plants on the spur of the moment, when we have such a weight of responsibility, that ought to be most conscientiously discharged for the good of all parties. The ))i'ineiple of the mode of packing adopted in this nursery is tliat which I have all along recommended, but the application of it is difiereut. First of all, the plants are well watered, so as to have every part of the balls wetted through and through; they are then put aside to allow sufficient time for draining off the super- fluous moisture. Meantime, a quantity of moss from flipping Forest is thus prepared: — Take a largo tub, and pour a potful of water into it, then put in as much of good sandy loam as will form the whole into a thick- puddle, or paint ; now throw in a quantity of moss, and work it with the puddle, taking care to have every par- ticle of the moss smeared with the compost ; with this daubed moss cover each bulb half-an-inch thick, and fasten it round with strings of fresh matting, or small twine. \Vheu the whole are thus finished, begin to pack, by placing an inch of perfectly dry moss on the bottom of the case, at one end ; on this place a row of the balls on their sides, with the bottom of the balls facing the end of the case, with another inch of dry moss intervening between the balls and that end The balls being round, there will be little empty spaces between them at top and bottom ; these spaces must be filled up with more daubed moss. We have now one layer of plants with their heads lying towards the middle of the case, a bed of dry moss under and behind the balls, but nothing yet in front of the balls, or what was the surface of the pots. Along this front a layer of the dry moss, two iuches thick, is very closely packed, and a piece of stout deal, or board, the exact size of the width of the case, is jilaced closely against this layer, and nailed at both ends from the outside of the case ; the next layer of plants is then packed over the first, and pressed down so as to get bedded iu the puddled moss, dry moss being placed all round, as with the first layer, and the interstices filled up with the puddled moss; another bar across as before, and so on till that end is filled, finishing with a layer of dry moss, on which the lid rests. Then finish the other end of the box, or case, just in the same way, and wheji the lid is nailed on let us turn np the case on one end, and see how the whole stands with the mind's eye. The whole mass in the centre, within tlie dry moss, is in that state we call neither wet nor dry, and so close throughout that no breath of air can get into it. This of itself, in a wooden box, would remain a long time sufficiently damp to keep the plants alive in their dormant state ; but see how things would turn as soon as the vessel got within the tropics — even if there was no jolting of the vessel all the time to disturb the puddle, the wood would not be proof altogether against the heat of a vertical sun, and the damp of the moss would, in time, rise iu vapour, and smother the leaves, rot the young slioots, and probably destroy every plant long before they reached the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope ; but the firm lining of dry moss — and it must be very firm indeed, and so must the whole mass — is foimd in practice to be quite proof against any dispersion of damp or vapour whatever, as well as being one of the best non-conductors of heat ; and, like the proof of the pudding, all this has been proved in a hundred in- stances, over a great many years, and to all parts of the globe. I dare say Mr. Low, Mr. Veitch, and all the nurserymen who import plants largely from distant parts, coidd tell of the hundreds of jjounds that have been utterly lost to them from bad packiug ; and no doubt this system has been arrived at bit-by-bi£, altliough they do not like now to rake up these unr pleasant recollections, to whicli 1 could myself add a mite or two as big as a locust, if it were to any good purpose ; so that my hasty return from Oxford, all in the dark, to learn a better system, may be the more easily accounted for, although 1 must go back, some day or other, to finish my notes on the interesting things 1 left unnoticed this time. As far as I could make out from the explanation of Mr. McDonald, the great packer, loam is better for puddle than clay, as if it sliould get too dry, it does not bind so hard as clay would do to injure the roots ; mixiug it with moss gives a double chance, or rather three chances to one in our favour, for it keeps the whole open, as it were, for the roots to work into the puddle, should they be excited in running through the hot part of the journey, and all gardeners know that roots will i-un along vigorously on the least application of heat, although the branches be leafless, and encrusted in frost or snow : — make a hot-bed over the roots of any of our hardy trees next winter, and jwove the liiet, if you doubt this. Indeed, although I cannot explain my meaning so as to make it as clear as I sliould wish it to be, I am almost sure that the turning point in this safe way of packing, is in allowing the roots to extend freely under high pressure, so to speak: — we have all of us seen trees that have been felled in February brought into full leaf by a few April showers, and that accounts for the eflect of the small holes in the sides of the packiug case, letting ofi'the vapour that might endanger the heads of the confined plants on this voyage. But there is another turning point. As soon as the heat converts 42 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. October 21. the dampness of this puddle into Tapour, the moss in it sucks it up like a sponge, and on getting into cooler quai'ters, the loam sucks it back from the moss, and so by a system of " give and take," the moisture is retained in the moss for a very long time, much longer than could he expected from either the moss or the loam by itse f ; at any rate, the effects are now fully known and taken advantage of, whether we can explain them pro- perly or not. One remark which Mr. McDonald made to me I can- not withhold, as it may be of use in extreme cases. He said that, if this box was placed inside another bos that was one inch larger all round, and that inch space filled with charcoal dust, the whole might go to Taranaki and back again with perfect safety to the plants. I also learned that a hundred plants, including fruit-trees, might thus be packed, and sent on board in London, at fi'om Is. to Is. Gd. per head. D. Beaiox. NOTES ON WINDOW-GARDENING. With all the deficiencies that e.xist in this department, there are great and pleasing signs of progress. Often have I witnessed results that would constitute no in- appropriate lesson to the best gardeners among us. These happy eiiects are never the consequence of wdiat the indolent too often term " a lucky hit," or " a lucky chance." I have no faith in such chances. I look upou the expression, " lucky fellow," as one which ignorance too often trippingly uses for shrouding from itself its own thriftlessness, idleness, and impudence. From the windov/ of the lady's buodoir, to that in the garret of the street apple woman ; from the balcony in a suburban retreat, to the smoky leads on the summits of houses in London, I have seen plants beautiful and flourishing; but never as a matter of " luck," but always the con- sequence of care, cleanliness, and good management, commingled with something of the enthusiastic lor all that pertains to vegetation. Nor is this all. Whatever there may be in tlie strange principles of mesmerism, there can be no question, that the tending of plants from love to them, will always exert a softening and refining influence upon human character. Without that love, plants may be well grown as a matter of specu- lation and trade, but without it, and no pecuniary object in view, we shall see little of fine gardening in our cottage windows. This becomes a matter of no little moment, if it be true, as we contend it is, that the con- dition of a garden, and the state of the window plants, form no bad criterion of the tastes and aspirations of those who reside within. Would that Britain's daughters would clearly see how easily youthful swains " might thus take their notes," and read their character. Our Editor might well say it was difficult to please every one. Some have complained that we devote too little attention to this interesting subject ; while others, again, say " You are always dabbling about the windows, as if there were no other place in which to grow and keep plants; can't you present the subject under entirely neio features ?■ " There is the ditfioulty. It is an easy matter to fabricate, or borrow a new idea, and back and ride it right valiantly, heedless of consequences ; hut, much as we like novelty, we like those things that are practically demonstrated much better, and writing for the practicals, truth obliges us to say, that in this window -gardening concern we are really at a stand- still for the novel. Almost every plant most suitable for window-gardening has been mentioned; the mode of cultivation alluded to ; everything connected with eco- nomy, taste, suitability to the circumstances, adverted to and elucidated ; and I hesitate not to say, that the various papers scattered through the work, if collected and arranged, would constitute tho best treatise on the subject that has ever appeared. Then why allude to the subject now? Many reasons might be given. Let three for the present suffice. jNIauy are now trying their luiud who have read but few of these papers. Many say liiat they have tried hard to work according to rule, and yet have not fully succeeded ; and many, again, care less for winter display than making their windows repo- sitories for plants to bloom out-ofdoors in summer. From wliat we have been told, and what I have seen, I can clearly see several causes of failure, and these ob- viated, as many means of success will be secured. We may so far avoid the one, and secure the other, by attending to the following propositions or directions. First. House the Plants, or get them vnder shelter early in October. In the northern counties temporary protec- tion should be secured by the end of September. Few window-gardeners will content themselves with one set of plants for the season. They best show their know- ledge who can have their windows always fresh and gay with successions of plants and bloom. For this purpose many things may be kept out-ofdoors during the sum- mer, and in many cases, cuttings taken from flowering plants in spring will beat their sires in autumn. In a warm, dry autumn, the longer the plants stand shel- tered in the open air the better. Their stems thus get more thoroughly matured. Some, of course, want more hardening than others. I lately mentioned all the broad sectioned tribe of Cacti-Epiphyllums as being welh suited for window-gardening. Their blooming well in spring and summer depends on the quantity of bright light that plays on their stems during the previous autumn. Clear sunshine, and compai-ative dryness at the roots, are the things to aim at. A soaking at the roots now, would give so much moisture to the stems, that tlie muggy atmosphere of a whole winter would scarcely evaporate it. A very little frost would also injure the embryo-buds, though as yet next to imper- ceptible. Geraniums and other things are also injured by both such means. A miserable sickly hue during the whole of the winter is often the result of a few hours frost or sleet in autumn. If circumstances compel you to keep your plants out late, provide a temporary cover- ing that you can throw over them in a moment of emer- gency. A light shed, an empty room, anywhere, where light and air can he given, will be a more secure place than out-of-doors, after the commencement of this month. Plants, however tender, will stand a great degree of cold, if they are dry. 2ndly. Shift and pot early, and, as a jjre-reqidsite, strike cuttings early. Plants, whether old or young, if growing freely, and fresh roots reaching the sides of the pots, will stand rougher treatment, and require far less trouble in winter, than plants whose roots are beginning to move into fresh soil. Every little oversight, such as too much wet or too much dryness, a moist atmosphere or a dry one, a cold air or a warm air, are apt to be injurious to the latter. The poor things resemble a man with several enemies, who has got no wall against which to plant his back,. — no firm yet gently-yielding ground on which to rest his feet. The transplanting of a cutting, or the shifting of a plant pretty well esta- blished from one pot to another, always is accompanied by a check to the growing principle. Where conve- niences exist, we neutralize these as much as possible by close pits and shading, to lesson evaporation, until the roots are again fairly at work, and thus we submit to a present inconvenience in hopes of obtaining a future advantage. But our window-gardeners aro. gene- rally, not overburdened with conveniences ; and their only chance to have plants in a nice healthy state in winter, is to pot little alter the first of September, it is true, many tilings m.ay be potted now, but tliey must rather be viewed as reserves for the future than ornaments for the present. October 21. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 43 3rdly. Bulbs, such as Narcissus, Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocus. &c., to bloom iu winter, or, rather, in windows in spring, should be potted early likewise ; and wlien placed in a cellar, or iu a corner of the garden, covered over with ashes or dry earth. The pots may be brought in to the window when the pots are filled with roots, and the leaves and flower-buds appearing. A slight shading will be wanted at lirst ; a paper funnel, the broad end over the pot, and the small end with a hole in it to admit a portion of light, is useful for this pur- pose, and also for drawing up the liower-stems of Hya- cinths, so as to giva the florets room to e.xpand. 4thly. In potting in autumn, use unifuruily light, iandy soil, in rather a rough state. That which may be ob- tained by the sides of highways, as the accumulations of road-drift and scrapings, old and well aired, will grownineteen-twentieths of the plants usually cultivated in windows. A little rotten dry leaf-mould may be added if come-at-able, or even a little sandy peat, or a little broken charcoal; but rotten dung should never be used at such time as a component of a compost. If extra vigour in particular cases is required it can always be given by surface -dressings, or manure -waterings. Man}'" render their plants sickly by placing crude matter about their roots, which, when water is applied, gets into a sour soapy mass. They treat, in tlie short days of autumn and winter, a pot plant in a window, just as they would treat a cauliflower plant in summer. The growing and the flowering pninciple are just at the anti- podes of each other. Robust, rather than luxuriant, vigour — tho greatest quantity of bloom in the smallest possible space — ought to be the aim of the gardener. Need I say that the pots should be drained so that the water passes easily through them. •5thly. Water carefully. — Easier said than done. Water thoroughly when you do water, so as to reach every fibre; wait patiently till the plant is dry, and then repeat the operation, is the whole principle involved. And yet, how few understand it; or, if comprehending it, practice it. I believe that nine-tenths of the deaths of plants in pots are owing to the water can. The reasons of this have been fully explained. The dribbling system, iu course of time, leaves the mass of roots as dry as an unused whistle, while at the surface there is a continual struggle between roots beiug scorched up at one time, and making fresh efforts for existence fit another. To the question so very often put, " How often shall I water my plants? " no more definite answer can be given than, ".Just when they need it: let them drink only when they are thirsty." Heat and light, the per- spiring processes going on, the state of the plant — whether growing or resting, whether in bloom or matur- ing its growth, whether succulent-stemmed or hard- wooded — must all be taken into considei'ation, and then it will be seen not only that there is a little philosophy in tho growing of a plant, but that the plant that may require a refresher twice a-day in July, may be amply supplied with twice a-weelt in October, and twice a-tnouth in December. As a general rule, unless when flowering or showing bloom, succulents will require little water from this time imtil April. On the same principle. Scarlet Geraniums will suft'er less from dryness than florists' Pelargoniums ; and tliese, again, will not sufl'er so much as the harder-stemmed fancy varieties. From this time until May the water used should be soft, well-aired, and not lower in temperature than from 5.5° to 00°, unless in particular cases, such as when a plant has become very dry; little or no water should be allowed to stand in the saucer, never to rise higher than half the height of the drainage during the dark months. 6thly. Strive to heep the jAants in small pots. You will not only thus save room, command the greatest amount of bloom in the space, but have the means of arranging your plants in fresh combinations, in vases, boxes, or baskets, in moss, &c., at pleasiwe; and thus the watering be reduced to a minimum of labour and care. 7thly. Never hesitate to saorijice a small present plea- sure to realise a high future enjoyment. Here is a Fuchsia, beautiful in summer, has still a few flowers at the points of its shoots, and for the sake of a flower then and now, you are to keep it in during the winter, though its thin and sickly foliage already gives one tlie blues. If turned out in the sun a month ago, housed any where from Irost in winter, pruned, and fresh shifted in spring, you would have had something to look at next season. Here is a Pelargonium, lanky and bandy-legged, having a few stray flowers since August. What can you do witli it now f If you cut it down, it will be mid-winter before it breaks, and how wretched-looking before. The cuttings will be useless, or involving more trouble than they are worth. If that plant had been cut in, pruned in July or August, the cuttings would have been nice little plants now if you wanted them. The old plant would have broken afresh ; you could then, by removing the old soil, have shifted into a similar or a smaller sized pot, have had a pretty bush to survey all tho winter, and tho hopes of a fine sight in spriug and summer Sthly. Never, if possible, give a checlc to roots and branches at the same time. Our last example of the Geraniunr will shew this. We prune back the unmuti- latfcd roots and stem, cause fresh roots to be produced, 'and when these are several inches in length, we slightly prune and disentangle the roots ; and the young shoots, by a reciprocal action, cause fresh roots to be formed. Now we might pruue the top, and fresh pot at the same time, and yet succeed; but we should lose time by the process, and in delicate cases lose the plant too. See, some time ago, some most valuable suggestions on transplanting, by Mr. Beaton. Othly. and lastly for the present. Attend to cleanliness. Look on the leaves of plants as performing functions analogous to that of your own lungs; and a covering from dust will be secured for them at one time, and a sponging with tepid water no stranger at another. And the best of it all is, that the more trouble you bestow on your pets, the better you will like them. R. Fish. JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. {Continued from vol. viii., page 415.) OSJIASTON M.\NOR, THREE lIILtS I'KOJI AsHEOURNE, Derbyshiee, the hesidenxe of F. Wright, Esq. Mr. Lamb is gardener there. — This is quite a new place. We have already noticed it when writing on Coniferaj, showing how they have planted a considerable number of Cedrus Libani. We have now to add a few notes on the new gardens. The vineries are built on the same jdan as those mentioned by Mr. Fish, at Kingston, in a late number — that is, a rather flat ridge-and-furrow-i-oof. The vines are progressing favourably. In the centre, across the house, is a stroug shelf; on this slielf Mr. Lamb had placed vines in pots, which produced some fine fruit, of a good colour, and excellent flavoiu". The vinery, for there is one finished, is made use of as a plant-house as well, and had in it some well-grown specimens of stove plants, particularly Alamanda cathar- tica, Echitis splendens, Stephanotis fioribunda, Schuberiia graveolcns, Raphistemma pidchellum, and several species of JUschynantlivs, all in flower. There is also a range of plant-houses, one half of which only is complete. In a stove house we noticed a very fine spike, with several branches, of that ditHoult orchid to bloom, the Rennnthera coccinea. The plant was healthy, and of a dark green. The method of causing it to bloom was first to grow it freely, and then give it a severe rest. Oncidium p)apilio, the best variety, had seven 44 THE COTTAGE GAllDENER. OCIODEK 21. blooms expaudetl, aud was a large, healthy plant. The collection of orchids, however, is but small as yet; but it is intended to increase tliem much as soon as the entire range of plant-houses is finished. In the green- house the Maiideuilla mumculms was finely in bloom, also a good specimen of Solannm jasmbioiiles, and Kcn- iicih/ii MaryalUi. There was also several standards of that find old plant, the Clumthus puniceus, which is a novel but very striking mode of growing this )ilant, worthy of imitation. In an old greenhouse near the mansion there was a fine standard, in full bloom, of Bii/iionia ffnuuU/lont, with its largo, trumpet-shaped flowers. The stem was more than six feet high, and the branches droojied round it in the umbrella form. It was a striking and ornamental object. In the centre of the garden is a veiy remarkable object — a lofty stone tower, with a winding staircase, whicli leads to the top. From this elevation splendid views of the surrounding country are seen. The use of this lofty tower is to convey away all tlie smolie, not only I'rom every fire in the garden, but also from the dwelling-house, or man- sion ; so that there are no cliimneys to be seen on the premises ; yet, though cooldng was going on in the kitchen, very little smoke appeared to issue from tlie tower. We liad the privilege of seeing through the house, and were much jdeased therewitli. Everything is on the largest scale to save labour. Ascending and descending platforms convey coals, and every other needful thing, to the level of each tier of rooms. Water, too, is conveyed by machinery, and every possible convenience is managed on the most approved modern practice that science and skill can bring into play. Indeed, the description of this place, i'rom the number of interesting and useful objects in it, would fill a rather formidable volirme, especially when everything now in contemplation is liuished. To return to the garden. The garden walls are hollow, and near the ground have hot-water pipe inside tlie hollow to heat them. These answer well. Tliough the peacli-trees have only been planted three or four years, they were bearing some excellent fruit, and were very healthy and vigorous. The walls are covered at the top with a projecting iron coping, with contrivances for hang- ing protecting material ; canvass, for instance, from them down to the ground. An excellent plan. The trees are trained to iron-wire-rails, stretched out against them, aud about eight inches apart. There did not seem any difBcrdty about training them, and tliey are certainly neater than the old method of nails and shreds. The next place wo visited was BoUcnton Park, the seat of Sir Oswald Mosely, Bart. Mr. Atkinson is the gardener. This place we have often referred to, on a,coount of a remarkafily fine Abies Douglassii, and Phms Sabhwmii. Both these fine specimens continue healthy, and are progressing quickly. Tlie Ah'ws is now nearly forty feet liigh, and twenty feet through, very densely clothed with branches. Tlic Phms is quite as high, but is not so dense ; tiie stem is full tln-ee feet round. There is also a good specimen of Abies Meii- :.iesii, fifteen feet high, and many others very interesting, which our space forbids us to dilate upon. We must, however, mention, that on the walls in the kitchen- garden was a lai'ge crop of excellent peaches and nec- tarines, and a great crop of melons in the pits. On the IVont of tlie vineries is a large square of ground planted as a botanic garden, according to the natural system of Jussicu and 13ocandollc. Sir Oswald Mosely is passionately devoted to his garden, and is a line old hhiglish gentleman, even of the jiresent day. The place is well worthy of a visit. The gardener, ]\[r. Atkinson, has been there about twenty years, and is a man of science and unassuming manners. He has a very re- spectable collection of stulfed birds, all oiired and set up by himself during his leisure hours. It would be most beneficial if every gardener was encouraged to do so liliewi.se. T. Aitleds'. {To he continued.) THE TALL LOBELIAS. Tii.\T these are florists' flowers, in the sense that term is used, there can be no doubt. Mr. Glenny's rules, by which we may distinguish this class of plants, are — 1st, The jiower to be perpetuated and iucrcased by slips, aud other modes, independent of its seed ; :indly. The power to produce now varieties from seed, capable, like their parent, of being perpetuated ; and ^irdly, it must possess sufficient interest aud variety to be grown in collections. That these rules are just and correct, we need only glance at such plants as Calceolarias, Cinera- rias, Carnations, Dahlias, and the like. Though the Tall Lobelias liave never, that we know of, been shown in collections, or had prizes oft'ered for them, yet there is no reason why they should not. In resjiect to brightness, and variety of colours, they are surpassed by few, especially in that always-admired and far-ott'-to- be-seen colour, scarlet or crimson. 'J'hat they may be greatly improved is certain, from the jirosress already made; witness the variety named Queen Victana, com.- pared either with the original species wlien introduced from Mexico, and named Lobeliafulijeiis, or with the old L. enrdituilis. With regard to diversity of colours, we have already a goodly assortment, ranging from pure white to pale blue, dark blue, purple, scarlet, and crimson. Tliere is variety enough even at present ; and if our indefatigable friend iu such matters, Mr. lieaton, would try his practised liand at them, we have not the shadow of a doubt but he would, iu a few generations, produce all the colours of the rainbow. When I have got over the hurry-scuri'y of establishing myself in my new occupation, I sliall try my unskilful hand at them, and trust many of our florist friends, with their usvuil perseverance, will also work in the same field, and I am sure then we sliall have a very superior race of tall Lobelias. To forward so desirable an end, I shall write a few brief papers on this fine race of reall}' showy jilants, whether cultivated iu ]iots to be exhibited in collections, or as ornaments for the flower-gardens, grown in masses in, as it is called, the bedding-out system ; aud for this latter purpose Mr. Beaton will wish every success. Tiiere is no doubt that the hardy species from Nortli America will hybridise with the more tender ones from Mexico ; and thus we shall attain, iu a great degree, another desirable object — the acquisition of a more hardy race. Botanists rejoice when their specific dis- tiuetions can be preserved intact, and in the case of orchidaceous plants they are quite safe ; but there is scarcely any other tribe of plants with which the hy- bridiser does not make sad liavoc (as they think) with pre-conceived notions; so that at this day there arc thous- ands of so-called species tliat may be changed, and, as far as beauty of colour, Ibrni, and substance arc con- cerned, be imjiroved, by cultivaliou aud cross-breeding. This improvement has been, aud will continue to be, a source of neverd'ailing, innocent, healthl'ul, and amusing oocu]in,tiou to hundreds of human beings, i'rcmising thus far, we shall return to our object — the cultivation and improvement of the Lobelia, As there is nothing like order in every proceeding, I propose to arrange our subjects under the following heads: — 1st, I'rojiagation, by seed, by cuttings, and by division; ;ind. Soil ; -'ird. Cultivation in iiots for exhi- bition; 4th, Hybridising; 5th, Trescrviug through the winter. P ivpeif/eUion hi/ Seed. — As these Lobelias (lower lato in the year (Ihat is in August), by the time the seed OCTOUER 21. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 4B is ripo it will bo too lato to sow it, unless tlio raiser has tlio convenience of a greenhouse. I will, in the first place, suppose he has not, then the seed unist bo gathered, cleansed from the seed vessels, and carel'ully preserved in paper in a dry, cool room, till i^laroh; then prejiare souio light soil composed ol' sandy loam, vege- table mould, and sandy peat, in equal ])arts. Mix these well together with the hand, and let the soil become partially dry ; then shift a jjortion of it, ibr the surface, through a fine sieve; reserving the parts that will not go through the sieve. I'rocure some wide, shallow pans, with a liole in the bottom to let out the superiluous water ; place over the hole a large piece of broken potsherd, or an oyster shell ; then cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of smaller potsherds, and upon them put an inch or two of the rough siftings of the compost ; press this down level and firm, and then place upon that a layer of the compost unsifted ; let this layer very nearly hll the pan. Upon that, finally, put a thin layer of the sifted compost, level it down, and press it gently witli a smaller pan, or a round, flat piece of wood made on purpose. Then water gently, but sufficient to wet the whole thoroughly through. Let it stand an hour, to allow the water to settle through, and the sia'face to become partially dry. It is then ready to receive the seed. As tliis is almost the smallest of all seeds, it must be, as it were, dusted over the surl'ace, and some very fine powdery compost dusted as thin as possible upon it. Press this very lightly upon the seed, bijt give no water — the moisture in the soil below will ascend and moisten the seed and its light covering sufliciently fo'- the time. Place the pans in a cold frame, or, what is better, upon a very gentle hotbed, under glass. If the cultivatoj' has a greenhouse, the seed may be sown as scon as it is ripe, in the same manner, and be placed upon a shelf near the glass. In either ease, as soon as plants come uj), and can be liandled, prick out the seedlings thinly in other pans prepared similarly to the seed-pans. There will be this advantage in the autumn- sowing, that the plants will be forward enough to plant out in nursery beds earlier in the following season than the spring-sown ones. It is very likely some will flower that season, and the best only should of course be kept, the rest will do to plant out in the borders of the flower- garden, or be thrown away at once. Such as do not flower should bo taken up in the autumn, potted in small pots, singly, and placed either in a gieenhousc near the glass, or upon a bed of coal ashes in a cold I'rame, well protected from frost tfll spring, when they should be planted out again to prove them. T. Appleby. (2'y be coitflniicd.) CONIFERS. {Conlbmed from page 10.) CuPREssDS LusiTANicA (Cedar of Goa, or Portuguese Cypress). — A very elegant di'ooping tree, fifty feet high, grown extensively in Spain and Portugal, henco its specific name. It is not hardy enough to bear the severe cold in the northern parts of Britain, but would, very likely, be able to live in Devonshire and Cornwall near the sea. CupREssus MACEOCAEPA, syu. Lambeetiana (Large- fruited Cypress). — This is a noble tree, growing upwards of seventy feet high, with a stem nine feet in circum- ference. The leaves are rather broad compared with the rest of the species in this genus. They are of a bright green on the upper surface, and of a silvery, glaucous hue on the under. This peculiarity renders it a fine tree to ornament the landscape in this country, as well as a desirable species to introduce largely into the piaetum. The timber is hard and close-grained, which quality, when the plants are cheaper, will make it valuable as a forest tree, especially as it has proved to be perfectly liardy. iilr. Hartweg ibund it in California, and says it forms one of the noblest trees in that country, and when fiiUy grown bears a strong likeness to the majestic Cedar of Pebauon. We strongly recom- mend this beautiful Bj)ecies to the lovers of Conifera;. The price is moderate ; good plants, two feet high, may be Iiad for 2s (jd each. There is a variety named fasti- giata, a closer-growing and more upright tree, equally hardy, but more rare. OupRESsus MAjESTicA (Majestio Cypress). — A tree wcU-named, if we may judge I'rom the growing appear- ance of the young trees we have in this country. Very little is known about it ; even its native country and origin are unknown. It is very rare. CupRESKua THURiFEEA (Fraukiucensc - bearing Cy- pi'ess). — A jierfcctly hardy, fast-growing tree, native of Mexico ; in that country it often reaches one lunidred feet high. The habit is different to tlie generality of Cypresses, being thin of branches, and small-leaved, yet it forms a fine tree. We have seen specimens of it about fifteen feet high, quite upright, and very hand- some. Though a native of Mexico, it bears our climate well, growing in any soil not actually wet. CuPHEssus 'rnvoiuEs (White Cedar, or Thuja-like Cypress). Tins connnon tree has been separated from the Cypresses by Spach, a writer in a French work on botany, as, we think, quite unnecessarily, and, therefore, we have retained it imder the genus where Linna;us placed it. It is, as is well known, a beaulilul tree, growing upright, and thickly clothed with branches and foliage, so njuch so, that no object can be seen through it. Tliis renders it useful to hide any unpleasant, low buUding, or other unsightly object. It delights in moist soil in America, its native country, but will tlirivo with us in deep loamy or sandy soil. The wood is fine in grain, soft, and light, and easy to work, and will bear without warping great extremes of drought and wet, hence it is higlfly valued in the western hemisphere. In this country it seldom reaches more than thirty feet; but in the swamps of America its altitude is often from seventy to eighty feet. In the grounds at Elvaston Castle, in Derbyshire, the variety named G thymdes vaiiegala is planted in a close row to form a hedge, and a beautiful object it is. This variety, intermixed among other low-growing green ConiferES, makes a pleasing variety. There are several more varieties named — fjlauca, nana, Keivensis, and atrovireiis — which, in large collections, are desirable enough to cultivate as objects of curiosity. CupRE.ssus TOROLOSA (Twisted Cypress). — This is an eastern species, growing in Nepaul, on the Bhotou Ali)S. Mr. W. Appleby, the son of the writer of this article. Curator of the Puiijaub Horticultnral Garden there, describes this tree as being one of the finest objects in that country. The garden is situated about sixty miles from the Himalayan Mountains, the native habitat of the elegant Cednis deodara. liike that handsome tree, the G. torolosa is hardy enough to brave our winters, at least, in the south, and is a truly beautiful and orna- mental tree. Every collection ought to possess several specimens of it. It has been raised plentifully I'rom foreign seed, and is cheaper than the Deodar. Plants well-rooted, three feet high, may be had from 2s <:id, so that no one need be without it. As a single plant on a lawn, it rivals any other species of Coniferse in beauty. It loves a dry soil, and thrives in a high situation, if protected slightly whilst young. The timber is excel- lent, being close-grained, and capable of a high polish, rivalling in value the wood of the Deodar. As the plants are so reasonable in price, and the timber so valuable, it is worthy of the attention of planters on a large scale, especially on the high waste lands of Ire- 4.G THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 21. land and the southern counties of England. If our large landed proprietors were to plant largely this species, Cedrus deodara, and other new and valuable cone-bearing trees, nurserymen would import seeds more largely, and sell them still cheaper, to meet the demand. Our grand-children would then see quite a new feature in the landscape of the country, as well as be in ]iossessiou of greater variety of valuable and useful timber. Cdpresscs Uhdeana (Mr. Uhde's Cypress). — A native of Mexico, where it grows to sixty feet high. Very unlike the rest of the genus in appearance, growing very fast, but not quite hardy enough to bear the open air. It is, however, a desirable, handsome plant for a conserva- tory or a crystal palace, like the one now erecting at Sydenham. T. Appleby. {To be continued.) NOTES ON THE CABBAGE TRIBE. It would, no doubt, be somewhat interesting, were we able to trace the history of many of our most useful fruits and vegetables, from the period when they first afforded our fore elders that scanty meal which the \ backwood Indians are at the present day obtainiug from I natural productions, and which may hereafter assume a widely different appearance, when subjected to the skilful-directed cultivation of centuries yet to come. But whether the wild fruits of the unexplored forest, or that " herbage on which so many of the human race have been accustomed to look for sustenance, be ever destined to become the parents of families that may compete in usefulness with our corn, rice, fruits, and vegetables." as already known to us, is a problem to which the boldest of us cannot venture on a solution. Be that as it may, there is no doubt but many natural products might be so far improved by cultivation, as to increase their usefulness to the wretched inhabitants of those countries where civilization has not yet introduced anything better ; but whether the restless enterprise of the " white man," will direct itself to the improvement of those native products, or be content with driving them before him (as he has been accustomed to do the " natives" themselves), and supply their places with tilings he has been taught to look upon as forming all that is useful in life, is more than any one can now venture an opinion upon, as it is a notorious fact, that notwith- standing the spread of civilization, and the increased comforts, which, as a nation, have been gradually pouring in upon us during the last three centuries, the number of plants from which these necessaries or luxuries have been obtained has received very little addition the whole of that time. If vegetables be more plentiful in England in the nineteenth century than in the sixteenth, it is only, or nearly so, that the same kinds are more extensively cultivated now than formerly. Discovery has added but little to our stock, and culti- vation has been more directed to the improvement of what we have, than in searching for new objects of a useful kind to work ujion. Now, though 1 do not disagree with those who so laudably endeavour to carry on improvement to the highest possible standard, yet I think we ought not entirely to forget new objects, and those who struggle, however ineffectually, to render them serviceable to our use, are entitled to our warmest thanks ; as, notwithstanding the tardy progress they may_ make, if the object they have in view be a de- serving one, success will sooner or later crown their efforts. It may be true, that certain lawgivers will pretend to hem in the field of improvement, by pointing out how far it is possible to go, but even their lines of dcurarkation are so remote, so ideal, and so often over- come, that no real benefit can be had by attending to them. Amongst other " fixed laws," it is " laid down," that cultivation weakens the constitution of a plant : — renders it less able to endure the rigours of winter, and prevents its living to so great an age. To the former of these restrictions, might we ask, how does it hajipea that those valuable stone-fruits of ours ripen so well, and stand our winters, when they are natives of a warmer and more sunny clime? The limited period at which a variety will continue to be profitable, is, how- ever, certainly a proof that cultivation lias here extended its favours at the sacrifice of the producer's existence ; but this is more than compensated by their increased usefulness, so that it has been laid down as a rarely deviating law, that whatever tends to an early develop- ment, has a like influence in hastening to an ultimate end. Eridt-trees that become fruitful at an early age are rarely long lived, and the same with other things. Now, this law, as well as its various ramifications, has been taken advantage of by those who have studied our garden politics, so that they have been able, every now and then, to "report progress," in the shape of a pro- duction dift'ering iu some respects from the materials they had obtained it from. That this is daily accom- plished, is manifested from the many varieties of fruits and vegetables we now have offered to our use, though it cannot be said that all arc improvements, neither are they always different from those which preceded them; but that mighty judge, the public, soon discards what is spurious or indifferent, so that only the best is at all patronised, after a trial has been made. In taking this cursory view of what cultivation has done, and is doing, in the way of changing the consti- tution or habits of some of our most useful vegetables, I have done it for the purpose of calling attention to one of the most important in the class — the CauJiJloirer. This delicate member of the large Cabbagewort family would seem to have had a common origin with the cabbage, and other species, but by a series of patient " breeding-in-and-in," the old characters would seem to have been overcome, and while the Cabbage, as one branch of the family, has been coaxed to conform to our wishes, by presenting us with a mass of its foliage folded in beautiful order into a globular or conical- shaped parcel, the Cauliflower has been directed to take another turn, and taught to form its embryo flower- buds into that close compact form, which we term " a good head." Other variations of the uses of this all- important family might he adduced, but the above is sulficient to prove the wide range which cultivation is capable of taking, and the consequent results. Now, though they may possibly both claim a common parentage, yet there is a considerable ditTerence in their hardihood — the cabbage standing unscathed where its kinsman would have perished. That this diflerence is brought about by the cultivation of the latter being directed to the most delicate part of the plant, is cer- tainly the cause of this want of hardihood ; but be that as it may, the diflerence in the two, amounts to something like three or four degrees of latitude, or more; other conditions being the same. By this it will be seen that Cauliflowers ought to exist or stand the winter in the south of England without any more protection than is necessary for cabbage plants in the north of the king- dom ; and though there is often a little more difference still, yet the principle is correct. But the two productions are essential at the same place, consequently, the more tender one must be protected through the inclemency of our winters, while the more robust, being left to brave the storm, may, nevertheless, endure its rigours with less injury than its sheltered kinsman. Cauliflowers are, however, ticklish things to deal with, and some other conditions must be complied with, to ensure a successful result ; but the subject is one so fraught with October 21. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. A1 importance, that T find the subject of wintering them must be postponed for another week ; in the mean time, let our less experienced friends take care not to nurse these plants into that tender state which makes them as susceptible of cold as if they had been denizens of the greenhouse. A sturdy, healthy growth can only bo ensured by continued exposure, and let them bo only covered up when the weather threatens to become very severe.' But more of this auon. J. Eobson. THE WIDOW INDEED ! By the Authoress of " My Fhircrs," Ac. It is remarkable to observe how luiwilling people are to trust in God. If our own hearts did not teach us this, we should be quite ready to say the whole world is beside itself, for hawug such large and full promises given to it, and yet refusing to receive them. And so it is ; it is mad, and guilty too ; but we are all in the same condemnation. There is scarcely one among us who would dare to rest upon one of God's promises if it went against the promise of the world. I know, however, one old woman who has dared to do so. She has acted upon, as well as talked about, trust in God ; and though she " was young, and now is old," she has not found tlie " promise " fail. Old Betty is a widow of above fourscore years : she is, in fact, eighty-nine. She was quite a young woman when her husband died, and left her with two daughters and a son ; but he left her with the '■ promise," also, and be could not have done better for her. A man who'had had an affection for Betty in her youth came forward, in due time, and wished to make her Iiis wife. She had no objection to him in himself, but she loved the "promise " better ; and chose to abide " under the shadow of the Almighty," who had seen fit to take her earthly prop away. Two or three times Betty was urged by this old admirer to change her mind and marry him, but nothing could move her. She said she was not " afeared but the Lord would provide her a bit of bread," and take care of her children too — and a widow I'esolutely she remained. Her eldest daughter married, and died young. The younger became a cripple, from rheumatic gout, and lay for years and years cramped and agonized on a little bed in the corner of the kitchen, with her hands and feet twisted almost into balls, and suffering the most acute pain. She died soon after we first knew the little household, but I can still hear the bitter cry of " Moth-the-r, moth-the-r," which the poor sufferer constantly uttered, as she lay in unspeakal)le tor- ture. Poor Betty waited upon her by night and by day ; she was a tender mother, and did all she could to soften the trial of this poor afflicted creature, but nothing could ease the pains, until the Lord stretched forth His hand and took her. Betty's son was a " waif and stray." He was wild and worthless in every one's opinion but hers. He was trans- ported after the Pdots of 1830 ; and, excepting two letters that came soon after bis going away, she has heard nothing of him. Whether he died, or forgot her, she cannot tell. His term of transportation has long since ended, but he neither comes or writes ; and Betty weeps bitter tears over his loss, and her own uncertainty. The " promise " has never failed poor old Betty through all her trials. When Naomi was left desolate, a daughter- in-law clave to her, and cherished her; in Betty's bereave- ment a son-in-law became to her as her own, and clave to her with the fond affection of a daughter. He never left Betty's roof from the hour his wife died. He never dreamed of marrying again; be had no child, and Betty was thence- forward his only care. When all her children were swept away, George stood in the gap ; he laboured for her, he com- forted her ; he was a man of few words, but of many deeds, and he cheered and supported her desolate widowhood. Betty was enabled to tiu'u a penny honestly, by selling a little gingerbread, and a few apples and potatoes in their season. There is always something to be seen still in her window of that kind, although, in these days, she finds pennies are few among her humble customers. A daily walking carrier from the town has for many years spent liis mid-day hours in her cottage, for which be pays a trifle, so that Betty has added her mite to her son-in-law's labours to pay their rent and live. Cleaner or more honest creatures than the widow and her devoted son-in-law the parish never produced. George worked for years on a neighbouring nobleman's estate, and not a word was ever spoken against him. Those who knew him could trust him, where none else could be trusted ; and he was so civil, so harmless, and so humble, that every one liked and respected him. But, alas ! this comfort has been disturbed in the good and wise providence of God. The aged widow now dwells alone in her little cottage. Her second prop has been taken away, and she rests singly on Him who says " Let thy widows trust in me." It was a bitter parting. Poor George had been a great sufferer at times for many years, but his last illness was very severe, although he seemed better, and Betty bad no idea of his end appi'oaehiug. He called her up one night in a great hun-y, but had nothing to say when she went to him. He was odd in his manner, but still she was not alarmed, and when he wished for a cup of tea, she went down stairs to make a fire, httle supposing that on her return she should find him dead. But it was so. The kind eyes were closed, the active arms were still, the voice that was always welcome to her was silent, and poor Betty found herself again a childless widow. The poor old woman still cUngs to the "promise," and as slie relates the short and simple story of her life, she blesses God for his goodness in never having left lier to want. Her mouth has been filled, although with homely fare, bread has been tiie chief pai-t of her diet, with the weakest liquid that could be called (en, and what causes her heart greatly to rejoice is, that sh j has never been in debt. She pays to the uttermost farthing every thing she owes, and while a shilling remains owing at the shop she is restless and uneasy. Her prospects on earth are now somewhat dark. Her rent is high ; the carrier's health failing, which would cut off one httle means of help, and the failm'e of potatoes in her little bit of allotment ground, depriving her of that principal support. But her friends, who love and respect her, take no rent for her ground, and she cheerfully says "The Lord will keep me ;" and has no excessive dread of the Union, should it please God to bring her to that end. But as yet she holds quietly on her way. She does all her little household work ; washes her own clothes; rises at five as usual; and" muddles about " as she says, all day long. It is affecting to see her sometimes looking over all poor George's worldng tools, which she hopes to sell — a little story belongs to almost all of them ; and she seems to see him again seated by the fireside as she spreads them out before her. She is now unable to reach the church, but a lady goes every Sunday morning to read a portion of Scripture, and a simple ser- mon to her in her little dwelling ; and she loves to listen to the Word of Life more and more, now that all other things are passing away. She has a good hope through grace — she has tasted the Word, and found Him " faithful that promised;" — "bread" has been given to her — "water" has been " sure " to her — she has wanted " no good thing." Young and old have died around her — the changes and chances of this mortal life have happened to rich and poor, but old Betty stands hke an aged oak, with a twig or two still green, just where she stood more than forty years ago ; her head is strongly bent, hut her eye is bright, her actions vigorous, and her affections warm and strong. She is now asking anxiously after a young midshipman, who is on his homeward voyage, who has grown up before her eyes, eaten her gingerbread, and waved bis sea-cap twice to bis old friend, as she stood weeping atherdoor to see him depart to his ship. Her son is lost to her, but she loves the sons of others ; and there are some whose first visit, on returning home, is paid to poor old Betty. There is no fear for those who are " widows indeed, " who trust in God, and continue in supplications and prayers night and day. They have a treasure-house, and a key that unlocks it ; they have a God, and a way of access to him ; they have a promise, and a faithful Promisor. No man can meddle with their promise " or their peace. The Word of the Lord hath said " Let thy widows trust in me." " Heaven THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. OcTOBKR 21. and earth shall pass away," but God's "Word sliall not pass away." Let the example ol poor old Betty encoraage all widows to trust hi God. COTTAGE GARPEN, AND WHAT SHOULD BE THE NOVEMBER CROP. BEEADTH, 271 YARDS ; LENGTH, -li VAIiDS. FjKiit hethje. .Illi'i/ mill lltisplmrri) bunlci; lij'n-l. Cabbage tiibe succeeded by next spring and summer's mixed crops. feet. Two rows of prickly spinach - 4 Alley - - - - 1 Three rows of spring brocoli (Knight's Protecting) - - - II Alley - - - - 1 Three rows [Apple tree] of early .spring cabbage - - - 0 Alley - - - - 1 Fom- rows of Scotch kale - - 12 Alley - - - - 1 Two rows of savoys - - 4 Alley - . - - 1 Potato division (autumn-planted). Sixteen rows of potatoes, at 30 inches apart - - - 40 Apple tree. Succession winter division following the luixed crops, and to become occupied with the roots next season. A flying crop of lettuce succeeded the two rows of spring cabbage, and the row of ash-leaved Iddneys, now in their tin-n succeeded by a ti'ench of parsnips A ridge of turnips (swedes) - Alley - - . _ Two rows of transplanted swedes, or sown tiUTjips - Alley - .. . . One row of [Apple tree] savoys (strong and early planted) Alley - - . - Two rows of autumn cabbage Alley - - . . Two celery trenches (growing between tliem a row of cabbage, savoy, or stone turnips) - Two rows of strawberries (growing be- tween them white and black Spanish radishes) Alley (or a row of potato onions) 14 ll'alA; ificl. HONEY SEASON IN NORTHUMBERLAND. Tub honey season being over, and the last hives brought from the moors, in accordance with the wishes (jf some of tlie correspondents of Tue Cotxaue CAitDENEK, 1 WJU communicate the result of the liarvest in Northumberland. The season, though I must call it critical, ha-s been an average good one. The montiis of .luly in the gardens, and August on the moors, were very productive, but then many hives had received so severe a check from tlie miserably cold and rainy weather in .lunc, that tliey were not in a condition to profit by the succeeding tine weather. It may not be unacceptable to describe the plan 1 have pursued, in a locahty wliere the honey season is short, and which has answered so well, that I always mtend to adopt it. Bly hives are Mr. Golding's " Grecian," which I am pleased to see ai'e pronoijnced by " A Country Curate," the " in: plus ultra" of hives. Preferring, as ;i matter of taste, " Ihetime-houom'ed straw hive," to those of other materials, it seems to me that the extreme lightness and simplicity of these, with the facility of working them, and having tlie whole contents of the hive at the disposal of the operator, I entitles them to that distinction, while the price places them mthin the reach of at least a rich cottager. Following the I directions in the shilling lice-book, ■when the hived .swarmed I I cut out all the royal cells, and returned the swai'm, with its ijueen. No re-issue took place, and the whole strength of the hive being thus concentrated under a queen two years old, the bees stored 28 lbs. of honey in a super during •July. I should add, that I have always found ventilation, and affording additional room, quite ineffectual in prevent- ing swarming. I am almost inclined to dissent from the sentiment of " A Country Curate," " that there is nothing new under the sun," for the destruction of drones immediately after swarming is a feature in the economy of the bees which I do not remember to have been noted by any author, and its singularity must plead an excuse for a recurrence to a subject which may seem tedious. The early destruction of drones and drone pupa, alluded to in Nutt's book (an appeal to it as an authority would surely be a relrogade step in the path of apiarian science), is what all bee-keepers liave ex- perienced in an ungenial season hcfore swarming. This year it was seen in many hives, in .June, hut have we any record not to render its occurrence immediately aftt:r swai'iiiing unparalleled ? It would almost tempt me to di- populate a hive, in order to watch the effect on its future prospects. Slay I say, the idea of a reserve for younger queens is fanciful, those left by the old queen being hatched within at most ten or twelve days of each other, and to the last the succession to the sovereignty is doubtful, as I this year ascertained, for in a hive which did not swarm a second time, tlie first hatched queen, having disposed of two others, was herself destroyed, when a week old, by one (the last) which had not been lilierated from her cell more than twenty hours. Does it over haxqien that a stock which has swarmed will swarm again with the young queen, of course after an interval of some weeks? But even supposing such an extreme ease, the queen woidd lay drone eggs belVire making a deposit in the royal cells. These oljservations occupy much valuable space in the pages of The Cottage Gakdenku, which, however, are knit to the extension and xirogress of science, as wi'll as practice, and as the latter must always be dependent on the Ibrnier, it is hoped they may not be considered inappropriate. — Investigatoe. SITTING HEN'S NESTS. A WAEJi situation has advantages which may not always be foreseen, and the following instance is reranrkable, showing how long eggs may lie left nncnvered without de- stroying their vitality. I had siipplieil tl.e eggs ( l:i), and lent a sitting hen to a neiglibom", and when she had sat in a granary ten days, was shut out, through the carelessness of a servant. Being a stranger in tho farm-yard, the hen was not recognised, but supposed to have strayed in frnin an adjoining walk-, and thirty hours elapsed bel'oii' it was dis- covered tliat the hen liad left her nest. The farmer's wife despaired of her brood, but, to her surprise and pleasure, eight chickens were hatched. The tiled roof of the granary was I'liUy exposed to the rays of the sun, and tlio tempera- ture very high, proliably above .'^(1'' during tho day, and not much lower at night. — Investioatoe, Lilburn Tuwcr. October 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENEEv 40 CONFINING BEES. It is a, very singular coincidence, that tlie liive from which a numlior of ilroues were brought out dead, Viecame queen- less, as well as Nos. i and 13, of " B. B." Its history confirms tlie opinion of "A Country Curate," that the death of the drones was not the cause of the subsequent misfortune. The drones were brought out Juno IGth, and the hive swarmed on the 10th, and it is very certain that the old queen would not have left the hive unless tho royal Iarv:t! had been in a satisfactory state of jirogress. Piping was listened for at the usual period, but in vain. Neither was a young queen seen, and as the hivo appeared weak and dispirited on the 9th July, the combs were taken up on tho bars and examined. Neither queen nor brood being found, a young queen was introduced, and then the hive revived, and on the 5th of August it contained a large quantity of brood, being then sent to the moors ; it is now (Sept. 11th) working vigorously in a super. This condition of these hives is not likely to have been caused by the wet and windy weather, as young queens do not leave their hive unless the weather is fine ; however, it is not uncommon for a swarming stock to become queenless, and this is not sxtr- prising, when we consider the risks to whicli queens are ex- posed during their frequent excursions. Some instances of this have fallen under my observation, and perhaps some of the readers of TrrE CottaCtE Oaedener may be able, from their experience, to give some information on the subject, and also as to Avhat is the immediate effect of a young queen's absence and loss ; if it resembles the wild disorder (which all bee-keepers mtrst have mtnessed) which takes place when a queen dies in the hive, or is removed after she has began to lay eggs. This is a subject of importance, to which I have given some attention, and to which I may revert, and should also he glad to learn any observations that have been made on the longevity of queens, whether they have been traced more than four years, and' at what season their death usually occurs. The enquiry of " C. E. E.," July 1st., has jtist met my eye, and I am happy to be able to answer it. In a hive to which I had retxu'ued the first; swarm, by taking away the old queen, piping commenced on the 8th day, and, as is usual, with the long note, for the earliest nyniph being liberated as soon as she arrives at maturity, is unable to fiy for some hours, and the expectant swarm is compelled to wait. There is always piping as long as there is a plurality of nymphs and queens. May I suggest that the earthenware-pan described July 1.5th, will not prove a suitable habitation for bees in winter? The non-absorbing qnahty of the sirrface will cause great con- densation of moisture, and the combs will in consequence become mouldy, and the bees probably unhealthy. Could not these bees now be joined to No. 'i, which is no doubt queenless. They might be removed by driving. If a hive of the circumference of the pan is not at hand, a bell-glass fir other vessel might answer, by pasting paper over the inside, the bees would probably not refuse to ascend, and tlien the required weight of food might be supplied from their own honey, with a few pounds of sugar. Six pounds of sugar will yield 10 lbs. of syrup, and though ale may be best, water will answer to boil it in, with the addition of the rum. — iNVESTIOATOr,. THE COCHIN-CHINA FOWL'S REMON- STRANCE. Sm, — I and all our tribe have had our courage worked up to the crowing point by the boastful crow of those Spanish and Dorking cocks of yours, that they and their families are more prolific, eat less food, and are altogether more valuable than we, who have filled so many pockets with the produce of our numerous golden eggs. 1 am deputed by the rest to deny that we are gourmands, and to say that we eat only in proportion to our size, and that if their wives produce larger eggs, they do not produce so many, nor such rich ones. One of our family was hatched in April, 1850, laid early in August, continued to lay nine out of every ten days, till Christmas, was then broody ten days, laid again in the same ratio till April, 1851, sat three weeks, was then released of her bin-den, laid in ten days, and so on. Let them produce one of their family that has done more. Then look at our little ones, how easily reared, whUe the Spanish tribe are notorious for moping when chickens, and for dying by the dozen. And compai-e us in size and beauty ; some of my wives weigh Dibs., 9§lbs., and lOlbs., and even lOJ- lbs., and several of my brethren weighed 13 lbs., and my father was tlie same weight. I am glad you will allow me to crow as well as them, and that you do not tlu-ust pieces of wood into my nostrils, to prevent my crowing, as do some of the brutes, who call themselves men, when we are on ship-lioai'd. Enjoying this privilege, as champion for our whole tribe, I challenge " Gallus " to a fair and honourable trial of our individual merits, with an equal number of each, equal food in proportion to weight and eggs, and equably in every respect. Mind ! I mean true Cochins, not mulattos, quad- roons, (.tc, for allow me to say, I have travelled much, and latterly have been invited to pay many visits to professed relations, but was sadly sm-prised and disappointed to find that the relationship was only this — that some gentlemen from Dorking, and other places in Surrey, had maixied some of my wives' cousins, and these were their children. At other places I saw the descendants of families who only came from the same place as we did. Only think of the im- pudence of claiming relationship ! As well might every ugly eur from the Isle of Skye claim to be a Skye terrier. Pray, Su-, do what you can to prevent this for the future, or I fear these base alliances and assumptions will quite destroy our identity. While I am about it, I'll just ask you another favour. Will you ti-y to invent a poultry exhibition man-trap, for I was once in Sturgeon's prize pen, at Bir- mingham, and when half asleep, and half awake, at witching time, I think you call it, I was disturbed by the introduction of a sly hand into our pen, which withdrew the eggs my wives had laid, marked them, and then did the same with some other pens ; these I am told were hatched, and thus my good master's breed was abstracted without pay. In self-defence, and conscious superiority, I crow defiant, COOK-A-DOODLE-IIO-O -O-O. SENDING COCHIN-CHINA FOWLS TO THE SHOW. _ Choosing, catching, feeding, preparing baskets, and directing them, putting in the chickens, and tying down the Uds, all is bustle, and the httle cart waiting at the gate. The gardener, at present the guardian of the chickens, has ! just won a second prize for flowers. " We must stand first this time, Ma'am; good bye. Miss," and away rattles" the httle cart with its astonished burden. The dear Httle chickens, how modest, and how pretty they looked ! How bright the yellow ones ! How decided in their markings ; anel how bright, too, the partridge ! And so they started on their way, to show their beauty among hundreds of the most beautiful in all the eastern counties. So they started. But how did they come back ? Looking well and hand- some, perhaps handsomer than ever, change of air seemed to have agreed witli them ; but— chickens no longer— they must lord it now ; they must have establishments of theiT own ; they can no longer rest contented, placed apart with pullets, and with cock bii-ds respectively. When let out next morning, the pullets — I love tho pullets, pretty con- fiding, tame little creatm-es — contented themselves with fluttering all legs and wings across the long grass, " Hock! hock ! hock ! there he is," to where the companions of their recent excursion were confined within a network of wire, and when they found joining company impracticable, re- turned to eat their breakfast. Not so, the yellow cock. " Young Giant" he had been called before he went, when he was in the habit of being satisfied if he could get his share of the victuals, and avoid the beak of his great red brother ; but "Young Pickle " is the name he has gained for himself since he came back, for he has heard of prizes (and done his part towards gaining them, too), he has become self-willed and conceited, he will no longer remain with the cocks. He can surmount, in his eagerness, the little fence which has scarcely ever been surmounted by Cochin-China before, and nothing remains but to give my lord an esta- 50 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 21. blishment of his o^vIl. The great red brotlier, " Bully," is not clever enough to get over the fence, but remains cross, moody, and discontented, on what he evidently considers the wrong side of it. Truly, one of our west country ama- teurs liad good reason for sending his heautiful pen of six young pullets to Birmingham last year. The poultry exhibitions which now occur so often perform then- mission well, occasioning great improvement in all good breeds of fowls; but might they not be made con- dusive to another? — to a more general, if less interesting, end, by improving the general stock of poultry in the country ? Let a cottagers' show be carried on conjointly with the local shows, for the encouragement of those who, at present, only want the means to compass the choice varieties. Let a prize of a cock, a cockerel and pullet, or a sitting of eggs of some first-rate breed be offered to the cottager who can show a pen of six common fowls in the best health and order, giring at the same time a strong recommendation that for the future, in breeding, the good sort shall be adhered to, and kept distinct. If the show should take place in winter, the eggs might be claimable early the following spring. Some persons, from not having tried the experiment, are fearful of sitting travelled eggs, but they need not be so. Some time back, Mr. IHuichard sent me a table of the result of bis experience in this particular, by which I find, that out of 901 eggs sent to 03 different places, after travelling distances by sea and land vai-ying between 14 and 395 miles, .5.0.5 chickens were hatched ; about eleven- eighteenths — no bad result. My own experience has proved even more favourable than his, and I have found that eggs which have travelled immense distances, have often produced a larger proportion of chickens than those hatched at home ; only showing, perhaps, that when we give a guinea for a few eggs, we bestow more care and attention on them, and the hen in charge of them, than when we merely fetch them from our own hen-house. I am sure there are some, I have little doubt there are many amateurs, who would assist an endeavour like this, which I suggest above, by (jiving the prizes, if the poultry societies could manage the other arrangements, and it would surely conduce towards the result, for the accomplishment of which so many have written and laboured — general improvement in poultry throughout the country. In arranging the details of these and all other shows, the confidence of exhibitors especially, should be supported by the most exact precision respecting the prizes, which should be carefully noted according to precedence, and ties entered as such. All portions of the country boast their poultry shows now. When will London have hers also ? The exigence which still delays a thing so desirable in the eyes of most amateurs, is, I believe, a difficulty in finding some gentleman, with leisure, to undertake the management. A show of Cochin-China fowls, and no mean one, we shall, however, shortly see in London ; but a show without contrast or competition, for on the second of November, Mr. Sturgeon will sell by auction, in Baker street, a large portion of his far-famed stock. Ansteu Bonn, (Acting up to the suggestion thus made, our liberal cor- respondent mil offer a cockerel and a sitting of eggs, as a first and second prize, to be competed for by cottagers at the approaching Exhibition of Tlw Winchester and Sotitliern Counties Society for the Imjirovemenl of Poultry. — Ed. C. (i.) THE SHELDRAKE AND ITS HAUNTS. The first sheldrake which I ever saw, and the scene in which it made its appearance, remain firmly daguerreotyped on my memory, after the lapse of many years. It was my good fortune to be spending the winter in Scotland ; and those who have never seen Scotland cannot even dream what a beautiful country it is. I was staying on the banks of tliat noble river, the Ness, whose entrance into the sea is marked by the town of Inver-neas, The Ness is remarkable for several things: among others, for magnificent salmon. Man gets his share of these fish, but the shoals of seals which liaunt the mouth of the river, appropriate the greater proportion of the fiuny prey. One salmon for breakfast, one for dinner, and a third for supper, is a moderate allow- ance for each individual of this tribe of seals ; because, the meal ended, and his appetite satisfied, Mr. Seal does not put his cold fish, the remains of his twenty-pound salmon, into his larder, but lets it float away for the benefit of the poorer inhabitants of the waters, and amuses himself by catching a fresh one, whenever his mouth begins to water for a little snack. Many readers ^\"ill ask, why we allow this robbery of our salmon fisheries, and why we do not send the seals about their business ? But it is of httle use arguing, who are the rightful owners of the fish, and for nhom the salmon ought to be preserved — for mcu, or for seals. A month, on the coast of Invernesshire, will teach the stranger that it is easier to tallc of dispossessing the seals, than to do it. Salmon fishing, by human creatures, begins there on the first of February. The more snowy and sleety the day, the better luck is expected. That day it snew beautifully, as we say in Norfolk; and I think om' host caught half a dozen fine fish to his own rod, and could have captured more. I was kindly fui'nished with taclde, on that and many subse- quent occasions. But the Ness, below the falls, is a diffi- cult river to fish, even for adepts; and, till then, I had never thrown an artificial fly, nor seen even a live trout, much less a fuiious salmon, with the sti'ength almost of a hippopotamus. To do anything in that part of the Ness, it is necessaiy to throw cleverly thu-ty yards of line, upon occasion, and to wield steadily the rod which throws it. The consequence was, that the more severely I flogged the water, the less notice would the salmon take of my flies. I some- times fancied they put their heads out of the river on pur- pose to laugh at me. Then came a little temper and excite- ment which made matters worse. At one time, crack went the beautiful fly, of gold and silver and peacock's feathers, off the end of the line, sounding like the explosion from a French postihon's whip lash ; by aud-by, when my energies were collected for a throw which must get a "rise," enrious shrubs in the background would detain my hook ; or the rod wotild be smashed in two, by the violence of the misplaced efi'ort. I would have given it up, but was good-naturedly urged to continue. Other people caught then- salmon ; my fly never entered a fish's mouth. The valley of the Ness is lovely at all seasons. Eocks, woods, mountains, a rushmg stream, arable lands, meadows, flocks and herds, huts, wreaths of turf smoke, are a few details of the panorama. Fishing soon became, i\"ith me, a mere pretence for the admiration of nature. That winter was mild, and often furnished pictures of perfect Alpine beaiity : the mountain-tops were covered with snow down to a certain altitude, and theu everything was green, and bright, and cheerful, and sunshiny. One day, when I had broken my rod for the dozenth time, I cannot imagine how, and was resigned to the usual good-humoured encouragement to try again next day, I mounted a commanding shoulder of a hill, and sat down to gaze around me. Soon, a beautiful bird came sweeping up the v.alley from the sea, in raid air, but still beneath me, and followed the course of the ri\er, till it disappeai-ed in the distance. It was a sheldrake, bril- liant with orange, white, and some dark glancing colom-s, I could not tell what. I had read in "Willugbby, that it was " of a mean bigness, between a goose and a duck," but it looked larger than I expected, from the bright contrast of its hues, which are as conspicuous as those of a magpie, with the addition of greater variety. Tame sheldrakes must be pinioned, or they will afford very pretty sport to your gunning neighbours; and, therefore, in all the aviaries and ornamental waters that I have since visited, no bird of the kind has ever delighted me with a performance resembling that gaudy sweeping flight up the glorious valley of the Ness. I afterwards found that the birds ai-e not uncommon in that neighbourhood, and that they ai-e little sought after by sportsmen. They are good-for-nothing to eat, and their feathers are not usually employed for artificial flies. More metallic tints are in greater request : the poor little king- fisher, not found so far north, yields its skin in England, to be imported into '• the land o' cakes." Sheldrakes breed, too, along the coast, in the peculiar spots that suit them, as well as further south. A hghthouse keeper, wlio luul served his turn in the extra solitude of Fern Island, tnld ujo that one of his summer amusements was to lay hands ou the little sheldrakes hatched there, and to rear Ihcm for sale to the dealers in tame waterfowl. OOTOBEE 21. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 51 The sheldrake is hardly patronised, as it ought to he, for the decoration of the pond in the pleasure-ground. Orange or hright hay, hlack or metallic bottle green, and very pure \Yhite in the plumage ; with hright red hill, and feet, and legs, as WiUughby says, " of a pale red or flesh-colour, tJic s/dii Iciiiij so pellucid that the trad of the veins may easily be discerned throuyh it" are not features to be seen in every ordinary farm-yard duckpond. The shght upturning of the bill at the end, gives the same pretty, pert aii', as is im pressed on the human countenance by a not too snub nose. Both sexes are alike in colouring, though that of the female is less decided. This chai-acter, perliaps, also shows their intermediate place between the ducks and the geese : for in the true ducks, however gay the male, the lady is in general soberly brown or russet. I once bought half a dozen shel- drake's eggs in Norfolk (where they have bred regularly on the coast) for as many shillings. They are larger than common ducks' eggs, hut otherwise similar ; that is, they are of the same shape, tinted with a light sea green, and having a smooth greasy substance. A hen incubated them, and brought off two sheldrakehngs, informing us thereby that the little ones are quite destitute of the gay clothing which bedecks their parents. Their down is greyey-bromiy- green, like that which covers the goslings of the brown China goose ; but they have four lighter yellowish spots, one on each shoulder, and one on each hip, which would help you to pick them out from amongst hundreds of ducklings. After a few days, too, it was evident from their respective increase in size, that one was a little drake, and the other a duck, beginning the world. We reared them to about a month old, when they pined and died. Why ? you ought to able to guess, if you have read Yarrell, and others, on the article Sheldrake. But let us do something better than read. Let us go and visit the breeding places of the shel- drake. We shall then see why WiUughby calls them " Bur- row-ducks." I am rather in want of a little fresh air, and we shall study natural history after the hunter's fashion. We are approaching the little fishing-town of Blakeneyi and you already jierceive a change in the scene. It is a good great-coat colder than at home ; and the air is more than transpai'ent. It illuminates the landscape, as if there were some hright medium between it and our eyes, as there is, in truth. These hills are steeper in their declivity than those we are accustomed to : our gravelly crag would not lie at so great an angle to the horizon, but would liave slipped down before it became covered with herbage. The material here is well-worn iiebble-stones and coarse shingle. You may remember that hUls composed of loose matters have a slope corresponding to the stuff they are made of. The ashy cone on the top of Vesuvius is an example which my legs have not even yet forgotten. Different heaps of different rubbish incline according to their own private methods of slope ; as would different kinds of sand in dif- ferent hour-glasses. A way-side passenger has become a rarity. The few we do meet make a point of saluting us respectfully. Yonder, crouched in the hedge, with red hands and blue face, is a boy deputed to the office here called " keeping " crows. I wonder if he he the same, to wliom his employer once shouted, " Well, boy, where are you going to now ? " "Why. master, I ha' kept 'em in this piece till they ha' eaten it up good tidily clean. They ha' flown to the tother jiiece, and I'm now agoin', like winking, to keep 'em there." Observe, too, the cottage gardens. Their contents mark the neigh- bourhood of the sea. You might suspect it from the extra- bright colours of the few remaining flowers, and from the extreme luxuriance of those rosemary shrubs ; but here you see, fur the first time during our drive, that hand- some plant, the Tree Mallow {Lavatera arborea), displaying flowrets not a few. Depend upon it, the " Missis " is finely proud of that ten or twelve-foot specimen. I envy it myself. Tliose next door ai'e of the same species, though their foUage is so different. Before flowering, the leaves are ample, but when the plant attains its reproductive stage, they are much smaller. In either state it is ornamental, as you see ; but though a British native, and even a member of the scanty BassEock /?ora, it is not generally known. Many an alien is more familiar to people who saunter in dressed grounds and trim parterres. In gardens it often remains some years without blooming, hut dies in the winter after it has flowered ; for it is, or ought to be, naturally biennial. Seeds fallen in the ground from the parent mallow will keep springing up eveiy season for a number of years : but the young plants are impatient of cold, except in maritime situations, and few survive, which may he the reason why it is so rarely seen inland. But a tolerable gardener would get over that difiiculty. At last we are arrived, and a queer-looking place it is ! The tONvn seems a cul-de-sac, with no thoroughfare. There is one, discoverable by the enterprising. The dull little two- storied houses, in the narrow street, stand staring fuU- visaged at each other, like partners in a country-dance, in- stead of boldly facing the wide extent of marsh, creek, sea, and sands, as you and I should place them, were we to engage one for a three-months' lodging. And, listen ! A watchman's rattle ! if watchmen had not been swallowed up by the police. Ah ! look ! it is a fish-cart from Sheringham. The " old chap," in Saxon (the " senile vendor," in Roman) English, distrusts his feeble voice to give due honour to his commodities, so, after a flourish on the rattle, " Haddocks ! fresh haddocks !" is gasped forth in a faint and asthmatical cry. Oh ! we are not on vulgar ground ; though genteel people, dear souls ! very rarely trust their precious selves to stand on the pebbly pavement over which we ai-e passing. " What do you want for this haddock ? Ko. I will not give you more than threepence ; if I stretch another penny, I'll have that nice • But ' into the bargain. Very well : we'll take these to B 's, to be fried for brealifast. It will he a relief to Mrs. B., who does not expect us. Tell me ; dare truly genteel people carry a couple of fish into an inn-yard between finger and thumb '? " But it is still too early to pay our respects to the Naids, " and the nymphs who dance on the sands," though om' jaunt has taken place at the best possible age of the moon. At Blakeney it is high water at six in the morning, three or four days after full moon and change. So, we can drop down to the sea and the extraordinary " meals," four or five miles distant by water, with the ebb-tide, and return with the flood in a conveniently-timed day. Before we need take boat there is time for a good walk. Almost every other path is under water, thanks to this pressing north wind, so we win foUow the Marsh hank, itself a pleasing wonder. D. (To he continued.) WILD BEES. By H. W. Newman, Esq. {Continued from vol. viii., page 42'2.) APIS LiPIDAHIA (KED, OE ORANGE-TAILED BEE). This is another beautiful species of wild bee very common in England. It forms its nests sometimes in old walls, heaps of stones, &c., or in the earth, generally a couple of inches only from the surface. The female, or queen bee, is large, very black, and hairy, with the three last segments of the abdomen red, or deep orange ; the male is smaller, quite differently marked, being nearly all yellow, except the abdomen, which is red; the worker is a smaller bee, and marked the same as the queen. This is a very common bee in some parts of England, and on the continent, but I never saw one of this species in any part of Scotland, though there is a variety of it differently marked, with nearly the same habit in every respect, most frequently found there in old walls ; they go by a very vulgar name among the lower orders in the north. Of these (Red-tailed) I have taken many nests. This is easily done, as they are mostly on or near the surface of the ground, but out of the reach of the tread of cattle. My method is to lay the nest bare in the course of the day, and after sunset, when they are all quiet, to go with a small box, and lift the whole of the nest, combs, bees, &c., all at once, and cover them up for the night. It will amply repay any one curious in these trifles to watch the exit of the workers in the morning, when the aperture is opened, and they find themselves in a new situation ; the care with which they survey the entrance one by one, the slow and cautious manner in which they take their first few flights, is most THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. OCTOBEB 21. admirable. Surely no one who observes this can for a, moment suiipose that the bee finds its way to its hive, or nest, mechanically, without full observation. The males of the Apis Lapidariu have precisely the same habits as the two last descril)ed species ; these bees leave the nests a few days after they ai-e hatched (guided much by weatlier), to become wanderers lil;e their congeners. They voluntarily leave, and may be seen flying from tliistle to thistle, in their lively liveries of yellow and red. Three years ago, wlien at Weymouth, I met a gentleman and his little boy, who were amusing themselves at a nest, Idlhng the workers of this species with a shoe ; this was in September. I civilly asked him why he killed them ; his reply was, that they had some honey. The nest they had found was at the bottom of the chtf. I caught several of the workers with my naked hand, at which they were sur- prised. I assured them they were quite harmless, and convinced them that it was too late in the season to find the cells full ; they became converts to my opinion, and desisted from destroying them. I have opened and examined hundreds of nests at the end of August, or beginning of September, and never found any honey. They ajipear to consume it always before the end of the summer ; probably il is not wanted after tlie liatchiTig is over, for as the wild bees are dormant through the winter they require none. We walked a few hundred yards together, and I caught several of the drones from the thistles, and he observed how cUflferent they were in appearance, and wondered none had gone into the nest, nor come out wliUe we were tliere. I told him the reason of this, and that they never returned. I was at Dieppe, in Normandy, in August, 184;5, wdiere I remained a day-and-a-half, on purpose to examine the wild bees in the country near. I found the same species exactly as in Kngland. By far the majority were the Red-tailed, and the ./. Terreslrls. I met a number of French school- boys amusing themselves in the cruel practice of killing the wild bees and extracting their honey-bags. They cer- tainly were adepts at catching them by the back ; but when they saw me take several di'ones in my hand, and pull them by the legs and wings, they began to think I had some I magical power, and it was with diiticulty I could persuade tliem that the drones had no stings. There are several more species of the wild bee in Britain, varieties of those which I have described, but they have all the same habits as to the internal economy of the nest — the drones all leaving without the faculty of returning ; and each of the males of all the species make a round of visits, in fine weather, in the early part of the day, to particular spots ; and each species vmes its fiight in this respect on the ground in a manner that a little resembles the workers. I need scarcely add, that none of the honey cells of any of these bees are sealed like the hive bee. The Apis Lapidarin is the handsomest of its congeners. {To he cotiliiiued.) ROOKS AND PHEASANTS. Some con'espondents have frequently asked for advice how to estabUsh a rookeiy. The reply has been, to set rooks eggs under a magpie, who happens to have buiJt in a favourable situation for a rookery. Assuming that you could get three or four pans of magpies to build in the same spot near together, the plan would seem plausible, for a pair of rooks will seldom stay; they join other ncigh- bom-ing Hocks ; but three or four pairs (if thus hatched and reared) would form a little community of their own, and probably might stay. But the dilliculty is to get a magpie to feed a rook. I have known the experiment tried more than once, and tlie magpie lias always deserted the rooks, and starved them, just as the black fine feathers appeared. A magpie is a most curious and shai-p-sighted bircl, and is not easily imposed on. Itooks, it is true, have a great attachment to the place of their nativity. Not farther back than twenty-five years ago, I remember that a pair of rooks built annually, for several years, on a single tree, in the Royal Hotel yard, and another pair on a tree in Emund- street, both places then being, as now, in the veiy ceutr-e of Binningham, but they never staid after their young could Hy. There ai'e two rookeries near my present residence, and one is now altogether deserted in the winter, and is used in the breeding sea-son only, 1 presume for the sake of the old nests, and by those bu-ds who were bred there. I have tried to rear young caiTion-birds from theii" un- fledged state, and they generally have lost the use of their legs when about fledged. I attribute it to a mistake in feeding, or in the food itself. If I wished to tiy to raise a rookery, and had a veiy suitable wood of trees, for they must be high, and a good many of them together, I would get some rook's-eggs, and set them under a bantam or light hen, and would try to real' the young by hand, in a place made amongst the trees, and I would turn them out a.s I would young pheasants or pai'tridges, wlien they just began to peck ; or the nests themselves might be I'obbed of their young when hatched, but you must recollect that you can never tame any bii'd or animal h.alf so well after it has once opened its eyes upon, or been fed by its own parent, as you can by never letting it know any fostering hand besides your own ; but the experiment of making a rookery is a very doubtful one. One word to sportsmen on rearing pheasants, the result of experience. Do not turn up your tame or caged hens in yoiu' woods in the spring, to be eaten by foxes and vermin, and avoid putting a tame or caged cock pheasant with your hens to spoil their eggs through incompetency. Crop the hens wings, and put tliem in a wired place, open at the top, where tlie wild cock plieasants can liave access to them. Then sit ofl' the eggs under a hen, and rear in the usual way. A WOECESTEKSHIllJi; IMiN. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *+* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of TuE Cottage Gaedknek. It gives them unjustifialile trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardenei-,2, Amen Cornet; Paternoster Row, London" Preserving Balsaims by Cuttings (J. B.). — There is nothing new in this. The ditHculty is to keep the cuttings healthy over the winter in a cool greenhouse. Place them at the warmest end, and if even then the cold should seem too much for them, put the glass over them, under which you struck them. Give little water, but keep them from flagging. A little labour, and you will be rewarded with compact bulbs, very lull of flowers. Calceolaria Seed {A Siil/scril/ej^), — Vour greenhouse would have been quite sutlicicnt for this. No stove heat is re(|uired. September is the best month in the year to sow, ^c., hut as October will be pro- gressing before you see this, we would almost advise you to wait until February, then proceed as follows : — Fill a pot or pots half full with drainage, then with sweet soil, somewhat rough, to within thrce-quarters- of-an-inch of the top, then fill with half-an-inch more of fine-sifted soil — if a little peat in it all the better — press it down, and then set the pot ovcr.head, for ten minutes, in a pail of water; take it out and let it drain for at least twenty-four hours ; then place the smallest ciuantity of fine sandy soil on the surface, press it gently and evenly down, and on this sow the seeds very thinly ; then scatter over them a film of dry line sand, and press again. Put a square of glass over the pot ; on this tilass place a little damp moss, and set it in a shady part of the greenhouse ; remove the moss as soon as the pl.ants appear, and give them a high position, allowing the glass to remain until the plants are some size. They are impatient of water until they are pricked otf ; and to avoid watering, you will succeed better by plunging the pot into a larger one, and filUng the apace between with moss, which you can keep moist. Gesnera Zebrina (T. M. TI'.\— This being in bud, and looking healthy, will no doubt bloom, if yon give it a temperature from 60° to 70°. We frequently have it in a glass case in summer, a grcculiouso in autumn, and a plant stove the most of the winter. PocusiAS Grown in Pots on a Single Stem (B. C. S.).—Yon have not told us your advantages. Keep them anywhere during the winter, free from frost, and just not dry, but moist rather than wet. Then cut down in spring, if you want a bush, or merely cut-in the side-shoots, and shorten the top one if you wish a Pyramid from a single stem, and repot when the shoots have broken a couple of inches, and grow slowly, if you want a robust habit. You may prune in a month, if you like, biit we should prefer spring for getting some nice cuttings, if you wanted them. See some hints by Mr. Fish, to-day. Night-blowing Cereus (Le/jtotirnsis). — This is almost as hardy as the rest of the Cacti that wUl stand well in a greenhouse in winter, when kept dry, and in a state of rest. In such circumstances, it would rei|uire the warmth of summer to open its blossom. As to whether j\'ema- tanthns loiifii/tes, A'^scltynonthusjiirouiens, and B'ffnonia tTlsigjtis, are suitable stove plants for exhibition, we must reply that we do not know the last, and are not sure we know the second; but all the .'TCwAv- nanthtaes are good when well grown. The Ncmalunt/ii(s we have had October ;il. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 53 in bloom for lone; periods, hut scarcely profuse enough to be fit for an exhibition-table Jjut we did not give it much attention. The long flower- stalks give it a very singular appearance, when seen suspended from the branch. Twenty Stove Plants suitable for Exhit-ition (Jfitrf).— The following we think will suit you i—Al/iimnnda aathartica, AUamanda Schattii, JEsrh)iiin)ithiis spcciosua, JE. l(m^iJiori/N, JE. miniatu^, Apltc- laildra aurantinra, Bfi^'oiiia chunihiifitia, Ji.fuc/isioides, Cassia t-orym- ftnsa, Chirita Moonii, Clcrodcndron fulln.t, C. spffnderjs, C. Ka-mpfeni, Dipfndenia ci'nssi/ifida, Fmiiciacea eonfertifotia, F. latifoliu. Gardenia Siinifet/anu, G. Demniana, G, FoHuniana, Gloxinia grandis, Hoya Bella, I.vora coccinea supcrba, I. javanica, I. grandijlora, MediniUa Npeciasa, Romlelletia speciosa major, Stfip^ianotisjioribunda. Take only one of ti genus if it suits you, and add, Gesneras, Gloxinias^ Achimenes, and Begonias^ as many as you please. Pit for Forcing, Propagating, &c. (B. ^.)'— We might make an instructive article upon the subject of your pit, ten feet wide, twenty- five feet long, and divided into two divisions, but we cannot answer your (juestions at large, so as to be useful to others, without a drawing. Let the following for the present suHice, 1 and 2. If your roof at the apex is cither a foot higher, or tlie walls a foot lower, the angle of inclination will be better. 3. Depth of earth two feet. 4. Size of ventilators in front and back walls opposite each light, twelve inches by six inches, but at the front and back sashes more. These, though useful, will not be ahsotatelif necessary, but the one opening into the hot-air chamber, and the other over the pipes at back, air may be safely admitted, when it would not be proper to move the sashes. 5, 6. Four-inch pipes will not be too large to heat the tank, though three-inch would do. These cemented troughs nre useful, but we have no difficulty in getting moisture, by placing open rubble over pipes, and throwing in water when necessary. 7. We would use three, instead of two-inch pipes, for top dry heat, as the water circulates languidly in two-inch pipes, and if we had them at all, we would rather have them in front, or round the house, instead of at the back, as this of itself would preclude your placing according to question t). Peach-trees against the back-wall, which, however, would not answer so well in such circumstances as vines and cucumbers, We do not see how you are to have additional dry heat from your tile drain 8, in front, as that communicates with the open chamber over the gutter, as well as the opening in the side, 7, to admit moist air. Now, by sinking your floor, for supporting the bed, some twelve or eighteen inches nearer the gutter, and we suppose this floor to be of slate, or some ana- lagous substance, you might still have slides in the side for moist air at wU!, and then shafts all round communicating with the flooring would give you dry heat at will, besides enabling you to have plenty of rough material, such as brickbats, charcoal, &c., below the bed of earth. With such contrivance, unless you wanted to force plants and melons very early, the two four -inch pipes would be sufficient, especially with a canvass covering in severe weather. 8. The boilers will Ije nothing too large. 10. Glass, l6-oz. will not be too strong for panes forty inches by twelve inches; but why have them so long ; just think of having such a thing as a crash, and the expense and trouble of replacing them. On the whole, we do not approve of your arrangement. Your pit over the gutter or tank is six feet wide, abutting on the front-wall, leaving four feet behind, you must open your front sashes to attend to the management of whatever you have. Why not place the pit in the centre, five feet wide, with two-and-a-half feet wide paths, back and front. You would thus have the whole place at command, and find yourself quite at home in the worst day, as well as the finest. Before building, examine a most economical arrangement of a house, given by Ilfr. Fish, at page 337, of our second volume. That house still answers admirably, the gardener does little wonders with it. If, however, you are wedded to your present arrangement, you might have a pit eighteen inches wide, and two feet deep, placed over your pipes at the back-wall, and there you may grow vines or cucumbers, to cover the wall, and hang from the hipped roof. Hollyhocks.— j4 Constant Subscriber recommends Queen of Eng- land (Chater and Son) ; delicate pink; very fine ; beautiful. Auvantia (Rivers); salmon and orange; beautiful. Obscura Suherha {Chztcv :^nA Son) ; silvery-shaded puce ; a decided improvement upon Obscura, Beauty of Haverhill (Chater and Son) ; silvery-lilac; beautifully veined. Napolemi (Powis) ; slate, edged with light ; fine. Bella Donna (Woods) ; white; one of the best out. Meteor (Bircham) ; crimson; fine. No ■ blissimu (Chater and Son) ; rosy-red; mottled and veined ; fine. Rosy Queen {Chsiter) ; rosy-blush. Lady Cullum (Chater and Son); rosy- crimson, glowing as if shot with purple ; fine. Susannah ; creamy- white ; very fine. Abricote (Chater and Son) ; colour apricot; fine shape ; large size; a noble flower. Surprise (Chater and Son); rosy-crimson; fine. JoanofArc (Parsons); silvcry-blush ; very fine. Yellow Models or, rather, Priynrose Model (Bircham) ; this is very fine, Prolific Ducks.— Mr. Edwards, Station-Master at the Lyndhurst- Road Railway Station, Hants, has a couple of ducks of the pure white Aylesbury breed, which have laid this season the proiUgious number of 26l eggs. One of them laid in daily succession 146 eggs ; and sht is now running about with a brood of VI young ones. The other laid 1 15 alto- gether ; and she has now her second brood, having brought up her first brood of 13 early in the summer. New System of Swarm-management. — A Country Curate says, " I have been all along puzzled to account for the rather peculiar failure of " B. B.'s " trial of the new plan ; but at last he has furnished us with some clue to the discovery of the probable cause. He had not learnt his lesson unth sufficient care, \\\\tn he applied himself to give my plan a trial. I have never myself stopped up a hive "from twenty-four to thirty-six hours," (from which a swarm had issued K«fMr«//v) " as soon as the swarms had left tlie hives;" nor do I remember anywhere to have recommended such a treatment ! I have said, indeed, that it may ha well to stop up such a hive for a few honrs on removing it to a fresh stand, but I have generally left my old hives so treated quite open from thejirst ! To stop them up, however, for such a length of time, so full too of bees as they still usually are, after the i^ue of a natural swarm, 1 should at once have deemed a most mistaken method of proceeding. It is far otherwise in the case of a stock from which an artificial swarm has been taken. In this instance there are usually but a very small number of bees left in the hive, the drones are mostly all in company with the swarm, and there is no royal brood to suffer. But in a stock from which a natural swarm has issued, many (perhaps most) of the drones remain. This, from the nature of the case, we might expect ; not only so, there are usually many bees left, and above all, there are young royal queens, perhaps all in a state, and of an age requiring the most assiduous attention. Now what follows in both instances where the old stocks are shut up for so long a space ? In the one instance, where tlie ; swarm was /orcwZ out, the temperature, owing to the paucity of bees, can seldom rise, from the necessaiT agitation within, to any very incon- venient height; at all events there is no royal brood to suffer. In the other case, however, when the swarm issued naturally, the heat from the large i)opulation might be expected to rise to a very dangerous height, and it would be almost sure to follow that the royal bees still in the grub state would suffer from that, or from, ne;^lect. This, to me, appears to atford quite a sufficient explanation of "B. B.'s"failurc. Wx^ihc manage- ment, not the system, that is at fault here. Hut, moreover, I should very much question the policy of "running honey" out of the old hives, unless in a very thriving condition. I have never advised it. No doubt, too, the failureof "B.B,"must be put down in part to the very bad season we had almost everywhere in ,Iune. Few mid- June swarms or their parent stocks will be found to have done anything this year. I shall be obliged Lo "B. B." to give us his opinion of the value of the above remarks. I cannot make out " H. S. N.'s " observations. He is not particular enough in narrating his facts. For instance, is he speaking of the stock or the swarm when he says, " I could not by any means induce them to work in the super ? " "No. 3 natural swarm " could not possibly have come out of the stock, in whose place it was put. else there would have been no such fighting as he speaks of. Tlie "fighting," which he says he has seen "more or less at all the swarms that have been put where the stock formerly stood," must have been only in appearance. I have never observed it. It is a bad sign to see drones in September, but ivorse in October. If any .are seen now, fumigate and plunder. Vegetable Marrow, &c. (Jlosasolis.)— It is Vegetable Marroie, and not Mallow ; and is a kind of gourd. Ixias and Sparaxis arc pro- pagated both by seeds and by offset bulbs; and both ought now to be potted or sown "in pots, in good turfy peat, with a little sand, and placed in a cold pit, or on a shelf in a greenhouse ; the soil to be kept mode- rately moist all through the winter, and free ventilation whenever the weather is mild, BiGNONiA RADiCANS (Ibid).— 'It rcqulrcs to be close pruned like a grape vine; and. after it comes to a flowering age and strength, it is generally a free bloomer on a south wall, or inside a cool greenhouse in less favourable situations Can any of our Irish readers tell him what is the right name of a plant there called Melidore ? Fuchsias and Geraniu:ms (R. B. S.).— The Fuchsias will stand out with a slight protection from frost, and all your old Geraniums must be taken up, their green tops cut otf, and the hard bottom parts and roots, after being partially dried, may be ])acked in a box or hamper with dry fern or hay, and put away from the frost like so many potatoes ; but look at them from time to time, to see that they do not turn mouldy. Cuttings will do no good now. List op Bulds (S. S. S.).— We shall begin to analyse your bulb list immediately, and we hope between us to be of great service to many of our readers. Accept our best thanks for your share of the undertaking. Flower-garden Plan (J. H. iV.)-— Vour plan will be engraved as an example of a very useful and easy way of managing such a space. As to your Allamavda, with seven upright shoots, two feet high, cut four of the weakest shoots down to within two joints of the old wood, and the other three cut to one-half their length ; this pruning to be done in aiarch, as soon as you perceive the least appearance of growth ; do not give the plant much" water all the winter. A good gardener would prune so weak a plant of AUamanda at the end of this month ; keep it nearly dry all the winter, and " set it to work " in a hot-bed by the end of February ; shake away the soil from the roots on thefirst move of growth, trim the roots, and put it in a smaller pot, force it vigorously for three months, and give it two, if not three, shifts before the end of .Tune, and would have it in bloom nearly by that time ; that way would be most dangerous to a less experienced person. Garorn near Glasgow. — J. C. says: " In our garden on a south wall we liave Clianthus paniceus (the largest I have even seen, and a perfect picture in April and i\Iay), Aearia armata, Aloysia citriodora, and a great variety of Tea and other Ro.vw, all of which stand the winter without any protection. Fuchsias grow with us to an immense size. As I have noticed several inquiries in The Cottage Gardener regarding the Noisette Hose Solfaterre, I may mention that we have a plant covering a large part of the front of our house (I say our, for it is my fatlier's, but my brother and I are the gardeners \), which has been in constant flower since the beginning of May last, and still showing buds; it was not pruned at all this spring. We have also had some very fine flowers on Cloth fsf Gold, budded on the Crimson Boursault. All the above are growing in a well-drained border, composed of peat, loam, and sea-sand, the former predominating. In the greenhouse, we intt^nd growing Tea and other Roses for spring and late autumn flowering, and we purpose planting them in a border formed all round the house, instead of growing them in pots, as our time being limited would not admit of the constant attention necessary, as to waterings, &c., were they grown in the latter way. Although Roses are principally what we intend growing, yet we purpose having a selection of other suitable things, and I shall be glad if you would furnish me with a list of such things (including climbers), as you think would be likely to stand the winter without fire- heat ; and here I fancy I hear you say— But why not have a flue or brick stove, in ease of severe frosts'? Well, because as we .ire residents in town during the winter months, and leave no one who understands the matter to attend to the fire, we thought we should be less likely to have our hearts broken by trusting to Jack Frost, than by \e:3.\\x\^ fire-heat in the hands of a bungler. Don't you agree with us ? " [Yes ; certainly.] Grape for a Cold Greenhouse {J. C). — The Royal Muscadine is the best white, and the Hambro^ the best black, for such a house as 54 THE COTTAGE GAllDENER. October '21. yours, on the coast of Loch Long, beyonrl Glasgow. If you plant these vines, you must give up all ideas of other climbers for this house, ex- cept, perhaps, Bignonia or Tccoma radicans grimdijlora, which requires the very same treatment in every respect as these hardy grape vines. We know Glasgow Green, and both si-Jca of the Clyde helow it; also some of the "bunglers," and best men in these parts ; and, as very little can be done on the coast until you go down nest May, you will excuse us for not giving you a list of suitable plants for summer culture until we consider " a wee." Some of our London readers, who know as much of Loch Long as of Timbuctoo, will be astonished to read your account of the gardening on that part of the west coast of Scotland. It will be no surprise here, however, to hear of the sons and daughters of wealthy fathers being so much in their garden. KosES ON TiTRF {E. S. F.). — Standard roses will not do bo well in groups when the roots are covered with grass as when they have an open circle or bed. A group of standard roses on grass, by the way, is one of the moat frightful things that you could devise or think of for a flower-garden; something as if Her RIajesty, while at Balmoral, had all the ladies of her household dressed in kilts of the royal tartan. Rather have them planted in this wise — tliree tall standards in the centre; five half-standards round them; and ten or a dozen strong dwarfs outside of all. These dwarfs should be worked plants on six-ioch stems, and the grass miirht be laid quite close to the stems of the outside row ; then, from May to November, who would know but your roses were " on grass? " All the plants or kinds of roses in a group of this kind, should be of equal strength, so as to keep up the uniformity of the whole. Flowee-garden Plans (Igiwfus and Others). — One will appear this month, and will be followed by others in a monthly series. Hardy Ferns [Tom Poure).--As you intend transplanting native ferns from your own neighbourhood into your rock-work, which you are now constructing, you may begin at once, and go on with them, to the end of next March, as the weather allows. The smaller kinds you will easily remove, as their roots run near the surface; but the roots of the great, strong-growing ferns run very deep, and they must be trenched out to do much good; but if so treated, they want no balls with them. We have known scores and scores of pounds wasted in removing thick, square pieces of turf, or balls, from native fern brakes to "inoculate" parks and rough pieces in pleasure grounds, such balls carrying only the buds and leaving the roots behind. Wlien a piece of fern land is brolten- up for cultivation, the farmer will tell you that the roots of ferns are as bad to get rid of as the roots of docks, and this ought to teach us gar- deners that the large, common ferns come from pieces of the roots, and so we ought to know better than plant only buds and balls. Moss Roses (An Old Raven). — You must take them all up early next month, trench the ground two spits deep, mixing a good quantity of rotten dung with it if the roots are long, black, and fibreless, as we expect they are, cut them back one-half, and cut in the branches quite close to the old wood, and if the old wood is long, cut one-half of the shoots to near the bottom ; then replant them, and put some littery dung on the surface of the ground to mulch them, and next Rlay, when you sec the leaves coming out, begin to water thetn freely, and let them have some weekly to the end of July. If they come up strong, give liquid manure occasionally. Flower Garden Plan (W. T.). — The planting is unexceptionable, and as your Heliotropes agree with the Ageratums, there is no objection in the least against the mixture, and the centre bed is just the right place for them ; but this is the only bed in your garden that is fit to be seen ; the four flanking it are dumpy, the rest quite frightful. We have not seen the work you allude to. Cochins v. Spanish.— Q. in a Covncr says: " I like the spirit in which ' Gallus * writes; agree with him in general as to the excellence of Dorkings, but dissent from his conclusion in toto. Having kept almost every variety of fancy poultry during the last thirty years, and paid creat attention to their consumption of food, always feeding them wyself, I have arrived at the conclusion, that if there is any difference in proportion to size, Malays are the greatest caters; that Cochins do not eat more than Spanish or Dorkings, in proportion to size ; tliat they are ea«i7/y satisfied, and w/^eK leave part of their allotted food; and, in opposition to Mr. Bailey, no mean authority, I find they fatten rapidly, and that the short-legged variety lay on much flesh on breast and wings. As to their excellent as a table fowl, much, I think, remains to be proved, as the price has hitherto proved a bar to a fair trial on a large scale. Allow me to say, that to sit down to a poultry-dinner, Icnnwing that they are Cochins, and having a preconceived notion that they are not very good, is not a fair trial. Will ' Callus ' or Mr. Bailey, who so kindly comes to his rescue, allow themselves to be blindfolded, and in that state sit down to table, having slices of poultry set before them, and then say whether it is Spanish. Dorking, or Cochin, from ^«('rt»r o??/^ ? If so, I will confpss myself satisfied, but not till then. Is there not in the name oi Dorking a charm that would give relish to uny fowl sold under that name ? The only difference / could ever discover, was a flavour in some Cochins approaching that of game, which can hardly be an objection. I know of a case where a very knowing gent sat down to dine off a large Shanghai cockerel, dressed as a Turkey poult, and yet could not discover the cheat. So much iov favour. This, however, would go to prove that in this breed there is a little difference in flavour ; but I write for information, not victory. As to prodnrtireness, there is cer- tainly no comparison between them and Spanisli, as far as my experience goes; none in the ease with which chicks are reared, — the Spanish being proverbially difficult to rear. The opinion of some of the oldest and best fanciers has been sought, and it fully coincides with the above. One, when reading the article about the excellence of Spanish fowls as laJ/crs, laughed outright, and said that they were anything but good, when compared with Cochins." Red Spider (A Twelve-month Subscriber), — We take it that by " Garden Spider," you mean Red Spider, and if so, tobncco-smoke will not kill or drive him away; neither will your other remedy,— sulphuring the house,— affect the Dry White Scaly, or the Soft Mealy Bug, if they are included ifl your " leveral other iusecto." NoverthelcH, it la a very good plan to turn out all plants once or twice a-year from a greenhouse, or from pits, and burn sulphur in those structures, and to keep the donrs and ventilators closed for a day or two afterwards. Then, after a few hour's free admission of fresh air, the house or pit is safe enough for any plant. If you use grass as you propose, the expense of kci-'ping it in order will be double what it is now, but your place would look much better. Circles, not more than four feet through, and ovals, eight or nine feet long, are the only shapes suitable for such strips of ground. Edging Plant (Lover of Flowers). — We do not know "ahardy her- baceous perennial that will be in bloom from the 1st of June to the end of September, and not to have pink dowers." China Iris (W. G. N.). — It is not at all a fit plant for pots, unless you were an expert gardener. Place it under a west wall, in rich light soil, and it will take care of itself, and blossom there ; it is hardy enough, and wants no protection. Peat (F. Z.). — How can we tell you what to put it to, unless we knew what plants you cultivate, and the nature of your soil ? It is not used for Geraniums; but is especially required for Heafhs and American plants. Keep it under cover. Crocuses do not require manure, unless the ground be poor, but to be grown in a moderately rich, well-drained, light soil. Phlomis floccosa {Subscriber). — This is a half-hardy evergreen, and is so described in The Cottage Oardeners' Dictionary, if you read the description there given. To avoid numerous headings, all the half- hardy species are put together. Vou are there told its average height, colour of flowers, time of their being open, native country, and date of introduction. We have little more to add to such history. It is called ^floccosa on account of its woolly branches. It flowers usually from July to October. There is a drawing of it in the Botanical Register, t. 1300. Equation op Time {Corked-ham). — Wc believe it is right; we are indebted for it to the Gardeners' Almanack, and for that the Stationers' Company employ an astronomical authority. Roses pegged down (.-1 Recent Subscriber). — We have set our face against the plan of pegging down Roses altogether, for reasons long since explained ; therefore, we said nothing about it in The Cottage Gardeners'' Dictionary . Super-phosphate of lime is good for Roses, no doubt, but good old cow-dung, we think, is far better for them j but try the two, and let us hear the result. Potatoes in Cold, Wet Clat {M. R. P.).— Bo not plant your potatoes in such a soil until February. Until then keep them buried in layers alternating with coal ashes, or sand, in a cool, dry shed. When you plant, do so in beds about four feet wide, with deep alleys between to drain them. Lime, bricklayers' rubbish, coal ashes, and tan, would be good applications to such a soil. We should plant Ash-leaved Kidneys. Sail-cloth for Frdit-trek Sheltering (A. Z., W n). — You may obtain this of Messrs. T. and D. Henry, -14, Mark Lane, London. Planting Potatoes (K. H., Dublin). — We regret that the gentle- man who instituted the experiments is dead, but we are promised a report of their results. Liver - coriplaint in Rabbits. — In number 205, Sept. 2nd., "Amicus" asks if any reader knows a cure for liver-complaint in rabbits ? I believe it to be caused by damp, and want of fresh air, also by moist or unwholesome food. I have had rabbits killed by it, that have thriven well in an open grass-plot, till a wet week came on. I think it may be known by the rough and lean appearance of the animal, and I have cured it by keeping them clean and dry. and giving them salt in their dry food. I do not think that the rabbits often grow out so fine afterwards if they have it had. — B. P. B. Cochins not Fatting. — I must beg to differ from "Gallus," and Mr. Bailey, respecting Cochin-Chinas not fatting. My young fowls have always been exceedingly fat and delicious eating, and have been pro- nounced excellent by all that partook of them. I\Iine, however, are not, I think, the larccst sort, more like what "An Old Subscriber " calls the Lovell Cochin Ciiinas. So the varieties may differ in their gastronomic qualities.— B. P. B. Pickled Samphire (E. S. D.).— Well sprinkle your fresh -gathered samphire with salt. Cover it with spring water, and let it stand twenty- I four hours ; then put it into a brass pan, with another handful of salt, and cover it well with vinegar. Cover the pan close, and set it over a slow fire until green and crisp, at which moment take it off, for if allowed to get soft it will be spoiled. When cold, tie over your jar both a bladder and a leather. Samidiire may also, we believe, be kept all the year in a strong brine of salt and water, throwing it into vinegar just before you wish to use it. Names of Pears {Mr. Watso7i). — No. 1. l\Iarie Louise. No. '-!. Beurre d'Aremberg. No. 3. RIaric Louise. No. 5. Easter Beurre, small, bad specimen. No. 8. Napoleon, rf;7/'^ No. 13. Nelis d'Hivcr. No. 14. Glout Morceau. No. 20. Duchcase d'Angoulcme. No. 21. Nelis d'Hiver. Potatoes (E. O.).— "We should grow no other Kidney Potato than the Ash- leaved ; and no other round Whites, than Rylott^s Flou7- Ball, Fox's Early Delight, and Hopetoun Early. Names or Plants {Tyro\—Escallonia montcvidcnsis, or foribunda, for wc believe the two species are identical. It grows without shelter in the Dean of Winchester's garden, at Bishopstokc, Hants. (Rpv. R. M. E.).—Thz plant found by your botanical friend in a field near Cloync, in Ireland, is not a Verbascum. but Celsia Cretica, a half-hardy biennial native of Crete, but growing like a weed in the garden of the Warden of Winchester College. It must have escaped from some garden. London: Printed by Harrt Woolbbidge. Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Marv Kalcndar; and Published by William SOMEnviLLE Ona, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Famb of Chriit Church, City of London.^ October 21it, 1869. OcTOBEn 98. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 05 »l VV OCTOBER 28-NOV. 3, 18 Weather NEAR London IN 1851. ' „. „ Sun 1 1 Moon Moon's Clock 1 Dav of u 23 D Th Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Rises, Sets iR.&S. Age. bef. 8un. Year. St. .Simon and St. Jude. ,30.100 — 29.5/6 54— 39 S.W. ' 33 49 a. 6 30 a. 4 ' 5 a 13 15 } 16 7 302 20 F Virpnian Creeper leartess. 29.419 — 29.305i 48— 30 N.W. 03 51 37 5 39 16 i 16 11 j 303 311 S Woodcock arrives. 29.590 — 29.424149—36 N.E. 01 53 35 fi 4 17 1 16 14 1 304 31 Son 21 Sunday aftee Trinity. 29.612 — 29.602! 43—32 N.W.| 02 64 1 33 6 35 13 16 16 ! 305 1 M All Saints. ,29.613—29.559 52-28 N.W.' — .16 ' 32 7 15 19 : 16 18 306 2Tn flIichiBlmas Term begins. 29.550 — 29.336 50—31 1 N. 1 01 58 30 8 4 20 1 16 18 307 3 \V Lilac leafless. 29.920 — 29.759! 45—26 w. ! 06 VII 28 9 4 21 1 16 18 308 Meteorology of the WEEK.-^At Chiawick, from observations during the last twenty-five years , the average highest and lowest tempera- | tures of these days are r>A° and 39.3 ' respectively. The greatest heat, 67°, occurred on the 29th in 1833 and the lowest cold, 20^, on the 3rd 1 in 1845. During the period 90 days were fine, and on 85 rain fell. 1 BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. BEEBERIDS. — BEBBEIilDACEa:. {Conl'imiedfrom page 22.) EPIMEDIUM. BAIIRENWOET. Geneeio Chaeactee. — Calyx below the frait, of four small, egg-shaped, concave, spreading, deciduous leaves. Corolla of four egg-shaped, equal, concave, spreading petals, oppo- site to the calyx. Nectaries four, one lying upon each petal, and nearly as long, pouch-like, blunt, equal, attached under- neath to tlie receptacle, by one side of the oiilice. Stamens with filaments, awl-shaped, erect, close to the style. Anthers of two oblong-oval, parallel cells, attached longitudinally to the inner side of the filament, below its summit, each cell opening by a valve, which bursts from the bottom and rolls back. Germen elliptic-oblong, with a furrow at the back. Style oblique, roundish, the length of the stamens. Stigma simple. Pod oblong, pointed, of one cell and two valves. Seeds numerous, unilateral, oblong. Epimediuh alpinum: Alpine Barrenwort. Description. — It is a perennial. Root, creeping, slender, and thread-shaped, by which it increases rapidly. Stems about ten inches high, solitary, stiiT, smooth, cylindric, semi- transparent, three-branched at top, near tlie root scaly. Leaves ; there are no leaves springing direct from the roots, but each branch bears one most elegant and delicate leaf, on a longish stalk, either once or twice subdivided into tliree leaflets. Leaflets hauging down perpendicularly, hetirt- shaped, ending in a point, about an inch-aud-a-half long, hut enlarging after the iiowering is over, very veiny, saw- edged, and each tooth ended with a haii-, pale-green above and greyish beneath. From the point where the stalks of the subdivisions of the leaf join the footstalk common to them all, springs the flower-stalk, which bears a cluster of Jlowers about four inches long, the flowers scattered upon it widely apart, on three or four branchlets, each branohlet usually two-flowered. Petals four, dark-red, and contrasting strongly with the four large pale-lemon-coloured nectaries, which .are full of honey, and very peculiar. Stamens short. Anthers with a taper point, and two lid-like valves. Stigma yellowish, encircled at the bottom by a red band. Seed-vessel a one-celled pod, with many seeds. Places inhere found. — In thickets in some parts of York- shire and Cumberland ; on Skiddaw ; and near Glasgow and E(Jinburgh. Very rare. Time of flowering. — May. History. — This plant is included in the Tetrandria mono- gynia class and order of the Linnfcan system. It is of such rare occurrence, and has only so comparatively recently been discovered in Britain, that many botanists doubt whether it is really a native of our islands. Gerarde, in his " Herbal," published ia 1.597, says, " This rare and strange plant was sent to me from the French king's herbarist, Kobinus, dweUing in Paris, at the sign of the Black Head, in the street called Du bout du Monde, in English, The end of the World. This herb I planted in my garden, and in the beginning of May it came forth of the ground. Its seed came not to ripeness in my garden, by reason that it was dried away ivitb the extreme and unaccustomed heat of the sun, which happened in the year liJOO, since which time, from year to year, it bringeth seed to perfection." Johnson, in his edition of Gerarde's Herbal, published in lfi36, says, " It groweth in the g.arden of my friend, Mr, John Milton, in Old Street, and some other gardens about town." This " Mr. John Milton " was the author of " Paradise Lost." Parkinson, in 1640, gives a very accurate description of the plant, but only mentions the mountain districts of Italy as its native place, and Eay, in 1088, says no more than, "I observed it on the Alps, not far from the town of Ponteba." Even as late as 1807, Dr. Martyn writes, that " Mr. Miller affirms that he received some plants of it which were found growing naturally in a wood in the north of England, but he was probably misinformed." Mr. Miller may, therefore, be considered its first recogniser as a native plant. It was certainly found by the Eev. T. Gisborne, in 1787, "in a very wild part of Cumberland called Carrock Fell," and by Mr. Eobson, on Skiddaw, in 1795. Johnson seems to have named it Barrenwort, " not because that Dioscorides says it is barren both of flowers and seeds, but because, as some authors affirm, being drunk, it is an enemy to conception." — {Smith. Lindley. Martyn. Witheriny.) A Correspondent (W. H. 0.) writes to us as follows ; — " The advantages of double-glazing are numerous, and among them are included the saving of mats, the saving of the time in covering and uncovering, the gradual return of light to the plants in the morning, the gradual withdrawal of the light at night, and the longer time the plants would have the light, i.e., from earliest dawn to the latest daylight. Moreover, I think that the second glass may have the effect of correcting any fault in the refraction of the upper glass, and thus prevent burning. I have six small lights, three feet by four feet, double-glazed, and on Saturday last there occurred a rather sharp frost; all my glasses were covered with white frost, with the exception of two places which exactly corresponded to panes which had been broken in the under glazing." The two places on the outer glass were kept free from white frost by the rush of warm air against them No. CCXIIL, Vol. IX. SG THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OCTOBEE 28. through the hroken panes beneath, and affords strong evidence of the check to the escape of heat which a second glass affords. Let it not be supposed, however, that there ought to be any opening in the inner glass for the purpose of admitting warm air from the bed between the two glazings. So far is this from being desirable, that the panes of glass, both in the lower and upper glazing, should be puttied even between the laps, in order that they may be rendered as nearly as possible air-tight. The philosophy of double-glazing shows that its power to protect from frost depends upon that tightness, for it is only air confined, or kept quiet, that is a bad con- ductor of heat, and air in motion carries oil' heat very rapidly. The most intense cold in calm weather was not a cause of suffering to Captain Parry's men when properly clothed at the North Pole, but the same degree of cold, when the wind was high, was not endurable, although the thermometer showed there was no lower degree of temperature — the air in motion carried off the heat faster. The same principle is in operation when a wet finger is held up to detect which way a current of air is passing, by its rendering one side of the finger colder than the other. It is on the known fact that air is a non-conductor of heat, that double windows are employed in Russia to exclude the cold, and in the West Indies to exclude the heat. This is no anomaly, for to exclude cold is only another mode of expressing what is intended when we speak of keeping in the heat. In Russia they have to keep the room's heat from escaping into the air, and in the West Indies they have to keep the an's heat from getting into the rooms. In double-glazing our garden frames, we have the same object in view as they have in Russia; and if the frames had double boards, or the pits double walls, as some ice-houses have, the cold could be e.Kcluded, so as to protect many more plants than at present we are able to carry through the winter without the aid of artificial heat. Another advantage attendant upon double-glazing, besides those mentioned by our correspondent, is the prevention of " drip " within the frame, pit, or house. This is occasioned by the warm air, which contains moisture in proportion to its warmth, coming in contact with the cold glass, and there letting drop all the moisture it is not capable of holding at the lower tem- perature to which it was cooled by the glass. When the difference between the temperature of the glass and that of the air is great, the moisture is deposited, or let drop, in such quantity on tlie glass, that the moisture trickles down and forms " the drip." Now, double- glazing would prevent there ever being so great a difference between the temperature of the inner glass and the temperature of the air in the house, as to cause such a sufficient deposition of moisture as to form " the drip." COVENT GARDEN. Some of our readers will be disposed to doubt the correctness of our observation, and the authority of these " city articles" of ours, when they see in Covent Garden fruits purporting to be varieties which we said two or three weeks ago were over for the season. But this is no uncommon occurrence ; such modes of imposition having been practised ever since we have known the market, and, for ought we know, one which boasts of as great antiquity as that which we exposed last week in reference to the Elder berries. It may be laid down as a general rule, that whatever kind of fruit you ask for, you can have it. -largonelles at Christmas, or even at Easter; Brown Beurres all the year round; Ribston Pippins ^(-(ssim ; and " fine Burgamys," are among the leading articles with these very accommodating traders. Our readei's must, therefore, be on their guard how they receive the assurances, and place too much confi- dence in these individuals. It would be wrong, how- ever, to say that there is no confidence to be placed in any of the fruiterers, for we know that there are some of them who are of the highest respectability and integrity, and who would scorn to be concerned in such practices. Fkuit. — There is still a continued abundant supply of Apples, and at a somewhat advanced price ; some sorts having made as much as 7s. Od. per bushel. The general belief is, that Apples are a very short crop, and will, before the season is much farther advanced, ho less plentiful than they now are. The sorts which have been most plentiful during the week are — Bihston Pippms, Blenheim Orange, a fine apple, but, generally speaking, not so large this season as we have observed it. The Nonesuch, Winter Sintuhcrnj, and Beauty of Kent, are among the leading sorts, as well as a few parcels of Emperor Alexander. In our report of the week before last, our printer's devil, who, like all other devils, is always up to some mischief, made us say there were Golden and Winter Pearmain's in that week's supply, whereas, in " the copy," we only mentioned tlie Golden Winter Pearmain. The Winter Pearmains, so far from being in the market, are hardly gathered yet. This Oolden Winter Pearmain is by some called " King of the Pippins" — a title given to it by a London nurseryman, who, either for the purpose of deceiving his customers, or with the view of retaining the sale in his own hands, applied to it this liigh-souuding name. Of Pears there has been an abundance, particularly of Marie Louise, which has now become so common as to be met with on almost every fruit-stall in the streets. The Bishop's Thumb is also very plentifid, and wo ob- served one or two parcels of the very old-fashioned Messire Jeane, which is one of those obsolete French pears that have been displaced by the new Flemish varieties. In the centre arcade were some of the finest Duchesse d'Angoulimesvre have ever seen ; more like largo pear-shaped goiuxls than pears ; they were received from Guernsey. The Catillac, which is a stowing pear, has also appeared during the week, hut, fine as they looked, there aro some others which we wovdd very mucli prefer to it for that imrpose. The gi'eat objection to the Catillac October 28. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 5r is its grittiness, and, however well-grown they may be, this is a eharaoteristio which they invariably possess. If any of our readers are desirous of possessing an ex- cellent stewing or baking pear, there are none which will give them greater satisfaction than Bellisshne d'Hiver, Flemish Bon Ohretien, and Vicar of Wakefield; of the latter there have been some very fine specimens exhibited in the market. Veoeiables. — These continue plentiful. Cabbages do not vary in price fi'om last quotations, ranging from Gd. to Is. per dozen. Cauliflowers furnish a good supply, and some are of excellent quality, which make 2s. Gd. per dozen, but inferior examples are as low as 6d. Brussels Spkouts about Is. 6d. per half-sieve. CoLEWoKTS, Is. to 2s. per dozen bunches. CAKnoTs, of which there are some very fine samples of the Lone/ Surrey and Alttingham, make fi'om 2s. Cd. to C)s. per dozen bunches. Tubnips, Is. to Is. Gd. per dozen bunches. Osions are plentiful and fine, chiefly of the White Spanish, or, as it is sometimes called. Beading sort; they make from 2d. to 4d. per bunch. Scahlet Runners are freely sold at 2s. per half-sieve. Endive is very fine, large, and well-blanched, of the Green Curled variety, andwas selling at from Is. to Is. Gd. per score. Cucumbers continue plentiful, at from 2d. to Cd. and 9d. each. Potatoes are rising in price. Fine Regents cannot be had, well picked and free from disease, under .£7 per ton. Plants and Flowers. — The near approach of winter has banished flowers in pots, and their place is taken by grim, cemetrean-looking " greens," wherewith the Londoners may, for the next six months, adorn their halls and balconies. Of these we may enumerate nice bushy plants of Launtstinus, Aucuha, Siberian and Chinese Arbor vita, Cotoneaster microphylla and buxi- folia, adorned with red berries, Exmoutli magnolia, and Tree Box. The few Flowers there are consist of Erica hyemalis and gracilis, Trachelimn cceruleum, Sediim Sie- boldii. Primula sinensis, fine, large, fringed varieties, both red and white ; Yellow Pompione Chrysanthemums, and Ivy-leaved Oeraniums. Cut Flowers consist of Oainellias, Ceanothus azureus. Cinerarias, China Boses, Bignonia venusta, Verbenas, Clove Carnations, Snoio- berries. Fuchsias, Heliotropes, and Scarlet Oeraniums. — H. The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad- ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se- cretaries. horticultural shows. Bury St. EuiiirNDS, Nov. 26 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esci.) Caledonian (Inverleith Eow), Edinburgh, Dec. 2. Hampshire, Nov. 18 (Winchester). {Sec. Rev. F. "Wick- ham, Winchester.) London Flokicultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Nov. 0+, 23, Dec. 14+. North London, Nov. 23, Chrysanthemum. South London (Koyal), Nov. 11+, Dec. U+, 36. t For seedlings only. POULTEY SHOWS. Birmingham and Midland Counties, 14th, 1.5th, 16th, and 17th December. Bristol Agricultural, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. {Sec. James Marmont.) Cornwall (Penzance), January 10th, and 11th. {Sees. Eev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. E,odd, Esq.) Dorchester, Nov. 18th. {Sec, G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor- chester.) Honiton, January 12th. {Sec, H. K. Venn.) Winchester, December 1st. {Sees. G. W. Johnson and J. Colson.) PINES: THEIE CULTUP.E. {Continued from page 26.) Our readers will remember that in the preceding papers on this subject the matter was brought up to the point of structures, interior fittings, heating, ventilation, atmospheric moisture, shading, &c. Cultural matters come next, and we must begin with the suclier, which is the favourite mode of propagation. Space will not permit us to indulge in verbose details, neither are they needed ; we may merely observe, that the sucker makes a good plant more speedily than the crowns or gills, and that it takes less room. Those who have dined at public tables in a crowded condition, and have thereby been well elbowed, will readily understand the difference between them ; the crown, in consequence of its highly recurved fohage, is much given to elbowing ; and were our good friend Beaton's Yuccas to produce crowns as well as suckers, ten to one he would prefer the latter, for their habits bear a great resemblance. For the in- formation, of those who do not well understand the technology of horticulture, it may be observed, that the sucker is a reproduction from the root, or lower portion of the stem; the crown, of course, surmounts the fruit, and the gills are little excrescences, which nature, in her sportiveness, causes to assume the character, and, indeed, possess the functions of real plants. Now, as not every one who reads these observations can build a house at once, and plant these suckers out in soil, we will show how these suckers are cultivated in ordinary practice. Of course, they come to hand at various periods under ordinary circumstances — the greatest bulk generally when the fruit is cut. If this happen any time between October and February, many cultivators leave them on the mother plants, termed " stools," in this condition, until February. Many come to hand, however, through other periods, for some plants produce more suckers than it is expedient to have, and as these come at different periods, it is the practice with some to dibble them in the tan at the front of the pit or frame, just like a cabbage plant. Here they will speedily root, and may remain until there are enough to fill a frame, a pit, or a portion of such, or until some re-arrangement of the stock takes place, when it becomes the cultivator to work them in with his system. On tliese occasions they are mostly potted, and if good plants, will require seven-inch pots, well drained. They are now, of course, plunged in a bottom warmth of from 80° to 85°, and henceforth the usual routine of culture is practised They are repotted or shifted, when full of roots, into pots a couple of sizes larger, and thence into their fruiting-pots, when under pot culture ; the period of the last shift being partly regulated by the time the fruit is requu-ed. The latter may generally be expected about nine or ten months from the final shift. Now, if any one about to commence the Hamiltonian system could lay hands on a lot of strong - rooted suckers from these seven-inch pots, they would be just the thing ; they would be purchased at a moderate 68 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OCTOBEB 38. price, compared with fruiting-pknts. Another excellent plan would be to purchase stools as soon after th_ truit is cut as possible, and to plant ibese out at once. And here it is necessary to interpose a few special remarks, for the guidance of those purchasers who are not experienced in Pine-culture. The first is, to beware of insects ; not to receive plants at a gift, if at all in- fested. We are led to these remarks in a more pointed way from the tenor of an enquiry or two lecently addressed to The Cottage G.^rdener ; the querist asking if the crowns of imported fruit would not be a good beginning for one just embarking in Pine-culture? Certainly, such must appear very feasible and eco- nomical in the eyes of the unknowing, but it is both a dangerous and uncalled-for procedure. These crowns are for the most part three-parts killed by the ordeal they have passed ; but even this is not the worst; they may be infested with scale, bug, or other insects ; at least, they are to be regarded with a suspicious eye ; and, moreover, they may not be of the kinds best adapted for a British palate, a British sky, or a British market. Let anyone suggest to a good gardener the introducing a lot of these blistered-looking apologies for a plant amongst his healthy, glaucous - looking Queens or Jamaicas, which, like Coesar's wife, are above suspicion, and they will speedily see his hairs stand-on- end " like quills," &c, No ; if any one feels desirous of trying an experiment in this way, let him make the attempt in some pit or bouse which may never com- promise the general system of Pine-culture. And not only may the crowns or suckers from importations ])rove foul, but those frome home-grown fruit also, altliough the latter is of somewhat rare occurrence now-a-days. An exceedingly jealous eye, must, however, be kept on them, and the best way for those who do not understand Pine-culture, is to employ some experienced gardener to select them. In looking over Mr. Hamilton's notes, in answer to certain enquiries, we find that he strongly recommends old stools wherewith to commence his system. He says : — " Let the beginner commence with old stools, witli one or more suckers on, and plant them out at once. If old stools cannot be had, let the suckers be stuck in at one end of tlie pit, in a compost two-thirds leaf mould, and one-third soil. After tliey have made one foot of growth let them be planted in fresh turf A fourth-part of the bed would b.old the suckers; when well rooted, let them be taken up and laid aside, and their compost can be syiread along the bottom of the bed, and the fresli turf can be laid on the top for per manent planting, and then there is no loss of time." It will be seen here what stress Jlr. H. lays on old stools, which, however, are not always attainable. It so happens, that they are the very tiling tliat most gardeners on the old or pot-system throw away; the only misfortune being, that they are apt to strip away every sucker of any size previously, and in this case, several montlis may be lost — a most important affair. Those about to build should immediately commence a sharp look-out, and, perhaps, the best way would be to offer nurserymen, in Pine-growing districts, a certain value per head, specifying kind, and making tliorouijh cleanliness a sine qua non condition. As to time of planting, that is almost a matter of indifterence. To those determined to build, we say, do so directly, and get the stools all at once, or by instalments, as yon can catch them, good and clean, and at as early a period as possible, only take care that everything is ready to receive them. It will be well here, for the sake of the tyro, to ex- ]ilaiu a few technical terms pertaining to tlie Pine in its various stages. Gardeners, in general, use the following to express the character of their plants ; — Small suckers. Strong suckers. Successions. Strong successions. Fruiting plants. Fruiters. There may be some little modification of these terms, here and there, but such, in the main, express these •_!'ardening conventionalities. Their meaning is as fol- lows:— Small .wkers i.re inferior suckers, or suckers from inferior plants, and are generally under a foot in length (this, however, is dependent on kind), and in di- ameter, at base, a little over an inch. Strong suchers may be characterised as of at least double that strength ; the former, by our potting-men, woidd be put in a five-inch pot, the latter in a seven-inch. When established in their pots, and full of roots, they become successions ; those in the five-inch pots, the ordinary successions; and those in the seven-inch, strong successions ; providing they have been flourishing. We come now to fruiting plants, and these, of course, mean plants prepared to show fruit, although such is not always the case imme- diately. There are certain marks whereby practical men can tell almost to a certainty wliether the fruit has commenced rising, and when in sight it is called "a show." Tlie general character of the plant, just previously, becomes considerably altered ; it looks more compact, the outer leaves cease to elongate, or nearly so, whilst those of the interior advance, and also multiply as they advance. The whole plant, by this time, if robust, will, if pulled by the hand, appear firm in the soil as a stout shrub. Fruiters are those in which the show is com- plete, and this title continues up to the time when they begin to change colour, when they become ripeners — a term which needs no description. Having now brought up the subject to what may be termed a fair beginning, as to cultural matters, we may just suppose a house of the kind built and ready for the soil; and here we may offer an extract from Jlr. Hamil- ton's notes on the subject of soil, and what may be termed subsoil. It was before stated that, according to Mr. Hamilton, "there must be no chamber;" this, it will be seen, saves considerable expense. He uses, however, a good depth of rubble, and thus remarks — " Let the rubble cover the pipes three or four inches, and put three inches below, broken bricks, or boulder stones, &c." And here we may name a matter connected with the height of the building, although somewhat out of place. Mr. H. is for a very Bat pitch in the roof as most good Pine-growers are ; the I'act being, that in very steep roofs the sunlight is apt to be too intense in ex- tremes of weather, and also that air moistm-e is much more speedily dissipated beneath such rooi's — the steep 1 roof being a more rapid transmitter of va]iour in its ascent to the bigliest level than a flat roof; added to this, it is much more diflicult to carry out the interior arrangements necessary for the Pines beneath a steep than a fiat roof Mr. H. wishes to have his Pines almost close to the roof- — nearly in contact with it. He says, " The roof ought to be about three feet from the surface of the soil at front, and about four feet six inches at back." Now. any one about to plan, may just draw two perpen- diculars at the desired distance, representing front and back walls, and, having adopted the proper slope for a roof may just count his way downwards, allowing no more dejitb of walling tbiin is absolutely necessary, and finally throw down u ground lino at what height he pleases, which will amount to this, that he can, after planning the necessary depth of walling, build as much, or as little, above the ground level as he chooses. These things, however, are familiar to most persons; and in speaking of soil, Mr. II. says "twenty indies is deep enough." As to the character of the soil, Mr. H. prefers, where attainable, turf from an old jiasture ; and it will have been observed that he, in anotlier place, speaks of October 2S. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. &0 "fresh tiivf." If the loam, or turf, is heavy — that is to say, too adhesive, or containing too much of the clayey principle — he recommends using " a little decomposed manure, or leaf mould." In another portion of his notes he observes, " If the old pasture turf is not too retentive, I would use no manure." Our readers must not imagine from this, that what is commonly termed a strong loam is to be held in abhor- rence ; but it is difBoult to convey a just idea of what constitutes a loam to persons unpractised in gardening matters. The Cottage Gardener, although notorious for substituting plain English for an ambiguous style, has had, perhaps, more dilBoulty in reiidering the matter of loam familiar to its inexperienced readers, than any other affair, in so small a compass. One thing, however, is evident, that Mr. H. is coveting the organic matter which is so abundant in old pasture soils, and which no compost prepared by hand can possibly imitate. It is not the mere quality alone, it is the me- chanical texture that forms its chief feature ; and whe- ther it be a matter of capillary attraction, its conducting powers as to heat, or its long-continued permeability to atmospheric action, or whether all these are com- bined,— certain it is, that for many horticultural purposes we cannot find a substitute for this precious material. For other remaining cultural matters we must refer the reader to subsequent papers, in the conclusion of which we shall doubtless have some discrepancies to reconcile, some errors to correct; and those interested in this rising taste, fancy, demand— call it what you like — will do well to watch the subject to its close. R. Ebringion. VISIT TO CLAREMONT. I INTENDED to visit the great Rose nurseries this autumn, to see the perpetual Roses in bloom, and to hear the gossip of the day about Roses in general, but the weather turning out so wet in September must have spoiled the bloom ; therefore I gave them up for the present, and went to see some good public and private gardens, and a few nurseries instead. I have often seen Claremont for the last twenty years, but not so late as this — tlie end of September — and I never yet left it without a string of fresh ideas. On this occasion, I found them in the midst of great improvements and alterations in the forcing ground, and busily finishing up the housing of half-hardy plants, which they grow to very lai-ge sizes, and in the summer they arrange them in pairs, singly, or in groups, in different parts of the flower-garden, and in the pleasure-ground, with the pots plunged quite out of sight in most cases ; and this is a style of gardening which is carried out at Claremont better than at any other place that I am acquainted with. Indeed, all the house plants here may be said to be specimens, even to the plants from which they cut sweet-scented leaves and twigs for the nosegays, and the old and fancy Geraniums they force in the spring, for cut flowers, are all in great pots, and the plants look as if they were many years old, from their size, but in their aspect they appear as if their youth was renewed from year to year. By this system, the produce is often doubled from the same space of house or pit room, and with less risk to the plants, and less expense in looking ! after them. I Some of the specimens in the orchid-house are the largest in this country, and no part of Europe can boast of a pair of larger orchids than the two match I plants, Zygopetalum Mackmji, here. I know of no place where the Cactus, or Epipliyllum tnmoatus, has attained such a size, as in one of the stoves or intermediate stove, grafted here on the, I believe, Pereskia aculeata. Here also the Beaumontia grandiflora flowers as abun- dantly as at Shrubland Park, or with our correspondent " Devoniensis." The Eupliorhia jacquiniflora is also very lai'ge, some of the young shoots being from three to five feet long, and when in full bloom, what a splendid wreath the tops of two of the shoots would make, placed in this feshion — one from behind each ear, with the points or tops meeting in the centre of the forehead, and then passing each other about two inches or rather more ; to these add four more tops, same size as the first two, and form the six into a star, and my word for it, you would conquer the French President himself, in one night, as sure as ever his uncle was overcome at Waterloo. But, instead of attending to ball-rooms, we are to see how they are going to provide more room for their greenhouse specimens at Claremont. The old, long house in the forcing ground, once called the " the succulent house," and afterwards tlie " greenhouse," is no more, and on its site is placed a specimen house, hard upon a hundred feet long, and fourteen feet wide ; a broad walk down the middle, to enable them to pass up and down with huge bushes in pots, &c., and a stage on each side, much better than a slate stage, and quite as durable, and drained on the same principle as a garden- pot; thus, a succession of brick arches run along each side, with facings or kirbs next the walk, and a little higher than the crown of the arches. Now, the spaces between the arches are filled up, first with brickbats, then with rough cinders, and a finishing coat of finely- sifted coal-ashes, the wdiole on both sides being quite flat and level. Provision is made for letting ofl' the drainage from between the arches into a drain. With this kind of stage the house can be kept very dry in winter, and as wet in summer as they clioose to make it, without wetting the walk at all ; and see what room there is for stowage under the arches. The house is to be heated with hot water, and the same boiler will heat it, and ranges of pine and other pits close by. When the whole is finished, and well proved, I shall ask for the drawings, and some of the specifications, for our pages. All the Pines are grown and fruited here in pits, and they fruit them very extensively every year; the plants look remarkably stout and healthy, with short, thick, and broad leaves — always a sure sign of well-to- do ; yet Mr. Malleson says the French beat us out-and- out in the culture of tlie Pine, and that they get one- fourth more weight of fruit from a given space than we do. He was in France this summer, and saw tine Pines fruiting in No. 32 pots. He told me, also, that there is as great demand there for British gardeners now, as was in England once for Scotch gardeners, but for want of a knowledge of keeping accounts in the French way, and not knowing even the rudiments of the French tongue, our young men are not qualified for the Con- tinent. The Orapes have also been equally fine this season, chiefly Black Hamburghs, and Canon Hall Muscats. Some of the bunches were a foot long, and the berries particularly large and well flavoured. The vines are pruned on the spur-system, and as soon as the leaves drop off in the autumn. The Cornelian Cherry-tree [Cornus mascula variegata) was in ripe fruit, trained horizontally against a south wall. I never saw this plant so treated before, nor with ripe fruit on it; the fruit is very handsome, and good to eat; it is blunt at both ends, about the size of a small plum or sloe, and of a rich deep claret colour. This kind of Coi-nel is, therefore, a fit subject for a conser- vatory-wall, where no glass or artificial heat is used ; and to get rid of the kitchen-garden idea, the plant should not be trained horizontally like a pear, but in the fan manner. The flowers of Cornus mas, as some people call it, are of no account — yellow little starry things in clusters, but they come very early in the spring before the leaf In another part of this garden there is an old plant 60 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OOTOBEK 28. that is hardly kno-mi among gardeners, yet it is an excellent one for a small garden; it is ten feet high, and looksjust as if it was a cross seedling between an ash and a walnut, and the fruit is like a walnut, but is winged. Where the Aihinthiis glandulosa would be too large this would be a good substitute. The name is Pterocarpa Caucasica. Most of the species and varieties of Conifers have been planted here, but the new ones are not yet of a size to attract much attention. Deodars twelve feet high ; Grijptomeria japonka ten feet, and as much in diameter at the bottom; Pinus insignh about ten feet; fine plants of Cunningliamia lanceolata fi'om twelve to fourteen feet; Ciipressus macrocarpa eight to ten feet, and, being seedlings, grow up as straight as the Lom- bardy poplar ; very iine examples of Cujoressus torruJosa from ten to fourteen feet. A large plant of Wistaria covers 130 feet of a wall ten feet high, and one of Cldnanthns grandiflonis eighteen feet of the same wall, and seeds freely every year ; and as this is one of the most difficult of our hardy plants to increase by layers, this seed ought to be looked after wherever they ripen, as every garden, how- ever small, ought to have one for supplying its deli- ciously scented flowers during the winter. The moment I entered the garden I noticed a ncip Jiower-hed a good way oft", but of wliat flowers it was made up, D. Beaton could not tell on the instant. It was a lucky hit by Mr. Malleson, and one that any planter can imitate, and much easier than the shot-silk bed, of which I have not seen a single instance this season that was not a complete failure. This new bed was made with the old rose-scented Geranium (Pelar- gonium graveolcns), mixed with the Verbena, Robinson s Defiance. It was a large circle, and the Geranium was quite thick all over the space; and very likely few other Verbenas could stand so much smothering, for I could hardly see a leaf of the Defiance, but the bloom was as regular aud thick as if there was no Geranium in the bed, aud well up above the leaves, making the deception complete a short way off. Mr. Mallesou told me that the Beautii Supreme Verbena — a pinkish variety, as stj'ong as Deflauce, or nearly so— planted in the same way with Mangles' Variegated Oeranium, is equally effective ; but these variegated Geraniums, and all the more delicate sorts, were potted and housed befm-e I called. It happens very luckily, that every one who is fond of plants likes these two Geraniums — the one for tbe scented leaves, and the other as the best of all the old variegated Geraniums. Instead, therefore, of planting out the Rose-scented Geraniums, as at present, in all soi'ts of out-of-the-way places, merely to keep it going, or about the doors, to be rubbed and sniS'ed at on your going in or out; a bed may be made of it, or a large basket may be legally filled with it on the open lawn ; and the scarlet Verbena will look more showy over the dark green and jagged leaves of the Rose-scented than in the more natural way, without tlie help of the Gera- nium. Now, I would advise, at once, a diligent search to be made for all the Rose-scented Geraniums that were planted out tliis season, so as to come in for a bed next year ; we shall want plants, at any rate, for 20,0U0 or 25,000 of it next May, and therefore wo cannot afford to lose the old plants ; besides, it is ten to one if young plants sti'uck next spring will answer so well as old ones, because the soil at Claremont is so favourable to the growth of this tribe, that they come to an enormous size by the autumn, aud yet this last bed did not apjiear to be a leaf too strong at the very end of September. The plants, in another large bed, of Diadematum rubes- cens, a very moderate grower, were, on an average, two feet high, and some of them double that in diameter. I never saw such a siglit before. I never could get it to grow above a foot at Shrublaud ; and at Kew, this season, it did not even cover the ground at the begin- ning of October, although it was planted as thick as usual. I saw another contrivance, a new move, which looked lemarkably gay — a row of Black-eyed Susans, or Tlmnhergia alata, seventy-two feet loug, from four to five feet high, and a yard through at the bottom, right out in the open air in front of some hothouses, but tbev were planted about four feet from the wall, and were staked just like so many Sweet Peas. They all looked as healthy and as full of flowers and seeds as ever any Sweet Peas did. There were three Idnds of them mixed ; but the white one — the real Black-eyed Susan of our impy days — looked the best. The wonder is that they escaped the red spider at tbe beginning of July, for naturally they grow much in tbe shade ; and in-doors they do better trained up a dark, damp, back wall than full in the sun. To try this experiment, get a shilling's worth of mixed seeds ; sow them in any light, rich soil, quite thick, about the miiddlo of March, or, at least, before the month is out ; place the pots in a brisk cucumber bed; and when tbe seedlings are two inches high, top them by nipping off the very points; and as soon as fresh shoots come out they are fit for potting, when they ought to have very rich, light soil, and to be put three in a pot of thi'ce inches over, unless the crop is scanty, when one plant will be enough for a pot. Never allow them to get above six inches high wliile they are in heat; that is the grand secret; as, when the pots are quite full of roots, and are put into cold frames by tbe end of April, they will make a strong push all from the bottom, and the foundation is then laid without forcing them. By tbe third week in ilay, they will stand the open an all day, aud the light to be drawn over them in cold nights. As soon as tbe weather is mild and settled in Juno, plant them out in the very richest compost you can make with very rotten dung, leaf mould, fresh turfy loam, and a kindly aspect, and allow them abundance of water as soon as they take to the soil. Any one who can grow celery will find no difficulty with these, only they must not be planted in trenches ; but if a space like a celery trench was pre- pared for them, then filled in with good stuff, and the balls planted entire on the top, yon would have them as good as they were at Claremont with half that trouble. In the centre of the garden were four beds of mixed Portulaccas, and each bed would need some hundreds of plants; they must have been most gorgeous earlier in the season, for even now, after a month's rain, they were not amiss, and there was not a blank in any of the beds. Mr. Malleson told me that in some parts of France they grow them by the thousand, aud (hey do so well, that one can hardly look at them in the middle of tbe day ; and, in the same gardens, the Plumbago Larpentie is one mass of light blue all through the autumn, and the best mass plant they had from us for years. A double crop of flowers is got hero from that beau- tiful, dark, purplisli-blue Deljdiinium, or Larkspur, called Barlowii, by cutting the whole plant down to the ground as soon as the flowers begin to fade in June, and, after awhile, giving some good soakings of water to tlio bed. The second bloom was in its prime when I called. A very large bed in one part of tbe garden is every ye.ir full of Hgdrangeas in bloom, as regularly as a bed of tulips; the plants being treated as biennials struck from cuttings, and ]ihinted out to nurse tbe first year, and in this flower-bed tbe year following. I knew, for many years, that the Amaryllis helladona was better managed at Claremont tlian elsewhere, aud I made a point of asking about it particularly on this occasion, and I found a whole row of it in front of a long row of hothouses in full bloom, and every root or October 28. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 61 Lulb in the row appeared to be exactly of the same strength, for, out of the whole, there was not a single stem an inch above or below the average height ; they all stood as upright and regular as a regiment in single file, which I took to be a high compliment to the royal owner — His Majesty the King of the Belgians, to whom Dv. Herbert dedicated his large work on the Amaryllids. Mr. Malleson takes up all the roots every sixth year, in the mouth of June, divides them, aud, after renewing the border with fresh earth, replants them in single line, 'placing the bulbs six inches below the surface, and nine inches apart, and about fourteen inches from the wall ; behind them, and within three inches of the wall, he has a full row of mixed Ixias now in leaf, three inches high, and none of them receive any protection whatever, save what tlie leaves of the Belladona alibrd. These Jx'tas are also allowed to increase and multiply for six years, then are taken up, divided, and the strongest roots put in again three inches deep, and they do as well as Crocuses. There was not a single gap or failure in either of the rows. Patches of both kinds are left in another border to take their chance, without being ever disturbed, as a lesson for the young gardeners to see the necessity of a regular course of culture for bulbs that would seem to most people to do well enough without any care whatever. There were other evidences in this garden of a desire to " teach the young ideas how to shoot," in cases where the requirements of the establishment did not seem to want such things. I also saw a new plan for getting nice young flower- ing plants of the new Jasininum nudljiorum for winter- flowering in small pots. 'J'his tiowers in winter on the young wood made during the previous summer, and stools of it are planted out on a rich border, fi'om which long shoots rise every year, and when the growth is nearly finished they are layered in small pots, where they soon loot, and are then fit for the purpose required. D. Beaton. SHOWING OFF PLANTS IN ROOMS. GROWING PLANTS IN ZINC VESSELS. After the article on floral boudoirs, to which myself and readers are indebted to the inquiries of a corres- pondent, some complaints have reached me, that I and others would throw cold water over the attempt to grow Ijlants in windows and rooms, and thus deprive many of one of the sweetest pleasures that it is possible to rea- lize. Sorry should I be that such an effect should be for a moment felt. The conservatory boudoir attached to the mansion would yield an amount of refined interest which plants in living rooms can but rarely evolve; still, the advantages of a floral boudoir may, in some measure, be realized, even in living rooms, by concen- trating in one particular part all that is blooming and lovely — a measure which it is often needful and advis- able to adopt, Avhen, owing to peculiar circumstances, the proprietors will have their showy plants brought for short periods to the house to inspect them there, even though the idea should be felt, that the plants and their accompaniments are not quite in character witli the elegant furniture surrounding them. To counteract this impression, I have recommended ornamental artistic pots for such situations, showing, from experience, with iron, porcelain, and china, as well as with common earthenware, burnt hard, or painted on the outside, that the popular trade error in favour of soft greasy pots was rather more than a delusion. In addition to this, it was recommended that, instead of having numbers of orna- mental pots of a miniature character scattered about, it would he better to use common small pots for growing, aud then to concentre a number of these into orna- mental vases or boxes, covered over the surface with green moss, and with a contrivance below to receive all the extra waterings, which otherwise might find its way into the room. In the case of an elegant box or basket, lined with zinc inside, this receptacle for water may be supplied in the shape of a drawer, waterproof, near the base line of the box. In vases, the lower pedestal should open for a similar purpose. It is an easy matter to make such a pedestal of wood, and with paint and sand it is as easy to make it resemble the vase, however orna- mental. Still, after all this was done, either in our own case, or that of our friends, there seemed to be something wanting to make up a sum total of agreeableness. If the flowers stood near the window, the want of a retiect- ing back-ground was at once felt. If they were placed farther in the room — at its centre, or near its side — not only was the want of a suitable natural back-ground felt, but the colour of the paint or papering of the room often made the plants look interiorly difi'erent from what they did in their more appropriate homes. Now, the remedy for this would seem to be almost intuitive ; very simple, indeed, when once named ; and some of our clever contemporaries may have adopted various modes for counteracting the deficiency ; but I confess I have S3en or heard of no method so simple, and so likely to prove effective, as that practiced by Mr. Fleming, at Tientham — a place which every one fond of, or engaged in gardening, should, if possible, visit, whether his saperinteudance extends to a few yards or an expanse of acres ; wliether his views are mostly bounded by his Vv-indow p'auts, or his mind rather delights to revel among the vexed questions of building, heating, glass- walling, &c., so characteristic of the day. Well, in going round, close to the mansion we came on some elegant boxes, seemingly of mahogany or stained wood, with a trellis formed of rods of similar wood, fixed to one side, say the haclc of the box. The box itself was divided into three compartments — two small ones, one at each end, and a larger in the middle — each furnished with separate vessels, shaped like the box, and thus easily set in and removed at pleasure. In the two smaller compartments, at the ends. Ivy was planted, and trained over the trellis, thus furnishing a beautiful back-ground. The largest centre division was reserved for flowering-plants, turned out of pots, or grown as hereafter to be mentioned. I forget the sine of the boxes, say somewhere from three to four feet long, from one to one-and-a-quarter wide, and from nine to twelve inches deep, and the trellis from three to four feet in height, to be tall enough just to reflect the beauty in rooms of such gorgeous plants in winter as PoinseUia ji'-ilclierrima, Euphorbia Jacquinijiora, &c., of which there seemed to be great abundance of fine, young, healthy plants. The size of the boxes is of less importance, as our amateur friends, when once they take the matter up, will vary the size of the boxes, and the height of the trellis, according to the plants they wish to show off. One box might thus have several trellises ready to put ofl' and on at pleasure ; and even the vege- tation on the trellis might be changed, to suit the size and colour of the flowers, by keeping plants growing and trained in pots, or, better still, in vessels suited to the destined compartment. If well managed and trained previously, there would be little difliculty in fixing them to the ornamental trellis. My mind instantly reverted to many plants as suitable for this purpose, such as the Vinca viajor (the Periwinkle) for large plants, and the Vinca minor, in its various forms of green, white-varie- gated, and silver-variegated, for low-flowering plants. So far as I recollect, Mr. Fleming seemed to have used the Ivy exclusively, and that he had found it to stand room-treatment well, with the advantage he gave it of not exposing it too much when first bringing the boxes 63 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 2S. out, and then giving them a good breathing-time out- of-doors. But, as bearing not merely on tliis suhjeet, but on ornamental pot-gardening, however used, Mr. Fleming mentioned a fact which is -well worthy of being more generally tested — namely, that he found plants to flourish better in «!;i(; I'cs-sf/s than in any other he had tried. He considered that, from the conjunction of the earth, water, and air, with the zinc, a galvanic action was promoted, in which the plants delighted. Now, I had frequently sown all manner of seeds, and inserted nearly all kinds of half-hardy cuttings into worn-out zinc evaporating pans, flat, and also with round bottoms, and though the things did well enough, I never noticed anything particular about them — in fact, I never made any note on the subject at all. As "seeing is believing," Mr. Fleming took us to see plants so growing; among others, he pointed out oblong boxes, with two or three Poinsettias growing in them, just of the si^e to lit into the ornamental boxes, with attached trellis above re- ferred to ; and certainly, in contrasting them with their neighbours in pots — and those in pots enjoying indi- vidually rather more room and soil, and every other circumstance in common — if there was a shade of difl'er- ence where all were liealthy, the zinc-potted plants had a deeper, blacker green in the foliage. Now, the above fact is one that many a man might have got gold by in the ancient days of exclusiveness. Wliatever may be made of it by the trade, and we sober-sided, stand-still practicals, as our more theoretical-progression friends at times call us, it opens up a iine idea for the amatein of refined and artistic tastes. I cannot say how long zinc will last when used for such purposes, as certain waters are apt to corrode it ; but, at any rate, it is not so liable to injury as either pots or china vases; it is light, thin, easily moved tlierefore, and easily inserted inside of other vessels, and requires but little ingenuity in the workman to bend and twist it into all manner of classic and artistic shapes; and as it is cheap, and may be coloured at will, it may thus be instrumental, either as smaller or larger-sized vessels, for banishing the red earth pots from the windows of our cottage orriees. In opposition to the maxim, that " prices rise with the demand," I believe, in this and many other instances, that prices would be moderate in proportion to the numbers of the article wanted. A beginning liere may soon lead to greater improvements in our utensils for plant culture. E. Fish. TALL LOBELIAS. ( Concluded from page 45.) In my last paper on these plants I described the mode of raising them by seed. The next head is raising them hy slips or cuttings, and it is a fortunate circum- stance that they are easy to progagate that way, so that any one possessing two or three plants may soon have quite a stock. The time fortius operation is in autumn, just before the plants go out of flower. Frequently they will pro- duce on the flower-stems short leafy shoots— these make the very best cuttings. Also the flower-stem itself may be cut into short lengths, that is, with two buds or joints. The lower joint should have the leaf cut off, and the upper one should have the leaf belonging to it pre- served. The pots for these cuttings should be well drained, and filled with rich light soil, well pressed down, with a thin covering of fine silver-sand on the surface. Whilst the cuttings are being gathered and made, give tlie pots so filled a gentle watering, which will settle the sand, and make it firm by the time the cuttings are ready. With a smooth stick, about as thick as a good quUl, plant the cuttings round the pots close to the edge, turning the leaves so that they may point in- wards ; they may then be set closer together without interfering with each other. Press the cuttings firnil}- to the pot side, and fill up the holes with a little more sand, then give a gentle watering, and place them in a gentle heat, or, where there is such a convenience, in a regular propngating house. They will root in a shady part of a greenhouse, but not so certainly or quickly. As soon as they form roots they should be potted ofl' into three-inch pots, and be allowed to remain in heat for a fortnight or tliree weeks; then place them near the glass in the greenhouse, till they have filled the pots with roots, when they may be allowed to go to rest, but should be kept just moist enough to prevent them losing their roots through the winter. If well managed, about the ivionth of March they will begin to grow again, and will form fine plants for flowering that year. Bij Diiision. — Where room is scarce, and the kinds plentiful, this mode of increase is the least trouble. As soon as they have done flowering, cut down the flower- stems and take up out of the bed or border a number of plants; reduce the ball of earth, and pot them into as small pots as the plants can be got into .without crushing. Place them either in a greenhouse or a cold frame, well protected from frost; give water about once a month in case they should be very dry, or if they have been grown in pots, as soon as the bloom is over, cut down the flower-stems, and place them in the same situation through winter. When the wai-m days of spring arrive, several shoots will be seen springing round the centre of the plants. As soon as that is perceived they may be divided at once. Take a pot in that condition, turn the plants out of it, and shake a large portion of the soil away ; then with a sharp knife divide the shoots from each other, preserving some roots to each division, and one or two young shoots; pot them into as small pots as they can be got into without crowding the roots. Place them near the front glass of a good greenhouse, or in a frame kept close and warm till the plants begin to grow, then give plenty of air, and a fresh potting as soon as they have filled the pots with roots. This is the conclusion of my remarks on propagating these fine flowers. I find I have incidentally included under this head that of uintering the plants, and in con- sequence need not repeat it, but commence now with The Soil. — To grow these plants well in pot is an important point in culture. When Lobelia fiilgens was first introduced, a very clever gardener, now no more, a Mr. Hedges, gardener to the Earl of Mansfield, at Caen Wood, was very successful in growing and blooming them. The soil in which be cultivated them was a very rich one, consisting of loam, peat, and well-rotted cow dung. This grew tlie plants very strong with plenty of foliage, but not so much bloom as we require now-a- days. The soil that I have found to answer best is turfy-loam, peat, and leaf mould, in equal ])arts. This gives a sufficiently strong growth, and the plants flower more abundantly. To sustain and bring out the bloom, I give, as soon as the flower-stems have decidedly ap- peared, a weak solution of manure-water every third time they require moisture. General management and preparing for Exhibition. — The general management consists in re-potting several times during the earlier months of the year. This causes the plants to continue growing strong for the time, and enables them to throw up several strong flowering-stems to each. Watering — Tho Lobelia is a water-loving plant, and therefore, to grow it well water should be given liberally. When tho plants have received their last shift into the blooming-pots, nine inches in diameter, and these ]>ots are filled with roots, it will be found advisable to place pans under each pot, to catch the water that passes through the pots, but it must be allowed to dry vip sometimes. OCTOBER 28. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 03 The place to grow them should either bo a dee]) pit or on the stage of a greenhouse. To prevent accidents, it is desirable to place a small stick, jiainted green, to each flower-stem, tying them rather slackly witli soft matting. These sticks may remain till the plants arrive at the place of e.\hibition, when they should all be removed, e.\.cepting the centre one. The stems should be strong enough to keep their position. Each stem should bear a long spike of flowers, seven or eight of which should be in bloom at the time ; each bloom should consist of petals that are broad and highly-coloured, whether the colour is scarlet, purple, or blue. The best number, or at least a sufficient number for a stand, will be six. That number will include all the best varieties at present known, but if a greater variety is raised, the number may be raised. Lastly, Hijhridizing, in order to improve the varieties. This is done in the usual way, that is, by cutting away all the anthers from one flower before the pollen cases burst, and applying the pollen from some other variety, possessing qualities desirable to add to those possessed by the one to bear seed. The flowers thus hybridized should be protected from bees and other insects by a covering of fine net muslin. T. Appi.eby. JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. {Continued from puije 4-i.) In the course of my journey I visited the ancient town of Cownin/, famous for the somewhat apocryphal history of the Lady Godiva and Peeping Tom. There happened to be an Exhibition of Plants, Fruits, and Vegetables that day, and I was much gratified to see so many good things on the tables. The gardener at Lord Leigh's, of Stoueleigh Abbey, had good well-bloomed plants of Allamanda cathartica, Stephanotis Jiorabunda, Pleroma elegans, and others. The fruit was also respectable, and the vegetables excellent. It is delightful to observe, at country exhibitions, the very excellent vegetables produced by cottagers : it was especially so to myself, having been so long connected with awork partly devoted to their instruction ; and I do not know a more accept- able and useful present to an industrious, hard-working cottager than the first two volumes of The CoTT.iOE G.4EDENER. On the same day, I had a great treat in visiting the gardens at Kearshij House, three miles from Coventry, belonging to the Rev. ilr. Thickens. Mr. Craddock is the gardener. There I saw a noble specimen of that beautiful fir the Picea Welbiana, a handsome tree with all the branches symmetrically arranged, and not one in the least injured by frost. I may venture to say this is the finest specimen in England. It was full sixteen feet high, and ten feet through. It is planted on the lawn in front of the house, which stands on a considerable eleva- tion. The garden is sheltered on the north and west sides. The subsoil is a kind of shaly rock, with a thick coating of good loam upon it. These circumstances, no doubt, were favourable to the growth of such ConiferEe as are rather tender, like the one I am describing. There was also a thriving specimen of that fine tree the Abies Douglassii, twenty feet high and twelve feet through. This specimen was also perfect ; — not a branch was want- ing to destroy its symmetry. Abies Menziezii had reached twenty feet high and ten feet through. The lowest tier of branches reached to the ground, and were regularly disposed up to the last produced tier, forming a truly unique, handsome specimen. Gupressus macrocarpa, or Lambertiana, was twelve i'eet high, and a fine, well- clothed-with-branches specimen. There were also thriv- ing trees of Gnjptomeria japonica, Cedrus Deodara, eighteen feet high ; Arauoaria imbricata, and a very green tree of Arauoaria OunningJiamii, perfectly healthy ; besides many others, more common and of less note, belonging to tliis tribe. In another part of the grounds I observed a good healthy tree of Benthanua fragifera. I was informed that tliis tree had not as yet fruited. On the rock-work, which is rather extensive, there was a good collection of Biitish Ferns; and in the garden where the glass-houses are, I observed good plants of Heaths and New Holland plants. Tlie place altogether is not very extensive, but is kept in excellent order throughout. I am sure any lover of rare and beautiful, healthy, Coniferaj, as well as other plants, would be as much pleased as I was to view so many unique speci- mens in so small a place. It is a beautiful drive from Coventry, which is the nearest point by railway to it. The neighbourhood of Coventry abounds with gentle- men's seats, which are well worthy of spending two or three days in seeing them, especially Sioneleigh Abbey, about four miles from Coventry. This place, with respect to gardening, is undergoing considerable alteration. Mr. Nesfleld has laid out, in his peculiar style, a new terrace garden, and a large new conservatory is just finished, but not filled with plants, at least it was not when I was there. The present owner seems to be a very kindly-hearted man. The day I visited the place he had a large number of poor children at the hall, and was giving them a feast. Never did I see a happier or merrier group of children ; the lord and lady were quite as happy, and as harmlessly merry as the young urchins they were entertaining. It was, we understood, the second birth-day of the young heir that occasioned the holiday. It is such kindness that endears our aristo- cracy to their dependants. May such kind-hearted nobles increase to render the poor happy and contented. The kitchen gardens are extensive, and also improving. In one new house I noted a large number of vines in pots to be fruited therein ; they were almost as strong as those on the rafters ; the wood was ripening beauti- fully, and they will, no doubt, bear a plentiful crop next year. A span-roofed lofty vinery had been at one end replanted, and the vines were growing strongly. This kind of vinery is rather common, but I know none that shows off the vine so beautifully. On the road to Stoneleigli Abbey is Styvecliale Hall, the seat of G. Gregory, Esq. The gardens here are improving much under the fostering care of Mr. John Ashton; and a little distance ofl' is Whitleg Abbey, be- longing to the Hon. Mrs. Hood. This is a very ancient place. I was much pleased with the rock-work here, which is not artificial ; the natural rock has been bared to a great extent, and planted with deep rock shrubs and herbaceous plants, and is the most unique thing of the kind I have seen. T. Appleby {To be conftnued.) "WINTERING CAULIFLOWER PLANTS. It is generally admitted that the production of early Cauliflowers, in conjunction with that of Peas, forms the line of demarcation between the winter and the summer products, which in each the garden may be expected to furnish; and it seldom happens that the Cauliflower, under ordinary circumstauces, can be brought into bearing immediately the last Brocoli of the season goes out, an interval of a few days (certainly not more than a week) occurs before this important vegetable takes its place. Now, though it is well known that Brocoli (or Cauliflower either) will keep a few days hung up in a cool place, if not too much stripped of leaves, yet it is always advisable to arrange the planting and other con- ditions, so that the succession may be such as to dis- pense with the " preservation system" as much as pos- sible, more especially so at a period when vegetation is so much oil the alert as to act in an inverse ratio with G4 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. OCTODER 28. tbe keeping qualities of tlio avLicIc ia quesliou ; now, in order to have Cauliflowers as early in tlie summer as possible, means must be takeu to Ibrward their growth in such a mauner as to ensure their arriving at maturit}' in the shortest possible time, as iu the case cl' many other things, the attempt to accomplish this sometimes leads to an opposite extreme. The rearing of plants too early in autumn causes them to attain a sort of matured growtli sooner than they ought to do, and the consequence is, they present us with their pre- mature heads long before ihey have attained that size which is requisite for their usefulness. This is what is called "buttoning," and is just exactly wliat the skilful cultivator tries to avoid. Now, though we have occa- sionally had such mishaps, aud every one who tries to have his produce early must e.\pect some of the plants to run thus prematurely to head, yet the fewer of such useless productions the better, and the only way to pre- vent its happening, is not to sow too soon, while to delay that duty too long is attended with risks from anotlier quarter ; — the young plants, unable to stand the rigour of winter, either perish, or if they live, cannot possibly come in early ; but as all this has been explained, I will suppose that a seed-bed, well furnished with robust plants, is just waiting to bo planted out. A w-ell sheltered bolder facing tlie full south, but de- fended on all other sides, should be dug and manured, adding as much mortar-rubbish as can be had, to expel the slugs and other enemies that may be lurkiug there. This ground must then be measured off in such a way as to give space for the tops of the hand-lights being taken off, and still afford room to walk through and examine them as required. The common sized square hand-light will hold nine plants, which, after planting, may be covered up a few days to assist them in foi'miug roots, and other- wise establishing themselves ; after which they may be gradually uncovered, so as finally to inure them to the cold air, wlien the tliermometer is not too much below the freezing point. A mild, dull season, encouraging an unhealthy growth, is at variance with the plant's preser- vation when severe weather docs set in ; fortunately it often happens that very sharp frosts are preceded by more or less of cold cliilly weather, which hardens the plant so that it endures the frost with less injury tlian if a severe frost suddenly followed an open mild season. Though there are various modes of obtaining early Cauliflfflwers, this old-fashioned one may still be regarded as the best; but another way is to have a quantity of plants potted, which being partly protected and partly forced, are planted out in March, on some well-prepared situation, as under a south wall ; yet it does not always happen that such are the earliest after all, and when the extra trouble is taken into account, the odds lie certainly on the side of planting under hand-lights; or, if they be wanting, a common iVame may be placed in such a, situation, and filled with plants, which, being treated exactly the same as the above, may be thinned iu spring, and the residue left to grow where standing. It very often happens that both frames and hand- lights are required to protect tlie necessary number of plants that are wanted in spring; and, iu fact, if frames be not wanted for anything else, it is better to appro- priate them to this purpose than allow them to remain idle. Now, in addition to the above modes, many tem- porary ones are made use of with equal success. A bed is made and surrounded with rough slabs, sticks are hooped over it, and a few longitudinal ones being added, mats or other covering are thrown on in hard weather ; and witli this purpose iu view tlie size and shape of the bed is made in acordauce with its covering. In a niikl winter, aud in the south of England, they will but seldom want covering up ; but, in more bleak districts, this will be more wanted : in the latter case, a greater breadtli ouglit to be planted under glass, if possible; and, in very severe weather, that will be the better for a little covering up, if snow does not afloct that purpose. J 11 the general management of plants iu )>ositions as above, it is to bo understood tliat a robust growth is to be encouraged, rather than a delicate, tender one. A little frost ought never to hurt liiem, which it assui-edly woidd, were they nursed iu a temperature more suited for geraniums; in the latter case, the elon- gated leaves, and the general development of the plant at a period at variance with the state of things out-of- doors, renders it very unfit to withstand any amount of hardship. Nothing is better to harden tliis, or any other description of half-hardy plant, than the cold dry- ing winds we sometimes liave in autumn and winter; the cliilliug eft'ects of this suspends all growth that may be active, aud by contracting or sealing-iip those pores, which, iu a more excited state, rendered the plant liable " to catch cold," by every cold draught, inures it to that condition in wliich its constitutional hardihood is put to a i'air, yet not severe, test. Wlien hard weather really does set in, it is better to open tlie frames or hand- lights a little, to allow the damp atmosphere to evapo- rate. Lotus suppose a clear sunny afternoon in Decem- ber, or January, whicli we know ofteu betokens a sharp frost ; on such an occasion, let the plants be very much exposed, and when shut in, both they and the grouud tliey occupy will be less charged with moisture than previously ; and if even a little crispy stifiuess from frost has caught liold of them, they are no worse, pro- viding they have been properly inured to cold previously; with this care they may be covered up for several days, if a succession of severe weather forbids their being opened; as by being partly chilled, or shall wo say " benumbed"? the active powers of vegetation, as well as of decay, are very much checked : tbe latter being hardly less important than the former. Care, of course, must be takeu in re-opening them to the currents of cold air, but the dull weather that usually ibllows the "breaking up of a storm" facilitates tliat; everything being done iu tlie mean time to gradually accustom them again to full exposure. By attending to these simple rules, the amateur wOl be able to carry his plants through tbe winter with that degree of robust health which is the only safeguard to a successful issue. J RonsoN. ALLOTMENT FARMING.— Novembek. At last we are aiiived at that pait of the year- when the vegetable kingdom, for the most pni't, sinks into a state of repose — a not less wondrous provision of Almiglity God than that cheering activity aud exuberance exhibited in the garden and the iield during the spring and summer. By this annual repose, the exhausted soil is enabled to lay in a store of the necessary gases, or qualities derived from the atmosphere; a gi'eat proportion of the insect tribes, which otherwise would accumulate in a most destructive degree, are destroyed ; and, iu addition, the earnest cidtivator is enabled to cany out improvements connected with the staple of the soil mthout loss of time in regard of crop- ping. To the latter point we would duect especial attention. Wc never saw a plot of ground yet but that soraetliing might be done for it still in the dormant season — something to increase its value aud efficiency ; and as long as ^\■e liave the pleasure of conducting out-door operations of this kind, we shall aim at no lower a staudiu'd than annually making the land wortli more than it was in tlio preceding year. This may seem a bold standard to assume, but we arc per- suaded tluit ill the majority of cases it is altaiimble. Amongst tbe most solid and lasting iiiiproviMnents, drain- ing may be iioiuted to ; without Ibis, all otlicr appliaucos are lint a wfiste of property. By it, wliere soils are sour, both organic and inorganic matters are brought into phiy that would otherwise remain inactive ; the cultivator is OOTOBEK 28. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 65 enabled to deepen his soil — a most importani, matter at all times, as affonliug continuous nourishment to tlie roots of crops during protracted droughts ; and, in addition, the labourer is enabled to work his soil with half the trouble. But one of the most important features connected with draining remains to be pointed to — we mean the increase of ground warmth. Our labouring friends, who are more familiar with the spade than the pen, may tliinlc this a tritle, and may stare when we tell them, that not only the gar- deners' pine-apples and cucumbers require a bottom-heat, but that it is beneficial in a high degree to most of our ordinary crops. To say that a given plot of ground, five degrees of warmth in advance of an adjoining plot of equal extent and quality, will produce earlier vegetables, is to afflrni what needs little consideration ; but we go a step farther, and aflirm that it wUl produce more abimdantly. Providence has so ordained it, that the ground heat over most of the habitable parts of the globe is some two or three degrees higher than the air heat, taking the averages ; so that means taken to increase the ground warmth are not so artificial a proceeding as would at first siglit appear. Next to draining, we regard the improvement of the staple the most important matter, and one, of necessity, facilitated by the former. However, we wordd not rest content with that amelioration which proceeds as a mere consequence, but carry matters farther. It only requires to appropriate a Uttle of the beer-shop money and time to such matters ; not that we suppose, by any means, that many of our readers in humble life are in the habit of thus squandering their time, although we do know that sucli chai'acters are to be fomid in all countries ; long may they form the exception. We have not space here to go into details of advice con- cerning " staple improvements," but may merely point to the fact, that lime-rubbish, and cinder- ashes, burnt moor soil, and such like, are W'ell-known improvers of tlie staple of clays ; and that marls, bm'ut clay, ditch or pond scour- ings, jieaty soils, &c., are of much benefit to burning sands ; and lime, strange to say, has been found to benefit both. We must now proceed to examine the position of the allotment or cottage garden, and its crops, stores, &c. And first. Potatoes. — This has been a grievous year as to this in- valuable root ; great have been the complaints, and, we are sorry to say, great the losses. Nevertheless, so great is the breadth planted, that we are assui'ed the country will be pretty well supplied after aU. It appears that the potato has, in these days, a double ordeal to undergo; the first, when the " plague spot " first oven-uns the wliole system of the plant, quite perverting its juices ; the otlier, when the tubers are removed, and, as is too much the case, per- mitted to ferment, by being placed in a considerable body. These are crises in the character of the potato of latter days which deserve a UtUe study. As to the former, all seem alike at fault ; a cure is out of tlie question ; preven- tives are the chief consideration. No man in his senses can doubt — however much or little it can be made to bear on the disease question — that well-preserved seed must lead to better i-esults, iu some form, than neglected or abused seed. We will at once take this for granted, and then the question is : how to preserve seed well ? Common sense teaches the veriest clown, that when a potato has sprouted, pai-t of the virtue or energy is e.xhausted; and that in a state of nature this process takes place in tlie soil ; the conditions almost diametrically opposite. The former, or ai'tificial, con- dition of the tuber being one exposed, perhaps, to a high amount of perspiration or fermentation, and to a capricious medium ; the latter to darkness, and a sort of quiescent state. We merely throw out these observations to set our allot- ment-men tliinking during tlie long winter evenings ; and we advise them to persevere, and not doubt but that the potato will one day be I'estored to them in its original purity, how- ever long the ordeal may be through which it has to pass. Stoee-Koois. — We come here to the general principles of store-root preservation, which are few indeed, and ex- ceedingly simple. These are the points — Dryness. Exclusion of air. Absence of fermentation. A low temperature. As to the first, they can hai-dly be too dry, if the drjuess is accompanied by a very low temperature; if we could select or lay down a pitch, we should say 35° to 40°. Ex- clusion of air is but another term for darkness, which is, indeed, an essential ; and, in general, what promotes the one accomplishes the other. Exclusion from the air pre- vents loss by perspiration; and darkness prevents a tax on the growing tendencies of the crowns of such roots as Blangold, the Swede, I'otatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, &c. Fer- mentation, caused by placing roots in too great heaps, robs them of a considerable amount of both their nutritious and keeping properties ; this is the very bane of many proceed- ings. A low temperature is another important aftair. Scst is Iht: maxim with all these things ; to this end northern aspects must be sought, and other local advantages, taking care that a high and dry situation be selected. No lodg- ment of waters must ever be thought of where roots are stored. Tims much about roots in the lump ; we have not space for detail. We may, however, observe, that it is well with all store-roots to out the crown somewhat " into the quick ; " the growing principle is thereby crippled for a longer period, and, indeed, weakened. Mangold should be immediately got in, the roots scraped with a piece of stick cut to an edge, and housed dry, if possible ; if there is no room in any outhouse, they may be piled, in a dry state, on a piece of high and dry ground, and simply covered nine inches with soil, taking care to sharpen the exterior to a ridge, to throw off rains. Swedes may remain on the ground for another month, for they are very hai'dy; and, as the •Mangold tops are now in use for the pig, &c., the Swede tops may thus be made to succeed them. Parsnips may remain where grown all the winter, unless needed off-hancl. Our practice for many years has been to trim oft' the leaves in the early piart of November, and immediately to manure the ground for the succeeding crop; then to open a trench a good depth at one end of the row, and thus provide for trenching them out as wanted, at the same time ridging the soil ready for the succeeding crop. Land, thus treated, is in fine order the following Blarcli for any crop of import- ance. Carrots will, of course, be stored, as they are tender ; we cut their tops completely to the quick — a plan named twenty years since in Loudon's Magazine, and which we have practised ever since ; it assuredly keeps the roots fresh much longer, and no injury has ever arisen from the jiractice. Cabbage-woets. — We long since explained that this broad term was intended to express all those greens, whether Cabbage or not, which are in these days worked into the general cropping economy — some preferring one kind, some another. If we were in a position to grant allotment land to the industrious, we should assuredly take all the lawful means in our power to persuade or to coax our tenantry to secure a sprinkling of these over all portions of the land occupied by summer crops. We are led to these remarks by observing, in a late northern trip, some of the finest soil " that ever a crow flew over," as our Cheshu'e peasants have it, lying totally idle for the winter, after a crop of rotten potatoes, and this, too, land bringing some three to five pounds per acre. This is really a pity ; the time is not far distant when every pole of English land will require to be kept in high cultivation most of the yeai', in order to keep pace with a stretching population, hungry as the famous Egyptian locusts. Well, aU Cabbage-worts will bring to hand half-decayed leaves, which are useful to the swine, at least; and, as these are removed, advantage may be taken to cultivate between them, both for the sake of the existing crop and its successor. What is termed " soil- iug-up," although condemned by some, is, according to our experience, quite the thing ; it prevents the plants wind- waving; it destroys a crop of weeds ; it admits air to the soil ; and it does more, it causes the plants to root up the stem, thereby rendering them more profitable. PviDGisG. — This was pointed to before ; but as a good tale is none the worse for being twice told, we beg again to refer to it. Our advice, then, is, let every yard of land, on which no crop is standing in the end of November, be deep dug, and thrown into shaiq) ridges. Onions. — Keep your Onions dry ; yea, wann if you will, sooner than permit any damp to lodge about them. Leeks, if growing, as they should be in drills, should be soiled up like celery some dry day. 6B THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Octobeh 28. Rhtibaeb. — Tliose who want this early, with small ex- pense, should cover the crowns with any dry litter as soon as the leaves can be stripped away, which will "generally be in the iirst week of November. " An empty house is better than a bad tenant." And so with such things. Jack Frost had better be kept at a respectful distance. Cabb.\ge Pl.\xts. — Let all those in seed-beds, not re- quired this autumn, be immediately "pricked out" in store- beds, three inches apart. Ours are already done, the soil dressed well with the covering from charred heaps, in order to ensure a clean and healthy plant, which it assuredly will. Order. — Tljis is a strange title to finish with ; but let everything be in its place, and walks and ditches cleared by the middle of the month. As far as our experience goes, order is closely related to thrift. E. Ekkinoton. THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— November. By J. H. Payne, Esq., Author of " The Bee-Keeper's Guide." The requirements of the apiai-y are but few during the present mouth, provided Ihaifeediini has been well attended to in the last ; should it, however, have been neglected, no time must be lost in setting about it before cold weather sets in, which may now reasonably be expected. Flooe-bo.uids. — It will be well" to clean the floor-boards, and (the season for robbing being pretty well over, and the wasps having now finished their maraudings), to have I a final examination of all the stocks, securing them well agaiust wet, and making them up, by feeding, to eighteen ' or twenty pounds each. I EE3I0\^^•a Supers. — All super as well as nadir hives j should now be removed, reducing the room occupied by ' each stock as much as possible. I Ventilation'.— In hives of wood I have always found it necessary, during the winter months, to withdraw one of the j slides at the top of the hive, and place over the opening a feeder, or small glass, for the pui-pose of carrying otf the condensed vapour, which would otherwise run down the sides of the hive, and cause dampness and mouldiness to the combs, and sometimes the entire destruction of the stock. Mr. Taylor gives a drawing of a condensor for this purpose in his Bee-Keejier's Manual, page l-i2, fourth edition, which I have found to be very usefid, where a feeding-pan could not well be placed. XoRTH Aspect. — The accounts that I continue to receive j from persons, who, at my suggestion, have thus placed their I bees, are, hitherto, all in favour of it. The advantages ■ arising from it during the late hot weather have certainly been very great, but we must watch it through another spring before it can be generally recommended. DmniNG HrvE for obtaining Artificlal Swabiis. — I have just received the following letter from my friend, Mr. Taylor, author of The Bee-Keeper's Manual, and as it con- tains much interesting matter on this and other subjects, I will give it at length, for I feel assured the writer will excuse ■ my making use of it. " I hope you will be able to preserve the dividing hive* j j through the mnter, that we may see what becomes of it j next season; so far as we have gone, we know the principle ' ; is right, and tliat the thing will wor/c; though I am some- ! [ what in the same sceptical position as to artificial swanns I as are Dr. Beran and Mr. Golding ; of course, I mean as a ] general ride, for they are sometimes, doubtless, desirable, j and it is well to have the means of accomplishing tlie ! business, which I think my hive does, without much risk, trouble, or disturbance. There are, liowever, other uses I | have in store for it, as I mentioned to you, of equal, and, perhaps, greater importance than swariii making. Both j I)r. Dunbar and Miner, speak of dividing hives, but I followed my own devices in making the one you have. The one alluded to by Dunbar, is, doubtless, tliat of Feburier, whose work he translated, though it was not published. Di-. Bevan told me a Welchmau once brought him one of these • I hate Iiad one of these hives, which was kindiv sent me by Mr. Taylor, at work since .Tunc, and find that it acts perfccllv, so far as taking to pieces goes, which may he done at any time, with very little trouble, 1 and slill less annoyance to the bees. This hive is so constructed, that I ; have no hesitation in saying that an artificial swarm may be obtained from It at pleasure during the months of fliay and June. dividing hives to inspect, as an original invention, and, perhaps, it was even so, although it appeared an exact copy from Feburier's drawings. These I never saw, and am rather ciuious to know how far we agree. I should always be inclined to caution in accusing any one of plagiarism as to invention, or as to an original idea, particularly wheie bees are concerned, for hundreds and thousands of heads and hands have been at work on their behalf for centuries. I could name some instances in my own case. You ivill recollect when I told you, some years ago, I had been scheming to find out a mode and utensil suitable for feeding at the top instead of the bottom of a hive ; I had never heard of such a procedure previously ; but you had been in possession of a top-feeder for forty years; and, moreover, when Dr. Bevan's second edition came out, there was the very same thing, or nearly so. And so it was as regards feeding with barley-sugar, which the good Doctor recollected to have seen used by a friend many yeai's ago, witliont farther thinking of it. By-the-by, if you want to defend the passage into a hive against an invasion by wasps, you have but to put a bit of barley-sugar across the mouth, and out will come such a body of bees that no enemy will face them. Eepeat the dose as fast as they eat up their fortifi- cation, and the wasps will sheer off in despair. The idea came to me from Dr. Bevan. I once read an account of a new invention, by some one, for obviating the evil of damp in hives, in winter, by condensation, precisely the same as had been published by me for years. And yet, afterwards, I discovered that a friend had used the similar means two years before me, with success. So you see how often people hit upon the same ideas. I could mention other things ; such, for instance, as a method communicated to me lately (as a secret), for washing a hive with salt and water previously to hiving a swarm into it — a practice I recollect in a dis- trict in Norfolk half-a-century ago. I saw it tried in two cases forty years since; in one instance with success, and failure in the other. Can it be right to insure a damp hive always in wet weather ? Even The Cottage Gardener of the 10th of September furnishes something like an example of a similar nature, where fumigating a hive from the top is alluded to, as if it were something new. All my editions, I think, mention it; but at pages 104 and 124, thinl eililion, and page Wf, fourth erlilinn, it is described. Whether 1 was the first to think of it, I do not know ; but I have often practised the thing (particularly down the ventilators in Nutt's hives), though, in general, common hives do not offer the necessary facilities. The requisite tube is a bent one, which, if you were a smolter instead of a driver, I would send you. I am inclined to agree rather with Dr. Dunbar, who is a mighty champion for smoke, in many operations on bees. However, we all have our own fancies in such matters, and, perhaps, it is as well each to practice what lie best understands and succeeds in. I ought to have said, that the iuslrumeut I always have used is what is callecl the Oxford tithe, a moveable one, as opposed to the lamp form, which seems only adapted, as I conceive, to botlom- fuming. Even for that I like the other best, as more easily regulated. '•„And now you will like to hear how the Observatory hive goes on, in which, as I told you, the bees had from the first been working, exposed to the full glare of day-light. Of course, work is pretty well over ; but there is a fan' store of honey. I never lost sight of the queen during an in- spection of half-an hour yesterday ; she is become sluggish and inactive, and not an egg proceeded from her, though a while back she laid them incessantly, to mere waste. 1 think I told you she was a yonny lady; but I have since found that the swai'ui was a prime one, and her appearance confirms it. Her extreme fertility had almost made me a convert to the doctrine of young queens as tlie best breeders, which, you know, I had many doubts about. Jiy own ob- servations would seem to lead me to the belief that a queen bee does not arrive at her full powers at first. Dr. Bevan spoke decidedly on this point in a letter, which I think you saw. For myself, I have observed tliat nn early second swarm, and a late first one, coming at about the same time, and not much diftering as to size, did not prosper as well relatively as might be expected, one queen being young and the other old ; the latter, in short, increasing the population the soonest and the most. It might not be so always. OoTOBEE 2S. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 67 perhaps, tliougli a second swarm rarely becomes very pojra- lous. At all events, the question of advantage rests in so much equilibrium, that I had rather, in most cases, let nature alone, unless in some obviously extreme emergency. The oldest qiwcn on record was one of Mr. Goldings, wliich, at four years of age, or nearly so. filled the liive so full of brood of aU kinds before she died, tliat a large swarm issued soon after (in May), and four more subsequently. As regards the question of bees working in the light, I can only say, that so far as I have seen, they appear to care nothing about it, {f vscd to it from the Jirst. Alternations between light and darkness does not do; and they are alarmed where one or the other is not continuous. I saw a hive thus working, exposed to the light, many years ago, I think at Oxford; but the experiment, I believe, is hardly likely to lead to any very useful practical result beyond ascertaining a fact. I mentioned the hive I am now work- ing (altogether of glass at the sides) to a friend, who told me he once saw a number of wooden liives at work, and all without shutters to the windows, of wliich most of the hives had two. The owner, in answer to a question, replied, that be found the bees did not care about the light, and he left off maldng shutters to save trouble. In winter, I should say they would be needed ; and, on the whole, I should prefer them. However, you shall .judge for yourself next year, when I hope to send you a lii/ht liive. The good old Doctor is to liave one ; and he tells me he has already in his mind decided as to where it is to stand. We have just emerged from an argument as to the nature of a rlrone eg;/, leaving off where we began. You will be grieved to hear that his eyes have failed him of late; his own admirable hand-writing being of late exchanged for that of a secre- tary. " I mentioned to Dr. Bevan that the Entomological Society had offered a prize for the best essay on the duration of life in bees, of whicli I thought he knew more than anyone. He says he could do no more than repeat what he has already written. The question, indeed, appears to me to have been settled fifteen years ago by him, Dr. Dunbar, Mr. Golding, and, I think. Sir William Jardine, beyond farther dispute (see the "Honey Bee"). But, judging from what has recently appeared as to bees in the name of one of the magnates of the said Society, they do not seem aware that the world has kept moving of late years." FLOWER-GARDEN PLANS.— No. 1. This, the first of our series of flower- garden plans, was sent to me before the subject was announced for publication. The author is a friend, and a clever gardener, and he had no idea at the time he sent it, that either his " tracings," or anything about them would ever be made public. Having fixed on this plan for om' first number, some delay was neces- sary, to obtain his consent to publish it. He made no observations on the plan the second time, and all that he said in the first letter, was this — " I send you tracings of a flower-garden, which I have some thoughts of laying down here. What do think of it? The colours I merely put down for your good-natm'ed criticism. But I always think a few well-dejined and distinct colours better than a larger number. Don't you ? " I do think so, for that is the grand secret, after all, of planting a flower- garden for effect. Some plant more, to show the extent of their bedding-plants, their scarcity, and so forth, and pride themselves on the greater number of species or varieties they can thus in- troduce, and when the space is large enough, and the sizes and position of the beds are such as to allow of all that being effected in " a well-defined, and distinct manner," that kind of pride is very ex- cusable. Some day or other, I shall give the best instance I know of that way of planting a large fiower-garden. Mean- time, I shall give two reasons for fixing on this for the first plan ; first, because the colours are given without mentioning the plants for producing them ; thus leaving the field open for young planters of both sexes to exercise their taste a little, and send us the names bf such plants as they would plant in this garden, and this I earnestly in\ite young artists, as we may call them, to do. Then, after a few months, I shall criticise all that are sent to me, and give the way I would plant myself. As the plans will be nmnbered, there will be no difficulty in referring to any of them at any futm-e time, and there is a long time before us, between this and next May, without any occasion for lu-essing on our different styles of planting. All the time that I served at Shrubland Park, the final arrangement of the flower-gardens there was not settled before the middle of April, and those fine gardens have been allowed to be among the very best in the country ; and in another year or two, when the whole of the great improvements now going on there shall have been completed, I should not be far 1 Blue. 2 Dark purple. 3 Dwarf box, clipped. 4 Bright pink. 5 Blue. 6 Yellow, 7 Scarlet. 8 Blue. 9 Brip:ht pink. 10 Brilliant orange. 11 White. from the mark, if I were to say that would be the finest place in England for flower gardens ; and then I ventm-e to say that it will be late every spring before they will settle how the whole is to be planted. My second reason for this plan is because my friend has introduced a new feature in it, for the first time since I began to plant flower-gardens. I mean his introducing Box as a relief or green colour in beds No. 3, between the dark pui-ple in beds No. 2, and the blue in beds No. 1. This style is all but quite new in this country. I only know of a few places where box-beds, or beds of some flowerless plants are used; but on the Continent, I hear the plan is common, and I know that some old foreign authors treat of this style as quite familiar. The different coloured gravels, pebbles, and sand they use in Italy, in their Italian gardens, is part and THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. October 28. parcel of the same ; but here, with our moist climate, and oui- superabundance of half-hai-dy and tine-leaved plants, we need not resort to such extremes. Yet, white sand and yellow gravel formed good auxiliaries to many of Lady Middlelon's compositions, which we had to fiU up ; and I know of several places in which some of the old Cape Geraniums, mth inconspicuous flowers, ai'e used this way, with very good effect as reliefs, as we call them ; a new name that I shall have to use often in this series. Then we shall have ncnlial beds, relief beds, mixed beds, or sub- dued colours, as well as the more common terms of liar muniijus beds, and beds contrasted. I am anxious to have box beds, and box scrolls introduced into geometric gardens, as well as Yuccas, Irish Yews, and a little dwaif Spruce called Abies Clanlrasilensis. Tliese last two for strong conLi'ast ; the Irisli Yew as a slow-growing and fastigiate, or quite upright growth; and the Abies of much slower growth, and quite flat on the top, with a round head. iUso the Irish Fiu-ze (Ulex strictn), and Juniperiis prostnda and srjuamala, for the same pm'pose — strong contrast. The Iiish Furze, or Gorse, is a highly architectural plant ; quite as much so as the Irish Yew and Y'ucca. It was first discovered in the Marquis of Londonderry's Park, in the county of Down. It is soft and silky in the leaves and branches, and bears the knife so well, that it may be formed into almost any shape ; square on the sides, round, and sharp- pointed, or flat on the top. The prostrate Juniper makes a beautiful bluish-grey carpet to fill a round bed witli, and it can be cut to any shape, and is also a fast grower in good soil. The same are the characteristics of the Juniper called sqimmata, only that it is a sti-onger grooving plant. It could be made into little weeping standards a yard high in the stem, and then be allowed to weep down gracefully on all sides. The culture and pro- pagation of them, as novelties, for the geometric garden, I shall explain shortly ; mean time, I have one or two ob- servations to make on the plan before us. I ohject to the four cnti'ances at the two ends and two sides, in a garden of moderate extent, unless you have a walk all round it, or a terrace on one or two of the sides ; it lessens the eflect of the jjictm-e, if you allow your visitors, or " company," to walk on straight to the middle of the scene at once, as they wiU be sm-e to do, seeing a straiglit leading walk before them, and as sure as they do, one-half of your garden is, in a manner, lost to them. This is a prevailing fault all over the kingdom, and in compositions, otherwise most beautifully arranged, I would prefer each pair of beds, No. 0, to be united as they now stand, or to be circles or ovals, at the expense of having more gravel at each end. Then your visitors are put off the " follow-the rest-like-the-sheep " way of looking over the garden, and still tliey have a choice of right and left, and then the chances are, that some of them will go this way, and some the contrary way ; always a lucky hit for the gardener, who prizes himself on his pet points. There may a trick in this, but depend upon it, the thing is as I say, for few gardeners have had more experience in leading companies through such scenes than your humble servant, to whom all this is as familiar as A. B. C. I highly approve of beds. No. 3, being planted with dwarf box, and that as thick as possilile, to be clipped on tlie outsides like an edging of box, and either as flat on the top as a dining-table, for the sake of imiformity, or as round as a globe ; and if rounded on the top, the'beighth to be in proportion to the diameter of the bed. In this instance 16 or 30 inches would be about the proper beighth. I would prefer the circular beds. No. '.), to be green also, but not witli box ; then all the circles would be green — that is, uniform ; a capital and practical explanation of tlie word, as we gardeners apply it; but how can we make a variety in a thing we call uniform ? Notliing in this world so easy ; plant No. 0 all round with tlic Eose-scented Gera- nium, and keep the growth regular with the knife all the season, and the thing is done to a t; and how lucky that !) is so far from tlie centre, and from the middle walks, and, therefore, requiring a higher plant than No. ;!, which is under the eye. Still my alteration for No. fl is not a prin- ciple, and I have no riglit to insist on it, being only a matter of taste or opinion. The disposition of the colours by the au- thor of the plan has my unqualified approbation. — 1). Beaton. EXPERIMENTS ON FEEDING COCHIN-CHINA AND SPANISH FOWLS. I HASTEN to redeem the promise I made, of stating the results of my trials as to what was the cost of the food of Cochin-Cbina fowls, as compared with that of others. In the course of a few days. I hope to be able to say what has been the consumption of food (under exactly similar cu'cumstances) by Dorkings, Bolton Grays, and some more Cochin-Chinas. In the mean time, it will be seen that these exjieriments very neai'ly verily what Auster Bonn, some time ago, in The Cottage GAT.nENEB, assured us was the case (though her opinion since then seems entirely to have changed), viz,; — ''That when common poultry are fed twice a-day, it is necessary to feed Cochin- t'hiuas three or four tivics, and to yivc the food so abundantly that some may he left after the fowls have satisfied themselves." For while Spanisli fowls have eaten at the rate of '2ith occasionally a few tallow-chandler's greaves, being the staple of their food. We take leave of Mr. Sturgeon and his flock, sincerely wishing him a good sale, and thanking him and his family most sincerely for their courtesy and hospitality to those whose good fortune it has been, like our own, to visit them at Grays. B. THE SHELDRAKE AND ITS HAUNTS. {Concluded from page 51). The stde at the foot of the wharf (nobody can call it a quay) is mounted, and here at once is a chiu-ming and novel promenade. On the left, just across the channel of Blake- ney harbour, are the salt-iuarshes, in tlie state they remain from natural causes. We will have a stroll over them another time. On the right are tbe valuable marshes of Cley, reclaimed by the simple but costly erection on which we are treading. Several hundred acres have been inclosed by a mound of clayey soil. The ditch formed liy its excavation acts as the main drain ; a sluice-gate lets off the super- abundant water at lowest ebb, — and that is all. Jlire are fat sheep and oxen grazing; tlirrc are gidls and all sorts of odd things. I Uka tlie odd thiugs, and liope they will not be exterminated ; but they will have a hard battle soon. From this to ^^'eybourn all is to be brought into trim order; and then the rest of this line, as well as the marshes round OOIOBEB 28. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 71 the other corner of the coast, will follow. 'Were I only born to a thousand acres of salt-marsh, half of it should be de- voted to the preservation of unpreserved game. But the local papers already display a long advertisement headed, Eec'lahation or Land, and concluding with a signature, " Solicitor to the Bill." Farewell to the salt-marsh of olden time. Farewell to wild swans, ruffs, and reeves, and sheldrakes. The circumvallating ridge makes a bend, and we now have a tine view of what, were we out at sea, would be called the line of coast, for the sandy iJats and marshes are thence invisible. The parish church, standing on elevated ground, is the central object, with its curious supplemental beacon- tower, and the low sunlight gleaming through its windows. On the left are the pudding-shaped hills of Sheringham and Weybourn ; behind that broad and lofty knoll on the right, dwell the cockle-gatherers of Stiffkey. Yes; take care of your hat: till to-day you hardly knew what "an airy situa- tion " meant. Other breezes may waft the luxurious odours of the spices of Arabia; this bears something better on its wings, — a healthy, hungry appetite. This ohestful of air, at least, has not passed through a thousand pair of lungs before entering mine. If one had but in one's frame-work a reservoir for fresh air, as the camel has for holding a store of fresh water, it would be worth coming here to breathe once or twice a week. Talk about plants and shrubs purify- ing the atmosphere, and throwing off oxygen! give me this, fresh from the north sea, for the gale to blow in mij winter- garden. How delighted the little wavelets are, jumping in the hai'bour, running races to the shore, and friskly display- ing their white shirt-frills ! Give them a little more room, and they would soon grow into sturdy full-sized breakers. 'Tis a comfort to know that we could not lose our way wan- dering along this bank, even if we were caught in a fog, or had lingered after dark. * * » « The tide is ebbing, and the boat awaits us. To get to it, we must pass — v/hat were under water when we mounted the bank — the small pits, or depots, where shell fish are kept for daily use, — shallow hollows, dug out on the shore, ten or twelve feet, more or less, square ; for the squareness is as uncertain as the size. Pares aux huUres, or oyster-parks, the French would call them. Each j)it seems to contain a small collection of mussels at one end, and of oysters at the other. See that rough-looking fellow with his mussel-rake, of eight or nine Hat iron teeth, through holes in which a coarse net is laced. In fact, the implement is at once a rake and a landing-net; with it, he first collects his treasures in a heap, and then ladles them out to the dry laud, to be picked and cleansed, and packed in hampers. Mark the oysters, too, mostly Ijing with the hollow shell upwards, their natural jjosition in the sea, instead of, as we have seen them packed in barrels, with the flat side uppermost. Oysters in the sea, laid wrong, will contrive to move till they get themselves right. People who doubt the vivacity of the oyster should visit these pits on a hot summer's day ; the spitting, and spxu'ting, and rattling of the assembly, will astonish them. The whole bed of the channel, or " cvtt " whereon we are about to embark, is covered with oysters and mussels, belonging to different proprietors. These chain cables, reaching across the bottom from shore to shore, mark the limits of each. Great part of our way down to the cockle-grounds will be over oyster and mussel pits or " lays," as they are called, stored with growing or fattening fish : oyster-parks, also, on a larger scale ; for the oysters are dredged along the coast, and brought hither ; and the mus- sels, too, are fetched principally from Lynn Deeps and the Wash. Those musselmen who are not pressed for ready money, find that it pays to let these mus.sels remain two years in Blakeney "lays ;" they grow and improve so much by the change of water. A mussel, when it comes to table, can hardly be less than four years old ; a periwinkle, five or six. Cockles attain an indefinite age ; in proof whereof the best and finest samples are only to be had from newly- discovered beds. You will note in returning, when many of these pits will be left by the tide, that the mussels are laid in deeper water, and much less exposed to be deserted by the tide than oysters. The smaller mussels, tliat have not tlius been put up to fatten, are, in England, used rather for bait than for human food. The fisherman scoops out the mollusc with his knife, and attaches it to the hook, raw. Whelks, which are also used as bait for cod-fish, are cracked with a hammer on a stone, and hooked alive. They are the best of bait ; so tough that they never drop off, even if they are not taken by a fish for a weelc. Whelks are collected on several points of our coast, and are eaten largely by the children of the natives, although not by townspeople here- abouts. For the youngsters they are simply boiled ; when adults partake of the mess, they are usually finished off in the frying-pan. Neither tliese, cockles, nor periwinkles, are kept alive iu vivaria, or pits, or pares, but are gathered, for the occasion, from their native. * * * * The boat is manned by our polite host, who takes the helm, and by a second hand — in appearance a round bale of blue flannel, standing on two posts, that are encased in blue worsted stockings, and terminated by a short leather casing, to represent shoes. The entire package shall be veiled under the assumed name of Mr. Blackfaced Broadback, if it is possible to conceal anything so bulky. The sail is available for this reach. Down we glide. Overhead flits a pair of cm-lews, whistling their measured cry. The gun is on board : it would be pleasant to take home a few fat specimens of those. The culinary world is scarcely aware of their roasting merits. We turn to the left, and enter " the Pit : " the sail must come down. A pair of oars with the tide will carry us fast enough. A little flock of Stints wheel round us, and alight on tlie muddy shore that has arisen from the waves not ten minutes ago. Paddle gently up to them ; there they run. Make ready ! Present! Bang ! There lie some of them ; but how to get them ? We 've no dog. The boat is run aground. In jumps Broad- back, up to the thickest part of his blue posts. He care for wet feet! Well, the game is not much, though some. Ofl' quickly, or the tide will leave us stuck fast here. The cockle-iferous sands are yet too quick to venture on; what shall we do? Here's the pilots' house, standing on that wonderful tongue of sand and shingle, called " The Meals," before alluded to. Let us get out and walk, for we have at last ai-rived at the land of the Shekh-ake. 'This is the licle- j)ole belonging to the pilots, reminding me of what I knew of Robinson Crusoe's almanac in younger days — a northern nilometer, measuring (upwards) the depth of the German Ocean. " What water was it at the pole ? " is the twice-a-day question at Blakeney. They are not Trinity-men, but privi- ledged denizens. Eight is their number, — four at a watch. None are here at this state of the tide, so we must be content to peep in at the window. The glass is dull ; but the little round hole, through which their telescope is thrust, has not that defect. See, they have bed and board ; that is to say, hammock and bench. In the middle is their stove, to heat the kettle and fire the frying-pan. It is placed there to economise warmth by its flue. Those square boxes contain each its owner's signal lantern and apparatus. One speci- men lantern hangs on the hook there. 'The hut is but a dingy hole ; still we should think it a paradise, if we were dragged into it after having been shipwrecked on the sea-side of the Meals. Yesterday I saw a woman (the wife of a master of a collier) who last week passed two days and a night lashed to the mast of a wreck. She was just beginning to recover the shock to body and mind. Walking around the hut, one says that the pilots might improve their fashions ; they are too Scotch in some matters. Proceeding, we find ourselves iu a new world. How absurd to run over to the continent for novelty alone, till a man has ascertained what there is to see in his own counti-y. Sand, shingle, and mud, are our three elements, or rather materials here. Wind and ■i^ter are the two rival auto- cratic powers. The wi]id has a powerful ally in the Marram grass. Wind steals sand from the beach ; Marram appropriates it, and keeps it. Mount this hillock, and the dodge is detected. You will also learn why sheldrakes are styled buiTOw ducks. Sand- wreaths are formed on the same principle as snow-wreaths, and do not melt. In these the rabbits burrow, and prepare nesting-places for the shel- drakes. Our dry sandy shores produce another grass, the Poa bulbosa, peculiarly fitted to inhabit such ground. Its bulbs grow in clusters, resembling little shallots, and during most part of summer remain inactive, blown about at ran- dom. With the autumnal rains they vegetate, fix themselves 72 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. October 28. by long downy radicles, then produce tliick tufts of leaves (a grateful spring food for cattle), and in April or May they flower, having in the meantime formed young bulbs, which, as soon as the herbage withers, are clispersed like their predecessors. This summer dispersion is the cause why the plant remained so long unknown to botanists. Has any one been here witli a vast bread-grater, and grated brown- bread crumbs over that muddy hollow of four or five acres ? They are the casts of tlie marine wonn, which here socially enjoys itself. The bottom of the next pool is dotted with an infinity of black spots, not the size of a peppercorn. Look at them : they are baby periwinkles, to make feasts for human babies that are as yet only " on then' way." These aie the food of the tender slielth-akes ; with a daily supply of these, I could have reared my pretty pair. Correspondents pester editorial gardeners to know what ornamental shrubs will grow wdthin the influence of sea- breezes. We are in the midst of patches of one that would ornament any lawn. The tjaVicornia fruticosa has the un- usual appendage of evergreen^ succulent, hardy leaves. Are you gardeners enough to make it grow with you ? 7 have managed to keep it alive for a year or two. What a regiment of gulls ! — young birds mixed with those in adult plumage, — with " old Mows," as Broadback calls them. " Shute them ? Might as well shute at a Grinlin (Greenland) bear! Them there things, and the Danish (hooded) crows too, know when anybody have a gim, as well as what we do ! " Time passes, we return to the boat, and find the channel of "the pit" and "the harbour" inclosed between high walls of shingley sand, the mass of which is found to extend daily. All that point, from tiie pilots' house to its end, has been gathered by the waters within the last six-and-twenty years, and is still increasing. Before embarking, we will root up a few botanical specimens, and, for private reasons, I shall make free with this rusty piece of old iron hoop. We are again afloat ; the cockle-ground over the way is in capital order; but, get as near as we can, there are many yards between us and dry land. Broadback is overboard. A ride pick-back on that blue bale of flannel saves us wet ankles, though we will say nothing about wet feet. What painter (Copley Fielding, perhaps) could put this scene within a gilt frame ? Miles upon miles of trackless sands ! We will stick up this bit of drift-wood, as a land-mark, in case, — ^who can tell ? Sudden fogs, or spring-tides, might puzzle us to find the boat. But is this the famous cocMe- ground of Norfolk? Where are the cockles ? None are to be seen. They are here, nevertheless. Now for the use of our old u-on hoop. We will give it a preliminary flourish, for luck. Who wants shaving ? To business ! Half-a-mile off is a fellow stooping at work. Let ns join him. In one hand he has a wooden cockle- rake, — a short-handled thing, set with u-on teeth ; with the other he picks up the cockles, and throws them into his basket. Ah ! I see ! The cockles lie heneaUi the sand, embedded in it, at a depth of from half-an-inch to an inch-and-a-half. This is a British California, and these are the diggings. Neither gold, nor cockles, grow on hedges : both have to be worked for. We have brought our basket: the iron hoop shall he fairly divided. You take one half, and I the other. Now scrape away. Bravo ; tliis beats the ralvo I Tliat fellow loses many a nice one between his rake's teeth, l.'he old ladies from Stiffkey prefer iron hoops to rakes. Another handful of cockles ; and here, another ! We shall fill the basket. This man only happens to be out cockleinij because he has nothing better to do. The regular female professionals are not here to-day, because the car- riers' carts (departing twice a week) have all left this morn- ing; otherwise you would have seen a numerous coterie, witli succinct drapery, mahogany legs, and incessant clack ; still they have a discipline, and a fair-is-fuir sort of feeling among themselves. They think this sport, in all ;)ossi7. If these, added together, are a fair average of the United Kingdom, then more than one-fifteenth of its surface is occupied by the Potato. In the same year, Parliament obtained from the constabulary of Ireland a further return of tho total of its acres then under Potatoes, and the returns showed a gross amount of 284,110 acres, producing ;2, 0-18, If).") tons of their tubers. In Scotland, Mr. M'Cullooh cal- culates tliere are annually grown 200,000 acrea of the same root ; and be combines Potatoes, Turnips, and Rape, as occupying annually, in England, 2,000,000 acres, and their jirodiice as worth, on an average, ^14,000,000 sterling. We might multiply the statistical details to a much greater extent, but we will only add, to show what is the consumption in London alone, that in the three months preceding the first week of Decem- ber, there are, on an average, delivered there, from ships only, somewhere about 300,000 sacks, each sack contain- ing one bundred-weight-and-a-balf of Potatoes. Now this is the crop, and for which no adequate sub- stitute has been suggested, which we have been advised to abandon as hopelessly diseased. We deny this being its state, and a veiy few weeks ago we showed why we are of this opinion. We showed that the disease is not universal — that even one field bears a healthy crop, whilst another, with but a hedge between, produces a crop diseased ; and that it is quite as frequent that one portion of the same field shall be exem.pt from the dis- ease infecting the other portion. This being so, and these exemptions showing, as clearly as evidence can show, that there is a certain combination of circumstances which will secure a healthy crop, let its persevere hope- fully in our endeavours to ascertain those circumstances. In confirmation of the soundness of our view of the case, we have now before us two letters, which give practical proofs that there are varieties of the Potato not liable to the murrain that has scourged others ; and that there are modes of culture which will ward ofl' this murrain from a variety which is destroyed by that nuu-- rain, when differently treated. Tlie first letter is from Kintbm-y, near llungerford, in Berkshire, from a very trustworthy authority, and it says: — " I want to draw public attention to a variety of the Potato called, hereabouts, the ' Kinllmri/ Julnis,' and about Andover, the ' Foolhardi/s.' It is a large, eoarseish, prolific Potato, and does not boil floiu'v : but it wonder- fully avoids tho blight, and has done so ever since the disease appeared. This j'ear, wliicli is considered the worst, it is remarkably free from the disease ; and the gardener who has our garden says, that among his crops the Kintbiiry Johns have one gallon in a bushel tainted ; while the Forli/folds, and all otlier sorts, have three parts out of four bad. All tho poorer people say the same thing. They do not plant it extensively, because they prefer other kinds for eating ; but whore otlier kiuda will not keep, it seems to nie that an inferior Potato is worth having." If reference be made to our seventh volume, p. 207, a communication, signed H. B., South Pelhcrtan, will be found relative to Potatophuiting, IVoni which this is extracted : — '' It is possible that my plan niiiy have been tried. Th , November 4. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 77 ob.iect is to save seed, and give more light and air to tlie plauts. I plant on ridges, three i'eet wide, one row down the centre, choosing the finest I'otatoes, and jilacing them thirty inches apart. I liat-hoe early, and when the stalks .are inne or ten inches long, they are spread from the centre, I'orming a chcle, and the eai'th is pulled by hand over the middle of the plant ; this process is repeated whenever the oartli cracks. '' I succeeded this last year in my garden in producing from a ridge fifteen feet by three feet, 72^- lbs. of Potatoes, from six planted whole in March last. The several weights were 1.5 lbs., 15 lbs., 12 lbs., 11 J lbs., fljffis., 0 His. Each I'otato a diiferent sort. Of the first, the Old Guernsey, six tubers weighed more than 0 lbs., and of the second, a pink kidney, there were not more than forty Potatoes to make up the 10 lbs. All the Potatoes were particularly fine." We hoped to have had this year the results of a still larger experiment tried by the same esteemed corre- pondent. He, however, is gone from this world of experiments to that of realities ; and we have this letter in reply to our inquiries : — " I have looked particularly to the experiments of the Potatoes planted by my late brother, and am sorry that I am not able to furnish you with any proofs of success of his intended mode of cultivation. Owing to his illness and inability to attend personally to them his directions were not carried out. He had planted them, on a large scale, in the iield on the plain, in rows three feet wide and two feet apart, in drills ; but instead of being laid after the first hoeing, and the earth brought up to the centre, they were hoed up in ridges in the ordinary way ; consequently no fresh roots formed as last year, and the produce was deficient in consequence. Still the crop was equal in weight to those planted in drills of twenty-two inches in width, and much finer in sample, being all fit for general purposes, whilst at least one-third on the narrow drills were small ; and although it would appear to be a great waste of ground, yet, from the above statement, it proves that the wide drills and deep earthing are most desirable. I strongly recommend to all small occupiers to adopt the mode of cultivation tried by my brother last year, as I am con- vinced, from what I see by the crop this year, although not carried out according to his plan, that it will suc- ceed. I would also notice that, in this same field of several acres in which many of the labourers had theii' winter crop, there was not one exception in which they were not diseased and rotten to that extent as to be scarcely worth the expense of taking up. Whilst in tlte deep experimental drills I do not think there ivas one affected." We will only observe upon this that the writer is a highly intelligent, practical farmer, and one of the most extensive holders in the county of Somerset. Ho was the third son of G. Sinclair, Esq., heritable sheriff of Caithness, and was born in that county, at Thurso Castle, in the May of 1754. Embracing the legal profession, he was admitted a member of the faculty of advocates in Scotland, immediately that he was out of his nonage, and was called to the bar in England, about seven years later, in 1782, having previously to this sat in Parliament for his native county and other places. Although thus enrolled among the makers and interpreters of our laws, neither of their occupations were his favoured employments ; for his heart was given to the cultivation of the soil. Flemish Agriculture, Merino Sheep, Oil as a Manure, the culture and uses of the Potato, the origin of Oattle Shoivs and Agricultural Meetings, and Shell Marl as a manure for Turnips, by turns, were the subjects of his researches, and were descanted upon by his pen. Nor were other subjects, though not strictly agricultural, if connected with the industrial produce of his native country, without receiving their share of his attention. An instance of this is afforded by the following letter, dated from Whitehall, February 10th, 1793 :— SLR JOHN SINCLAXB TO MR. FOKSYTH. It has lately occurred to me, that some of the French emigrants, who are now in this counti-y, might be employed in a manner that would not he disagreeable to them, and would be useful to this country, in the cidlure of silk ; but, from all the enquiries I have been able to make, there is little prospect of any material progress being made for some time. A French gentleman, however (one of the emigrants), the Viscount de Bruges, being thoroughly con- versant in the culture of silk, it is a pity not to have some experiments tried in that branch even this year. I have sent for the eggs of the silk worm to different countries, and I beg you wiU be so obliging as to inform me whether there are many mulbemes in His Majesty's gai-dens at Kensing- ton, or elsewhere, and liow many trees of thirty years and upwards, either of the Red or White Mulberry, might be found in the neighbourhood of London, the leaves of which might be either purchased or obtained this season. I am told that they abound much in the neighbourhood of Ham- mersmith, &c. I have also heard that Her Majesty has tried some experiments in regard to the culture of sdk, the success of which you may have lieard of. I shall be glad to have the pleasure of hearing from you upon this subject. FORSYTH MSS. Ii? Sir John Sinclair had achieved nothing more in the course of the fourscore-and-two years of his life than gathering together and publishing his Code of Agriculture, his Code of Health, and his Statistical Account of Scotland, he would have left sufiieient monuments of his untiring industry ; an industry the more praiseworthy, because unstimulated by necessity. COVENT GARDEN. Those whose field of observation does not extend beyond the smoke and din of London have very peculiar notions as to what is going on in the great world outside. They hear of frosts, and blights, and mildews, but comprehend them not ; and when other men tell of this crop failed, and that community sufl'er- ing, they regard the intelligence with a dim, hazy, and indistinct perception that there is something wrong somewhere, but they cannot realize it, simply because they do not see it, and have not felt it themselves. When you tell such people that apples are a short croji, and potatoes are diseased, they point to Covent Garden, and ask if there is evidence of such to be found there. " Pooh, pooh ! nonsense," says one, " I never saw finer potatoes in my life ; the farmers always did grumble, and always will; they mtist have something to grumble about." We confess there is some allowance 78 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 4. to be made for such remarks coming from such quarters, for there is certainl}' never any appearance of scarcity hi our markets ; and we know frequent instances where country produce is pom'cd into London, and sold to he transmitted to tlie country again. We have been led to make these remarks, that our readers may understand how it is we always speak of a " plentiful supply." It is an expression which we might as well discontinue ; for whenever an article is in sea- son, here it is sure to be. It matters not how scarce it may he elsewhere, it is safe to find its way to this great whu-lpool of consimiptiou, and that, too, in such quan- tities as would at first appear almost incredible to those who are unacquainted with such matters. Walk- ing along Piccadilly one evening, a year or two ago, in company with a friend from the northern provinces, we met one of those immense four-wheeled waggons, drawn by three horses, and laden with lettuces, on its way to Covent Garden. My friend was attracted by what was to him an unusual sight, and after wondermg first at the quantity, and then at the ingenious architect who could build a load of lettuces as high above the sides of the waggon, as the sides of the w-aggon were above the ground, he asked, " Is that all one man's growth ? " We were, of course, a little amused at the question, which we answered by pointing his attention a few hundred yards further, where there were two more such waggons of the same article, and " all one man's growth," and such was this "one man's" contribution in this one article every market-day during the lettuce season. But this was only one man's. How many more such waggons passed along Piccadilly that same evening, on the same errand, we could not undertake to say ; and how many more passed along a dozen of the other great metropolitan approaches, we are afraid to say. And thus it is in proportion with all other garden produce. IJuring the past week, then, the supply both of fruit and vegetables has been plentiful. Api'les continue to advance in price since last week's quotations. Blen- heim PijTpbis are very line, handsome, and highly coloured ; when fully matured by keeping, they will, after assuming their yellow hue, be very beautiful. Some of them brought from 7s. (id. to Ss. per bushel. Ribston Pippins have also been very fine, and made 8s. We were rather surprised to see a parcel of Golden Knohs so early ; the usual time for them to make their appearance being about Christmas. Kentish Bromlend, a good kitchen apple for present use, was sold at 4s. and Ss. per bushel. In the centre arcade, we found the first exposition of imported Newtown Pippiins, and the Lady Apple — both from America. Wo shall have to remark upon these on a future occasion. Fearris Pippin is abundant ; and there are a few Golden Ri'inettes. Some small Emperor Alexanders tried to introduce themselves as Eibston Pippins ; but notwithstanding their very elegant card and gay exte- rior the hoax was too apparent. Such stratagems won't do; we would ratlier have the genuine article from the apple-woman's tray, with its " Eibsone Pippings" on a piece of dirty whity-brown, than patronize such dislionest attempts. In Pe.\rs we have nothing new to notice in addition to what has been stated in former reports. Beurrc Capna'.imont continues plentiful, of fine quality, and some very beautiful, suggesting, by their fine, glowing, clear orange-russet coat, the adoption of one of its other names — Aurore. Duchess d' Angoulcme is fine and tempting. Marie Louise good and handsome ; and Beurre Base rich and melting. These constitute the principal of the choice varieties ; there are, however, several other inferior orchard varieties, which it would be neither pleasant nor profitable to enumerate. There have been some very fine liothouse Grapes offered during the week, as Black Hamhurijhs, Unseats, and White Frontignacs, the prices varying from Is. Bd. to Gs. per pound. Of Veget.vbles we have nothing to say beyond what we stated last week ; prices are the same, and there is nothing new in the supply. Pot.vtoes have had a bad sale during the week, iu consequence of an unusually great supply brought by the Great Northern Piailway, so that while last week Regents made from .£'7 to i'S per ton, this week they have with difiiculty made i'5 to *.") 10s. This is a common occurrence in our markets; a sudden rise invariably produces a great arrival, and the supply being greater than the demand, salesmen, to save demurrage on vessels, railway trucks, &c., must force a sale, and so the markets fall. Cut Flowers consist of Camellias, Scarlet Geraniums, Heliotropes, Fuchsias, Roses, Cinerarias, Violets, Ter- Icnas, and Ceanothus azureus. By way of giving our friends in the country the modes as regards the arrange- ment of bouquets, we shall, from time to time, furnish descriptions of any which strike us as being particularly chaste or elegant. One, from its simplicity and beauty, attracted our notice during the past week. It was of the usual size, viz., about eight inches in diameter. The centre was a double White Camellia, round which were arranged a double Red Camellia, and a bunch of double Blue Violets alternately, to the number of six in all ; the bunches of Violets being of the same size as the double Red Camellia; between the Violets and the Camellias on the outer margin, was a spike of Migns- nette, and the whole fringed round with leaves of the Rose-scented Geranium. Next week we shall give some more illustrations. H. GOSSIP The value of Orchids is still well-sustained, for at a sale of an old-established private collection of them on the 22nd of October, by Mr. Stevens, at his auction rooms in King Street, Covent Garden, the following prices were realised : — Ac rides quinipiei>ulneruvi,.H I 14s. ; Lelia superhiens, a fine specimen, i't; Ca;loijijnc cristata,a. large and beautiful plant, .i'5 5s.; Dendrohiumformosum, healthy and noble plant, with eiglit flowering bulbs, .illlOs. ; Dendrohium allio-sanffuineiim, fine specimen, .£7 15s.; I'hdlicnopsis grandijlora, a splendid plant, .£1!) 10s.; Vanda teres, a, very large plant, i'7 ; Sacco- November 4 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 70 lahium guUatum, .f 0 5s., besides about one-hundred-ancl- fifty other specimens, whicli realised prices varjiug between twenty shillings aud five pounds. On more than one occasion we have impressed npon our readers the importance of using mafflMre in a liquid state, but the subject is far from exhausted, and we have been waiting for an opportunity to give a further notice of the highly valuable " Minutes of Information" recently issued by the Board of Health " On the Practical ajipli- cation of Sewer-water." However, as many who read would be well pleased to inspect the results of such application, we call their attention to the following com- munication : — " A short time since we inspected some works constructed by Mr. Freeman Roe, liydraulio engineer, of Bridgefield House, Wandsworth, Surrey, for applying liquid manure to his garden and a small tield, consisting together of about three acres. The following is a sUght description of the works constructed to effect the object in riew : — The refuse of the house and stables is conveyed to an iron tank in the stable-yard, situated about thirty yards from the house, and there diluted with water. There is another tank in the loft of the coach-house, to which the water is laid on, and con- nected therewith is a pump, by means of which the manui'e in the tank in the yard is pumjied up. In the upper tanl; the manure is diluted to the recxuired strength for distribu- tion. From the last-mentioned tank there is a pipe con- necting it with an iron main of an inch-and-a-half diameter, which is laid under the gravel walk running along the entire length of tlie garden. To this main there are four hydrants attached at different points, and by means of hose the whole or any part of the grounds can be irrigated at pleasure. The hydrants are well worthy of attention, as combining not only very great simplicity of construction, but also another very important feature, that of economy. They entirely supersede the old mode of usmg posts and sluice-cocks, and there is very great improvement in the mode of attaching the stand-pipe to the hydrant, which is at once simple and effectual. Mr. Eoe favoui'ed us with a fact, illustrating tlie superiority of liquid manm'e over the ordinary process. He has two beds of celeiy, planted about seven weeks since ; to one he has api^Ued liquid manure — the other has been treated in the usual way. A root was drawn from each bed. That treated witli liquid manure measured about twenty inches in length, aud four inches in circumference ; the other root measured only eight inches in length, and an inch-and-a-half in cu-cumference. We have since had another opportunity of inspecting the two beds, aud the difference was stiU more sui'prising. Such a fact as this speaks for itself. " We had nearly omitted to mention, that, by a very simple an-angemeut, Mr. Koe can irrigate his grounds either with water or by liquid manure." A correspondent writes to inquire whether the cele- brated rose-growers, Messrs. Paul, " are relatives of the celebrated Paul Jones?" At first we thought that this was an attempt to have a sly thrust at those gentlemen ; but as our correspondent referred us to a volume, showing that the celebrated pirate had been a gardener, and was really a Paul, we have procured the volume (Burke's Anecdotes of tJie Aristocracy), and this is the narrative : — " Paul Jones was born and bred at St. Mary's Isle, the estate of Lord Selkii-k, near Kirkcudbright; his father, by name Paul, a steady methodical Scotchman, being head gardener to the Earl, and young Paul acting in a subordi- nate capacity in the same establishment. In the gardens were two summer-houses, corresponding to each other. One day Lord Selkirk, during his wallrBEn 4. true one. He says he has had several that have turned out counterfeits, which, like counterfeit sovereigns, are useless, exce]5t to the utterers, wheu they are not caught in the fact. There is nothing so grievous to the mind of a respectable dealer as that of seudiug to his customer a plant not true to its name, which he has had from some person in the trade, exjiecting it to be the genuine variety. If he is largely dealing in any popular plant, and has obtained the origin of his stock from some one that has deceived him, 1 leave a discerning public to judge how distressing bis feelings must be, when he finds he unintentionally has been distributing, to per- haps numerous customers, a plant not true to its name; and what is worse, spreading the mistake, or evil, it may be designated, on account of his high and deserved (except in such a case) character, he has been supjilving other men in the trade, equally as respectable as him- self, with plants from tlie false one. This is a great evil, and 1 think the sending out plants, in the first instance, of any kind not true, ought to be punishable by an ex- ]n-esscd law, for there is no knowing how far, through the innocent instrumentality of the honest well-known sterling dealers, the deceit may be spread. These re- ■ niarlcs liave been drawn from me in consequence of the letter from my Manchester correspondent, and I trust if ever a dealer is found wilfully and knowingly sending out to nurserymen any kind of florist-flower not genuine, that, for the protection of innocent men, and the public in general, such a dealer may be publicly exposed in the gardening periodicals, such exposure to operate not only as a warning to would-be-cheats, but also as a punish- ment to the actual offender in the first onset. I have been drawn from my original purpose when commencing this essay on the Petunia, and if I have made myself clearly understood, 1 may hope my renuarlis may do good, by removing the onus of wrong dealing ■ from the innocent, and placing it where it ought to be, upon the guilty man. The Petunia is advancing, not only in public favour, but also with tlie florist, because it is found capable of improvement by liybridization. I may suppose now that the Petunia phinicca is extinct; i but I well remember, some twenty years ago, being highlv delighted wlien I first saw the plant in "flower. It had then a great degree of beauty, but was without a good form. My young brethren would scarcely recognise it now, in tliese days of improvement, in form, colour, and substance — the three grand properties of every florist- flower. As I do not desire to omit any flower that can be placed under the class of florist-flowers, I shall devote a week's essay or two to this showy plant— the Petunia, and after they are placed in the hands of our Editor, I will give a series of brief descriptive lists of every kind of florist-florcer that is worthy of cultivation in \SvtZ, something similar to the one I gave lately of the Dahlia. I am aware that this is an onerous task, but I do not shrink from it, being well aware such lists are extremely useful and desirable to the amateur florist, for whose instruction I cliiefly write on this subject ; and I should be much obliged to every grower of good varieties of any kind of these flowers, if he would send me a true descrip- tion of every first-rate variety, in order that the list might be complete, and, consequently, more extensive and useful; the descriptions to be classed under tlie lieads — form, substance, colour, size, and habit. Sucli lists, drawn from various quarters, would be far more complete and essentially useful than any single one that any one dealer miglit furnish in his catalogue. I hope my wish for these descriptions will be attended to at once, as the season is fast approaching when it will be desirable to put them into the hands of the purchasers, in order that they may procure them in time for the next year. They may eitlier bo sent to me, at Victoria Nursery, Uxbridge, at once, or bo sent to the Editor, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Kow, London. To return to the Petunia. In the first place it is de- sirable to know what are the properties of a good Petunia. 1. Form. — The flower should be round without notches on the edge, and it should be ratlier inclined to cup, that is, the outer edges should not bend back. 2. Substance.- — Tlie petals should be stout, and able to keep tlie form nearly as long as the colour lasts perfect. ;i Colour. — When a self, it should be clear without fading at the edges; when striped, each stripe should be well defined, and each colour distinct. 4. Size. — Each flower should be at least one-anda-half to two inches across ; if largo they are liable to bend back. b. Habit. — The plant should be rather dwarf, and produce flowers abundantly; the foliage should be ratlier small, in order that every flower may be seen distinctly. T. Api'leby. (7'o he continued.) CONIFERiE. I (Continued from piujc 40.) D.\ci!Ymi".'M.. — This name is derived from dacru, a tear, ■ on account of the gummy tear-like exudations on the leaves and branches. The foliage of the plants in this geuus are singular and ornamental. I had intended, when I first began these essays on Coniferas, to confine myself to the hardy species only ; but as The Cottage Garuen'er and Gentlejian's Cojipaxion is now found on the tables of those who have large conservatories, I think my list ought to include such Coniferae as are ornamental and suitable for such garden buildings. For this reason I include the genus at the lioad of this article, and shall also include other genera of a similar character; and I do this for the simple, yet suflicient, reason, that of rendering the essays complete and useful to every class of readers. That the genus Dacrydium is too tender to bear the open air is, I fear, too certain a fact; but the species are admirably adapted to ornament a conservatory or winter garden, either planted out in the borders, or grown in pots. In either case, they shoidd be grown in pure, strong loam, well drained. Dacuviuuji cupressinuji (Cypress-like D.), from New Zealand, whei-e it is called by Europeans the New Zealand Spruce Eir. Dr. Solander first discovered this tree when accompanying Captain Cook on his first voyage. That attentive commander, in order to prevent tlie attacks of that scourge of sailors, the scurvy, made from this tree a kind of spruce-beer, but found it so veiy astrin- gent, that he was obliged, in order to prevent the had effects of this quality, to mix it with a tea made of tlie tea-plant of that country (tlie Leptosperntum scoparinin). This species was found on the sides of the hills, and also on the sea-coast nearly down to the water. The trees were tall and slender, reaching nearly one hun- dred feet in height, wdiilst the stems seldom exceeded three feet in diameter. This disproportion, however, was not seen, because the stems were liid by wide- spreading, drooping branches. The wood is hard, more so than any other resin-bearing trees in that country, and is beautifully variegated witli white and red. Dacrydjuji el.vtum (Tall D.). — This is the ./unipcnis rigida of Dr. Wallich, and the J. data of Hoxburgb. It is a native of Pulo-Penang. The tree attains a great height, and is very ornamental. Introduced about INoO, but is yet rather scarce. DACRYDHur FRANKLANml .S//». D. HUONEKSE (HuOU Pine), found in a district of that name in Tasmania. This is a valuable tree in that country; tlic timber is used for sliip-building and other purposes. Mr. James Backlinuso, the nurseryman at York, travelled througli that part of the world, and wrote a very interesting "Narrative of a Visit to the i\ustralian Colonies," and describes this tree to bo large, and of a pyramidal form, growing to the heighth of a hundred I'eet, witli a trunk November 4. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 87 twenty-live I'eet iu circumference. The branches from the trunk are nearly horizontal, and arc clothed with numerous, slender, pendant, scaly branclilets, of a lively green, serving the purpose of leaves, as is the case with the Cypress and Arbor Vitfe. The wood is close-grained and more durable than the White American Pine, and has an aromatic smell. There are some specimeus of this very handsome Pino in the greenhouse at Kew that have attained the height of five feet in pots. If they were planted out iu a large, lofty conservatory, they would rival in beauty the beautiful Araucaria excdsa. The plant strikes easily from cuttings, and is now to be found in most of the nurseries near London. DACitvnir.M Mai (Mai D.), so named by Mr. Cunning- bam, wlio discovered it in New Zealand. Very little is known about this species, though it is, I bebeve, iu jNIessrs. Knight and Perry's unique collection of these interesting plants. Dajimara. — The Dammei', or Amboyna Pine, a very remarkable genus, but, like the preceding one, not quite hardy in this country. The genus differs from other ConiferiB in its leaves, which are broad and long, like a more common deciduous tree. The nauie, Dammara, is derived from the Malay language, the word being ap- plied by the natives to the resin the plant (D. orieatalisj produces. This resin is very curious ; it is transparent as crystal, and hangs from the trees like icicles, a foot long, and three or four inches broad. It is much prized by the natives, and used as incense. The trees attain the heiglit of eiglity feet. Dammaka oeienialis (Eastern Dammer Pine, or Amboyna Pitch-Tree). DA.iniARA AusTKALis (Soutliem Dammer, or Courie Pine). — This is a tree that strikes Europeans with sur- prise in its native woods, where it grows seventy feet without a brauoh. This peculiarity renders the timber valuable from the absence of knots ; and added to that is the fact, that the timber is excellent. It produces, also, resin as abundantly as the eastern species, and is, besides, much hardier. In the warmer parts of Europe, this tree, on account of its valuable properties, should be planted largely ; but in this country we must be content to admire its beauty iu our lofty conservatories. Ekenela (Meaning unknown). — This genus was established by Mirbel, and is used by Messrs. Knight and Perry in tlieir excellent Synopsis of Coniferous Plants, to wliich I am largely indebted for many facts on this interesting tribe of trees. Frenela Austhalis, Guprcssus Australis in The Cot- tage Oardeners Dictionary (The Southern, or Oyster Bay Pine). — This tree is found on the eastern coast of Tasmania, better known as Van Diemen's Land. Mr. Backhouse says, that though the tree is small, seldom exceeding fifty feet high, yet it is useful for building purposes, and has an aromatic smell. It is the Tluija Australis of Desfontaines. Frenela cuPEEssiiOHJiis (Cypress-like F.). — New Holland. F'renela Fothergillii (Fothergill's F.). — Native of New Holland. Frenela macrostachya (Long-spiked F.). — New Holland. Frenela triquetra (Three-sided F.). — New Holland. All these are greehbouse or conservatory plants, though some of them have lived for some years in the south of England and north of Ireland without protec- tion. Tliey are singular, curious trees, having much the ajipearance of the common Equisetum or Mare's-tail of our swamps, magnified into trees. They are all easily grown in sandy-peat and loam, aud propagated by cuttings. T. ArpLEBV. {To he continued.^ ON THE FORMATION 01'' SUBURBAN GARDENS. It very often happens that a space of more or less extent is found at the sides or back of many of our villa, or suburban bouses, which the taste of the owner would be glad to see converted into something usefuL I do not here mean those " front gardens," ahout the laying-out of which so much difference of opinion is abroad, but those slips or yards at the less exposed sides of the house; and which, though often hemmed in with buildings, are yet free from that incessant traffic which marks tlie " kitchen or stable yard ; " in fact, I mean those snug out-of-the-way corners, where the ordinary business of the household brings but few trespassers. Many of these little spots are highly cultivated, and afford the occupant many a pleasant hour, when the stern business of city concerns are over for the day ; while, on the otlier hand, we have been pained to see the evil effects of attempting too much on such little spots. It is in vain to think of making a park out of a jjocket-bandkerohief ; audit is equally vain to think of growing many of the more cumbrous vegetables on a spot not much larger than a dining-room carpet. In j vain does the anxious proprietor (in the afternoons when he returns from the scene of bis city labours) 1 look for the suudler vegetables and other crops, pro- gressing under a heavy load of scarlet runners, or " Somebody's" tall marrow peas, which he was induced to buy and plant upon the authority of their raiser's advertising claims. I say, in vain be may look for any : thing in the shape of onions (except an elongated stem like bnllrushes), where the better half of bis bed is overwhelmed by the pondrous mass of scarlet runners, which his sticks have ineffectually struggled to main- tain iu an upright position. A similar disaster will most likely befall any small produce that may have a tall growing potato for a neighbour: and, in fact, the anxiety to obtain so much from so limited a spot leads to disappointment quite as great as that of attempting to give the few rods of ground in the " front garden " a " park-lilve appearance." Objects of art may be exhi- bited in miniature, but those of Nature can rarely be made so to conform with anything like a satisfactory result ; therefore, the inexperienced suburban occupant, who has such a small plot to occupy with some of the useful productions of cultural science, must remember that the very excellent things he is accustomed to look upon in Covent Garden, and other markets, are tlie produce of many districts, w-ide apart, but which the experience of many years has proved to be the best for producing each of them in that perfection he sees so good. Though be cannot reasonably expect to equal them, yet he may grow many things to a tolerable degree of excellence, provided his soil, situation, and other things be all favourable. Now it often happens that ground in the immediate contact with buildings has received an accession to its ordinary condition, in the shape of large quantities of earth and other materials dug out of the foundations, &c., of the surrounding structures ; yet it rarely happens that those who have the care of depositing such matters have any regard at all for any future use the groiuid may be put to ; unless, perchance, they think it a suit- able place on which to pile up some more of their bricks and mortar; therefore, it is not unlikely but the amateur, when be first puts his spade in the " back yard," finds its downward progress arrested by some stone too ugly to work even into the foundation ; or, it may be, the spade may be drawn uj) with a material clinging to it which he in vain tries to disentangle, so often does the stiff adhesive clay of the subsoil get brought to the top when there is no ultimate objeotin preventing its being spread there; should the latter be the case, 88 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. November 4. the amateur must, as carefully as he can, remove a great part of it. and after getting at the good soil, which for distinction I will call " natural, " he must endeavour to hriug that to the surface, burying a deal of the waste matter at least two feet below the surface, providing he cannot ulibrd to take it away altogether, lu this operation, be it remembered, that all opening or porous substance might with advantage be retained, and these being mixed with the clay, will produce an eflect tendiug to its amelioration. This class of fertilizers includes all the waste mortar that can be had, chippings of stones, and bricks ; and oven wooden chips are not without their uses. Supposing the clay to be biu'ied beyond the ordinary reach of cultivation, yet it is better that the subsoil should be to a certain extent porous, and the articles above-mentioned are the best of any for making it so. I have said nothing of draining, because I apprehend that the welfare of adjoining buildings had rendered that important object necessary before garden- ing was thought of; if not, some little diflioulties may exist in the way of disposing of the water; but this can only be arrived at on the spot. This preliminary operation being performed, it is better to wait awhile before advancing much further, if circum- stances will allow of delay. Ground that has been trod- den upon, and covered up beneath a mass of impenetrable matter, requires exposure to the atmosphere before it re- gains those fertilizing properties it held previous to its interment; and at whatever time ol' year the operation of raising it to the surface is performed, a more or less period of preparation is re(p,ured before it be lit to sup- port vegetation, or to aflford it those nutritious juices so necessary to its support. This process is more slow in autumn than at any other period of the year ; and, perhaps, it may be more active in the hottest part of the summer. The cold drying winds of spring are not with- out their uses, neither are the winter frosts; the last, perhaps, being the best for extracting all pernicious matter, and loosening those bands of adhesion, a loosen- ing so essential to soils becoming fertile. Now the same rule holds good here, which we have so often laid down for tlio trenching or tilling of ground' — it must be often done; — the rough turned-up earth, after being partially dried, or otherwise benefited by the atmo- s]ihere, &c., may be further improved by having other portions of it exposed to the action of the elements. Let it, therefore, be digged over in dry weather; or, if in winter, when its sin-face is partially frozen, so as to bear the treading on ; and at all tunes avoid treading upon the dry portion during this probationary process, and by-andby you will be rewarded by the Une condi- tion the ground is left in; and, eventually, planting and other duties may be done ; at tlie same time taking care that nothing be done until you have contemplated in your mind's eye the ulterior etleots such planting will have. In fact, before commencing planting at all, it is better to consider wl]ere the principal and subordinate walks are to be, and any other arrangement that may be deemed advisable had better be done before any extensive cropping be gone into ; and first of all, the wall-trees, if there be any intended, might be planted, and the walk, edging, &c. formed, and other work done which may bo properly called the I'oundation of the whole jilan, and, like every other foundation, supports and maintains the whole superstructure ;' it is, therefore, iuiiierativc that it be good, and that nothing be introduced calculated to mar the all'air ; but as the subject is one deserving parti- cular attention, 1 will append some more observations next week. J . lloissoN. WILLIAM AND ANN JONES. Bij the Authoress of " My Floai-rs," lic. " EE3IEMEEK, remember, that thou keep holy the Sabbath day." Who among us remembers tills as we ou;{ht? Those who most diligently seek to honoiu' the Sabbath will be the most ready to confess that they come short of this strong aud remarkable command. They will feel most deeply the requirements of God's holy law, and their own forgetfuluess ; bow must it then really be witli those who neither remember tlie charge, nor mourn over their guilty disregard of it'.' It is wholesome and instructive to mark the dealings of Clod with men, in Judgment as weU as in mercy — not in the spirit of uucharitableness, but as warnings and calls to ourselves, to take heed lest we I'all into the same condemna- tion, aud to glorify our mercifid God because He hath liiilierlii spared us. William and Ann Jones have lived, with a young family growing up aromid them, " without God in the world." They have always been respectable, hard-worldng, well behaved, honest people, and, therefore, the world thought well of them ; but still, when we live in quiet, respectable defiance of God's commands, we are living \vithout Him in the world. William -Jones did sometimes go to church, to be sine, but veiy seldom, aud his wife never. She Uved for years at the churchyard gate, within fifty yards of the free sittings, but she never went in. She bad a large family, a baby, little children to look after ; she could go out to work in the fields very often indeed, but somehow, on Sundays, her cottage aud her children could not bo left ; she had a great deal to do. It was very strange, but so it was ; aud she remamed contentedly at home. A lady who had IcnowJi Jones and his wife from then- being little childi'en, aud bad a great regai'd for them, always employed Ami about her pretty cottage, imd engaged her as a Idnd of "unattached" servant, to come and be useful whenever she was wanted, and a very honest creature she was ; but this lady strove in vain to persuade her to keep holy tlie Sabbath day, and go to church. She warned, exhorted, and reasoned, but all m vain. The heart was not in Ann Jones to bonom' the Sabbath, and she civilly listened, but did her own way after all. Her mistress would not tiu'u her away because of her giulty obstinacy, for she hoped in time to previul ; aud she knew that more was to he done while she bad influence over her than if she wholly gave her up ; but she very often spoke very seriously to her, and pressed the subject home where a mother always feels it most. "You will be punished in your children, Ann; some judgment will certainly come upon you for your determined refusal to go to cbiirch. Depend upon it the day will come when you will Ijitterly feel it; you have no excuse: yom' eldest gu'l can mind the childi'en when you are out at work, aud therefore once on the Sunday she might mind them wbUe you are worshipping God." No ; Ann Jones liked to earn money, and there was no pay at the church door. She served her mistress well, because she knew her, aud felt her kindness in a thousand ways : she saw and touched the money, the clothes, tho broth, the gruel, itc, that she received from the arm of tiesh; but she "knew not God," nor noticed the blessings He showered down upon her, and therefore she did not care to serve film, or to go into His presence. She made His day a day of business, that she might make her own days days of sain, and went on very quietly and contentedly in her sin. (ine of the little hoys was placed as cowboy to a neighboiu'in^' farmer, wlio was a steady attendant at church himself, with aU his family, but who forgot, or did not consider, that he was bid to "remember" that his servants also shoidd keep holy the Sabbath day; sn little Willy spent one ',vlwle yeiir. Sabbaths and week-days, in the midst of bis cows, and was never for tliat whole time sciU once to churcli. One day, about a month ago, wo suddenly beard that one of .lones' little lioys was dead. Scai'let fever had attacked tlio child, and in a very few days he was taken from them, Before the funeral took ])lace, another sickened ami died. The third who was struck with the disease was poor little Willy, who had on that very Sunday, through tho strong representations of a lady, been sent for the fii'st time to November 4. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 89 chiu'ch ; but he left his cows that day for ever, and his pUice knew him no more ! He recovered, indeed, of the fever, and another child sickened and died while AVilly was getting well ; hut just as he began to creep again out-of-doors, and gain strength, his body began to swell, and liis niotlier igno- rantly and obstinately disregarded the doctor's directions, until too late to save her child ; and poor little Willy is now laid beside the sister and brotliers who liave gone before liim. The poor mother is almost stunned witli tlie force of these repeated visitations ; four times within tlie month lias the bell tolled for her ; fom' times has death entered her dwelling ; four times has the voice of the Lord sounded in her ears. Of tlie five ohildi-en tliat lived at home, tlie baliy in arms only is left ; and tlie stillness — the solemn, terrible silence of that once noisy cottage — ^must agonise the hearts of tlic bereaved parents : it must cry louder than any earthly warning, "Hear the rod, and who hath appointed it." Little can be said to Jones and his wife as yet. The house is infected, and unsafe ; and it needs more than a hasty passing moment to say all that can be said on such an occasion. But if this heavy chastening does not touch and teach the heai't ; if they " puU away the shoulder," and " will none of God's reproof," what can man's feeble word do for them '? This is no light matter, easy to be mis- understood ; this is no triiliug circumstance, that seems to need man's hand to drive it home : it is a lotid and ten'ible call from God's own mouth — a sharp and terrible blow from God's own hand— can they refuse to hear and understand it'? "Whether they will hear, or whether tlwy will forbear," let my cottage readers, yea, readers of all decrees, barken. This is a call ; a cry lo iis. What are u:e doing on the Sabbath'? We may not be minding om- children, or clean- ing our houses, or secretly washing our clothes ; but are we lifcplng it holy > Are we " doing our own ways," " finding our own pleasure," "speaking our own words," on that holy day '? Are we going to church in the morning, and doing our own business the rest of the day, if we do go to chiirch at aU ? Are we not " Jones's " in our different ways and different spheres ? The letter written ; the worldly book, the neiTspaper, read ; the jom'ney or the excursion taken ; the light, thoughtless, worldly conversation indulged in ; the visit paid or received, are " our own ways," " pleasures," and " words," qvite as much as cleaning and washing om' clothes and houses. AVho among us are altogether guiltless in this matter'? Who among us remember that the Sabbath is declared by the Lord to be " a sign between me and you, throughout your generations : that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you." Who among us hallows it as it ought to be hallowed? Who among us "remembers" what the AVord of the Lord hath spoken. Let us all take home to our hearts the affliction that has fallen uppn William and Ann Jones, the chastening they have received, and lay our hands upon our mouths. The rod may fall next, if it has not already done so, upon our- selves. Let us walk so that our God may visit us in mercy, and not in judgment ; for self-condemnation shaiiiens and poisons the arrow that enters the heart. Let us remember the words of Him, our Eedeemer, who came to seek and save that which was lost : " Those eighteen iipon whom the tower of Siloam fell and slew them, think ye tliey were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ? I tell you nay : but except ye repent, ye shaU all likewise perish." WILD BEES. By H. W. Neioman, Esq. {Coniimieifrom page 5'3.) APIS HUSCOKUM, OE MOSS CAEDEE. The queen mother of this species is not so large as that of the others I have described, and she is the latest of the Bombinatrices in appearing in the spring. Her colour is pale yellow, very nearly the same as the moss in which she makes her nest, the body is hairy, the proboscis long, legs black; the abdomen of the male is longer than that of the female. The worker becomes cinereous as it gets older. This species is very easily taken, as they make their nest on the sm'face of the moss, and in most cases removed from the tread of cattle, in some quiet hank, or retired spot with a southern aspect. One single qtieen commences a colony, which, in general, is few in number, although in favourable situations in Scotland, where the wild flowers of their seeking abound, I have found two linndred in number, and from that down to twenty, or even ten. This is a good species for watching the operations of the queen bee. I have easily taken many of their nests, the same way as the last de- scribed. The more cultivated and rich the country, the fewer bees of this species are found, and they vary in colour. In Scotland they are of a much darker yellow, and are called the Jbgr/ij-'bee, from moss being called foi/, in that part of the kingdom. When shooting on the Moors, in August, I have found the nest of this species verj' weak in numbers ; sometimes only three or four workers besides the queen ; one wonders how they exist in such a miserable locality ; however, there they may be seen, booming along, and in a very calm day their hum is the only sound heard except the whirr of tlie Moor- cock. When a boy, I had many colonies of these insects in my garden, and have watched their habits, which I can inform my readers are precisely the same as those already described, at least as to the males adopting a voluntary banishment and never returning to their nest. Excepting to an habitual obseiwer, this is the most cUfficult species to watch, as the difference in colour and appearance is less than in any others between the workers and drones; the antenna; of the latter are large, and a little curved, like a cow's-hom. In an old orchard overgrown with moss, in Northampton- shire, I found at least twenty of their nests in the space of twenty yards sqviare ; no cattle had been in it, as it adjoined a kitchen garden, nor had there been any carts or waggons there. I had some difficulty myself to walk without treading on their nests, which may he known by being a little raised above the surface, and the moss a lighter colour. These bees are fond of the wildest of all wild flowers ; they fly very near the earth, hut have a very straight flight ; they may be seen on the wild flowers in the deepest vallies and woods, as well as on the highest hills, and they are by far the hardiest and strongest of all their congeners. I have seen them, in most stormy weather, winging their way from flower to flower, at a time when no other bee could be seen to brave the wind and rain. The male of this species is the latest of all in appearance, at least in our climate, seldom appearing before the end of August or beginning of September, and may be distin- guished by his low flight along hedgerows, and liis stopping frequently as if intending to go into the ground; this he will continue for a mile together, and, if watched, he will be seen to return to the same places more than ten times m an hour I There are two or three varieties of the Apis Muscornm, one of which the workers are good sized bees, with scarcely any small ones in the nest ; these inhabit the West of England. I found that it does not answer the end to examine the nest of the Carders often. I found a strong nest in Northampton- shire, a few years since, and examined it repeatedly by breaking the moss ; at last, a yoimg friend of mine, wishing to have it in his garden, we went one night to take it, and discovered about one thousand ants in possession of the combs, and all the bees gone. The ants liad got through the moss where it was broken and unguarded, and had overpowered the bees. Should any of my readers wish to make experiments on any species of these insects, they shoidd choose the end of July or beginning of August, or, if a di'y, hot summer, a fort- night eai'her. By far the most interesting of the species I have described are the Apis Luconim and Lupidaria-. The males of each of these are beautiful in then- colom's, and easily distinguished from the workers. The love of their offspring is strongly developed in all these insects. When first I took their nests, the only combs I robbed them of were those containing honey, being, hke a true boy, fond of sweets ; the bees that I brouglit with these combs generally emptied the cells and deserted them. I afterwards found that whenever I took the combs containing ijoitiuj brood in embryo, this was never the case. (To he continued.) 90 THE COTTAGE GABDENER. November 4. COCHINS, DORKINGS, AND SPANISH. I HAVE read the correspondence which has appeared in your paper, on tlie relative merits of the Cochin-Cliina, Dorldng, and Spanish fowls, with interest and amusement, not unmingled with instruction. While this discussion shows, beyond doubt, how much the interest felt upon this subject is increasing, its appearance in the columns of your little publication equally proves that we are to look, for the future, upon The Cottage G.ardenee as the medium of inter-communication between poultiy-fauciers. Tlie important question is, as it seems to me, which of the varieties named is the most useful and the most protit- able — audits solution depends upon several considerations. The man, for instance, who should declare, ex calhedrd, that the race-horse is superior to the cart-horse, merely because he can gallop round him; and he who, on the other hand, should decide that tlie cart-horse is more useful than the racer, merely because he can draw a greater weight, are equally wrong in their judgment, or equally unfit to form an opinion. Tliey are of different varieties, and the question being, which is the best, its true answer is, that which com- bines in itself the greatest number of good points with the fewest bad ones. Taking this to be the real question in controversy among your correspondents, I request permission to state the result of my experience ; for it is only by such friendly discussions as these that facts are elicited, opinions compared, and moot points satisfactorily cleai'ed up. And, first, it is right that I should state that I am an old fancier, and have acted as judge at different Exhibitions ; that I have kept Spanish fowls for many years; that an intimate friend of mine keeps nothing but Dorkings, and I have access to his poultry- yard as freely as to my own ; and that I have kept Cochins, besides my Spanish, for about four years. These, and what I have had the opi^ortunity of observing of all the breeds in the yards of many fanciers of my acquaintance, are my means of forming a judgment of the relative merits of the varieties in question. In the next place, I apprehend that the useful and the profitable are made up of the following points : — Which are the most prolific ; which the best mothers and niu'ses ; which are the most easily reared, and attain maturity the earliest; and which are the most valuable when that ma- turity is reached. I propose to touch, shortly, upon each of these points scrialim. First, then, which of the three varieties is the most prolific ? This question divides itself into two. If we look at eggs alone, the Spniiish, though the smallest hen of the three, lays, undoubtedly, the Inri/est egg. In my opinion, she lays as many of them as the Cochin, and consequently a greater weight in the whole, but she never sits. The Cochin is, undoubtedly, as " Gallus " candidly admits, far superior to the Dorking as a layer, and lays during a much longer period of the year, and she has this superiority over even the Spanish, that she lays better dming the winter months, when fresh eggs are most valuable. As regards the hatching of the eggs, the Cochin!:, in my opinion, beat both their competitors hollow. There are fewer bad eggs in proportion to the number sat, and the chickens come out stronger than those of either of the other varieties. As mothers and nurses, the Spirnish, as 1 have said, do not enter into the competition. The DoHin(]s are good in both respects ; but I am inclined to award the 2ialm to the Cochins, on account of their soft and fluffy down, and the extreme quietness and gentleness of their disposition ; and they begin to lay again sooner than any other fowl. I am also most decidedly of opinion, that of all the chickens I know, none are so easily reared as the Cochins. The qualities of the mother, to which I have just alluded, contribute, no doubt, to this result ; liut even mider mothers of other breeds (of which, however, I by no means recommend the use, where Cochin mothers are to he had) I have found them easier to rear than either Spanish or Dorkings. Between the two last-mentioned varieties, I am somewhat at a loss to decide this point, but on tlie whole, I think the Spanish perhaps less delicate in constitution than the Dorkin(/s. Out of l'-!(l Cochin chickens hatched this year, by Cochin mothers (of which I kept some inferior ones for the purpose), I did not lose more than half-a-dozen. I have never been anything like so fortunate with my Spanish, nor has my neighbour witli his Dorkings. As regards early maturity, the Cochins and Dorkin(is are both superior to the Spanish, and I believe the Cochins beat the Dorkings too. On the ord of .June, some chickens, w'eighing above five pounds each, were shown at Cheltenham, if I recollect right, by Mr. Lawton. of York; and I myself killed, in July, a cockerel hatched in 3Iarch, which weit.'htfd (dead) nearly six pounds. I have never seen or heard of any Dorldngs which attained those weights in the same length of time, and certainly Spanish will not do so. As table fowl, for roasting, I think there is very little ditference between the three varieties, in point of quality. Fed alike, their flesh is equally good in flavour, and, no doubt, equally nutritious. But for boiling, I agree with the poulterers, that the Dorldngs are the best, because they are the whitest in the skin, and in the leg ; and this delicate white appear- ance is, no doubt, one reason for their selling best in the market, as Mr. Bailey says they do. I )n the whole, my deliberate conviction is, that the Cochins ivill be found the most useful, and (for all purposes) the most profitable of any variety of domestic poultry yet known in this country. I have no prejudice in this mattei-, having good Spanish, as well as good Cochins, of my own, and the means of obtaining good Dorkings by the asking for ; and, indeed, I was so far prepossessed in favoiu" of the Spaniards, from having kejit them so long, and taken so much pains to procure the best of them, that I have not yet given them up, nor do I intend doing so ; and 1 have only given my verdict in favom- of then- rivals because my judgment com- pells me to do so. I must, however, be understood to refer to the short-legged, compact breeds of Cochins, and not to the coarser varieties ; in fact, to compare the best of the one with the best of the other breeds. There are some minor points which it may be well to notice, lest I should be thought to have overlooked them. The Cocliins are, of all fowls, the most "domestic," and the easiest to keep at home. A fence of the height of three feet will confine them : they are tractable and quiet to a degree, and are neat and pretty in their appearance. I do not at all agree with some of your correspondents, that they are greater eaters than other fowls in jiropor/ion io ihcir wcit/liL The farmer does not expect to feed a large Short-horn with the same quantity of provender that will suflice for a little Scot. And I am of opinion, after repeated trials, near enough to convince both my servant and myself, although not so nicely made as to justify me in giving exact weights, that, allowing for the extra size, neither old nor young Cochins consume more food than Spanish (and ducks, by the way, beat both hollow). With regard to present estimation and value, there cannot be two opinions. To say nothing of some few extra speci- mens, scores of Cochins were sold this year, to my know- ledge, at £!} each, and hundreds at £2 and £:\ ; and I shall not be surprised if some of Mr. Sturgeon's birds bring, at his sale next week, greater prices than these. There were, undoubtedly, poultry shows, and good ones, before Cochins were introduced into this country ; but what would our shows now be milhoui them ;' Every one, I think, will admit that, in these days, the principal classes — those which attract most attention, and excite the keenest competition amongst amateurs — are the Cochins. This may, to some extent, wear ofl', as they get more common (although \ cannot say I expect it) ; but, depend upon it, good birds will always command remunerative prices, and greater ones than either Spanish or Dorkings ever fetched, although a first rate Spanish or Dorking fowl will still bring a good price ; and I repeat that I by no means wish to be under stood as intending to depreciate them when I say I prefer the Cochins. The latter have, undoubtedly, talcen a position which, in my humlde opiiiiou, their merits will sustain for them ; and this is tlie test of their value. That I am not singular in the estimate I have formed, the correspondence already published by you sullicii'ntly shows. In further corroboration of it, I refer you to the following extract from a Canadian paper (published at Toronto) :— " On looking over the list of premiums oll'ered by the ' Agricultural Society ' for the next month, I was much sur- luised by finding so little attention paid to a 'class ' which November 4. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 91 needs improvement here perhaps more thmi in any other country. I allude to poultry. " The committee place at the head of this class, ' Dor- kings' (without saying whether 'white' or 'spangled') — then follow ' Polands,' and lastly ' Large Breed ' — what the 'Large Breed' may be, it is impossible to say. Surely the managers are sadly behind the age in knowledge of poultry, if they are not aware, that there are many varieties of fowls superior to the ' Dorking ' and ' Poland.' The Dorking is no doubt a fine bird, as compared with the conunon, little, miserable objects usually sold in our markets, called ' chickens,' and possesses many good qualities — and the Poland has beauty of appearance, as well as fertility of eggs to recommend it, but into what insignificance they creep when placed near any of the Cochin - China, or Shanghai varieties. There are two families from Cochin- China, — the ' Koyal,' and ' Iraijerial ; ' four, from Shanghai, the Black, White, Buff, and Brown, all of which are superior to the Dorking and Poland, in the following qualities : — First, size; second, quality of flesh ; third, number of eggs ; fourth, fertility of egg ; fifth, hardihood of chickens ; sixth, better nurses ; and seventhly, value of feathers (nearly as valuable as those of geese). Add to all this, they have borne our winters, even better than our common fowls have done, and surely any person who has ever seen one of these magnificent birds could scarcely pass them over without notice. "I have mentioned 'Shanghai's' and Cochin-China's because I am more familiar with them, than other foreign varieties, but there are other birds which have their champions; say 'Brahma Pootra' (20 lbs. the pair), 'Great .Java,' ' Plymouth Piock ' (18 lbs. the pair), ' Black Spanish ' (superior to Poland in weight, and lay quite as well), and many others which we ought to know more about, a know- ledge which can easily be obtained by a perusal of an ex- cellent work lately published at Boston, called ' Dixon and Kerr's Ornamental and Domestic Poultry Book' — a work as superior to our old-fashioned poultry books as an ' Imperial Cochin cock ' is to a half bred Bantam." This statement is especially valuable as hearing testimony that the Cochins will bear even a Canadian winter "better than our common fowls," and before I quit it, I will add, that I shall be much obliged to any of your correspondents who can give any information respecting the other large varieties of poultry mentioned in it, or who can tell me whether " Dixon and Kerr's Poultry Book " can be had in this country. You will have observed that I have said nothing respecting the different varieties of Cochins ; this, as you are aware, win appear in another form. In conclusion, I would add my caution to that of Mr. Wiugfield (to whom, and to " Gallns," I feel much indebted for their contributions to your paper)— "to avoid all crossing." kjirst cross -will do for the spit, but after that they soon degenerate into down- right mongrels. — Cochin. EXPENSE OF FEEDING COCHIN-CHINA FOWLS. .TusT as I am sending off to you the residt of another weeli's trial of the relative quantities of food consumed by Cochin-Chinas and Spanish, I read (in The Cottage G^ui- DENEK of October 21st) " The strain of strutting; chanticleer Cry Cock-a-doodle-doo ! " And I may as well answer it with the words preceding these lines. Bow! wow! of which there is a good deal m Mr. Cock-a- doodle -doo's paper. Let me remind him, and " Q-in-the-corner " too, whose answer, by-the-hy, is much more (to my mind) to the purpose than poor dear Cooky's, that I have never brought into my argu- ments the words, which they both use — "in proportion to their size." I have nothing to do " loWt proportion to size." I have been discussing Cocliins, as to whether they are the best fowls to keep altogether, or not, taking into consideration their merits (to which I have never been blind), and their fault of " being such large consumers of food," which fact I can neither be written nor persuaded out of, for I have proved it, not only to my own satisfaction, but to that of every unprejudiced or uninterested person. As an eating fowl, a Dorking must always be its superior. It can be got up to the same weight (even saying nothing as to flavour, and " u-liile meat," when cooked) at a less expense than the Cochin. Surely, then, where chickens are in demand, it is a more paying fowl to the cottager. As a layer, if a Spanish fowl, at a cost of twopence a week, can produce, say (by way of argument) five eggs, weighing JCoz., against six eggs from the Cochin- China, weighing 12 oz., but at a cost of fourpence a week, — I leave it to the cottager to say which (if he wants eggs) will suit his pocket best. I have been told by Anster Bonn, and others, that Cochin- Chinas " did not eat more than other fowls." Now, how- ever, the ground is changed, and " proportion to size " comes into play. I therefore presume it is beginning to be allowed that " they do eat more than others ;" and common sense may well (like the Irish echo) answer, "they do." The Cochin-China supporters have injured Iheir own cause, in their over eagerness, by asserting too much. It is not to be supposed that large fowds, coming early into maturity, attaining great size, and laying a great many eggs, can consume as little as smaller hens, who do not equal them in some of these respects. An old man, a great lover of poultry, asked leave, a few days ago, to see what he called " my new-fashioned poultry." His remark — " Well, Sir, if you do gets many eggs from them chaps' bodies, you mun put a lot of grub in their belUes" — is, I believe, quite true. Your Cochin-China correspondents seem to be ignorant that I am a Cochin-China fancier myself, as well as they ; and I may assert that I am very fond of them, but I cannot go all their lengths, and declare there is nothing like them. This is the last letter I shall write to you on the subject. I shall retire to my perch, satisfied that time and trial will prove me not very wrong ; and when I hear of Cochin- Chinas changing hands, as they are now doing — and when I am told, as I have been by an eminent Cochin-China fancier, that " It's time to get out of it," and see many such letters as some I published in my last paper to you — I begin to think I see a " something looming in the future," and that the "old uns," like rats (I do not mean this simile disrespectfully), are leaving a falling house.* Now, sir, for the ti'ials, which were conducted under exactly the same circumstances as the others, except that only the cock and one hen were left in No. 1, and that, though the cock in No. 3 was the same, the hens were difl'erent, but alont the same age. As to the accuracy of the account, I pledge you my word. It may he said, my feeding is extravagant. I can only say, I went into a farm-house tc-day, where they pride themselves on their poultry, and fovind them mixing a large tub of meal and steamed pota- toes for some fine Minorca hens. You see that similar results are again obtained — the Cochins eating double what the Spanish (and other fowls, which I will name) have done. I have been told — '• Oh I your climate certainly sharpens yom' fowls' appetites ; " .hut what is food for the goose is food for the gander, and the climate that tells on the Cochin will tell on the Spanish ; and the fact remains the same — " That the quantity and cost of food consumed by one is about double that of the other." A friend of mine, who keeps only Bolton Greys, who has been trying the experuuent for me of their eating, reports the result to me as " not quite twopence a week," but he does not send me the quantities. A similar report of a Golden-spangled Hamburgh fancier is " about twopence a week." My own impression had been, that, as consumers, fowls might thus be classed : — Cochins. Dorkings. Spanish. And I fancied that Bolton Greys, itc, ate less than Spanish. This does not appear to be the case ; and a man who keeps * If " Gallus " alludes to the sales of part of Mr. Sturgeon's and of Mr. Andrews' stocks, we think it may prevent misunderstanding to state, that both those gentlemen are pursuing the exclusive breeding of Cochins as ardently as ever.— Ep. C. G. 92 THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. NOVEMBEK 4. Spanish, and Bantams, told me he thought the latter ate as much as the former. I am inclined to differ from him. I enclose you an extract from an amateur, who, perhaps, linows more of Dorkings than anybody in England. ■' I shaU not he able to send you yet an exact accomit of what my Dorkings eat. i\Iy ophiion is threepence a week, and I am almost sure you cannot do them for less. They may be kept alive for less, but not in condition. I find, on comparing my account for January, Februai-y, jMarch, and April, that my twenty-one fowls (having the advantage of a "ood run, so far as herbage and casual food are concerned ) cost me regularly j£l for fom' weeks all this time." So much for a penny a week ! I have liberated my fowls now, as I consider my experiments conclusive ; hut if your readers are not of this opinion, only let Ihem follow my advice of weighing out a pound of wheat or barley, and seeing how long a Cochin-China lien will be in gobbling it up. But if I can be taught how to feed my fowls well (for I am sure, not to feed them really well is no economy), I am poor enough to gladly save some money, and young enough to be willing to learn. In taking leave, as an author, of the pages of The Cot- tage Ctaedenee, I can conscientiously aftii-m tliat (having no object to gain) I have only stated what I believe to be strictly true, the result of my own experience, and that of others ; and in thanking you for the eoiui;esy and attention I have received from you. — Gailus. Time rt f E.vperimei t—Oet 11 to Oct. 18. 1 Description Age 4J 00 'Si . Quantity of food consumed Cost 3& o tn 2. " .a S) to til o ^ 1 Cochin-China Cock Cocliin-China Hen 1851 1851 13 Ib.oz. Sleal 3 1 Bran 0 15 Com 3 14 7 14 d. 33 1 35 84 d. 4i 1 oz. 2 2 Cochin-China Cock Cochin-China Hen Cochin-China Hen 1851 1851 185! ^3 Meal 3 12 Bran 1 0 Corn 6 0 10 12 4i 6* 11 n 4 3 3 Cochin-ChinaCock- erel Ditto ditto Ditto liitto Ditto ditto Ditto ditto 1852 April .rune June June June Ibs.oz. 8 4 8 3 7 9 7 9 5 12 Ibs.oz. 8 13 8 12 7 10 7 12 6 0 s. d. Meal 4 (1 0 5 Corn 14 0 12 Pota- toes 5 0 0 2 23 0 1 9 i'i Time of Experiment— Oct. 14 to Oct. 21 . Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanisli Sp.anish Spanisli Spanish Spanish Spanish Cock Hen Hen Hen Hen Hen Cockerel Cockerel Cockerel Pullet Pullet Pullet PuUct 1350 1850 1850 1850 1850 1350 1852 1852 1852 1852 1852 1852 1852 Meal 5 0 Corn 19 0 Bran 3 0 27 0 0 6i 1 7 0 li FUCHSIAS. the pots on one side. This prevents the worms from in- truding, and likemse keeps the pots from getting too wet, wliich would start them into unnatural growth, and so weaken the system of the plant. To do them justice, you sliould have two sets of plants, one for eiu'ly-llowering, and the other for late-fiowering, so by that means you may secure their blooming from May till November. In the spring, I usually take cuttings at the time I start my plants into growth; taking care to stialie these in a nice, moist, dung-bed. By tiiliing cuttings eaily, and keeping them potted, they wiU repay tlie cultivator for aU the labour bestowed on them. The compost tliat I generally use is composed of one-and-a-half maiden loam, one-quai-ter leaf mould, and one-anda-quarter what is termed yellow loam, from Wanstead. In tliis they not only grow vigorously, hut retain that glossy foliage which impai-ts to them that con- trast of flower and leaf which is so cliaracteristic. When the plants are in a fast-growing condition, it is a great assist- ance to water them, say twice in the week, with a liquid- manure of sheep's dung. This makes a great addition to the size of the flowers. In my rambles to-day I came across that much-noised- abont Fuchsia, Batten's Pagoda. There is something novel in the colom' of the flower, but as for showing pui^poses it is quite wortliless ; the tube is something in the sliape of Goliah ; the sepals not reflexing, and the corolla something in the shape of a soda-water bottle, never expanding at all ; still, for its colour, it might have a place in a collection ; but I should advise the amateur, before he buys, to see it in flower, and judge for himself. If he goes to the show- rooms, on the show days, he will be able to pick for himself. We are getting three distinct classes of Fuchsias. First is crimson with violet. Second, white with scarlet. Third, white with riolet purple. The latter we have been wanting much. The following is a list of specimens of the three classes that I think would not discourage the buyer, nor disgrace the seller. 1. — Aljiha ; tube and vessels red, reflexes well, corolla rosy- j)ui'ple. Claplon Hero ; tube and vessels glossy crimson, corolla pui^ple. Dr. Smith ; bright crimson, with violet corolla. Kossuth : bright crimson, violet corolla. Hesplendens ; crimson-red. Nil Desperandmn ; waxy hright scarlet, corolla violet- pui'ple. Don Giovanni ; crmison tube, and sepals rosy, corolla. ■Princess ; white, with scarlet corolla. Bride ; white, with vennillion corolla. Elizahelli ; blush tube, corolla rosy-purple. Expansion ; white, corolla bright rose. .Toan of Arc ; white, coroUa rosy-scarlet. Conspiena ; white, with vennillion corolla. Pearl of Enyland ; blush-white, corolla scarlet. -Sidonia ; blush-white, with violet-purple corolla. Sidonia snperha ; wliite, violet-puiTile corolla. Delicata ; white, with bright purple corolla. E. Weaiheeih. I FEEL disgusted at Fuchsia spectalilis being classed with its more handsome neighbours, for there is no beauty in it or of it. A friend of mine has had one for this three years, and it has got to the heighth of nine feet, without gratifymg the cultivator with one of its flowers. Fiih/ens multijlora is far in advance of it. Many advise that the plants which flowered in autumn should be allowed to grow all winter ; but that would not do for the cottager, or even for our prac tical men, for all the nursing that you can give them, tlie season of rest will not jiass over without some defect on the yilant's system, for nature will not be lobbed of the rest. My plants, which have done Howering, and which I mean to flower next May and .Juno, I have placed in then' winter quarters, under the greenhouse shelves, taking care to lay ■■-!.- purple CEANOTHUS AZUREUS. Seeing this beautiful climbing shrub mentioned in your notice to correspondents this week, and not remembering to have seen the culture of it in The Coitagf, G.u'.deneh, I am induced to send you a few lines upon it. First, as to soil. I And it likes a light gai-den soil, not too rich, with a little peat to start it. Secondly, as to silimlion. A wall facing the south ; and, thirdly, as to its propayation. It can be raised from seeds, which it produces very freely. Sow them in shallow pans, in three paits peat, one part loam, and one part of well-rottened turf, with a little silver sand to ke(qi it open. Let the paus be well drained, and placed in a cold frame or pit. Sow at the end of February, or the beginning of Marcli. It may also be struck from cuttings in tlie same frame or pit, using the same soil. To effect this, tak-e oif some nice short cuttings about Midsummer, witli a little of the old bark at the base of tlie cuttings. Use the same soil, mth a little sand on tlio top, and place n NOVEMBEH 4. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEU. 93 bell-glass over them. (I forgot to say tlifit tlie seedlings must bo potted ott' when about three inches high.) There is also anotlier :node to obtain plants, and whicli I think the best and quickest viay to get a fine plant, and tliat is to select some of the finest shoots when the wood is mo- derately firm, ivilh a good leader, and of these shoots, about from nine to twelve inches from tlie tip, cut a nitcli or slit j upwards about anincli, beginning from below a joint; place in this nitcli a small wedge, to l\ R. M. Evans).— Your Salvia is S. Gra- haviii. {Quideni). — Yours is Cennnlhus azureua. {.i. M. L.). — Yours is Ltonotis leonurus, by some called Phlomis Iconurus. London: Printed by Habry Wooldeidge, Wincheeter High-street, in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William SoMBRViLLK Oer, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Pariah of Christ Church, City of London. — November 4th, 18&2, November 11. THE COTTAGE GAUDENER. 95 M W D D 11 Th l2iF 13 S i4 Son 15M l6Tn ,; W NOVEMBEK 11—17, 1862. Bunting mute. Wood Pipeons flocle. Green ^^'histling Plover seen. 2:i Sunday AFTER Trinity. Beeeh leafless. Teal arrive. Titmice near houses. WEEKLY CALENDAR. Weather near London in 1851. Barometer. .Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Sun Rises. 30.120 — 30.005 49—30 30.347 — 30.230 46— 2g 30,434-30.34!; 47— 3t) 30.289 — 30.100 44—3.'. 30.022—29.946, 41—19 29.845 — 29.815 42—26 29.921 —29.701, 35—27 N. N. S.W. N. W. N. W. 14 a. 7 16 17 19 21 23 24 Sun Uroon Sets. R. & S. 15 a. 4 sets. 13 5 a 0 12 r, 33 10 6 28 9 7 28 7 8 37 6 9 49 Bfoon's Clock | Day of Age. aft. Sun. Year, 15 46 15 38 15 29 15 19 15 9 14 58 14 46 316 317 313 319 320 321 322 LIeteorology OF the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 50.1° and 35.6° respectively. The greatest heat, 63°, occurred on the 12th in 1841 ; and the lowest cold, 15°, on the l6th in 1841. During the period 88 days were line, and on 87 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. WATEK LUIES — MMPHEACE-E Ceiaeacters of the Oedeu. — Sepals and ;K'/n/s numerous, overlapping each other like tiles, passing gradually into each other, the former not falling off, the latter inserted upon the disk -which surrounds the pistil. Slamens numerous, in- serted above the petals into the disk ; filaments petal-Uke ; nnWto-s joined their whole length to the filament, bursting inwards by a double longitudinal cleft. Bisk large, flesliv, surrounding the pistil either wholly or in part. Ovarium many-seeded, many-celled, with tlie stigmata radiating from a common centre upon a sort of flat pitcher-shaped cup. Frvit a many-celled capsule. Seeds very numerous, attached to spongy partitions of the seed-vessel, and enveloped in a jelly-like covering. Albumen floury. Embryo small on the outside of the base of the albumen, enclosed in a mem- branous bag ; eolijleclons leaf-like. Herbs, with shield or heart-shaped fleshy leaves, growing in quiet waters. NYHPH.'EA. — WHITE WATEE-LILY. Geneeic Chahactek. — Calyx below seed-vessels, of four large, leathery, oblong, permanent leaves, coloured on the upper side. Petals numerous, oblong, placed in several rows upon the base of the germeu. Nectary globose, in the centre of the stigma. Stamens very numerous, flat, placed on the germen above the petals ; the outermost gradually broadened. Anthers line like, of two parallel cells, closely attached, in their whole length, to the inner surface of the upper part of each filament. Germen stalkless, globose. Style none. Stigma globe-like, stalkless, of numerous rays, pointed and separate at the extremity, permanent. Berry leathery, scarred, of as many cells as there are rays ; at length intei-nally jelly-like and pulpy. Seeds numerous in each cell, roundish. Large, smooth, aquatic, perennial herbs. Stem none. Leaves floating, on long footstalks, heart- shaped or shield-shaped, entire or toothed. Flowers on long simple stalks, lai'ge, white, red, or blue, closing, and sinking more or less below the surface of the water, at night. NyjiPHiEA ALEA : Great White Water-lily ; Water Eose ; Water Can ; Can Dock ; Watersocks. Description. — It is a perennial. Moot tuberous, often as large as the human arm, putting forth numerous, widely- extending rootlets, with fibrous ends. Leaves floating on the surface of the water, about nine inches wide, oval- heart-shaped, the notch at the base deep, edge of t!ie leaf unnotched, and raised above the water, smooth, veins on the- underside not prominent. Leaf-stalks and flower- stalks cylindrical, full of cells within. Flowers large, from four to six inches across. Petals white, from sixteen to twenty-four in number, in two or three rows, wider than the sepals, or leaves of the caly.'i, egg-shaped, outer ones with a green streak down the back, approaching in their structure more to that of the calyx, as the inner petals do to the structure of the stamens, becoming gradually smaller. Sepals smaller than the outer petals, being about two inches long, and one inch wide, egg-shaped, blunt, spreading, streaked, but shining and smooth, yellowish-green on the outside, with a white edge, within-side white, sometimes tinged with red. Stamens usually about seventy in number, but sometimes more than eighty ; filaments short, thick, broad-spear-head shaped, fast to the side of the germ, white, but inner ones yellow and bent inwards ; the outer re- sembling the inner petals. Germ roundish. Pistil without style, stigma divided into about sixteen rays, about ten lines in diameter, which bend back, each ray corresponding to a cell in the germ. Berry globe-shaped, warted with the remains of the filaments, about sixteen-ceUed, with a very large concave, grooved, scolloped-edged stigma like the Poppy; rind thin and leathery, jelly-like pulp in the cells, which dries up to a spongy substance. Seeds very numerous, flattened globe-shaped, with a blunt angle on one side, yellowish-green, smooth, and shining, bmied irregulaidy in the pulp. Places where found. — In slowly-flowing rivers, and ponds never without water. Time of fiowcriny. — -July. History. — The name of Nymphaia is aptly ajjplied to this beautiful genus of w'ater-inhabiting flowers, as realizing the idea of the heathen poets, that the waters are tenanted by nymphs or spmts. The flowers arise and open as the sun attains power in the morning, but they close towards the evening, and either rechne upon the smface, or sink within the water. Those virgin Lilies, all the night Bathing their beauties in the lake. That they may rise more fresh and bright, When their beloved Sun's awake. There is no doubt but that the flower rises out of the water during sunshine that the pollen may perform its fer- tilizing office; and the same providential wisdom has so arranged that the seed-vessel, as it ripens, becomes heavier than the water, and sinks to the bottom to deposit its seeds in the mud. The tuberous roots are employed to dye a dark brown by the Irish and the inhabitants of the Isle of Jura. Swine eat it. Goats are not fond of it, and oxen as well as horses reject it. Aphis aquatiUs, and Leptura aquatica live upon it. Its use in medicine is now abandoned. (Smith. Martyn. Lindley. Witheriny.) No. CCXV., Vol. IX. 90 THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. November 11. We first saw the noble Pampas Grass (Oynerimn argm- ieum) in the garden of the Horticultural Society, last September, cooiing into flower, and in the first week of October we called at Kew, and Ibund it there in full bloom, planted out on the grass near the plant houses. There wei-e twenty-six or twenty-seven flower spikes on tljis fine plant, and notwithstanding the general opinion that more species are to be seen at Kcw than in any other collection in this counti-y, after seeing most of them, we came to the conclusion that the Pampas Grass was the best plant tliey had iu this national garden, con- sidering that every cottage gardener in the kingdom could grow and flower it as well us they do at Kew. From that day we made up our mind to put all re- sources into active play, in order to provide plants of it to try the experiment. With the exception of the electric telegraph, these means were put in force, and the "returns" we shall show presently; but first of all let us say, that the tops of the flower-stems of this grass stood full nine feet high, that the panicles or flowering parts were fi-om eighteen to twenty and twenty-four inches long, the plumes, or feathery parts, falling grace- fully on one side, and as the wind moved them about, two distinct shades were produced in undulating waves, a silvery hue jiissing over a warm cream-coloured ground. It was late in the afternoon, after a shower, and the sun was strong upon them, and never were we more delighted with the sight of a flower. Sir AV. Hooker, Dr. Wallich, and two other foreigners were there, and seemed to admire it as much as we did. It was only a few days before this that Sir W. Hooker wrote as follows, "Who does not, among the many friends of Dr. Wallich, rejoice to learn that this distin- guished and most liberal botanist has been recently honoured by his Danish Majesty in being made a Knight Commander of the Order of Danebrog," Who, indeed ! And who does not, among the many friends and admirers of these two distinguished and most liberal botanists, " rejoice to learn" that they are both of them looking hale and hearty, and in as high spirits as if their healths had never been impaired, the one in eastern climes, the other by harassing duties inseparable from his calling during the vast changes and improve- ments which were effected iu this garden during the last few years. Tliere are several plants of the Pampas Grass round Edinburgh and London, but none on sale. It comes into flower in Scotland earlier than in England, but no one has yet succeeded in getting seeds from it in either country. The only place where seedlings of it are likely to be ripened, is the Olasnevin Botanic Garden, in Dublin, and if they are there ripened, the curator, Mr. Moore, ought to make a good harvest of them, as every one on this side of the water is on the look out for the plant. Of all the plans that we can hear of for increasing it in other ways, that by Mr. Pince, of Exeter, this season, is the most likely to succeed. Instead of allowing his plants to run to flower, he outs out the flower-stalks as soon as they appear, and thus causes the strengftli that woidd be expended in producing so many flower-stalks, up to nine or ten feet high, to be reserved for the crown or body of the plant for the increase of side-shoots, as oue may sny : then, by stripping off some of the lower leaves, as they do with suckers of the Yucca or Pine- apple, and Viy " earthing up" tlie soil against these side- shoots, he expects them to root before he removes them from the stool, and the idea is very feasible indeed, and no one will be more pleased to hear of a successful issue than The Cottage G.^edenep.. We have suggested that Mr. Tweedie should be written to for another supply of the seed of this most desirable grass, but now it appears that no one in this country knows where he is, or whether ho is dead or alive, or is ofl' to "the diggings." ^Vo see no other course, therefore, but to get some parties to club together and secure tho services of IMr. Fortune to go out to Paraguay to establish another new plantation of tea in the far west. No man knows better how to humour the natives of a tea country than Mr. .Fortune, and here is a country that has been tabooed for the last forty years as much as ever China was — larger than Groat Britain, and as productive in its own peculiar tea or ]\Iate ( Ilt:v paragtiaijensis ) as the far-fatncd tea districts in China, where he gained his well-earned laurels. Let Mr. For- tune be once introduced to his excellency General Urquisa to spin a yarn about tea and cotton plauta- tions,-^how the Celestials and Yankee-doodles might be outwitted in colouring tea and teasing cotton along the tributaries of the Parana and Fraguay — and we pledge our best gold pen that the brave old soldier will have more cause to rejoice at his own " decree," by which this, the finest country in the western world, is now opened " to the sails of all nations," than by all that Sir Charles Hotham and the French Clievalier, or the like of them, could say till Christmas. All this settled, and the plains of Beuuos Ayres nunaged for a large supply of our I'ampas Grass, see the thousand chauces there would be for new plants in Paraguay itself, where no jilant collector has ever yet set a foot. Let us have a joint-stock enterprise into this new country, and not rest satisfied till we have Gavend'ishia nohiUs, and such Uhododondron-like plants as common in the trade as conifers. Let our India experiments in raising cotton bo repented on the banks of the sluggish Parana and Uraguny, and if we do not like their liolly tea, Mr. Fortune knows where and how to get the real thing for them, and for those who know best how to go about tho working of both concerns with- out recourse to " Lnclo Tom's" fraternity. B. Tuesday, November the 2d, was a great day for Shang- hao Fowls and their keepers, for never were a more beautiful lot exposed I'or sale than on thai diiy, and never before did they realise such ]U'ices. We refer to the sale by auction at the Baker-street Ba/.nar, and by the eft'ective hammer of iMr. StraUbrd, of the superfluous stock, and the chickens of 11^52, of Mr. Sturgeon's cele- brated fowls. Tliero were loO lots, and thesn realised November 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. m £()0C}. Such a result Is quite an epoch in poultry- keepiug, and refutes beyond all dispute the opinion entertained by Oallus and others, that the taste for Shanghao fowls is on the decline. -i' It is snch an event that we shall reprint the catalogue entire, affixing the price given for each lot, with a few comments upon some of them. It is a record and a standard for poultry keepers worth preserving. Great judgment was shown in the whole of the arrangement. The birds, for the most part, were sold singly ; none but good birds, though necessanly varying in excellence, were included in the lots ; there was every facility given for examining them, and every information relative to each lot that a breeder might desire to know. There was no puffing attempted, the auctioneer knew that the birds spol^e for themselves — they were from one of the best yards in England, and from that only. The result is well told by the exclamation of a foreign gen- tleman who came in just as the hammer fell on lot 12 — ■ " Seven pounds ! Can that be for von lien .'" That our readers who were not present at the sale may extract from the catalogue as much instruction as we can aid them to, we will observe that nearly every pullet, unless we have otherwise stated, was in colour buff— hutf of medium depth — and the feathers were not glossy, but of a soft surface, very much like that of rice paper. Those of our readers who are sufficiently ento- mological to Icnow the Drinker Moth, a moth very common of an evening late in the summer, will at once he able to realise the colour of some of the best pullets at this sale. We were glad to observe that the necklace, which was strong and dark on many of the pullets, did not depreciate their value. Thus, lot 78 fetched eleven pounds, although it had a necklace, and so far from thinking it objectionable, we think it adds to the bird's beauty. Surely, nothing but the difficulty of getting rid of it ever suggested its removal being desirable. All the chickens, it will be observed, were the progeny of one or other of three cocks, and as poultry stud books are sure to be kept, we give their names and per- formances. " 'The Pateiarch ' took the second prize at BirminRhara in 1850, when his chickens took the first prize and medal for unusual merit ; first prize at Bradford and Huddersficid, in 1851; and the Cheltenham Cup, at Cheltenham, in 1852. "'Sam' took first prize and medal for unusual merit, at Birming- ham, in 1851. " 'JiiERY* took the Gloucestershire Cup (value 5 gg.), at Chelten- ham, in 1852. " The chickens are bred from hens which shared the honours with the above cocks, and others of equal merit. No inferior hen was bred from. " The ages are given as near as the keeper can tell ; but it is impossible in such a number to he exact as to the age of the chickens, or the hens from which they are bred." Lot 1 . PuUet by Sam, hatched third week in March ; 2/. 4.s. 2. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third week in lHarch; 21. \Qs. 3. Cockerel hj ?,a.-!n, hatched first week in April; 2^. 15s. 4. Pullet by Jerry, hatched first week in Bfarch; 4/. 10s. 5. Cockerel by Sam, hatched first week in March; weighed 10 lbs. on the 13th of October; 3^ 12s. 6. Pullet from Mr. Moody's stock; U. 5s. 7. Pullet by Jerry, hatched first week in * No one will rejoice more than Gallus at this refutation, for he has Shanghae fowls fjuite as good as any sold on the 2nd, We take this opportunity to add that some parties have, without any just grounds, thought that Cock-a-doodly-do-o-o intended to insinuate that Gallus \\?is the party who had the eggs out of the pens at the Birmingham Show. Now we happen to know that Gallus was not there, and that he is a man of honour, far above such knavery. But let us also add our conviction that Cocky-doodly-do-Q-o aimed only at the offence, without intending to point out any culprit. We should like to ask, also, of what use for sitting purposes are eggs laid in December, the month of the Birming- ham Show ? March ; ^L 5s. 8. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched second week in March; 7/. p. Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in March ; weight ribs.; 3/. 10s. 10. /'"^/fi by Sam, hatched third week in March; -1/. 10s. OLD BIRDS. n. Henhom Mr. Moody's stock, and has weighed over lOlbs. ; Al. 12. Hen ; took first prize and medal at Birmingham, in 1851 ; ;/, 13. Cock; took first prize and medal at Birmingham as a chicken, in 1851 ; Ql. (js. 14. Hen; weighed on the 13th of October, in full moult. lOlbs.; 6/. 15. Hen, bred in 1851; \l. i5s. l6. Hen, imported in 1R52; 2/. 7s. 6d. 17. Hen, bred in 1851; 21. 2s. 18. Hen, bred in 1851; highly commended, as extra stock, at Halifax; 61. 6s. ig. Hen, bred in 1851 ; 21. 15s. 20. Hen, bred in 1851 ; highlv commended, as extra stock, at Halifax ; 4/. 15s. 21. Hen, hred in 1851; highly commended, as extra stock, at Halifax ; 8 lbs.; 41. 4s. 22. i^cw, bred in 1850; 2/. 15s. WHITE COCHIN-CHINAS. 23. Cock, purchased, with a hen, of Mrs. Herbert, at Birmingham, in 1851, and selected by Mr. Sturgeon for the best pair of white birds shown, he having the first choice of her prize and medal birds ; 2/. 1 3s. 6d. 24. Cocke)-el, bred from Lot 23, and hen referred to as purchased with him; U. 15s. 25. Cockerel, ditto, ditto ; 1^. 14s. 26. Cockerel, ditto, ditto; 3;. 27. Cockerel, ditto, ditto; 3^. CHICKENS OF 1852. 28. Cockerel by Sam, hatched first week in April ; weighed pjlbs. 13th of October; 3/. 10s, 29. Cor/rer*?/ by Jerrv, hatched first week in March ; weighed 9 lbs. I3th of October; 6/. 15s. 30. Pullet hy Sam, hatched third week in March ; 3^. 3s. 31 . Cockerel hy Patriarch, hatched first week in March; weighed 1 U pounds. 13th October; 10/. 10s, 32. Cockerelhy Sam, hatched second week in April; ll. I5s. 33. Pidlet hy Patriarch, hatched first week in March; 5/. 5s. 34. Pif/Ze^ by Sam, hatched third week in March ; 71. 7s. 35. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in April ; 21. 5s. 36. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 2/. 2s. 3". Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in April; U. 10s. 38r Pullet by Jerry, hatched second week in March ; 7 lbs. ; 6/. 6s, 39. Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in March ; bl. 40, Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in March; weighed pAlbs. 13th of October; 2/. 15s. 41. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in March; 4/. 10s. 42. Pw^/cf by Jerry, hatched second week in March; Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in March; 3i. 15s. 43. Cockerelhy Patriarch, hatched third week in April; 21. 2s. 44. Cocke)'el by Jerry, hatched third week in May ; 21. 5s. 45, Pullet bv Jerry, hatched Eecond week in April ; 3/. 5s. 46. Pullet by Sam, hatched first week in April ; 7I. ] 5s. 47. Pidlet by Patriarch, hatched third week in March ; 61. 6s. 48. Cockerel by Sam, hatched third week in March; 41. 49. Cockerelhy Patriarch, hatched second week in April; 31. 6s. 50. Cockerel by Sam, hatched first week in March ; 21. 10s. 51. Pallet by Sam, hatched third week in March; weighed 8 lbs. 13th of October; 6/. 6s. 52. Pullet by Sam, batched third week in March ; 7I. 7s. 53. Pullet by Sam, hatched first week in April ; PuUet by Patriarch, bached first week in April ; 5/. 15s. 54. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in April; 4/. 4s. 55. Co6'A-e)'d by Jerry, hatched third week in March; 2^ 2s. 56. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in April; 41. 10s. 57- Cocke)-el by Jerry, hatched third wepk in April ; 8lbs. ; 41. 58. Cockerelhy Sam, hatched second week in March ; Qlbs. ; 5^ 59. Pw/^ei by Jerry, hatched second week in April; 8 lbs. ; 41. 60. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in March; 4/. 4s. 61. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third week in March; 5/, \2s. 6d. 62. Pw/Zei' by Patriarch, hatched first week in April ; Cockerelhy Sam, hatched second week in April; 6/. 10s, 63. PuUet by Sam, hatched third week in March; Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in April ; 5/. 64. Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in March ; 21. 15s. 65. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in l\Iarch ; 3/. 10s. 66. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April; Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in April; 5/. 15s. 67. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 7s. 6d. 68, Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in Blay ; \l. 15s. 69. Pw//e/by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; 51. 70. Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in April ; 1/. 10s. 71. Pullet by Jerry, hatched first week in April ; 8^ 72. Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in April ; 2/. 5s. 73. P«//e!^ by Sam, hatched second week in April; Zl. bs. 74. Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in March; Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched first week in April; 3^. 5s. 75. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April; Pullet, ditto; 41. 10s. 76. Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April ; 3/, 5s, 77. PuUet by Jerry, hatched first week in April ; 71- 10^- 78. Pullet hy Sam, hatched third week in April ; 11^. 79. Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April; 4^. 6s. 80. (Toe/cere/ by Patriarch, hatched second week in April; 1^ 16s. 81. Ph?;^^ by Patriarch, hatched second week in April, lOiJlbs.; 5^. 1 Os. 82. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 21. 12s, 6d. 83. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched first week in May; 2l.7s.6d, 84. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in Blarch, Qilbs. ; 3/. 15s. 85. PuUet by Sam, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 86, Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April ; 7I. 10s. 87. Cockerel by Sam, hatched third week in March; 5/. lOs. 88. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 5^ 15s. 89. PuUet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April; 2/. 12s. 6rf. 90, Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched first week in Mav ; Pullet hy Jerry, hatched third week in April ; 5/. 5s. gi . Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in May ; 1/. 6s. 92, Pullet by Sam, hatched third week in April; 3/. 12s. 6rf. 93. Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April ; 5/. J 5s. 94. PuUet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April; V.7s.6d. 95. Cockerelhy ^^vc\, hatched second week in April; \l. 7s. 6d. 96. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched first week in May; 21. 12s. 6d. 97. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third week in April; 3^ 98. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third week in April; 3/. 5s. 98. Cockerel by Sam, hatched third week in March; 61. 100. Cockerelhy Jerry, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 10s. 101. Coe/:ere^ by Jerry, hatched first week in April ; 12/. 10s. 102. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third week in April; 3l.7s.6d. 103. P»//ei by Sam, hatched second week in April; 3^. 104. PuUet by Jerry, hatched secondweek in April ; 2/. 7s. 6d. 105. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched second week in March ; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April; 7/. 106. PuUet by Sam, hatched third week in April; 61. 15s. 107. Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in March; __l 08 THE COTTxVGE GARDENER. NOVEJIBEU 1 1. 2/. 2s. 108. Cockerel by ?am, hatched second week in April; M. lop. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; 5/. 5.v. 1 ] (». Pul/et Ijy Sam, hatched third week in April; 4/. lOs, 111. Cockerel by Patri- arch, hatched second week in April; 1/. Gs. 112. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in Way ; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April; 5/. las, 113. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in iNIarch ; Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April; 4l,2s,Gd. 114. Cockerel by Sara, hatched second week in April ; Pullet by .Terry, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 15s. 115. Cockerel by Sam, hatched third week in March; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April; 6/. 116. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in i\Iay ; Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April; 4^. 10s. 11". Cockerel hj Sam, hatched second week in March; tf. 15s. 118. Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April; 2/. 15s. up Pt/llet by Jerry, hatched first week in April; 21, 1.5s. fid, 120. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 15s. 121. CocA-o'c/ by Jerry, hatched third week in April; 4^ 122. Cockerel by Sam, hatched second week in April; XL 10s. 123. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 4/. 7s. 6d, 124. Pullet by Jerry, hatched third weekinApril; hi. 10s. 125. CocA'ere/by Jerry, hatched second week in i\Iay; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; hi, yti, 6d. 1 26. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; 3/. 12". Cockerel hy Jerry, hatched third week in April ; 1/. 14s. 128. P»//e/ by Patriarch, hatched second week in April; 3/. 7s. 6rf. 129. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched first week in April; 3/. 5s. 130. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched first week in April; 4/. 4s. 131. Coc/ie)-e/ by Sam, hatched third week in April ; 1/. 3s. 132. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched first week in April; lt,7s,dd. 133. Pullet by Jerry, hatched second week in April ; 4/. 12s. 6fl, 134. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in March; 3/. 3s. 135. Pullet by Jerry, hatched second week in April; 3/. 12s. 6rf. 136. Pi///ei by Sam, hatched first week in March; 3/. 5s. 137. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched first week in April; Pullet by Sara, hatched first week in April; hi, 138. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; Pullet by Jerry, hatched first week in April; 2/. 15s. 139. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in April ; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; 4/. 4s. 140. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched third week in April ; Pullet by Sam, hatched first week in April; 3/. 15s. 141. Cockerel by Jerry, hatched third week in .April ; Pullet by Patriarch, hatched first week in April ; 2/. 4s. 142. Cockerel by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; Pullet by Sam, hatched second week in April; 4/. 7s. 6rf. 143. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched second week in April ; 21, 17s. 6rf. 144. Puflet hy P.atriareh, hatched second week in March; 3^. 15s. 145. Pi/Z/eMiy Sam, hatched first week in March; 3/. 15s. 146. Pullet by -Sam, hatched second week in March ; 3/. !3s. 147. Pullet by Patriarch, hatched first weekinApril; 31, 15s. 148. P«//e? by Patriarch, hatched second week in Rlarch ; 3/. 5s. 149. P«/^e^ by Patriarch, hatched first week in April ; 31. 10s. 150. Pullet hy Patriarch, hatched first week in April ; 5/. 10.9. 161. White Cockerel ; 1/, 17s. We intended to have offered comments iipon some of the lots, but we have only space to add, that lot 101, the seven months old cockerel that realised £V2 lOs., was a buff-coloured bird, very square framed, and stout, but that we think the pullets, as a whole, sold better than the cockerels. This probably arose from the fact that they had all reached the age when their greatest beauty is attained ; whilst the beauty of the cockerel is jiot fully developed until he is about two months older. FORSYTH MSS. When we stated that Sib John Sinolaiu was the third son of his father, we omitted to observe that he was the only survivor of the three, and we deem this explanation needl'ul, because, without it, our other statement that necessity did not stimulate him to exertion is not suf- ficiently apparent. The foundation of bis classical attainments was laid at tlio High School of Edinburgh, but he subsequently received the title of LL.D. from three Universities— Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Oxford. In addition to the places in liis native country which we have mentioned as returning him to Parliament, we may add Lostwithiel, and Peterslield, in England. It deserves to be recorded as one of the bright spots in tlie too usually black treatment of our countrymen by Napoleon Buonaparte, that when he heard of the capture of a son of Sir .John Sinclair, who was travelling in 1 SOO with his tutor, he immediately ordered passjiorts to bo given to them, and treated them with the greatest lioliteness. One of the successful efforts of Sir J. Sinclair was the foundation of the Board of Agriculture, in 170.3, of which he was elected the first President. He was not so successful, however, in its management. It unfortu- nately acted as if it had taken for its motto "Prices, Politics, and Practice," and was dissolved somewhere about the year 181d, in consequence of the Parliamentary grant of .i'oUOO a year being withdrawn. Its successor, " The Pioyal Agricultural Society," acts up to its more legitimate motto, " Practice with Science." Whilst the Board of Agriculture existed, Sir J. Sinclair was very active in sustaining the publication of its transactions, and Mr. Forsyth contributed to them on the subjects suggested hy the following letter, dated I Whitehall, June 12, 1797 :— SIE .JOHN SINCLAIR 10 ME. rOBSYIH. You wiU herewitli receive a copy of the plan, according to which it is proposed to have, not only tlie corrected Eeports drawn up, hut also the General Report from the Board of Agriculture, respiectiDg the state of the kingdom at large, by ivliich you will perceive that it is intended to have a distinct chapter on gardens and orchards. It is extremely difficult to find persons fit for drawing up the different chapters, who unite a talent and capacity for writing witli a practical knowledge of the different subjects which it is necessary to have explained, and that is par- ticularly the case in regard to gardens, and even orchai-ds, though we have already collected a great deal of infoim- ation respecting that branch of our inquiry. I will shortly endeavour to explain the natiu'e of the paper that it would be deshable to have di'awn up on those subjects. Hints for cliapter 9, of the General Pieport, on the sub- ject of gardens and orchards. Introduction — On the various modes of raising food for man, by cultivating the eartli, and the superior tiuantity of food produced by gardening. Sect. 1. — On the production of the garden, in an agricul- tural point of view. 2. — On the most productive ai-ticles to be cultivated. 3. — Of the best mode of cultivating them, the fittest manures, &c. 4. — On the best rotation of crops, so as to produce tlie greatest quantity of human food. 5. — On the value of an acre of garden land properly cultivated as food for man, and the number of persons it would maintain. C. — On cultivating food for cattle, etc. (as Lucerne), in gardens, or in a similar system. 7. — On the quantity of land which one man can jjroperly cultivate in a year with the spade. 8.— On cottage gardens, their proper sii;e, fittest articles of produce. !). — Of the fruit-garden, and the quantity of food that may be produced in fruit-gardens, per acre. 10.— On orchards. Conclusion — On hot-houses. It is certain, that fruits may bo considered rather as a luxury, or, in hot seasons of the year, as a land of medicine, and as calculated rather for producing drink tlian food. At the same time, it is a subject too important to be entirely omitted in an agricultural report on tlie general state of the kingdom and its productions. The paper need not he long, giving merely a general view of the subject, without entering too much into detail. If you have leisure to undertiike such a paper, I am per- suaded that, coming from your liands, it would give great satisfaction to the Board and to the public, which I need not add, woidd be doing a material service to the country. N.B. — Sir John Sinclair is particularly anxious that Jlr. Forsyth should draw up sucli a paper for the Board, as lie lias sucli access to obtain authentic information on tlio sub- ject of kitchen-gardening in particular, from tlie numerous body of gardeners in the neighbourliood of London. November 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. no COA^ENT GARDEN. Those only who live, and those who have lived, in London, know the effect a wet day has on the trade of this great mart ; but, when such a state of matters con- tinues, not for one day, but for six, the efleot is great indeed. Suoli has been the ease for the last week or ten days, and tlie consequence is, that business of every kind has been at its lowest ebb. It would be strange if, in the midst of all this depression, Govent-Garden should escape; and still there are some who wonder why it should not, for, say they, people must have potatoes, and cabbages, and fruit ; these don't spoil with a wet day, and consumers do not go to market themselves. But, when it is considered that a great amount of the market produce is supplied to costermongers, and that during such weather as we have had lately these persons cannot follow their calling in the streets, it will be at once understood how it is the market has been heavy. Fruit. — The supply of fruit continues abundant. In Apples, the winter varieties begin to come up, and among them we observed our old friend the Catslieacl. This is a fine old English baking apple, not so much cultivated in these days as it once was, but still a favourite in all markets. Wherever there is an orchard planted for the supply of large towns, this is one variety which should always he introduced, as it measures well, and is always in demand. The Yorhsliire Greening has also appeared during the week, and this, too, is one of those which meet with a ready sale ; it is well adapted for sauce, and generally commands a good price. The HanweU Souring is another of the same description, and of it there have been several parcels. The prices which these cooking apples make is from 3s. Gd. to 4s., and 5s. per bushel when very fine. Golden Winter Fearmains still continue abundant, and realised from 3s. dd. to 5s., according to the quality. We have also observed a few Dumelous Seedling, but it is rather early for them. Ribston Pippins are still plentiful, and make from 5s. to 7s. 6d. per bushel. Downton Pippins are to be met with at the same prices, but not so plentifully. We stated last week that Netvtoivn Pipipins had arrived from America. This, and the Lady Apple, is, we believe, the only apples which are imported to this country as rarities, and the reason is, because they cannot be pro- duced in this climate in the same degree of perfection as in America. Even against a wall the fruit of the Neioloicn Pippin never possesses the same fine flavour as is to be met with in the imported specimens. The Lady Ap)j)le is the variety which is known in the collec- tions of this country and the continent as Poninie d'Api. It was first introduced here in the reign of Charles the Second ; but the only attraction it seemed to have was, that it " served the ladies, at their toilets, as a pattern to paint by !" We do not know to what use they are applied now, but we may charitably suppose that the lady who bought half-a-dozen the other day in the Covent-Garden arcade had no intention of applying them to such a purpose as the belles of Charles's time did. Pe.4Es are also plentiful. Beurre Capiaumont continues to take the lead. A few Bishop's Thumbs may still be met with, and several bushels of Messire Jean have also been offered. This was, at one time, grown to some considerable extent, but its cultivation has now been discontinued ; and we question if there is a nursery where it is now propagated. The orchards from which the supplies have come must, therefore, be of an early date, for since tlie beginning of this century, at least, it has not been met with in the nurseries in any quantity. It is one of those old French varieties, which were, in all probability, introduced by London and Wise, of the Brompton Park Nursery. We observed also, in the centre arcade, a few Glout Morceau and Passe Golmar ; of these we shall remark on a future occasion. They are both first-rate varieties, and should be in all choice collections. Vegetables. — There is no variation either in the supply or the prices of vegetables. Cabbages are plen- tiful, at from 6d. to Is. Od. per dozen bunches. Oauli- flou'ers are also plentiful, at 2s. (id. ; and, indeed, every other description of this department continues much the same as last week. We need not, therefore, repeat what we said in our former reports. Plants and Flowebs. — The supply of Ea'ekgbeens IN' POTS continues to increase. They are generally hand- some, well-grown, bushy plants, and consist of Aitcuha japonioa, Bed Cedars, Siberian and Chinese Arbor vita, Tree Box, Spruce Firs, and Laurustinus. Cut Elowees are becoming more choice, the recent cold, wet weather having played sad havoc among the border flowers. They consist chiefly of Camellias, Scarlet Geraniums, Double and large-fringed Single Chinese Primroses, Verbenas, Double Blue Violets, and Azalea Indica. Some of the Bouquets are very beautiful. We promised last week we should, from time to time, furnish descrip- tions of any which attracted our notice. We noticed one this week which had a fine, large, double white Camellia for a centre, round which was a thick belt of double blue Violets; these, again, were bounded with another belt of Scarlet Geraniums, and the whole fringed round with leaves of the Rose-scented Geranium. H, GOSSIP. He who has written one of the best books upon British Ferns, Mr. Moore, Curator of the Chelsea Botanic Garden, is the most fit person to prepare other assistance for those whom he has induced and aided by his little volume to collect specimens of this beautiful order of plants. One of the first wants felt by such collectors is that of a neat and correct set of labels for his collection. To supply this want, Mr. Moore has published a complete set of Fern labels. The names of the sections of the Order are in large capitals ; the names of the genera in smaller capitals ; and the names of the species in letters still smaller, but all very legible. The names of the botanists who bestowed each title, and some synonyms are added to the specific names. The following is an epitome of the results of the cultivation of Kitchen Vegetables and Fruits, alleged to 100 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. NovE>rni£B II. be new and superior, that liavo been published in the " Journal of the Loudon Horticultural Society." The experiments were conducted, and are reported, by Mr. B. Thompson. Hardi/'s Shallol Onion. — Strong flavoured; probably good keeper ; irregular in size and form ; " by a judicious selection of bulbs for seed, a useful sounddceeping \'ariety may very probably lie obtained." Florenliner Pfliicherlse Pea, from Germany, proved to be onr Earlij Frame. Paradise Pea. — Sown May 17tb, fit far use July 23rd ; four feet high ; good quality ; abundant hearer ; allied to the Early Charlton. Dork dc Filz-.Tamcs Pea. — Sown May 17tb, fit for use .July ■20th ; four feet high ; very good, liut a curious degeneration, probably, from the Charlton, the pods and peas being yellow. Sitllon's Early Goliath Pea. — Sown May 17th, fit for use July ISth; foiu' feet high; "a very good, early, productive pea." Sutton's Superb MarroirJ'at. — Same as Woodford Green Marrow. Early Prince of Wales Pea. — Sown February Kith, fit for use .June 3.5th. •' A well-selected Early Frame." Poi/al Alfred Pea. — Sown February 10th, fit for use Jidy 14th; three to fom- feet high; large and good; "a sort of Marrow, but not so sugary as Ivniglit's." Trial of Early Peas. — The following are the results of sowing of ditferent kinds of Early Peas, made with the view of ascertaining their comparative merits in point of earli- ness : — • 1. Early Frame . sown November 15 ; fit .Titne 4. 2. Earhj Kent . do. clo. If) ; dn. 4. ',1. Early Emperor . do. do. 10 ; do. 4. 4. Sangsler's No. 1. do. do. If); do. 4. 5. Early Charlton . do. do. 1.5; do. 24. 15; do. a. Early Long-podded \ ^^^ ^^^_ Bishops DwarJ ) 7. Early Surprise . do. do. 24. 15 ; do. 24. The first four of the above may be considered identical. Sangster's No. 1 was admitted to have been sent out in mistake. Slight differences will take place in the Early Frame, and other sorts, in consequence of the mode of saving. Hence the Early K:ent and Early Emperor; bitt they are certaiulynot decidedly diflFerent permanently. They were exactly alike in the above trial. Haricot de Prayiie jaspk — A tail running J\idney Bean ; not good in its green state ; dried seeds said to be excellent. Haricot dc Behiic. — A running Kidney Bean ; pods five inches long, and still tender; tolerable bearer, but not very early ; very good, but must have support. Bnsh Haricot {Haricot solilairc). — Fifteen inches high, and brauchy close to the ground like a bush ; pods abtmdant, five inches long, crisp, transparent, and excellent ; commence forming early, and continue long in bearing ; dry seeds, speckled red and white ; mvtst lie grown two feet apart each way. " Forms a valuable succession to the earlier sorts, especially dm-ing hot dry weather." Small While-seeded Haricot. — A variety of the Haricot ri:., but earlier, more productive and hardier. ■' Not so good as various others." Ncwinyton Wonder French Bean. — lixcellent ; one foot high ; early and productive ; pods very ileshy, and seeds form slowly ; grown in rows eighteen inches ajmrt. Black Bchjian A'idnri/ Bean. — l^est liiilli for early and late sowing. Dwarf; sown in pots and planted out when earth warm enough; and late in summerwiU produce n crop until cut down by frost. " This and the Nen-itigton Wonder are considered the best varieties of Dwarf Kidney Beans." Turkischc Bohne. — Tliis Kidney Bean is the same as the Sabre, "Dnchesse ile 'Previse Strawberry — Presented to the Society by M. .Tamin, Bourg la-Reine, near I'aris, September (1, 1851. — Fruit middle-sized, ovate, deep red; seeds suudl, rather deeply embedded ; flesh pale red, juicy, with a brisk rich llavoiu'. Leaves large, roundish, widely and rather obtusely serrated. Leaf-stalks moderatcdy tall, very hairy, the hairs on these spreading horizontally, but those on the scapes and runners are adpressed. Appears to be a good bearer, ripening quite as early as Keens' Seedling. It will require to be planted as widely apart as the sort just men- tioned. .\s far as can be judged of it in the present season it seems deserving of cultivation, or, at all events, certainly of further trial. " Snller's I'crsaillaise Stratrberry—VresenteA to the Society liy Mr. .John Salter, Nurseryman. Hammersmith, Oct. 24, 1852. — Fruit large ovate, sometimes flattened or cockscomb- shaped ; dark red ; seeds rather deeply embedded ; flesh pale, juicy and rich. Leaves middle-sized, roundish oval, widely serrated. Leaf-stalks, scapes and runners haiiy, the hairs spreading almost horizontally. A good bearer, ripen- ing about the same time as Keens' Seedling, to wddcli n will doubtless be preferred by those who like a brisker flavour than is possessed by Keens' Seedling. On the whole, it is worthy of recommendation, being large and a good bearer; many of the new sorts have these properties only, but this has also good flavour. " Bradncll's Seedling Pear — This was raised by John Bead- nell, Esq., West Green I'oad, Tottenham, and cuttings of it were presented by him to the Society. — The fruit is nearly middle-sized, turbinate, stalk short : eye a little open ; skin pale yellowish-green on the shaded side, red next the sini, much speckled with whitish-grey dots. Flesh melting, ex- ceedingly juicy, and rich. It is not buttery, hut so melting, when used in its full perfection, that, one can scarcely say whether he is not ratlier drinking than eating. Its period of ripening varies between the middle of September and that of October. It does not keep long after being ripe. The tree is vigorous, and beai-s very abundantly. Shoots long, bright chesnut coloured where well exposed, much spotted with whitish spots. Leaves moderately large, cordate on the young shoots, somewhat concave and acumi- nate, serrated; those on the spurs, are elliptic. Stipules linear, rather more than half the length of the jietioles. This variety caiuiot fail to he very acceptable on account of its rich, abundant, and higldy refreshing juice. " Shanghae Peach. — This variety was sent to tlie Society hy Mr. Fortune, who found it growing to a very lai-ge size in the North of China. — Along with a plant of it in a pot, he sent some of the peach stones. These were sown and came up abundantly ; but they had a very unpromising appear- ance for fruit, then foliage being naiTOw, and altogether un- like that of a cidtivated sort. They were, how-evcr, potted, and wheir fit, used as stocks for the original. Several trees on these stocks were planted against a south wall, wdiere they grew rapidly. The trees have produced better frUit this year than formerly, probably owing to unusually high tem- perattu'e in .July. The flowers are large ; the lea\es of the petals deeply colotired. Leaves crenated, with renifonn glaads. Fruit very large, ten inches or more in circum- ference, roundish, and very handsome ; pale yellow where shaded, and dehcate crimson red next the sun. 'fhe flesh is pale yellow next the skin, but veiy deep red at the stone, to which it is attached by strong fibres, yet it is not every- where adherent like the flesh of the cling-stone peaches. It is juicy and rich, but it requires to lie gathered a day or two before it is used. In this state some gentlemen preferred it to old esteemed sorts. It ripens about the same time as the Bellegarde. The tree is a good l.iearer. Buds of this sort have been distributed to the various nursery-men or other Fellows of the Society who applied for them. It must, however, be observed, that it requires a giuul aspect, and warm situation. It would probably answer for forcing, with plenty of heat. Some imds of it were sciU tn Paris, and there its fruit is said to be splendid. Like all large fruited varieties it ought to be well thinned. ' The following is a list of tho nurliciilliirnl anil Ponllrij Shou-s of which wo aro at jn-esent aware. Wc shall bo obliged by any of our renders sending us ad- ditions to tho list, and giving tho address of tho Se- cretaries. nonTICOT.TOlUL SHOWS. BtTrtY St. EpMunds, Kov. 20 (Chrysanthemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq.) NoVEjiBER 11. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 101 Caledonian (luverleith Eow),Edinlnu'gli, Dec. 3. Hampshike, Nov. 18 (Wincliestcr). (Sec. Kev. F. Wick- ham, Wiiicliester.) London Floeicui.tukal (Exeter Hall, Strand), Nov. 23, Dec. U+. NoETH London, Nov. SiS, ChrysaHlheraum. South London (Hoyal), Nov. 11+, Dec. l)t, ]6. POULTKY shows. BlKMlNGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES, i-lth, lOtll, IDth, and 17 til December. Bkis'Col Ageicultural, December 7th, 8tb, and !)th. (Sec. .James Marmont.) Coenwall (Penzance), January lOtb, and lltli. (Sl'cs. Rev. W. AV. Wingfleld, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. Kodd, Esq.) Doechestbe, Nov. IRtb. (Sec. G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor- chester.) HoNiTON, January IStli. (5Vc. H. K. Venn.) WiNCHESTF.E, December 1st. (Sees. G. W. Johnson and J. Colson.) t For seedlings only. PREPARATIONS FOR EARLY FORCING. The shortest day is not far distant, and tlie adding one more year to tlie world's history is the signal with many to jn-epare for garden luxuries during the ensuing spring. Hundreds, liowever, are not thus jjatient, but require tilings much earlier still — and to such the shortest day forms no rule. To obtain Strawberries in March, Grapes and Figs in April, and Peaches in May, requires that the early forcer put his house in order immediately. First, then, the Early Vinery. What must be done — and in what order? If the roots are inside the house, little will be required. If the Vines have been done justice to at the close of their former labours, their roots will have become somewhat dry — a very wholesome con- dition to remain in during the rest period. In conse- soquence, the border will have become husky on the surface, and, as much of this as has lost its texture, may be removed, and a little fresh compost, if necessary, be substituted ; but it will be well to case the whole over with three inches of half-rotten manure — that from old hotbeds, whore half the volume has been tree leaves is excellent. And now, the border being dryish, let us advise a liberal watering with tepid liquid-manure ; but, as it is not proper to risk any lodgment of this powerful fertilizer, it may be applied, in a moderate quantity, three days successively, and will thus quietly penetrate the mass. Of course, the Vines for such early forcing have been pruned, and the wood dressed ; if not, we jiity the forcer, if the Vines have been forced early in former yoai's. The dressing should be applied at twice, but, before doing so, every portion of loose outer bark must he peeled off, for there is no safety if any be left on. Then let the dressing bo applied, and a good prac- tice is, to add plenty of lime to the lirst coat : this, when dry, will prove a tell-tale, and show the operator, at the second dressing, any portion which may have been missed. If the roots of the Vines are partially or wholly outside, the first thing should be the covering of the border with litter, in order to at least exclude frost; and if the material be in a fermenting state, all the better. We think that a temperature of 60° to 70° will be amply sullicient until the buds swell, when it may be iucreased ij°. And here we would recommend the use of a good tarpaulin to cover the litter, in order to keep oat rain and snow : perhaps this article will be as good and ceonoinical a thing as can be devised. It is quite obvious, that borders which have been exposed to all the autumnal rains contain sufficient moisture to last them until the new year, at least. If any loose material, the remains of former top dressings, remain on the surface of the border before covering, we would rake it clear off — or, at least, as far as surface fibres would permit, so as to enable the fermenting warmtli to penetrate the border. When the warmth of the fer- menting material needs increase, it will bo well to introduce muck of the droppings from the stable door, in order to impart richness to the border, when rains or waterings are permitted. Thus far the roots ; now for the structure itself. Again wo may point to the thorougii cleansing requisite in all forcing houses before com- mencement. This, of course, will consist in washing down, or painting, all wood-work, using strong lime- washes to walls or brick-work, and in washing the roof and other lights as clean in the glass as a drinking vessel. All this comjilete, let us again advise, in all cases, a good stoving with sulphur, continued for several hours — say from daylight to dusk ; and if the operator can cover his roof with mats, canvass, or anything, all the better : closing the frames in as mucli as possible. It will be here observed, that nothing with foliage on can remain in during this process. The ojierator will find this a good chance for stoving his Figs, Vines, Peaches, Cherries, &c., in pots or tubs, lor they might be removed here previous to the operation. And now lot us inquire if the flues have been thoroughly cleaned; if not, it must be done immediately, and hot-water machinery examined and reported on ; for a break-down in midwinter will not obtain the gold medals of Regent- street. Al-l these things duly carried out, the first steps of forcing may be taken, such consisting, in a great degree, in a reversal of the rest policy. A dry atmosphere must gradually be exchanged for a moist one, and the temper- ature may be allowed a slight advance. In all these things let nature be imitated; generally speaking, what is termed a mild and soft March day may be the model. Thus, suppose a vinery closed in the last week of Oc- tober, the tem]ierature might run about thus — First two weeks in November about 50' Third week ditto 55° Fourth week ditto 60° First fortnight in December 65° Last ditto ditto 70° However, these things depend on other circumstances as well ; for as soon as the buds are expanding, the night and day thermometer must differ considerably, for thus nature manages her affairs. If tlie buds are found to break shyly, or irregularly, more time must be given-, or the trees will produce an unsightly crop. The syringe may be plied night and morning, using a fine rose, in order not to batter the dressing-off; and sprink- ling must be a constant practice, morning and evening, on the floors, walls, &c. If the operator can introduce fermenting materials, it will be of great service to the Vines; such, turned and sprinkled twice a-week, will ]n-oduce a most genial kind of humidity in tlie air of the house. Ventilation during the first month will be resorted to, simply to get rid of surplus heat ; and thus matters may proceed until the Vines are in leaf Having other matters pressing for some future papers, we must here just take a passing glance at other candidates for precocity, and, first, . PEAcu-i'onciNG. Here the same preliminaries are requisite as in the vinery ; thorough cleanliness, the use of lime, &c. And here may be named the propriety of adding much sulphur to the lime, which, indeed, should be constantly done in all plant structures; the benefits are more considerable than people commonly imagine. The same wash will answer here as with the vines : this having been so often described in these pages, it may suffice to observe, that it is composed of a clay paint, to which much sulphur and lime are added ; and soap liquid added at the rate of four ounces of soft soap to a gallon of water. Every crevice in the branches must 103 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. NOVEMBEK 11. : be searched with this dressing; and it should be repeated i at an interval of a couple of days or so. In addition to I all this, the stoving suggested for the vine will so purify the walls, shoots, &c., that it is probable not even the I eggs of the insects will escape. It was tlie neglect of such extreme precautions in former days which caused such a hubbub about red sjmler, &c. In those times it ! was counted nothing extraordinary to see houses under good gardeners of the day overrun with this terrible pest ; but now, woe to the credit of a man of any standing in his profession who looks coolly on whilst these iusect tribes are committing their devastations. It happens very fortunately that sulphur, which is antagonistic to the red spider, is so lik-ewise to that terrible scourge of the vine, the Oidiiim Tuckerii, or vine mildew : this is, indeed, a fortunate thing. If the Peaches have not been pruned it must be done instantly if for early forcing, of course before dressing, and great care must be taken in this operation. We may here take occasion to dissipate a serious error, a garden- ing mesmerism, which is totally unworthy of the day we live in ; and that is, the impression that every shoot of the Peach must be shortened back. This is consummate nonsense ; and the error has arisen from the want of a due consideration of the difl'erent degrees of ripeness attained by in-doors and out-doors Peaches as we com- monly find them. With regard to the latter, it is very generally necessary to shorten them on account of the immaturity of their points ; but with the house Peaches the same reason is not, or .ought not, to be present; and the chief reason for shortening in-doors, consists in its tendency to keep the lower portions of the tree well furnished. Peaches and Nectarines, of some age, and which have been tolerably hard-worked, are very apt to be minus wood buds e.Kcept at the terminal point. We have frequently seen shoots, which were studded with blossom buds from the base to the extremity, preserving but one wood bud at the very point. Now, it is obvious to any one, that to prune this shoot at any point is to destroy it; and this is not all. Trees of this character rejoice in having their leading buds unmolested: they sustain more lively action in the tree than mere secondary shoots; trees of this habit being below the medium point of luxuriance, and requiring in general some stimulus to keep them going. Let, therefore, common sense prevail in this matter; do not shorten any shoot of a doubtful character ; rather leave it to nature. The best wood of all is that which is studded with triple buds, from the base to within a few inches of the apex. These triple buds are almost invariably a wood bud in the centre, and a blossom bud on each side; and are indicative of that happy medium of strength which at once points to well-balanced habit and to a high degree of fruitfulness. Viites and Peaohes, in pots or tubs, must undergo a similar ordeal to those planted out, before forcing ; and greater caution still must be exercised over the pruning of pot Peaches. If fermenting materials arc at work in the houses, we would make up one portion milder in character, by introducing a good body of tree leaves amongst the warm material, and securing a steady bottom-heat of about 00" to 05°; in such the ^'incs, Peaches, Pigs, &c., in pots or tubs, might be plunged for awhile. Strawbehries. — Although some persons must needs introduce these in November, or even earlier, in order to have them ripe by the end of February, or beginning of March, yet not one of these over dreams of success, that is to say, of Strawberries not only red, b>it actually fit to eat. However, we will not step out of our way to check the progress of science and the retiue- raents of luxiu'y, inasmuch as such recreations have, at least, a wholesome tendency. I'or, although the gar- dener may be occasionally troubled with the nightmare whilst his Strawberi'y blossoms are setting, or, rather, making an eflbrt to do so, his conscience may all the time have a mere sinecure office of it. Nevertheless, it is a pretty-well recognized fact, that iev! gardeners attach any mighty importance to Strawberries iutro- duced whilst the days are shortening. To those who choose to do so, we beg to suggest the use of a frame or pit for awhile ; not that there is any magic about sucli structures, but that in them the two great desiderata as to Strawberry commencement are most generally to be met with, viz., proximity to the glass, and a little warmth without the smell of fire, and, in addition, those genial gaseous emanations which mere fire and water can never supply equally to sweet fermenting materials. In such a structure, plunged in a body of fermenting materials, which is merely suspected of containing a little warmth — say 00° — the Strawberry plants may take first lessons in the art of forcing. Here, with an atmo- spheric temperature of h^° to 55°, they may remain three weeks, or, indeed, until the blossom-bud first becomes manifest, when they will do with more warmth, always keeping them near the light and ventilating points. Like Dutcli bulbs, however, about which oru' good friend Pish could tell a pretty tale, it is of no use talking of schemes and appliances if the bud has not been well oi'ganized in the pi-eceding summer. As our sage ancestors used to say to hot-headed young foll;s who were o'er hasty to get married, " as you make your bed so you must lie," so may be said of the Straw- berries ; if the bed is not well-formed, it matters not whether pit or house. In putting by our " Gillott " for a few days, we may just observe, that all forcing stores, such as Vines, Peaches, Apricots, Pigs, Cherries, Strawberries, &c., whetlier in pots or tubs, must have protection imme- diately at their roots, if not hitherto aflforded them. Plunged above the ground level, on dry ground, and their branches covered in very severe weather with a little clean straw, they will be in a position to introduce to a forcing process at any time. Trees in pots, thus situated, cannot aflbrd to lose what few roots they possess: and, it must be remembered, that in pots above the ground level they are in a most defenceless state : they love not the every-day fluctuations of a changeable November and December. K. ElilUNGTON". SCARLET GERANIUMS. Some time since, I made a promise to oiu' correspon- dent, "Devonian," that I would find out for him all that was necessary to know about the new Scarlet Geranium, The Amazon, of which he himself spoke highly. He wanted a good selection of them for planting against a high wall, where they live out the winter with him in Devonshire, with a slight protection. When I was at Clapton, the other day, about the packing for long voyages, the first plant I inquired about was The Amazon, and I find it is a horse-shoe variety, and tlio very best of all scarlets, for a wall, or for the centre of a very large bed of them, or for making specimen plants ten or twelve feet high, as !Mr. Macintosh has them at the Duke of liucclcuch's gardens at Daikcitli, near Edinburgh. If " Devonian's " border is good, The Amazon will reach the top of his wall in four years, or five at the farthest. All this I can voucli for. from my own cxiicrionce, for [ have grown The AnKtzoii for eight years, and I have described it in Tni-: CoTT.iOK GAnuKNEn long since. Mr. Colo, now gardener at Oldford. near Hirmingluim, was the first man in England who saw this Geranium. In IM|:!, he pointed it out to me among a lot of seedlings, froui the ShnMand Hcarlel alias fim'Ulis Emjieror. Prom that day to tliis it has November 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 103 been my own peculiar favourite of all the Scarlet Gera- niums, so much so, that no one ever had a cutting of it. All this I told Mr. Low, and pointed out the variety to him, out of many hundreds of plants he had in a long range of pets, before he told me which was The Amazon. It has the largest flower-truss of all the race, and if I had anything to do with the Gardens attlie New Crystal Palace, I would buy up every plant Mr. Low could spare of it, in addition to the .50,000 scarlets already bespoken for that establishment. I would plant it in masses, in the centres of the largest beds, placing broad bands of Punch next to it, and a double row of Tom Thumb next the outside. For a match, and as a contrast to this, I would plant equal numbers of the oldest and strongest Salmon Geranium I could find, then the Pink Noscf/ai/ to balance Punch, finish- ing with Ladi/ Middleton on the outside. I would either so arrange tliem, or I would put the scarlets in pairs or match beds, and the shaded pinks the same. This last would be the most complete arrangement, but either way would be more grand and imposing tlian any other that all the gardeners in England could make out of all the scarlet breed put together. If Ghernj Cheek could be depended on, it would be bettor tlian the Nosegaij to make the shading more perfect. It would be dangerous, however, to trust to it, where all the beds will be made with fresh soil, and where we all expect to find flower-gai'dening, like the rest of the designs, in the highest style of art. Meantime, Mr. Low's plants of The Amazon are from a foot to thirty inches high, and the price is about oS. 6d. a plant. Next April we shall have it for Is. or Is. fid., but tlien it will hardly be so cheap as it is now, because the plants will not be nearly so large and strong. Here I met with a good stock of the Shruhland Pet, the very opposite to Hie Amacon, being the smallest flower of its class, and, like 2'he Amazon, it has been raised by more than one grower. I traced it to two different hands this summer; aud Mr. Ayres told me of three others who lay claim to its origin, and very likely they are all right ; but what is better for our present purpose, I found, down near Oxford, an entire new bedding Geranium, that is, new to me and Thk CoTT,\GE GrAEDENEE. I Only made mention of it once, aud that as a desirable one to cross from, if it was a breeder, which I now find it is not. We must have a bed of it to match Ladij Mar;/ Fox, if the London trade can supjjly so many of it. It is the only one in existence that will match Lady Mary Fox exactly, and it is just as good as her ladyship, which we all laiow is the best of that race. The name is Touchstone, and, like Lady Mary Fox, it should never be propagated, excejit early in the spring, and old plants of it should be cut down quite close to the hard wood every autumn, when the plants are taken up for the winter. Forcing either of them in the spring is much against them, but when the old plants are out and potted in the autumn, a slight bottom-boat in an uiry pit for five or six weeks would do tliem real good ; aud the next best place for them would be high on a shelf near the glass, in a dry stove, as all stoves ought to be from the middle of October to the end of November, the time when this assistance would be so beneficial to Touchstone, Lady Mary Fox, and the Golden Chain, and also to all other Geraniums under similar circumstances, if we could but attbrd space for them. For my knowledge of Touchstone, as a first-rate bed- di'.r, I am indebted to the Piov. J. Lys Chilworth, Wheatley, near Oxford, wdiose garden was as clean as a drawing-room, and as tastefully planted as any I have seen since I left Sutiblk. His beds are also as full of bloom as we over had them at this time (Oct. lOth) at Shruhland Park. Touchstone here being as good as ever I saw Lady Mary Fox in August ; and I was told that "you could not see a leaf in it" earlier in the season, for the mass of crimson flowers. Qilnothera prostrala was here all bloom : the only place where I have seen it this season. The secret of its doing so well is, that old plants only were used, aud divided late in the spring, allowing them room enough to spread well before they were too crowded, Linuvi Jiavuni makes a hardy hedder here, and is never taken up ; it was then in bloom. Unique was very fine, and so was Calceolaria Kayii, and another dwarf yellow Calceolaria called Compactum, which is very common about Oxford. The old Wldte China Rose, which I liave so often men- tioned, will be in bloom here to Christmas if we do not have much frost. There are several beds of this Rose at Kew this season, where it is tallied Rosa allia, proving what I have always said of it — that it was fortunate enough to get about before they began to name the sorts fi'om the breed of the old odorata. There was a large plant of Helenherg Rose against the house in fine bloom : this is a climber of the Noisette family, and, as it would seem from this examjde, among the best of them; the flowers are — or were this time — of a deep crimson colour, with the foliage and growtli looking very healthy. A fine plant of Chionanthus fragrans, or Grandijiora, ripened seeds the same as at Claremont (p. OOj. The seeds vegetate freely, and it is a thousand pities that a seijd of this kind sliould he lost anywhere until the plants can be sold for five or six shillings the dozen. I saw many plants here that are very scarce round Loudon. Among them are some of the best Cistuses, or Rock Rose, Bomareas, a section of the Alstromerias, Pentstemons and herbaceous plants. In the greenhouse, Gesnera zebrina was in full bloom, just a month earlier thau most gardeners in largo places, who aim at large specimens, can bring it into the rooms or con- servatory. I saw it also in bloom in a conservatory at the end of last August, in the next parish to me, and the mode of culture I found to be exactly the same in both jilaoes ; and, as October is the worst month in the year for keeping a greenhouse, or any house gay with flowers, I would recommend the same plan to be adopted witli part of the stock wherever this Gesnera zebrina is grown, or, indeed, wherever a cucumber bed is made in March. Early in March they pot, in the same pot in which they flower, large tubers whole; three tubers in a No. 3a-pot. From 75° to 90° is the general heat for the bed at that time, and the pots are l;ept in such heat to the middle or end of May, when they are removed to adoi'n the greenhouse, and help to fill it along with other nice things after the " greenhouse plants" are turned out for the season. The Gesnera zebrina is so soft and fleshy in all its parts, that this violent change does not show any bad effects, but the shock puts a dead stop to the rapid growth of the plant for a while — a sudden check, as w-o gardeners says. A disposition to flower is then induced, and when the plant moves on again, a flower spike ajipears, which takes a long time to come to perfection under a greenhouse treatment, but still they do come to perfection a month or two sooner than by stove and shift culture, although the plants be only a quarter of the usual size. I think the following appli- cation of this principle would succeed ; and if it would, I know many a good gardener who would reap the benefit of it. Take single, whole tubers, and pot them in No. (iO, or three-inch pots, placing the bottom of the tuber on the drainage crock, aud filling up, quite firm, with half peat and half leaf mould compost; any time in Feliruary or early in March, phmge them into a brisk bottom-heat of s'o° to ir'.".>°, and a damp, gi-owiug atnno- sphere. After the first watering, no more will be needed till you sec the leaves appear ; tlien l;eep them constantly moist at the roots and over head, and get as much growth out of them as your jneans can furnish before the end of May ; tlien turn tliem into a cold pit, with a very dry 104 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. November 11. atmosphere, and keep the sum from them till thcj' harden a little. It is now Jlidsummer, and time for them to be in an airy and light part of a greenhouse, or lale vinery ; and to guard against the scorching of the roots in these little puts, have all double potted, that is, to put the No. (iO-pots inside 4n-pots. Before the middle of July the flower-spikes ought to appear ; at any rate, keep them on short commons till tliey do "show;" tlien sort them into fives, keeping each five, as near as possible, of the same forwardness ; water them all thoroiigly, and put each five into a No. IG-pot, one in the middle, the rest equally apart near the sides. No matter how rich the compost is for this move so Ihatit is light and lumpy, to let oil' the largo doses of very weak liquid-manure, with whicli the future waterings are to he made, until the first flowers open ; and during this interval, let them bo in a close, strong-growing heat, so as to expand all their parts, as much as ))Ossible, before they are fit for show- ing off. After all, this is only a new ajiplioation of a very old rule by which little Coxcombs not much bigger than youi' thumb at the time of " showing " the flower, or crest-bud, have been made to expand enormously — and why not Gesnera zehrirM ? Even with a moderate growth, five of them in a pot will make a handsome specimen ; the flowers will be just as numerous, and the flower-spike nearly as long as if the plants were grown to their last in single pots, besides being six weeks earlier. The other half of the stock of roots will be used to make the splendid specimens now so much admired. D. Beaton. TENDER PEANTS THAT iSIAY BE KEPT DOliMANT IN WINTER. A PHILOSOPHIC moralist would be apt to say, that j modern upwardism was one of the plague spots of society. True, we may realise the blessing of content- ment, and not be backward in using legitimate means for improving our condition. Ambition only becomes j an evil, when, in aspirations after the future and the un- ! attainable, we forget our present advantages and their attendant responsibilities. How many destroy their happiness, keep themselves in a perpetual worry, and render themselves incapable of all useiid, generous effort, merely because they iviU aspire to dangle within the extreme bounds of a higher grade, when they might otherwise have been hap])y, prosperous, and useful, as standing in the foremost ranks of the hardy sons of honourable labour. " Then why is it that you, in your CoiiAGE GAnDENEP., talk so frequently of plants which none but the rich can possess and attain ; conjuring up envy in some, discontent in others, an aping refine- ment in more, and a straining to have plants like their betters in all ? " Just because, I believe that envy belongs to no particular condition in life, and can only be associated with the diminutive in mind ; because, I believe that a man may have something of philosophy in his head, and a ^reat deal of the real gentleman in his manners, and be all the happier, and more faithful to his duties in consequence; because, I know that the sight of, and the acquaintance with, without the pos- session of, the beauties of vegetable nature, ever exert a cheering, humanising, bettering-of'-heart tendency ; and because I am more than convinced, that the love of gai'dening, however jiromoted, and however directed, is a most powerful auxiliary ibr seciu'ing happy homes, and promoting self-respect, and manly inde]iendonco of feeling. " Aye, that is it, they get so iqrpish, and so independent; since they have had tliese line cottages, large gardens, and allotments, they think uothing of charity now." So spake, not long ago, a querulous old gentleman. I hope it is true. Charity, rigiitly adminis- tered, is QUO of those virtues that breathes peculiarly of the atmosjihere of heaven. But 1 trust that the day is dawning, when an addition to the reward of labour shall bo no longer given in the name of charity, as an opiate to the eouseieiuie, which omjlit to liavc been given at once as a matter of sim))le justice, belf-rcspcct can stoop to charity only as the last alternative. Gardening fosters that self-respect, because, in the country espo- eially, it is a safeguard against vice and idleness. Mind uill think, and the good must be presented as thu opponent of the bad. Glad are wo to Icnow, that there are tiiose high in rank who glance over these pages. ! Pleased are we to see The Cottage Gap.dkxek on the . tables of gardeners, of Did;es and Earls ; but mere do- ; lighted, more satisfied would our ambition be, to know tliat this little manual circulated more auiong the trades- men, artisans, and labourers of our land. Some, in their enthusiasm, might spend more on plants than their circumstances would justify, and tluis develop up- icardism. In all cases not very extreme, I am so con- vineed of tlie good that would follow, that 1 shoiJd be inclined to shut one eye at least. To suit a few with aspirations above their general conveniences, I will pen a few notes on the sidijcct that heads this chapter, even though they be chiefly remembrances. I. Sciirlet Qeraniums. — These have been discussed luidcr almost every conceivable circumstance. Still, I must not pass them by, as they generally constitute the first step from the democratic to the aristocratic in gardening. 1st. There are those that have been growing and blooming in pots and boxes, if you have not given them much water lately, they will be rather firm in their steins ; and kept so dry as that they do not shrivel, they will be iireserved easily in any hay-loft or shod, where just a little light can be given in fine weather. All fading leaves shoidd be removed, and the points of the shoots, if at all succident. In iNlarch and April, you must bring them more to the light, and moisten tlieir stems in a sunny day. By-and-by, when the weather becomes warmer, you must water them at the roots ; and, if set out-of-doors, you must protect from wet and frost; and when the plants have broke nicely, you may pick off some of tlie old soil, and top-dress with what is fresh and rich. You will thus have abund- ance of bloom. 2nd. But you wish to preserve those growing in beds and baskets ; and as the roots have been cut in autumn, you would like to keep the plants green all the whiter, after taking up and )ioiting them. Then, though the plants may be somewhat dormant, you wUl be obliged to give them a fair portion of light, as well as keep them from frost. Any building, or an odd room where these conditions are obtainable, will do. ^!rd. " Here are a lot more that are still in the ground, and have received no preparatory process, and I have nothing but a close shed, with a window and largish door to preserve them, or a small bed covered with lights, and I should like them to do well next year. Will either place do?" Take up the plants carefully from the beds, and, as your room is sciu'ce, cut away all the softest part of the plant, and the whole, or, at least, all the larger leaves. Then have a pot of quick-lime, if there is some ])Owdered charcoal in it, all the better; dip the top of the jilant in it so as to smear all the cut parts ; and then jiaek the roots as closely as you can in dryish earth, leaving the tops exposed. You may place them in moveable boxes if you like. I make many out of any old boards, but if, in your pit or shed, there is no danger of damp from below, they will do as well, and occasion less trouble by being jiaeked on the floor. Light and air must bo given tliom at all suitable oppor- tunities. If they see neither for a week or more, in severe weather, they will take no hai'm. l.''rost must be excluded, and any decaying part nmst be removed. J>y tlie end of j\larcli they will have become such a thicket, 1 that you must move tUem ,to giye them room, to en- NOVEBIBER 11. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 105 courage the growing and then the hardening process, •ith. "1 have no plants, but Neighbour Lose-nothing has offered mo plenty of cuttings. 1 have a nice, open, light lumber-room, from which frost can easily he ex- cluded." Well, " better late than never," though it is never good to be late. Get some some shallow boxes, say three to four inches deep, six to twelve inches wide, and from two to three feet in length ; put u little rough stulf in their bottom, and then fill rather firmly witli dryish I sandy earth. Mal;o the cuttings rather large, leave I oidy a leaf or two at their points, let the base dry for a I day or two, and then insert them lirmly and thickly in the dryish soil. Now, here is the ^?a)'i!icit?<(/' part; in a sunny day you may dew the foliage with water, but not a drop must go into the soil until roots are freely forming. In all these cases the succulent juice stored up in tlie plant and cutting is that upon which you must depend. Every position indicated is, therefore, better than your own sitting-room would be, whatever bustling care you might give them, just because your fires would dry the atmosphere, and rob the plants, &c., of their self-contained moisture. II. Fuchsias. — These, if not the first, are second favourites with all our artisans of taste. Nothing beats them for windows, baskets, and small gardens. As successions are easily obtained, the plants should never remain in-doors whenever some of the leaves begin to fade. Ripening of their wood in the open, air, and a good rest, are essential to their future success. A shed or room, where they can be protected from frost, will suit them better than a window or greenhouse. If the pots are plunged, or covered over with a damp material, such as moss, the plants will want no water until fresh growth commences in spring. The damper the plants, the more liable to injury from cold. A lady, very fond of these and other plants, kept them nicely in a light lumber-room in the garden. Her good husband, though equally fond of flowers, knew nothing of their manage- ment, and wisely never interfered. One day, however, he took pity on the woe-begone aspect of the plants : he would give them a refresher ; and tops and bottoms got the water until the place was sailing. He intended to surprise his lady on the following day, and he did. To give them every chance, he left the window open, and forgot to shut it. That night a severe fi'ost left wreck and desolation. His mistaken kindness did the mischief. A little dry hay is useful for throwing over the tops in severe weather. III. Begonia Evansiana. — This is a great favourite with our window gardeners, and deservedly so. I have already written its praises in these pages. I had pots this summer, with four and five stems in each, that were so truly fine, that some of our acute nurserymen did not know what it was. Whenever the flowers drop, and the leaves begin to fade, the plants should be set out-of- doors, where they can have plenty of sun and little water. By this time, tlio stems will have fallen off, or may be broken off close to the surface of the pot — and the pots themselves be stowed away in any dry cellar, room, or shed, and will take no harm in the dark, until the young shoots have risen a couple of inches in the spring. Then they should have light, and shortly have the roots divided, so as to have one, or several, shoots to a pot. If a little more heat than can be com- manded in a greenhouse window can be given, such as the corner of a moderate hotbed, for a month, the plants will thank you for it in future. IV. Canna. — Many of the Oanna Inclioa shoots may be preserved in a manner similar to the last, provided dryness is attended to. When raising from seed a hotbed must be secured. Most of them have rhizome roots, or under- ground stems, resembling the common ginger. Most of them would be too large for windows, but they would look very striking in the centre of baskets and vases. I have saved the roots of Indiea in this manner ; and also O. gigantea, a denizen of the south of Lhirope. I have heard of others, such as aurantiaea, coccinea, lanccolata, axiA patens, &c., being so created. But to do them well, and get them forward, all would require a help from a hotbed for six weeks or more in the spring. V. Tall growing herhtieeous Lobelias. — Our good friend, Mr. Appleby, has alluded to these lately, and you cannot do better than follow his directions. Oardinalis, fulgens ignea and splendens, arc fine scarlets ; Pyramidalis and Syphilitica are fair blues, all of which may be easily kept. All of them, treated generously with rich compost, and plenty of water, do well, either in pots or beds, if they get the help of a little extra heat in spring At this season, I used to cut over the stems and talco up the roots, in balls, and pack them in earth in a potting shed, or such place, where frost could be kept from tliem. I have also bidlt them one above another like bricks against a wall, never disturbing them until the heat of spring caused the suckers or young plants to move, when they were taken out, divided, and potted. Two or three old plants now, will give you a hundred then. VI. Salvia fulgens, patens, coccinea, Chamadrifolia, &e., may be taken up and kept safely in soil, in sheds, during winter. Many will stand in the open ground, with a slight protection of moss, or coal ashes, similar to the hardiest fuclisias. But, with the extra labour involved, tije plants will not bloom so early, nor so freely, as those that have been moved and kept dormant in winter. Even the last will not beat young plants kept slowly growing in winter; but then the trouble will be greater, and you must find means for giving light, as well as keeping out severe frost. VII. Gommelina tuherosa, Mirahilis (Marvel of Peru), and Dahlias, may all be treated similarly. The first is worthy of more general cultivation, on account of its blue colours. The second has nothing of the wonderful and marvellous about it now, but still a few plants in a small garden are always interesting; and the third everybody thinks he can keep, though I have known many amateurs who have lost their collection year after year. In all, three things, if not essential, j are great helps to success. 1st. Growth must be chocked - artificially, or by frost, before the plants are cut down. I 2nd. The roots should remain in the ground some days j afterwards ; the centre top part, however, protected from I wet and frost. 3rd. When the roots are taken up they should be slightly dried, and then packed .in dry earth, leaving just the tops exposed, and over which you can throw protecting material in frosty weather. The roots or tubers will thus be kept sound and fresh, and you will escape rotting on one hand, and mummy-drying on the other. When growing in spring, the shoots may be thinned, and the plants potted or planted out at once, to receive a little protection; but in all oases, growth and flowering would be expedited if the plants received a little assistance under glass, in a slight hotbed. I stop here for the present. It will be seen, that a small room, or shed, with several bins or platforms, one above the another, may thus be made the reiiository for many useful plants. The more light such places have the better, as it is easy to block up with coverings in severe weather. R. Eish. JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. (Continued from page (13.) After leaving Coventry I visited Northampton, a town almost as ancient as the former. The neighbour- hood is thickly strewed with the seats of the nobility and gentry. The day I arrived I was fortunate enough again to witness an Horticultural and Eloricultural exhibition. It was held in the new Town-hall, a splendid, well- 106 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 11. lighted room, aud well adapted for the purpose. The plants were well grown aud beautifully flowered, espe- cially Dipladenia crassinoda, Aplielaiidra cristata, Alla- maiida cathartica, Russelia juncea and grandijiora, Orinum amahilc, Justicia carnca, Pleroma elegans, and varieties o{ LiUtim lancifoUtim, which were exceedingly well grown and bloomed. These plants would not have disgraced Chiswick or the Botanic Eegent's-park sliows. There was also a flue collection of e.Kcellent vegetables, especially Potatoes. One, named King of Beauties, was as beautiful as a peach — white skin, size medium, eyes shallow. This was a seedling, e.\hiLiited by Jlr. Watts, a market gardener. Mr. Watts said that it had never been diseased. He was kind enough to give me one, which I shall propagate as fast as I can, and, if it prove one that will withstand the attack of that fatal disease, the potato-rot, it will he a treasure indeed. There was also a variety known in that locality by the cognomen, Holland Red. This also, I was assured by several gardeners, was a hardy variety, not one in twenty being diseased ; among ten varieties grown in one garden this was the least diseased of all ; it is round, medium size, and reddish skinned. This was exhibited by Mr. Mackie, gardener to E. Bouverie, Esq. I obtained two sets of tliis variety. Jackson's Improved Ash-leaved Kidney is also a fine variety, aud was free from disease. These facts are useful ; and if every potato-grower throughout the country would notice the varieties that are the least subject to the disease, and publish his notes, a number of valuable varieties would become better known, and might be distributed more throughout the kingdom. Here, as at Coventry, the cottagers' vegetables and hardy fruits were quite equal in quality to the gentlemens' gardeners. And when we recollect that such products must have had great pains, and regular, almost daily, attention bestowed upon them, it is a ])roof that the encouragement given to cottagers, by giving prizes for their productions, is a great induce- ment to them to strive to deserve such distinction. By such notice and encouragement, habits of industry are, as it were, incidentally adduced amongst a class of persons who would, probably, without such a stimulus, have spent their hours in idleness, if not in pursuits more demoralizing and injurious to their comfort and that of their families here and hereafter. It is a matter , of regret to me, and, no doubt, to many others, that | there are so few cottager's prizes given near the metro- polis. The London Horticultural Society has begun < to give prizes, at their rooms, in Regent Street, for vege- > tables, and there is no reason why they should not open a class for cottagers especially. ' I am quite sure the subscribers would not grudge a few pounds a-year for such a praiseworthy purpose. And in large hamlets round London, such as Hammersmith, Higbgate, Hampstead, Clapton, Clapham, and others, there are plenty of benevolent clergy aud gentry that would be glad to subscribe to have exhibitions purposely to encourage their poor cottage neighbours. Jf 1 live, I shall certainly try to establish one at Uxbridge. There is no neighbourliood where cottage gardens are hotter kept, and they would be still more so if due encourage- ment were given to the owners. At this (Northampton) show, 1 had the pleasure to meet my esteemed friend and able coadjutor, Mr. l''ish, wliich was an agreeable surpi-iso indeed. He was there in the capacity of Judge, aud oiu- readers will agree with me, a better could not have been chosen. I understand he fills that olfico here frequently, aud I am sure we should be glad if he would give a few jottings by the way when he attends such pleasing meetings. The reports of country exhibitions shows the progress of gardening in various parts, and is always interesting to the gardcn-loving-reader. The next day 1 visited I'lucdon Park, the residence of M. Dolbon, Esq. The lawn in front of the house is large, eight or ten acres, I should think. It was planted thinly with all the choice Coniferas. I was particularly pleased with a healthy specimen of Finns patula, fifteen. feet high, and twelve feet through, foliage light green, and elegantly drooping. This species is said to be rather tender, but here it was perfectly hardy, and did not appear to have suffered from frost in the least, eveiy branch being perfect. Finns insignis was thirty feet high, and twenty feet diameter; a perfect pyramid of branches, clothed with healthy foliage of the richest green imaginable. Cnpressus torulosa, twenty feet high; 0. lusitanicc, a rare species in this country, twelve feet; G. thurifera, fifteen feet high ; G. macrocarpa, fifteen feet ; and C. expansa, twelve feet. Finns nohilis, a handsome, healthy plant, with a strong leader, and short stem, six feet. The great rarity, however, of this place is the Abies Douglassii-pendida, a tree unique, and only in this garden ; no other place, I beiieve, possesses a plant of it. In one part of the grounds is a fine dense avenue of old Limes, nearly half a mile long. In walk- ing through this, the spectator might easily imagine he was in some religious edifice, the cloisters of an old abbey, so imposing and solemn is the ett'ect it has upon the senses. Mr. Dolben is justly proud of his choice col- lection, and spares no pains or expense to add to it eveiy new species of Coniferse. Close to the town is an ancient place named De la Pre, the residence of E. Bouverie, Esq. The gardener, Mr. Mackie, two years ago, had occasion to rebuild or improve an old vinery. The vines were about five years old. He took them carefully up, preserving every living root, made a new border, considerably elevated it, re- planted the vines, and they were, when I saw them, in most excellent health, with a fine crop of .grapes, without a single shanked berry; and, what was more remarkable, they were all of that somewhat tender vine, the Frontignan variety. This was an experiment, and shows what care and judicious management will effect. In the pleasure grounds were some noble Cedars of Lebanon, a gigantic Tulip tree, sixty feet high, which flowers every year ; a long yellow-flowered Horse Ches- nut; and a fine succession of that i-are tree, the Finns Lltaveana, eighteen feet high. Onthe backwall of aforcing house, JMr. Mackie planted, five or six j'ears ago, a number of Roses, chiefly the Provence varieties. These, he said, furnish him with an abundant crop of Roses from Eebruary to .June. 1 was much pleased with this wall of roses, aud tliink it worthy of adoption in every garden where cut roses are in request. T. Applebv. {To he concluded in our next). THE PETUNIA. ( Continued from page HO.) In my last paper on these showy plants I described the properties of a good variety ; I now proceed to give its culture, and trust my remarks and instructions will be useful to;such readers of The Cottaoe LJ.midkneii as may either cultivate Petunias, or desire to do so. The subject may be divided into, 1st, Propagation by cuttings and by seed, 2ud, Soil; ;3rd. Summer treatment ; tth. Winter treatment; 'jth. General management, so as to render the plants fit for exhibition. 1st, Propagation hg Gultings. Petunias are easily propagated by cuttings during nine months in the year; that is, from Pebruary to October. Tlio best cuttings arc the young tops of rather weakly growing plants. 1 have always found that cuttings of most kinds of soft wooded plants, such as Calceolarias, Ueliolropcs, Agcr- atnms, and such-like, when growing very strong with thick succulent stems, soon damp oil, especially in early spring, or late in the autumn, and move especially if put I No'VEMBEB 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 107 into heat with a viow to strike tliem quickly ; whereas, if tlie cuttiugs are rather weak, their leaves do not transpire so much, and the cuttings, conseijuently, live longer without roots, and have time to send tliem forth before they perish for want of support from the roots. In spring, the cuttings require a gentle hotbed; but in summer and autumn they strike root readily enough in a cold pit or frame, Tlio cutting pots should be prepared in the usual way ; that is, dram the pots well by filling them half-full with brolicn potsherds ; upon these place a layer of the rough sittings of the compost, and upon that place a layer of rich, light, very sandy compost, nearly up to the rim of the ))ot ; and lastly, till up the pot to the level with line silver sand ; then give a gentle watering to settle it and make it firm; and while that is taking place, look out for and make the cuttings ; choose, as I said before, young weak shoots, and cut them oti' close to a joint, dress off the lower leaves so as to allow about an inch to be planted in the sand, and not more than three or four leaves at the top. Plant them with a short stick, pressing the sand closely to each. The pot may be filled with cuttings in rows across it, or, if space is plentiful, place them out round the edge ; I prefer the latter method, if circumstances will allow it, but it is not absolutely necessary ; for 1 have now a pot of cuttings, well-rooted, of the true Shrubland Rose, planted and growing all over the surface of the pot — these were put in last August. As soon as the required number of pots are filled with cuttings, observe that the holes made by the planting-stick are filled up with dry sand. Dry sand is mentioned, because it runs more readily into the holes than moist sand would do; then give a gentle watering again, which firmly fastens the sand round each cutting; leave them on the bench for an hour to dry off the sm'face moisture and any that may be standing on the leaves. After that time, or thereabouts, place them, if in spring, in the gentle hotbed, or, if in summer or autumn, in the pit or frame; shade from bright sunshine, and water when the surface becomes quite dry. In spring and autumn this will seldom be required, but it must not be neglected. A celebrated propagator has often told me, that tbo proper and judicious watering of cuttings was the grand secret of success in propagation of all kinds of plants, whether hard-wooded or soft-wooded, from the most delicate Heath down to the easily-struck Tom Thumb Scarlet Geranium; and he was quite right. There are more cuttings destroyed by untimely and injudicious watering, than by any other (excepting scalding by too much heat) point of propagation. Therefore, mind the watering-pot, and do not use it too freely upon cuttings until they are fairly rooted, and show evident signs of having made roots and growth. As soon as these appear, give plenty of air, and expose them fully. The spring and summer cuttings should be potted-olT immediately when rooted ; but those struck late in the year may remain in the cutting pots through the winter, if room is scarce. When they are potted, let the season be when it may, they should be jilaced in a frame or pit, where they can be shaded and kept close for a few days, until fresh roots are produced ; let them then be gradually inured to bear the full light and air. Propagation hy Seed. — The grand object of propa- gating by seed is to obtain improved varieties; and in order to iucrease the probability of success, it is ad- visable to hybridize. Bees and other insects do this for us to some extent, and many cultivators are content with this natural hybridizing; not so the more scientific operator. He observes the deficiency in some property that an otherwise desirable variety possesses, and endea- vours to supply or obtain that wanting property from some other variety that has it. This is done by cutting ott' the pollen cases from one flower, and supplying pollen from the one whose qualities are desirable to infuse into the one operated upon; and to prevent the insects from bringing any other pollen, the impregnated flower should he covered with fine net muslin. Seed thus obtained is truly valuable, and is almo.st certain to produce superior flowers. The seed should be gathered as soon as it is ripe, and be cai'efuUy cleaned from the seed-vessels, and kept dry and cool through the winter. Sow it in the spring in shallow pans, placed in a gentle hotbed, or on a shelf close to the glass, in a warm greenhouse or ])ropagating-house. When they come up, prick them out in similar pans, rather thinly. This can scarcely be doue too early, lor if allowed to remain too long in the seed-pan there is great danger of their damping-off. When they have made three or four leaves, then pot them singly into thumb-pots; and as soon as there is no fear of frosts iujuring, then plant theui out in a nursery-bed till they flower, and choosing such as are really good, throw the rest away. T. Appleby. {To be continued.) WALKS AND EDGINGS FOR SUBURBAN GARDENS. {Continued front liage 88.) In continuation of the subject of Suburban Gardens, which last week we left in a simple, roughly-trenched- over manner, it becomes now a duty to study the direc- tion of walks, the disposal of trees, and other things. Walks, in a general way, run iji lines parallel to the outside boundary, if the latter be straight, if not, the walk must not be forced to take every abrupt turning which circumstances may have given to the feuce, but may be carried a considerable distance away from it, rather than give those intricate " ins" and " outs" which descend into " the frivolous;" and the direction being fixed on, the formation is next. This subject has attracted much attention of late, some great authorities asserting, that a foundation of more or less dej)ths of rough stones, &o., was not only unnecessary, but absolutely hurtful, and insisting on the walk being composed of a few inches of concrete, asphalto, or some other mixture analagous to them; the advantages of this description of walk, they say, is a smooth, bard surface, and the prevention of weeds. Now this latter qualification is really of less importance to the suburban gardener than to that of the country gentleman ; the former, having but little ground to operate upon, rarely grudges the labour it costs, if he takes a delight in it : while the latter may, in other respects, be so taxed, as to be anxious, by all legal means, to get rid of this impost. On the other hand, the materials for an aspbalte or con- crete walk are more generally at the command of the townsman than of the country horticulturist ; the former, surrounded by all the substances required, can readily obtain some one to lay them down in a mechanical manner, which, if done well in other respects, may serve many years; but I never saw any yet that per- fectly pleased me : the unyielding hardness is such as to be painful to walk upon, when slightly covered with fine gravel, as is usually the case, and the small stones, about the size of beans, are unpleasant (to say nothing else) for tender feet, while, in wet weather, the imper- vious nature of the walk renders the fine ])ortion of loose stratum at top, a sort of puddle, which remains so uufil tho superabundant moisture is carried off by evaporation. Now these evils are not easily overcome in those mechanically-formed walks, even when they are done in the best manner ; while it too often hapjiens, that the absence of something in the afliiir, or the luidue presence of something else mars the whole matter, and the walk breaks up in flakes. If, therefore, good gravel is to 108 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 11. bo had at anytliiiig like a reasonable rate, I would advise tlio amateur to have recourse to the old, but timo- lionoured way of making walks, as jjracticed in years gone by. The site being fixed, and tbe edging, it of bo.x, planted, some little excavation will be necessary. Six inches will do, unless there are other reasons for making it deeper — as the obtaining the soil from its foundation, or the burying of rough stones and other materials otherwise difficult to get rid of. In that case, any depth you like may be gone into, taking care, as you advance to the top, that smaller and closer fitting ones be used, and, what is equally important, those to which ■ worms have an autipatliy may then be more freely used, and brickbats, or small stones, with mortar adhering, or mortar, in some shape, may be thrown in amongst the stones. Clinkers, or rough cinder-ashes, are equally obnoxious to this class of underground enemies : but whatever is used, be siu'c that a fair share be added, as ; nothing disfigures a walk more than misightly worm casts, : and nothing is more likely to jirevcnt this disfigurement, , than the abundance of such oHensivc substances as noted I above. Hough gravel will follow next, and then that j which is firm. Now, though gravel may be said to be requisite, yet I have fornred very good walks without it ; two or tlu-ee inches of rough stones, like road metal, being covered with coarse black (or any other coloured) sand, so as am]ily to hide all the stones, and the surface heiug rolled ancl made smooth, about an inch or so of white shells was laid on : this makes, perhaps, the most pliant walk of any, the shells soon getting broken, and every shower washing them to the top, making the best appearance of anything for walks, and after rain, or even when it is raining, they are in better order than at any other' time; and weeds arc more easily removed than when on a hard, firm-setting gravel. I would strongly advocate the use of shells to all who are within reach of them, and they are conveyed very cheaply to all parts accessible by water communication. Contemporarily with tlie formation of walks is that of edgings, which, in a suburban kitchen garden, cannot be better than of box, which thrives in most situations ; a brick, or other fancy kerb-edging, is sometimes used, but the abundance of other objects of a mechanical nature renders something green a relief to the monotonous lines of brick and mortar. Box-edgings will not, how- ever, thrive in every situation; I have seen it planted ! with its roots laid into the border, instead of the walk, ' as is usual, and it still refused to grow well, dying off in fi'equent large patches. In some soils the conditions necessary to insure the welfare of this and other things may be absent, hence the failure. Now these peculiari- ties cannot properly be expressed by the terms light, heavy, or medium soils, because I have scon box-edgings tlnive in all these, and when the two opposite are at tlie greatest extreme too ; the cause of failure then lies in something else than is commonly understood. Neither has barrenness anything to do with it, because 1 have seen box-edging languisli and die where the ordinary garden vegetables were flourishing and thriving as well as could be wished; however, J advise the amateur to try box, which, though occasionally refusing to grow as above, yet is, in a usual way, as much to be depended on as any thing that is planted. It may be planted at all seasons, but dry hot weather is the worst. I am against cutting any of its tops when ]ilantcd, imlcss it be very jagged indeed, in which case a little may bo cut away ; the roots may, however, be pruned into order, and if dry weather follows its pla,utiug, watering may bo resorted to with advantage; and in following up tills subject I may remark, that I rarely clip box-edging more than o)u;e in the season, which is about the end of i\lay or early in .Juno, or it may be the latter end of that month, ', if sliowery weather does not intervene before that time, j as that is of more real importance than the state of the plant. Tills period, as will be seen, is just about the middle of the summer growtli, and consequently an un- lavourable time to cut it with regard to the plants wel- fare ; but if the weather be dull and showery for a few days it soon overcomes that, and recovers so as to make a few short fresh shoots dining the season, just sulhcicnt to break the raw clipped ap])earanco a new cut edging has, as well as to give it that liealthy green look which con- trasts so strongly with the rusty brown one it often has when cut at an unfavourable season, Next to box, thrift forms a cheerful looking line of edge, only it must bo replanted every two years. GentiancUa will do in some places, but it does not do in every case ; double Daisies are also used with advantage ; but I dislike Strawberries, London Pride, Thyme, and oilier large growing plants, as unless the walk be very wide and long too (which suburban gardens rarely are) these arc certainly out of place. If the above suiallcr growing plants cannot be made to grow, then a kerb or other mechanical edging must be adopted, of course, which ever one be used, it is imperative that it should be laid down the same time as the walk is made, in order that the latter bo no more disturbed afterwards. I have not mentioned turf edgings, which rarely iind their way into a kitchen garden, unless whore the walks are of that material, which, however, is unsuitable to the small spots designated suburban gardens. The preparing of ground, and planting permanent vegetable cro])s will be given next week. J Robson. VISITS TO SOME OF THE CHIEE POULTRY- YARDS OF ENGLAND. (CAPTAIN HOENBV'S.) How many and how various are the tliouglits which crowd upon the memory at tlie bare mention of the name of ICnowsloy, the baronial residence of liiin who sways, as his ancestors have often before contributed to sway, the desti- nies of Britain. But it is of themes other and humbler than those which tliese historical recollections con.iure up that we, who write for the naturahst, the amateur, and the fancier, are destined here to speak. It was at Knowsley tliat the lato Earl of Derby fonned, by the labour of a life, that magnificent collection of birds and animals to which science owed so much ; wliicli was unequalled as a private managerie, and surpassed by few, if by any, public establishments of the kind ; and which, for the pure love of science, bis lordship kept up for a series of years on a scale almost regal. Alas ! that we should, with a passing tribute of regret, have to record that his unrivalled collection is numbered " among the things that were," having been, by tlie uiirelentiiig liammer of the auctioneer, distriliuted over tbe world. Subjects for our humble pen liave, however, as it were, arisen from its ashes, for a beautiful and varied assemblage of domestic poultry now occupy some of the euclosurea Avhcrc all that was rare and gorgeous in the feathered creation were once, as we have said, collected together. Who, of those who have attended tlie poultry shows which have long existed in the north of England, and which, on ac^couut of the increasing interest taken ill the objects of them, are extending themselves rapidly throughout the land, has not heard of the name of Captain Hornby, and adiiiin'd tbe specimens which he has exhibited ? It is to these, tlien, and to a description of their dwelling-places, that we propose to devote the present paper, Tlio hospitable cottage of the gallant captain is situate about c(piidistant from the niausion of Ivuowslcy and the 1 [uyton-gato station of the Liverpool and Wanchestcr railway. Here is a convenient, but rather coulincd, poultry-yard, of which as much as possible is made, alter this fashion which we describe fully for the benefit of those wlicise spare may also be limited. A plain brick building, fronting to the south, and having a roof leaning northwards, is (wo speak from recollection) from twenty to thirty feet long, by six or eight wide. Of tlio height of a door behind, it rises towards the front sulUciently for the lean of the roof. This is di- NOVEJIBEE 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 109 vided inio ihvca compai'tmpnts, each Tentilated by a kind of wooden chimney, which admits air, hut excludes the rain, and the inside is furnished with nests and low perches. On the soutli side, a small slide, closed at niglit, allows ingress and egress to tho fowls, and on this side are three enclosures, corresponding to tlie three compartments of tlie huilding. These are formed of light, hut strong wire, well painted, and may be twelve or fourteen feet long, by eight or nine wide, an alley, or passage, of two feet in width, or thereabouts, permitting visitors to loolc at the birds, wliile it prevents tliem from fighting through the interstices of tlie net-work. A daily supply of sand, which is obtained close by, keeps all healtliy and sweet, and the cleanly appearance of the whole does much credit to the handy little girl who has the care of the poultry located here. Three lots of Cochin-China fowls .at present occupy the enclosures we have described. They are bred, we believe entirely, from the stocks of Mr. Stnrgeon and IMr. Andrews, and do credit to the races from which tliey are sprung. They are let out, alternately, for a few hours each day, to roam over the yard and a field adjoining ; and thus, while intermixture is prevented, have the full benefit of an extensive walk. To those whose space is small we strongly recommend such an arrangement as that which for these reasons we have described ; for it is obvious that three or more varieties of poultry may, by these means, be kept perfectly distinct in a locality somewhat contined. The huilding is by no means an expensive one, and we anticipate that many young fanciers will be indebted to the Captain for enabling them, by building upon his plan, to extend the varieties of their feathered favourites. Accompanying our friendly host in a short walk across the beautiful park, which affords, by the way, a view of the noble mansion of Knowsley, we reach some of the enclosures of the quondam managerie. Here is the splendid col- lection of Spanish fowls which Captain Hornby, almost regardless of expience, has formed ; and we do not hesitate to say that, good as are the specimens of his other varieties, these are, beyond doubt, young and old, the Hower of his tlock. Whoever heats him at Birmingham must have first- rate birds, and shown in first-rate form too. At another place, in that which was once the jjheasantry, are his young Cochins, a promising lot, inhabiting splendid quarters. Another walk, equally jjleasant and diversified, brings us to a farm-house where one of the game-keepers resides. Here are the Dorkings, turkeys, geese, and Aylesbury ducks, and it is ditficult to award the palm where all are of great merit. The speckled Dorkings would do credit to auy exhibition, and will be difficult to beat wlierever they may be shown. Some other enclosures, at convenient distances, are appro- priated to other varieties, all of which must, with the care devoted to them, flourish in walks so healthy and extensive. Few amateurs can hope, as this imperfect description will show, to possess the facilities which Captain Hornby enjoys for the keeping, each in its purity, of so many varieties of poirltry. The arrangements made at his own residence show, however, how easy it is, in a space comparatively con- fined, to keep two or tlu'ee distinct breeds. "With these, the prudent fancier will be content, preferring excellence in one or two to mere variety of mediocre races, and thank- ing those few who possess extended means for enriching our exhibitions with the greater number. That the taste for the pm-e breeds of domestic poultry is extending itself, we have had repeated occasion to state, and our assertions are more than proved by the increasing numbers of exhibitions and of the varieties shown, as well as by the lai'ge prices which first-rate specimens, even of the oldest varieties, still command. Many of our most enthu- siastic amateurs are compelled, by space and circumstances, to confine themselves to one variety ; and in propiortion as their judgment and care are concentrated on a single point, is oftentimes to their success in the production of excellence in that particular' breed. To such be all honour, for they do all that their means admit, and even more than, at first sight, such means would appear capable of eflecting. But while we give full credit to him who, with slender means, does all that his limited opportunities are capable of per- forming, it is but fau' to accord a larger meed of praise to the fancier who, more fortunate, it may be, in the possession of extended means, yet with increased trouble, anxiety, and toil, effects proportionably greater results. We know of no one who, on the whole, is better entitled to the credit of baring done his utmost, with much judgment, and regard- less of trouble or expense, to promote the excellence, and extend the benefits of onr best breeds of domestic poultry than Captain Hornby. Thanking him for the ui-banity and kindness experienced by ourselves, we anticipate an agr-ee- able and instructive visit for any one who is equally for- tunate in obtaining an inspection of the poultry yards at Knowsley, " and so we say most heartily farewell." B. EATABLE FUNGI. (Conlimied frovi pni/e 14.) PROEAr.T,\' as an article of diet none of the fungi have been so generally and highly esteemed on the Continent as the MoreUs, There are several species of them, and the whole genus is considered free from poisonous pi'operties ; some, however, are insipid, and barely eatable ; while others, to which our attention will be more especially drawn, as Morcliclla esciilenla, M. patula, and M. cleliciosa, are truly excellent. In Germany they are largely used, and are considered the most delicate and valuable of the fungi; they are seldom eaten alone, or cooked when fresh, but are dried, and in this way may be kept for months or years, and are largely employed in soups, sauces, or gravies, to which they give a high and rich flavour. There are a variety of ways of dressing these most delicious fungi. I'aulet gives directions for stuffing Morells with savoury meats, such as pickled pilchards, cray-fish, the flesh of fowls, ttc, and says, after they are boiled they are to be served up with champaign, lemon-juice, and bread-crumbs ! Persoon, also, gives the folio-wing receipts : — Stuffed Moeeli.s. — 1. Choose the whitest Morells, wash and wipe them well ; when quite fresh-gathered, open the stalk at the bottom and fill it with veal stufling, anchovy, or any rich sauce you please, securing the ends, and dressing between thin slices of bacon. They may be served with a sauce of rich gravy, etc., according to the palate. •I. Having washed and wiped the Morells as directed in the last receipt, stew them for an hour with a piece of ham, and a little parsly, pepper, and salt, adding occasionally a little broth to prevent bm-ning, and Avhen sufficiently done, bind with the yolks of two or three eggs, and ser\"e on buttered toast. The Lycopeedons (Puff Balls) fonn another genus, aftbrding abundance of delicious food in many countries, where they abound and spring up after showers with in- credible rapidity, some of them attaining enormous dimensions. In Italy and India they are esteemed as great luxiuies. The smaller ones may be stewed in a rich l]eef gravy, either by themselves, or with other esculent fungi, where they are scarce, and may be flavoiu'ed with lemon-juice, i'C, according to taste. The best method of dressing the large sorts, as Lycnperdon bovista, is to cut it in slices, and fry it in fresli butter, with eggs and bread- crumbs. So prepared, it has the flavoiu- of a rich, light omelette; or, as others consider, the flavour of sweetbread. No fungus, says Dr. Badham, requires cooking so speedily I as the L. bovista, which grows to an immense size, and as it has the power of quickly repairing injuries (being one of the most rapid of the fungi in its growth), Dr. Badham has recommended, where it is found near our domestic dwellings, that a fresh slice should be taken, from time to time, from each fungus, as we require it for the table ; for if allowed to remain midressed it soon decomposes, and becomes in- sipid and unwholesome. When perfectly fresh it is one of the lightest and easiest of digestion. The Teuffles form another genus equally sought after and esteemed. They vary much in size and colour, being found from nearly white to a dark brown or black. They have a jieculiar odour when fresh from the ground, soon making a room, to most people, unbearable, and they will even scent a house for weeks, if allowed to remain exposed in their fresh state, as I experienced when collecting the eatable fnngi for the table, while residing at Basingstoke. They are found abundant on the Continent, especially in the south of France and Italy, from whence it is supposed 110 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. November 11. they are imported into England in lai-ge quantities. They are also found in tlie East Indies and .Japan. They are principally used to tlavour soups and sauces — (and, in my opinion, may be dried and kept for months or years, and used for tlie above piu-pose grated like nutmegs). If dressed in their fresh state, they should be simply waslied and boiled in plain, irater, and served up on dry-toast, peeled at the table as potatoes, and eaten mth bread and butter, and pepper and salt, in which way they niake a good wholesome supi^er. I have eaten them raw, cut in thin slices and laid between bread and butter. The Helvellas form another genus free from poisonous species, although some are much more highly estimated than others — some being insipid and tasteless. Hehdla erisjya, H. hcitnosdj and H. esciifcnta, are the species most esteemed on the Continent. Their flavour is very similar to that of the Morells, and, by some, the H. esciileuta has been taken for the true Morell; and, in many instances, they are passed for it. Tliey are, undoubtedly, inferior to the Morells, and, unfortunately, are of a tough, leathery, consistence, which, however, is somewhat remedied by soaking them for a night in milk, and afterwards stewing them for some hours. The best way to dress them appears to be — to stew them for four or five hours in a good supply of rich graiy. Jly metliod of dressing them was first to chop them as fine as minced veal, tlien to cover them with plain water in a saucepan, and stew them for about three hom'S, adding occasionally, for the last hour, flour from the dredger', and fresh butter, jiepper, salt, and lemon- juice, to flavour them. Tliey were then served up with dry toast. They are very excellent stewed and served up with hashed mutton. The Clavakus form another genus producing no poison- ous species, and many that are esteemed luxuries. They are a very handsome g(Mius, varying much in colour, wdiich renders them attractive to the collector, and, when preser\'ed in brine, for sale. They are abundantly introduced into the Italian markets, and in many parts on the Continent are highly esteemed as an article of diet. The following receipt for dressing them is given in Dr. Badham's treatise of the Esculent Fiin(/iises of England. They are first to be stewed with a little butter over a slow fire, afterwards to be strained, then (throwing away the hquorj to be re- placed to stew for an hour with salt, pepper, chopped chives and parsley, moistening with plain stock, and dredg- ing with flour occasionally. When sufficiently cooked, the whole to be thickened with yolks of eggs and cream. The following Clavarias are most esteemed — Clara ria riu/osa, C pijxidata, C. dncrca, C.Jlava, and C. coralloides. — F. YoliKE Beocas. ( To he continued.) HONEY-HARVEST ON THE MOORS. I HOPE it is not too late in the season to invite our apiarian friends to accompany me, in imagination, on a ^isit which I had an opportunity of paying early in October, to (I believe I am correct in saying) tlie largest bee-keeper and honey-dealer on the Northumberland Moors, and I think there are few among them who will not learn some- thing from a description of his autumnal management. Being an old acquaintance, I was soon usliered into the sanctum sanctorum of the estahhshment, the upper apai't- nients or lofts of the house. Around the fii'st room were ranged a number of empty hives, home-made, and all cottage hives, of various sizes, heaps of refuse combs, and, in a recess, piles of the purest heather honey, sealed up in paper equally pure, ready to be dispatchecl to customers in all parts of the kingdom.* But tlie point of attraction to the eye of the apiarian was a row of hives, reversed, and full of combs, containing a large quantity of honey. A glance, however, showed these had not been arranged by their neat artificers ; the edges were uneven, many of the centre combs filled with honey, and the side comljs empty. In fact, lliey had Ijeen made up from fragments, from such combs as, lia\iug contained lirood, were unfit for sale. These combs were fi.xed in empty liives by two small round rods, * The price of this lioncy has this season been Is. 3(1. per pountl. thrust from one side of the hive, through the combs, to the other, and thin narrow laths were pl.iced pei-pendicuJnrly between the combs, to retain tliem in tlieii' pioper position ; in tlie evening these were to be tenanted by driven bees. Thence we proceeded to the driving ap.aitmeut, which was liglited by a small closed window at one end. Here were foiu- men engaged in the operation of driving. Our readers are aware that this is attended with some difliculty when the air has become chilly, and, before this time, the ther- mometer had fallen at niglits to 33°, whilst the Cheviots the following morning were capped with snow ! The bees had been brought from the moor about a fortnight previously and placed in the gar'den, that the brood might be hatched out, and drones were still found in many of the hives. The drivuig was commenced in the usual manner, an empty hive being placed over the full one, and a cloth bound round the junction. In about ten minutes, when a portion of the bees had ascended, there was a departure from the ordinary mode of driving. The hives were then divided, the upper end being held in a slanting position, and at one point forming a junction with the stock, while tlie bees, now intimidated and in confusion, were guided and brushed forward with a feather from among the combs. .-Vt this stage of the proceedings, the queen not having always ascended, tlie bees in some hives went streaming briskly up, while in others, their connection between the two hives was, at limes, entirely broken; but, in answer to my inquiry whether they did not sometimes entirely fail in dislodging the bees, I was told, tliat though sometimes it was tedious, and required patience, the hive was never left till it was clear of bees. A few flew to the window, and to the owner of only four or five hives they appeared a considerable number, amounting, when several hives had been taken up, to about half-a-pint ; but these were gradually grouping in clusters, and in the evening were to be joined to others, for not a life was willingly sacri- ficed. These hives had only stood the summer; and tlie object being to obtain as much pure honey as possiljle from the side-combs, they were mostly of a very large size ; the largest eighteen inclies in diameter, by thirteen deep, had received a large swarm, which, having been joined by part of another swarm, weighed seven pounds, and, on its return from the moor, the contents weiglied fi\'e stone, exclusive of the bees. In driving such a hive, the support of the cross-sticks would be almost indispensable. Those intended for winter stocks were much smaller. Families which were not very nume- rous were to be limited, one queen being removed, and the other retained, according to then- merits, for a brief history of the time of swai-miug, A-c, was labelled on each hive. We next visited the garden, about a quarter-of an-acre of ground, divided by fruit-trees into four conipartnients, around wliich were ranged the hives, and of which the winter stock woidd be above fifty. While some were inactive and still, others were all bustle and excitement; these were the manufactured colonies, still reversed, with the empty hive tied over them. In about ten days, the combs woiUd be securely fixed to the sides and top by the bees, when the upright props would be removed, and the hive be placed on its winter stand. Such is the autinnnal management which the experience of a long series of years recommends as the most prnjiluhk. This consideration will demand no advocacy ; but surely there are others which should be as potent. If any of our readers still pursue the old and cruel system, will tliey not pause and reflect before they again apply the brimstone match ? Is there not enjoyment in existence to the least in creation? Are there no feeUngs of gratitude and ati'ection towards our little garden companions, wdiose active industry has afibrded us so much pleasure and amusement, and wdiose toils may, probably, liave contributed to our luxm-ies? For myself, I re-echo the words of De tlelicn, "Je ne les ainie pas modiocremciit, je nie passionne pom" elles." Before laying down my pen, I will make one or two remarks on the accounts furnished by correspondents of The Cottage CiARUENEr., and for which we owe our thanks, for there are lessons to be learnt from failure as widl as success. In tlie apiaries of "B. B." and '-H. T. N.," drones in Keptemlicr are sure signs of mischief of somo kind. Liberal feeding might stimulate tlio l)ees of a queenless stock to carry pollen, but the problem may have another solution. Are the drones full-sized or dwarfs ? If the NOVEBICER 11. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. in latter, there is a queen, but she Inys the eggs of drones oiibj. Should " B. B." now join bees with their queen to No. 'X (and I have visions of a jDalace in ruins, next spring, under the eai'then pan), this queen must be dislodged a few days jirerious to tlie union. But it appears that "13. B." has liad several dislodged families at command, and I would ask, if he has never presented a spai'e queen to this auspi- cious luve ? Had it not possessed a sovereign, a stranger would have been welcomed with an enthusiasm which might have awakened feelings of envy in the breast of the French President! Does not "H. T. N's" hive No. 1, which is Mr. Taylor's bar-hive, afford facilities for a thorough ex- amination of the combs and bees, by taking out the former on the bars, and so ascertaining its state as regards tlie queen ? In reading the account of tlie " deadly warfare," my first imi)resaion was, that there had been a mistake as to the hive that had swarmed, but to this difficulty, I think, another explanation may be given. It is observed, then, that in summers when honey is very plentiful, bees assimilate readily, swarms unite, and even enter other hives ; but in times of scarcity, all their feelings of jealousy, as well as the desu'e of plunder, are awakened ; and, judging from the returns in this apiary, the secretion of honey in the flowers this season had been very small.— Investigator. THE POTATO MURRAIN. You perhaps will excuse a casual reader, but a close ob- seiwer, although only an humble individual, addressing you upon the disease of that root which, to the poorer classes of society in Great Britain, may be very justly denominated the STAFF or liff. I see, in a recent number of your pub- lication, a very pious letter on the history and culture of the Potato in this coimtry, but ascribing its disease to the introduction of guano. It will lie well remembered by many in different parts of England, including Ireland and Scotland, that long before guano was introduced, or even known or thought about, a disease infected the Potato, but more particularly at the ijlantmg season, or just after plant- ing, among the sets, which disease was then commonly known as the dry rot. It was no uncommon or isolated thing to see only parts of a field or furrows come up. Upon examining the sets that did not vegetate, most of them had entirely decayed, and only the outer skin was left. Various reasons were advanced, and plans suggested, to cure this disease, or prevent a recurrence, such as planting as soon as cut, or substituting a whole potato for a set in lieu of a cut one, in order to prevent the lymph, or water, escaping — a system which is now very much followed. You ^vill excuse my simple language, as I wish to make clear what I write to the simplest capacity. I trust to be enabled to show that the disease I write of, dated some eighteen years back, when we had no guano, bears an analogy to the present murrain. Even prior to the above period, I have known the potato slightly diseased at taking-up time thrown aside as not being good and no further notice taken of it. It seems something singular that the whole science of Europe, practice and theory, philosophy and chemistry, have not yet discovered the cause of this plague, even with the assistance of Moore's and other almanacks to help them. It appears this year, in this island (Thanet), to be nearly as bad as in 1845. Seven years' experience, with the whole of the knowledge of the " Royal Agricultural Society," and prize essays to boot, and no effectual cure or remedy ; nay, not even the cause discovered ! Eminent practical gardeners and amateurs, down to the veriest clown, all baffled. Surely this is a wonderful mystery; but so it is. Doctors differ, and so do diseases ; yet doctors, to cure this, have not been wanting by thousands, with innumerable remedies : but all have fa tied. If the blind lead the blind, both must fall into the ditch ; so must all prescribed nostrums, unless the cause of the disease is first discovered ; it appears to be making a beginning where it ought to end. You will excuse my using the plain word potato instead of tuber. Honest John Hodge's conceptions are sometimes curious, and his ideas not exactly clear upon all things ; he might take it for a new-fashioned drain tile, or, mayhap, he may think it is to grow long Kidnies in, hke them gardener chaps do cucumbers, to exhibit at the flower sliows. I am rather surprised to see, in No. 21:1, Oct. aS, that you are content to let time correct the evil of this plague. You say, " No doubt but that the Potato will one day be restored to them in its original purity, however long the ordeal through which it has to pass : a cure is out of the question." AVilli this I beg to differ: it looks so like despair. I would have shown the original cause of the disease long ago, and without which time has proved there is no cure, but those to whom I wrote about it gave me no encouragement; it was left to that ordeal through which it has already passed, and which is yet in store for it. Nevertheless, I will write you another letter (if this finds room in yom- little publica- tion), and showing the analogy to which I have adverted. — A Casual Eeaded. [Mr. Errington was quite right when he said " a cure is out of the question ; " for when the disease attacks a tuber, who will undertake to restore that tuber to health? Preven Hon is what we must strive for. "We shall be very glad to receive our correspondent's promised letter. — Ed. C. O.] NORMANDY. I TAKE up my pen — as housemaid's say when they write to their sweethearts — for the purpose of sending you a few me- moranda on the jioultry of this ancient province ; but so little new or interesting in that line have I seen dmlng a cpmplete journey through it from east to west, that, although the said pen is a magnificent Canada goose quill from Hudson's Bay, worthy to write an epic in twenty-four books, I shall have to lay it down again before we get to the bottom of the column, unless you permit me to introduce a few other matters which have reference to country life. As in the Calaisis, all the fowls are a medley of breeds, with here and there some one race predominating in its own locality. In the Pays de Caux, the district extending along the sea on the north of the Seine, the SpanisJi type has the mastery, though nothing like a well-bred Spanish fowl is to be seen. Around Caen, on the other side of the estuary, the Polish are in the majority. There is a very large expor- tation of poulti-y from the department of Calvados via Havre- de-Grace (as I like to see it written) ; and an inspection of the fowl-baskets, as they are landed from the numerous little steamers, which arrive from Houfleur, from Trou\ille, from Dives, from Caen, and from Isigny, will treat you to the sight of a great variety of Polish fowls, some with better top-knots than I have seen exhibited at Poultry Shows. You win find bearded, beardless, whiskered, and muffed specimens, black, white, brown, and speckled ; so that those original virtuosi whose passions are excited about the beards of Polish fowls, may each select his o^\•n particular idol, and fall down and worship it. The poultry of Normandy is famous for its excellence on the table, and after having partaken of an admirable pullet, with watercresses, a philo- sopher will not spoil his digestion by insisting too positively that she would have been infinitely better with, or without her heard, as the case may be, and as his choice may lie. The Turkeys axe still the pure black Norfolk breed, which is so generally cultivated, and varies so little that the race acquires from the circumstance an additional importance in natimal history. Was it the domestic variety originally im- ported into Europe ? In one respect we perceive the in- fluence of climate; the poults are earher for the table than in England. Fine birds may be had in August at a mode- rate rate, and in September they are abundant. The Piijeons also ai'e very large, mostly of a Euntish cha- racter, with a dash of the 'Trumpeter. They are also nume- rous, and exceedingly domesticated. Blue Eocks and Dovecote Pigeons are less common, and, indeed, are seldom seen. The Cotentin, the rich luxmlant peninsula which extends from Carentan to Cap de la Hague, produces more Geese than I had before observed in the north of France, and also makes the most of them ; for many of the poor things wandered about half-naked, having lost their feathers by a less easy process than that of moulting. The most unlikely spot in which I ever saw poultry located, was the Digue, or Breakwater at Cherbourg, a gigantic work, of which that at Plymouth is only a reduced copy, so to speak; the one being 4111, and the other 1700 yards in 112 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. NovEJinER 11. length. When finished it will have cost seventy millions of francs, or nearly three millions sterling, and is not dear at the price, if we consider tlic labour it has cost, and the ser- vices it renders. It forms a harbour, and protects a bay which would hold almost all the shipping of Europe. It is perfectly insulated, and is built entirely of granite. In the centre is a lighthouse, witli suitable habitations for the officers and w^orkmen, Jive hnrub'ed of whom reside upon the Digue. From this centre two vast granite ai-ms stretch right and left, each terminating in a large circular fort about half built, but on each of which forts the worlcmen wlio labour there live and sleep in temporary wooden buildings ; tor when the sea is rough, driven by a strong north wind, the arms are impassible ; tlie waves dash over them, and sweep v,-ith such \-ioleuce, that large blocks of granite many tons in weight, which happen to be lying there to complete the edifice, are born away into the bay like pebbles, or ^dashed together and broken. On approaching the Digue in our boat, as the lighthouse and central buildings became gradually more distinctly visible, I was prepared for their human occupants, but did not expect to find any of the brute or the feathered creation colonising a mere hard bare wall of granite, without soil and without vegetation. However, let man go where he will, he is sure to be followed by certain companions, atten- dants, and parasites. The natural history of the Cherbourg Digue would be a curious little memoir to draw up : it would remind one of the Fuuikp. of those desert islands which Professor Henslow named " Refuges for the Desti- tute," in respect to their zoology and their botany. Even before we landed, some cocks and hens came forward to display themselves, and strutted along the sharp, straight lirink of the Digue. How they contrive to amuse themselves all day long it is impossible to guess, with no earth to scratch in, no dusting holes to bask in, no lawn to ramble over, no thicket or hedge in which to steal a nest; nothing but granite, at which they may scratch and peck to their hearts' content in vam. Next, a couple of dogs made their appear- ance, and then a cat stole quietly by ; for the Digue aboimds in rats and mice. The insect world there comprises fleas, of course, whatever else ; houseflies I saw while eating an omelette that was kindly cooked for us. In the summer many butterflies make their appearance, and now and then a bee may travel there by mistake. The list of birds is long ; I saw swallows, whea,tears, and (would you credit it?) a wren. The fowls might be luxiuries of the great folks in the centre, and would not be looked for among the labom-ers at either end ; but after walking something like two miles on one arm of the Digue, and inspecting the immense circular fort, which was i-ising block by bloci;, and battery above battery, out of the waves of the sea, I was startled by a familiar crow ; and there, down amongst tlie shivers of stone, and the tools, and the heaps of cement, and the wooden sheds, pranced a cock and three or fom- hens. The men like to be waked in the morning by the voice of their old country companion ; and though the view of the opposite coast is exceedingly beautiful, it is too distant to permit them to enjoy the noises which belong to sucli a rich extent of hUl and dale. Poultry keeping at the Digue is to he criticised m one respect. Fowls in the centre would no more think of visit- ing those at either fort, than they would of flying to the moon ; so that a Ijctter place of keeping breeds distinct, than these tliree localities, cannot be found by industrious searching. But the fowls here are of no breed, or any breed. No one cock resembled any other cock, nor any one hen. It is a complete set of experiments in mongrelism. The forts being at eitlier end, are specially exposed to tempests. Like tlie rest of the structure, they are founded on rocks that have been cast into tlie open sea, and piled up till they rise above the surface. In violent storms, the whole Digue can be felt to oscillate and tremble, though it is believed to be perfectly safe iioir. Evei"y squall only settles the stones more firmly in tlieir places, and additional blocics of granite are continiially being thrown into the sea, just before and outside the Digue, weather permitting. The forts are similarly protected and supported by largo oblong masses of artiticial rock, or concrete, made of bricks, stone, cement, and mortar, tossed into the waves when sulficiently consolidated. Each block costs l.'JOO francs, or ,L'i;0, on arriving at its place, wliicli wUl give sonic idea of their magnitude. As the sea is beautifully clear-, these gigantic heaps of stone can be seen at high-water, and in- spected, when the tide is out. The granite of wliich the Digue is built is of a cold-look- ing, light grey, and comes from the Isles Chansey, in the tiulf of St. Malo ; the bloclis thrown in, to support the foundation, are red, inferior and coarser, and are lirought from Fermanville, a few leagues to the east of Cherbourg. I saw two vessels arrive thus laden, and could not think what made them roll and pitch with such a very peculiar heaviness, till they were moored in their required station, under the direction of the commissary. And then the men began heaving the great lumps of stone, each encircled with a necklace of chains, out of the hold, by means of a puUcy and ropes fixed to the top of the mast ; each heavy mass was swung as near to the outside edge of the deck as pos- sible, freed from its iron ornaments, and then hoisted over the edge with levers, till it overbalanced itself, and fell into the sea irpon the spot intended. It was curious to watch the boiling of the waters, and the hissing of the air-bubbles which foamed up aftenvards. The whole process was most laborious, and not without danger; it was anything but child's play. Nor would it he any joke for the lobster who happened to be sporting imder water on the exact spot where the Titanic lump of granite was about to fall. A local egg-stoi-y must not be forgotten. A Lieutenant in the French Navy told me, that while he was at Cherbourg, a conjuror, or cscamoteur, who was paying a professional visit to the town, went into the Market-place, and while loitering there, asked an old woman the price of her eggs. She told him she sold them at six sous a dozen. He said that was a great deal too httle, and that she did not know the value of the eggs which she had in her basket. He then took one of them and broke it before her eyes, and showed her that it contained, besides the yoUc and the white, a forty franc piece — a largo gold coin, sometimes called a double Napo- leon. He then broke some more of her eggs, and every one of them contained, or seemed to contain, a piece of gold. While this was going on, he offered to buy all lier eggs at twelve sous a dozen ; if she would sell them, he would take every one of them oft' her hands. But jMadame purse- proudly replied that she was not so foolish as to pai't with such precious eggs as those, with her eyes open, for a mere paltry ofi'er like that, only double what common eggs were worth. Not she, indeed ! She should keep them herself So he went away, affecting great disappointment at her refusal. As soon as his hack was tm-ned, tlie silly old woman began breaking her eggs, one by one, to malie sure of the treasures liidden in them. As she went on, she was greatly astonished that she smashed egg after egg without coming to one with a forty franc piece in it, and so she continued, in the true spirit of gambling, expecting that the next venture would draw the prize, till she had not another egg left. She was sitting, beggai-ed and forloni, in the midst of a mess of crushed eggshells, and spoilt custard-meat. Of course she then began to cry, and take on. The other market women crowded about her, and only laughed at her when she told them of the price she had refused for her eggs, and the reason wliy she refused it. But the conjuror, who had watched the workings of her despair, took pity on her suft'eruigs, and soon retm'ued; and after having had his laugh too, lie paid her market-price for the eggs which he had beguiled her into breaking. And as he gave a performance at the theatre that veiy evening, the ti-ick he played tlie old woman sci-ved him as a capital advertisement, as he doubtless intended ; and he had a crowded house, lots of applause, and sacks-full of money. D. {To he conliiuied). WILD BEES. By W. H. Nemmaii. Esij. ( Concluded from patje K!).) ENP.jnES OE THE WILD EEE. I CONSIDEH the common field mouse by far the most de- structive enemy of all wild bees ; — wherever it finds Ihoir rtests it destroys them. I had a nest of the /Ipis Tenvslris November 11. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE, 113 in my tee gavclen two j'ears ago, when suddenly, in July, I missed my friends; tliey were not at work; — ou watching for a few moments, a field mouse came out of the hole, and returned ; on examination, every hee was killed, and the combs destroyed. But this is not the worst, for these A'ir- min also catch one-half of the queens in the winter, while they are dormant in the earth, and eat tliem. The forests of England would be well-stocked mth wild bees but for the mice. They say that stoats and weasels are also enemies of the wild bee ; it may be so, but 1 never caught them at their i\ests ; and there is one thing quite certain, that the two last-named creatures kill immense numbers of mice. It is most difficult to kill these mice in the fields ; for they are far too numerous and too extensively disjiersed to be caught with traps. / think the weasel and tlie stoat are the bee's best friends in the iroods, and the ails near villages. The last, and almost worst, enemy of the wild bee is the school- boy I who is constantly, and has been from time immemorial, fond of killing them for the sake of their honey-bag, and as often for pure mischief, and when this is done, in April or May, a whole nest is destroyed; I think I am entitled to give my readers these words of insti'uction when I tell them my acquaintance with the " Dumble Dores " is of /f/i^ years' standing. I commenced cat'ching them myself when a child ; the first nest I took, ; and brought home, was in 1708 ! the last in 1848 ! I hope my readers are not tired of these matter-of-fact de- i tails of my earliest friends the wild bees. ^Vhile acknowledg- i ing that I have spent many happy leisure hours in studying ' their history and economy, I trust those of my readers who are not naturalists mil not think the pursuit trilling or un- satisfactory, as many do, who are no lovers of these things. ' For myself I may truly say, that, to this day, I feel thankful that the first fifteen years of my life were spent in the country, and in these pursuits. The old adage, " God made the country, and man made the town," is to me a true saying , for the agency of a Great First Cause is much more apparent in every object around us in the counby than in the town; — oven in the history of these little insects, how wonderful their preservation during the winter, their frail bodies being, five months in the year, in the cold, wet earth, and other lioles ! and corners ! (I once found one in a small fissure of wooden fence ; it was dormant until the beginning of Februaiy, when it recovered, and flew away). They rise from then- long slumbers, refreshed by their re.st, as soon as tlie sun begins to warm the earth. The study of the wild bee has this advantage over the hive bee, that young people can foUow it without danger; they are not vindictive, and, if properly handled, do not sting, even when defending their young ; it can also be followed without cost, except that of time; and who is there that has not a leisure hour each day in the summer ? I, therefore, strongly recommend this study to ray young friends in the country as an intellectual amusement. Natural history has, of late years, become move fashion ah Ic, and this is no mean part of it ; besides, it is accessible to nearly all who reside in rural districts; and in the hope it may become so, I take leave of my readers, only adding, tliat in all the species of wild bees, nearly an uniform system prevails as to the order in the nest : all useless and disabled bees are turned out. Their practice is, " He that docs not work, neither shall he eat." Many bees are hatched with defects in their wings, and even without wings, from some disease ; these are all turned out to perish. The discrimination of the hive bee in this respect is astonishing. I have often placed a bee, which had defects, on the alighting-board, the guards instantly came up to the intruder, and having held a sort of consultation for two or three seconds, they imme- diately begin to expel it. But innrk tiic distinction; in showery, cold weather, hive bees are often knocked down and benumbed near the hive, and remain in a state of torjior, from which, if not recovered, they will die of exhaustion. I have a thousand times placed these bees on the board near the entrance, the guards rush out as before, but, on exami- nation, although the bee is unable to walk, they do every- thing to assist the benumbed insect. By some unmistakeable instinct, they directly discover that he has no bodily defects ! and admit it into the hive after it has recovered by the heat at the entrance ! In conclusion, we may certainly consider bees as among the wonders of the natural world. " We know in part," yet how little does each one of us know, not probably a thou- sandth part of the great volume of the stores of natural history ! The whole subject leaves us lost in contemplation at the stupendous nature of that Being who is the projector of them all ! TO CORRESPONDENTS. ORcnARD HousK {J. S., Keu'cantle-on-Tyne). — Yours is a IjolJ sRt- out for an orchard house ; but why leave the ends and front open ? Wc would close it all but about a yiird of superficies at the angle at each end. We would also board the front, leaving a space open in the centre of each light, hall'-a-yard long by six inches wide ; and these might have flaps, with a wooden button, to close in bad weather. Have you no escape for heat at the apex? Your fruit arrangement is not first-rate. Clierries and plums may stand the shade of the back wall, but not peaches. We would do thus : — No. 1, Fondante d'Automne j 2, Marie Louise; .3, Beurre Uiel ; 4, Winter Neilis ; 5, Beurrc d'Aremberg; G, Passe Colraar; 7, Royal George Peach ; 8, Bellegarde Peach ; 9, Elruge Nectarine; 10 and 1], flioorpark Apricots; 12, Shipley's Apricot. On back, hiside, six trees, thus — I Precose de Tours Plum, 1 Greengage, 1 Koyal Hative Plum, 1 Early Duke Cherry, 1 Late Duke Cherry, 1 Elton Cherry. Outride, at back, Morellos and Currants alternating. The wood must be trained thinly over the roof, at nearly a foot from the glass. The back trellis should have double distance in the wood. Such is our opinion. We are glad to see these things progressing. Pray consult our articles on " Stations," before planting — to be found in back numbers. Pruning Budded Roses (Belle). — October and November is the best time to cut back wild shoots that were, or were not, budded the previous summer — then to be cut within six inches of the inserted bud. " The best time for cutting them again," meaning these six-inch stumps, is the beginning of next July. The reason for leaving the stumps is to fasten the young shoots to them which would otherwise sriap off with the lirst gale. It is of no great consequence whether you disbud the stumps or not, but you must stop all shoots from eyes of the wilding, above and below the inserted buds, at the first or second joint, the next season after budding. November or February is the best time to manure them, but manure never comes amiss to tliem. Cow-dung, so decayed that it will cut like soft putty, and mixed with one-third chopped fresh turf from a good pasture, is t/ie best manure for them. IjNiaoE Geranium (S. S.). — February and Rlarch are the best months for strikmg this geranium in heat. In July it strikes freely, full in the sun, or behind a wall ; we prefer the sunny side, and a little shading at first. " In a small way," a one-light box facing the south, and having six inches or a foot of light sandy compost, is the safest way I to get July cuttings of this and several of the dwarf and delicate sorts. This coulcl be shaded for awhile till the cuttings could stand the sun. I The objection to a north aspect is, that if the autumn happens to be cold and wet, cuttings will not strike so well. j What is Poor Soil? (S. 6'.).— All kinds of light, sandy, and gravelly ' soil, with little or no dead vegetable or organic remains in them; but I " soapy clay " may be very poor soil indeed, although not in the sense we use it for flowers. Sand will make imi/ soil poor enough for flowers, ' and leaf-mould will make any soil rich enough for them, if autficicnt quantities arc used. The quantities can only be known Ijy inspection. I Campanula cabpaticas (i'. S.).— They never flower in May at all, but from June to September. The Roses Blicrophj/lla and Maria Leonide ■ are not pegged on the principle we object to ; they are climbers, and all ! climbing roses may be (j-ttiHerf on the face of the earth, just as well as i on the face of a wall, and pegs will then do for nails. Slany thanks for \ the news that these two Roses make beds that flower from Blay to Octo- i ber in Hants. Fast-growing Trees {A Subscriber, Browileij). — On your light I gravelly soil the White Poplar, and the Turin or Lombardy Poplar, are I the best to get up quickly to hide the "ugly cottages." For covering wire- work round windows facing the north, no plant is so good as the Cotoneaster Jiiicrophylla, but being a slow grower at first few people use it. Others object to Ivy ; and then the next best are the evergreen ' climbing Roses, such as Myrianthes, Princess Maria, and Felicite perpetuelle. Bulbs (S. S. 5.)'— Many thanks for the remainder of the list; we I shall go through the whole of them this winter. \ Datura (Sht/loch-), — A Datura that is only a foot high by the middle j of October will not do to be left out this winter, nor next winter cither ; and it is of no use to dry it and try to save it that way, as it is too young for that experiment. Therefore, as you have no greenhouse, nor pit, nor any space in the house, you have only two events to choose from. Either get a friend to keep it for you in his greenhouse, or let the first smart j frost destroy it. and buy a. better, or, at least, an older plant, next May. I Flower-garden Plan {W. P. H.). — We recognised your plan the i moment we opened the letter. Were it not for the excrescence caused by j S— S, anil by y — 9, this plan would be quite faultless in design. There ; never was a plan more easy to plant and manage than this, and the wonder is how you could possibly contrive to go wrong with it. You ! were probably misled, trying to imitate the planting of the designer. ; Committing a fault to escape the consequences of a misfortune put you wrung the whole season. The autumn-sown annuals perished, ancf to make good their loss you sowed more annuals in the spring, in the very beds where the summer plants were to go. Did any mortal body ever hear of such a daft trick before ! And what is the use of asking for our ad\ice now, when you positively do just the contrary of all that you have read in these pages already ? In the first place, what was to hinder the removal of the bulbs when the time came for the other planting? No reason whatever. In the second place, try again, and keep to the advice of one book only, and then you will be right. Every book is right according to some notion or other, and every amateur is wrong in trj-ing to work out more than one system at the same time and in the same space. Looli to the index for all you want for the fresh start, and after that let us hear from you again, and we engage you shall he right this time. J14 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. NoYE^rBER I I . Flower-garden Plans (^. P.).~\ye are obliged to keep the en- gravings to the smallest comjiass, and to lay down our series to a uniform scale would he worse than useless. No. 1 is applieahle to a spaee of one- quartcr-of-an-acre, and not too small for four acres, with suitable accom- paniments. You had better not be in too great a hurry, however, till you see a few more of these de&igns, which will be as various as our stock will afford. FocnsiA spECTAEiLis (.1 Stifjscri//e)-).—This is a strong two-year-old plant, and has not yet bloomed. Let it have fair greenhouse treatment, and you will probably have bloom in two or three months or sooner. If you do not succeed, you may then in summer ])lunge the plant under a south wall as you propose; though we have known it fine set against a norlh wall in summer, and brought into the house in autumn. ToRENiA AsiATiCA SiCKLV {Mont B/unc). — The house dry, tem- perature rising from (55° to /O^ in the hottest part of the day. The dry atmosphere may be partly the cause. Your frequent ammonia and liquid manure waterings at t/tis se(iso7i, another cause. A little peat would also be an advantage in the soil in winter, and for winter-blooming the (plants should not be more than twelve or eighteen months from the cutting. Your temperature at night should not be below 48°; 5^ higher will be better. 3Ir. Fish detailed how he kept old plants in winter, some time ago, but such rough treatment left the plants like skeletons. A present sacrifice was submitted to to produce a future fine effect. From what you state, if you have not young plants, we would lose no time in fresh potting the plant, getting rid of the isour soddened soil, saving all the roots you can. and making rough sandy peat and charcoal a component of your compost. AcuuiENES (Il/id).— The leaves sent are just as we should expect to find them. They will always be so at this season, unless, indeed, you have started them late for winter blooming. The appearance indicates either that the season of growth has approached its termination, or that you have scalded them with the sun while the foliage was wet. In either "case, your best plan now is to keep the plants in an open, airy place, withhold water gradually, and then turn the pot on its broadside, any- where, so that the temperature does not fall below 45°. When you want to set the plant growing again, in the new year, turn out the pot, break the soil, and separate and plant the tubers afresh. (.rREENiiousE AND ViNERY {Cavrig CtUhoL). — We do uot say any- thing about the "third time breaking the charm," but beg to assure ■ you that no previous two separate inquiries have come in our way, as, sooner or later, every correspondent and inquiry receives attention. Wg think that, in the present case, your own judgment and views of economy . must decide. You have already got your 7i-feet-Iong sashes ; two of which, joined together, is to form your fixed sloping-roof of fifteen feet, j But, as this will not enclose enough of width to suit you, you propose | having a glass-roof at the back, so as to widen the house some three ; feet more, and ask us how long we would recommend sueh sashes to be. ' Now, if we possessed the purse-strings, we should have both sides alike —in other words— a span-roof; and then we would have an opaque part in the centre, where ail the airing at top would be given. But, waiving the span, and fixing on the short hip, wc would recommend the sashes to be about four feet in length, more if you liked it; and now come the other difficulties. You are told that this hipped-roof would make the house colder. Undoubtedly so, every inch of glass will radiate so much heat. You are recommended, therefore, not to discard these short sashes, hut to place them at the top of the others, movable, so as to give air thereby, making thus a sloping-roof of 19 or 20 feet; but we do not see how this would greatly economise your heat, farther than having more wall as a retaining power. Were vines, however, your chief object, j this, in the circumstances and the size of your sashes, would be the | recommendation we would, without hesitation, give. If plants are your chief object, then, if you cannot have a span, then have the hipped, and have it movable, so as you can have abundance of air, unless, indeed, you have other means of giving air in the back wall. This will also be essential in the front wall or front sashes. As econo- mising heat is an object, your house will thus be less exposed to the wind than if the glass had all been of one slope. It is quite true, that you will economise heat and gain width by having a hipped-roof of slate or other opaque substance; but if you put plants in your house, then this, under the opaquf-roof, would be of little use, unless as a pathway. If plants are your chief object, would it not be best to compromise the whole matter, by having a hipped-roof, and covers made ot wood, asphalte, or tarpaulin, to go over them in all cold weather, and even over part of the roof in front likewise. If laths are placed far such covers to run upon, neither paint nor wood would be injured ; and in all places at a distance from the coal-pit, the saving would soon pay for the covers, while the plants within would flourish more. Diseased Bullfinch. — "Your correspondent's (P. L.'s) bullfinch I fear is past a remedy. If it be asthma, linseed is recommended to be given with its food, and soft bread and milk. The linseed is supposed to be demulcent; liquorice-root steeped in water for its drink. But I believe nothing will relieve it. I suspect it is infested with a small parisitic worm, which attaches itself to the wind-pipe or tubes of the lungs by means of its sucker-like mouth, leaving its body hanging loosely or undulating, as it were, in the tubes ; this produces excessive irritation, ulceration, wasting of the body, atrophy, and death. The only remedy for this, is shutting the bird in a close box, and subjecting it to tobacco smoke, when, it is said, the worm will be detached from its hold and thrown off; but I must tell you most of the patients die from the treatment, so that it is questionable whether the remedy is not as bad as the disease, as they die from both." ^\''illiam RAvriER. White Cineraria (W. H. L.).—\f it does not produce better blooms in its natural season it is worthless. Tlie petals were thin, notched, and starry, in the liloom you sent. Rabbits {Philo-Lcporidcc). — We do not know of any separate work relating to them. M'e should be very much obliged by any of our readers sending us the results of their experience in the breeding and rearing of these beautiful animals. House Sewage kor Daulias {A New Subscriber). — This, mixed with earth, and applied to the soil in moderate quantities, will be beneficial. Poultry House (iV. R.). — Wc shall have a drawing of one published before the year closes, and will give the dimensions, &c. What is H/EMOXY? {Hester S.).— Milton in his C.omus has the?o lines:— " Amongst the rest, a small unsightly root, But of divine effect, he cull'd me out. The leaf was darkish, and had prickles on it, But in another country, as he said, Bore a bright golden tlower, but not in this soil : More medicinal is it than that flioly, That Hermes once to wise Ulysses gave : Unknown and light esteemed, and the dull .swain Treads on it daily with his clouted shoon : Ho called it Ilomony, and gave it me, And bade me keep it as of sovereign use 'Gainst all enchantments." Some think that fliilton merely adopted the name from Ovid's Me- tamorphoses, lib. viii., lines 26-1-5, where the poet speaks of a plant Htsmunin, its roots, and other parts. Others think wiih Coleridge in his Stnteman's Mniuttd, that Rlilton intended to allegorise the sacra- mental wine ; deriving the name from aima, blood, and oinos, Avine. Cross-bred Fowls {A Roonter). — It is possible, but not probable, that superior birds may be produced by crossing the varieties, but the pullets so raised must be coupled, we think, with a cock of the same variety as their hen-parent. Your failure in producing superior specimens of a pure breed arose, probably, from your breeding in-and-in— that is, the cock and hens were from the same brood ; and then again, to insure further degeneracy, the old cock was coupled with the pullets, his own progeny. The lirst rule in all stock-breeding \%^—Nei'er couple relatives to ff ether. Removing S:\iell of House Sewage (A House Agent]. — mixing gypsum (sulphate of lime), with it as you propose, will partially effect your purpose, which is called "deodori:;ing; " but a more effective addition would be peat-charcoal. We should recommend you to add some gypsum also. Advice (Grumbler). — We believe that almost every one of your sug- gestions have been attended to, which is the best evidence that we should not have quarrelled with you, even if we had not anticipated your wishes. Spanish and other Poultry. — Semper Vigilans says— " Let nie just speak as to my own experience, this being my first year of the above breed. From nine eggs in Ajiril, I got seven chicks ; nine in Blay, eight chicks ; cut of both, fourteen now live, and one was killed by the mother of the other hatch ; being a game hen, the cock setting up his feathers paid the piper. Wanting chieily eggs, yet combining good fowls for table use, I was led to choose this breed from reading Richardson's work, and also seeing them so highly spoken of at the Birmingham anil other shows. BIy step was at once to get eggs of the best breed then known ; as such, half came from Mr. Hornby's stock, half Mr. Peck's, which I intend to cross, and at stated intervals procuring a good cock of fresh blood. It is my intention to see the show at Birmingham, to judge, from observation and opinions gathered, how my birds contrast. Now, in the first place, they are confined to a space eight yards by three yards, wired off, taking in the stable dunghill. My pullets have regularly began to lay in November, if not October, and are still laying; but my Spanish do not promise to lay before December. The cocks of I\Iay 3rd weigh 4 ^Ibs. toS^lbs. ; pullets, S^lbs. Although never a day's sickness, they strike me as far short of what "Richardson" gives you to expect in size. Next: I have anxiously been looking for proof how to breed for table use ; as yet, my own plan strikes me as best for such result. Along with the Spanish hen and cock for layers, I think of putting one Cochin and one Dorkim; hen. of the best breeds, and so allowing them to sit their own eggs for killing. All three beincr pronounced best, must surely result well. [Quite the contrary; the mixtures will be generally odious]. If, when parties write of weight, they would also give age, and when most suitable for table, the result might be more correctly attained. Should this opinion of quality not be settled before next autumn, the price of my birds shall not prevent me and my friends giving you our candid opinion." Advertisements (Jiec/or). — We areas anxious as you are to avoid ha^•ing these bound up in the volume, but wc arc at the mercy of the advertisers in this respect. I\Iisti.etoe (B. R.). — To raise this on the tree you wish it to prow upon, cut miderneath a branch, quite down to the wood, a tongue of bark in this form, A : raise up the point of the tongue, and st|uccze into it the seeds from a ripe Mistletoe berry, and then let the tongue close down, but do not press it. The best time for this sowing is February. Grafting Crag Stocks {Crab Stock). — It is not good practice to remove the stocks now which you propose grafting upon in the spring. Why not let them remain where they are, and remove them after they have been grafted ? You may graft upon them any varieties you may prefer. Rhubarb Forcing {A. B.). — Any of the varieties will do for this purpose, but the Victoria being the largest is preferable. Put a chimney- pot, with a piece of board upon its top, over an old-established plant, and whelm over the pot fermenting stable-dung, or leaves, two or three feet thick; or you may make a frame of laths three feet high over a whole row of Rhubarb, and heap the fermenting materials upon that. The time to commence forcing is December. There is no permanent mode of driving away worms from a lawn. Occasional watcrhig with lime- water, and sprinkling with common salt, will keep them from coming near the surface. Pears { rt'rH.r).— There arc three Louise Bonnes, viz., Louise Bonne, Louise Bonne d'Angers, and Louise Bonne of Jersey, all different. Yellow Caleeolariiis shall be attented to. Grey-speckled Dorkings.— The Rev. R. E. Morrcs, Ashcott, Glastonbury, Somerset, will be glad to know where he can obtain these true, and at what price ? Greenhouse with West Aspect (S. R. 11'.'.— You may grow both vines and plants in this. London; Printed by Habrt Wooldkidgk, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William SoMEiiviLLK Ore, at the Office, No, 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— November Utb, 1863. November 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 115 'm ■u 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 W D Th P S Sun M Tu W NOVEMBER 18- 24, 18.'i2 Weather near London in 1851. Sun Rises. Sun Sets. Moon R. & S. Moon's Age. Clock aft. Sun. Day of Year. Barometer. iThermo. Wind. Rain in In. Widgeon arrives. Helvella mitra seen. Waxen Chatterer seen. 23 Sun. akt. Teinity. Sun's declination, 211" 15 Gray Wagtail comes. Pus. R. St born. 29-8"l— 29.S39, 41—16 29.849 — 29.644! 37—25 30.0(12 — 29.861] 43—24 29.930 — 29.836 46—34 30.149— 29.998 45—25 30.133-29.855 45-32 29.493 — 29.452 46—23 N. 1 - S.W. 1 — N. 1 — W. 1 — N. — W. 1 18 N.W.' — 26 a. 7 28 29 31 33 34 36 5 a. 4 4 2 1 0 III 68 11 2 morn. 0 13 1 21 2 29 3 35 4 42 ) 8 9 10 u 12 13 14 33 14 19 14 5 13 49 13 33 13 17 13 59 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 niETEOROLOGY OF THE Week. — At Chiswiclc, frooi observations during the last twenty tures of these days are 49.2° and 36.°2 respectively. Tlie greatest heat, 59", occurred on in 1841. During the period 83 days were fine, and on 92 rain fell. -five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- the 18th in 1844 ; and the lowest cold, 18°, on the 19th LARGE-FLOWERED GRINDELIA. (Grindelia grandijlora.) This is a good addition to Grindelia, a well known Mexi- can genus of Composite plants (Asteracea;), with showy yellow flowers. It was discovered in Texas by Dr. Wright, whence he sent seeds of it to the Botanic Garden at Kew, where it was reared, and proved to he no more than a hardy hienuial in our climate, reaching from three to five feet high, and blooming till very late in the autumn. There is another plant in this country, erroneously called Cineraria tussilaginoides, with large yellow flowers, the counterpart of those of this species. The genus was named by Wildenow, after a German botanist called Grindel. The species is well rejiresented in the Botanical Magazine, t. 40^8, where it is named and described by Sir W. Hooker. It belongs to Syngenesia Superflua Class and Order of the Linutean system. Each stem branches into three or fom' ; each branch leafy, and bearing at its top an orange- coloured flower. Leaves alternate, stalldess, spear-head shaped, toothed at the base only ; flowers very large ; ray florets strap-shaped, with a tabular base ; disc florets yellow, tubular, five-toothed. B. J. Propaf/ation and Culture. — This is another addition to the long list of Mexican Composites which have appeared from time to time under cultivation, but which were no sooner on the stage than they disappeared again, for which three distinct causes may be assigned. The first is, that these yellow flowers, like a single yellow Chrysanthemum, are considered too common-looking since the rage for herba- ceous plants has subsided. Secondly, that seeds are not ripened with us when these bull-eyed plants flower late in the season, as is the case with this Grindelia yrandiflora, which was in bloom at Kew till the frost of November, 1851, put a stop to them ; and, thirdly, that their roots are not suSicieutly hardy for our winters. There are none of the Grindelias more deserving of cultivation than this, because it flowers so late in the season. By far the easiest and surest way to increase and keep it would be to make cuttings of it every season in July, under a hand-glass, out-of-doors; and to give the after-culture exactly as for cuttings and young stock of Penstemon yen- tianoides. In the spring, planting six or seven plants in a patch at the back of the mixed border. Any good gaiden soil will suit it very well, if it is well worked, and is not robbed by the roots of stronger plants. We are not yet half alive to the benefit that we might derive from hardy subjects in this extensive order, by turning them into double varieties, of which they are, by nature, more capable than any other race. Some one will yet make a fortune and a name out of the Micliaelmas Daisy, which we almost despise. The Cineraria itself mil not be of more varied or gay tints in-doors in the spring than the common Asters will be then right out in the open air. This Grindelia would be an excellent plant to begin experiments upon. The fact that we must keep it in stock from cuttings is as likely as not to change the nature of it, so far as to cause it to throw ofl' a double-flowering seedling some day or other, for this very reason, that we always make a better bed for a plant that requires so much care than for another, even with a better flower that will take care of itself. Another reason is that a plant from a cutting has not so strong a constitution for tlie first year or two as a seedling plant of the same sort ; and we have great reason to believe, that by reducing the constitutional vigour of a plant, and at the same time giving it a higher degree of culture, is as likely to cause its flowers to turn double. That is, if we can sow seeds from it, if ever so few. No one is now so ignorant as to believe that the art of man can ever turn a plant double otherwise than by seedlings. D.Beaton. At page 264 of our last volume, we brought down our tracing of Poultry literature to tlie time of Gervas Markham, in 1631, and we may pass from thenee over the whole of the eighteenth century without finding one author whose works deserve quoting upon the subject. We have referred to Mortimer's " Whole Art of Hus- handry," published in 1708, and to many others, and j find that where they are prolix, they borrovr from the j ancients, and where they write from their own experi- i ence they are brief and unsatisfactory. Thus, Mortimer ; says, "As for cooks and hens, I shall not enter into a j description of the several sorts of them, only advising ' No. CCXVI., Vol. IX. 110 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. No^^!MBEn 18. yo>i to choose those that are the best hreeders and the best layers;" and similar ofF-haiid, half-contemptuous sentences might bo quoted IVom otiier writers of that century, showing how little was the value placed upon this kind of stocli, and that no attention was bestowed upon its improvement. The first work that wo know of showing the dawn of better attention to this description of farming stoolc, is Mr. Bonington Mowbray's Praclical Treatise on Breeding, Rearing, and Fattening, all kinds of Domestic PouUrij. This first appeared in 1810. Between which date and the present, we believe it has passed through nine editions; at all events, the eighth, dated 1842, is now before us. The author understood bis subject, wrote from experience, and gives us this first evidence of care and system tliat we have met with in relation to this branch of rural aflairs. He says — " I liave, tliroughout my life, been a breeder and keeper, and also an amateur of domestic poultry, pigeons, and rabbits ; at some periods, upon rather a considerable scale ; and have, for many j'ears together, kept a register of the results. Iliave further done that wliich, I believe, no other man has taken the pains to do — kept a regular stud book for those breeders, scarcely one of which was so poor as to be without a name ; and Eegulus, Samson, Flea-catcher, Seliraa, Moreau, Isaac, .and Tom Paine, shine with peculiar lustre on my poultry and pigeon list ; whilst Corney Butter- cup, Adam, Beelzebub, Lucifer, Carolina, Hecuba, make a figure equally splendid and equally useful, among the rabbits. I think Mnnlnii/im says somewhere, that if a man would sit and descrihe that which he lias known practically, upon almost any .subject, be could scarcely fail of being usefid. Just so far my ambition extends. Nor is the world entirely without need of advice on this subject, notwith- standing its antiquity, and the multitude of counsellors." Every page of his volume testifies that he wrote down only the results of experience, and from these, as from other aTithors, we shall place before our readers a spe- cimen. In speaking of raising early broods, ho says : — " The number of hens to one cock, four to six, the latter being the extreme number, with a view of making the utmost advantage. Ten and even twelve hens have been formerly allowed to one cock, but the produce of eggs and chickens under such an arrangement will seldom equal that to be obtained from the smaller number of bens. Every one is aware that the spring is tlie best season to commence breeding witli poultry, and, in truth, it scarcely matters bow early, presupposing tlie best food, accommodation, .and attendance, under wbieli, bens may be permitted tn sit in January; but tlie attempt to rear winter chickens in tins obmate, even in a carpeted room and with a constant fire, woidd, in all probability, be found abortive. I have re- peatedly made tlie experiment with some scores, witliout being able to preserve an individual through the winter, and nearly the same has resulted with resjiect to pigs, on a damp clayey or marshy soil. Tliis I request should lie understood with some grains of allowance in respect to the soils on which my stock of both kinds was reared, in llirei' counties. They were clayey, wet, and benumbing, and niy neighbours were in a similar predicament with myself. It is a mere statement of facts. I have referred in the sequel to those dry soils, better adapted to breeding of poultry, as they are also to breeding and keeping of sheep. I give merely my own actual experience, without doubting that many breeders more fortunately situated have succeeded with winter stock, lliousb, in the best situations, winter may bring with it consider.able risk. A record, however, of Ibo expei'imenird fact may remain, as a caution to breeders upon unfavourable soils. The follon'iiig is a remarkable instance of attentinn and success in winter breeding. " The late Mrs. Adams, of IJitcbford Farm, near Shipton- on-Stour, in Worcestershire, for many years devoted her time and attention to the breeding and rearing of winter cliickcns and spring ducldings, with which she constantly attended Campdeii and Shipton markets, where her puultry was souglit by the neighbom-ing gentry with avidity, and generally fetched good prices : tlie superiority of tbis good woman's poultry was proverbial : as a breeder and fancier she stood pre-eminent; her chickens were always ready for the table by New Year's day, and her ducks were earlier in thi: market than those of any other person in that neiyh- bourhood. Tbis is given, not as a novelty, but as an example of merit and successful perseverance. In the vicinity of most cities and large towns, chicks and ducklings are reai'ed in the autumn for the Christmas market. The business is done by the aid of artificial heat, by stoving, and with covered floors." Next appoai'ed, in IS 15, PonUry ; their Iireeding, rearing, diseases, and general management, by Walter B. Dickson. This is far superior, as a compilation, to any other work we know on the subject. There are gathered together, and arranged in its pages, all the information that is scattered through our county Agri- cultural Surveys, the ]''rench works of M. Ts\. Reaumur and Parmontier, &c. ; and bo includes in his extracts many from Markham, and, indeed, all his English predecessors who wi'oto of the same subject. The fol- lowing is a favourable sjieoimen of his writing — " The Colours op Fowi.s. — The varieties in the sizes, forms, and colours of fowls, are sufficiently striking to .attract the notice of the most indifferent observer; wliilr, to those who can find subject of retlection in every jirodiic- tiou of nature, they may be made an ample soiu-ce of in- teresting remark, as well as of amusing experiment. 'If peopile,' says M. Reaumur, 'are affected with the kind of pleasure so transitory to the most enthusiastic florists, who procure it but for a few days by a world of cai-e and toil continued through a whole ye.oi' — if they are affected by the variety and line combin.ation of colours in their favourite flowers, the poidtry-yard, when well managed, may be niaib' to offer them endless pleasures of the same description.' " The greater number of cocks, even those of the com- monest breeds, when exposed to the play of the sun's rays, exhibit the brightest colours, in extraordinary beauty, and varied mi.xture; and even the hens, if tli(> In-eeds have been select, are often no less worthy of admiration. Some, for instance, have spots distributed with great regularity*, and so brightly white as to look silvery; others are termed gulden, because they are spotted or speckled with a fine ynklrn orange colour ; while the more common colours are vmied in a manner almost endless ; and, upon the whole, iloniestic fowls offer a multitude of colours, the several sbadrs of which would be found with difliculty, if they were sought for amongst the birds of the woods or the waters. "Another peculiiu-ity in the colour of fowls is, that they frequently change in a very surprising manner, from the time when the cliiclcs cast their down to the annual moult of the full-grown fowls. It is, no doubt, the regular process,' at least after the second and third moults, for the colours tii continue much the same. I have, at present, a b(>n of the Spanish breed, which has been of a uniform black for two successive moults, hut has now her neck, wiiiHs, and tail feathers tipped with pure white. I have another whicli was all over of a silx'er grey, but has now her head and neck coal black, with a ring of fine white at the base nf the neck, wlule the rest of tlie body is finely specklml wiili black and snow white. It is remarbable also, that Ibis change timk place in a few weidis, without any obvious moult, so as to cause her to appear anywhere bare of feathers. " Wi- are fold by Jl. rU-anmur, that (lUi! of bis hens which Ids poultry-woman distinguished fmm the rest by a crookiHl claw, when her coat began to be taken imlice of, had feathers nC a ruddy colour mixed with the brown so common among duiiudiill i'nwls. A year afierwards, tbis ben was observed to become almost black, with bore and there scniii' large white sp.its. After tho second nionltlnt;, black was tlie liredoniinant colour on every part (if the budy ; but strange to tell, upon the succeeding moult, white was the pre- ! November 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 117 dominant colour, and only a few lilftcl; patches about the size of a crown-piece could be observed. Upon the suc- ceeding moult, all the blade spots disaijpeared, and the hen became uniformly of a pm-e white Uke that of a swan. As she was at this time old for a fowl, that is, not less than ten years, it might be thought that old age, wliich whitens the liuman hair, likewise whitens the feathers of certain birds ; but, iu that case, M. Eeaumur says, the transiliim from tlie ruddy to tlie wliite ought not to have been made, as it really was, through tlie black; and he was of ojiinion, as the hen was still vigorous and healthy, that she might again change her colour, if she lived, to brown or black. " M. Keaumur makes some interesting remarks on a cock which he observed with more attention than the hen, so as to establish proofs, that the wdiite colours of the feathers were not, at least in that instance, caused by age. The owner of the cock was struck, the first time he moulted, witli the singular change in his colour; and for five succes- sive moults, there was always a considerable change of colour. In his first year, he had some of the ruddy brown, mixed with white, so common in dunghill cocks ; in the second, he was all over ruddy brown, or ratlier red, witliout any wliite ; in the thiid, he became unifoi'mly black ; in the fom'th, uniformly white ; and in the fifth, when he was presented by the prior of Bury to M. Reaumur as a curiosity, lie had white feathers mixed with a good deal of ruddy colour and Inowu, bordering upon chestnut, his neck, back, wings, and belly, beiug ruddy ; and even where there were white feathers, they were mingled with ruddy ones. During the summer vacation at Paris, M. Reaumur was two months without seeing the cock ; but in this period he became so changed as not to be recognisa- ble, his feathers having become all over of the finest white. Tlie following year he had partly white feathers, but the I greater portion was ruddy, or rather of a fair red. Here, I then, was a transition from white to a light brown, indi- j eating that the whiteness of his featliers was not owing to I the number of his years. I " It has been remarked by several scientific observers, that I hen birds of various species, but more particularly hen pheasants, jnit on, under certain circumstances, the plumage ' of the male. The celebrated physiologist, Mr. John Hunter, I in his work on the " Animal Economy," is of opinion that ' this change of character takes place at an advanced age of the animal's life, and does not grow up with it from the beginning.' Mr. Butler expresses a similar opinion still more strongly, namely, that ' all hen pheasants, as well as common fowls, would assume the plumage of the cock", to a j certain degree, if they were kept to a certain age.' — {Mem. Werner. 8oc. vol. iii.) Though this, however, to some extent may be true, the reasons, or rather the accompanying cir- cumstances and changes of constitution, were first pointed out, it is believed, by Mr. Yarrell, who seems to have deter- mined that the change of colour depends on disease, or removal of the ovarium of the fowl. Among seven hen pheasants, whose plmnage more or less I'esembled that of the male, he found the organ in question diseased, with some variation as to extent, and the progress of change observable in the plumage bore a corresponding analogy. At the commencement of this internal disease, the plumage does not seem to be affected, for ' hen pheasants in con- iinement, and female of the common fowl in the poulti-y- yai-d, had been known to bave ceased producing eggs two year's before any change was observed in their plumage.'" We have yet three or four modern works to notice, and must, therefore, defer our concluding remarks to a future weelc. COVENT GARDEN. It is astonishing how many subjects are suggested to the mind during our observations on the produce offered for sale in Covent Garden Market, and in the prepa- ration of these reports ; subjects both of historical and economic, as well as financial interest. There are many articles produced here which recall the names and e.^perienoe of names honoured in some department of horticulture, and others which suggest systems by which we may improve and increase our internal resources. Among these last, we have often thought that a great deal might be done by an extensive and judicious ]:)lanting of the best varieties of fruits. Tlie importation of Apples, Pears, and Phuus is every year becoming greater ; and, surely, fruit of our own growth, produced in market with all the freshness of recent gathering, must be far more acceptable than that which has been stowed, and heated, and mouldy, and, in many instances, gathered before it is nearly ripe. There was a great outcry, some years ago, when the duty was taken off foreign fruit. Our growers, like a boy flinching under a threatened blow, hung down their hands, at what they thought was an approaching calamity ; and, instead of planting more extensively, and withstanding the approach of the foreigner, they cried out for help, and in the midst of .their despair quite forgot to help them- selves. Within the last few years a re-action has talien place. When the foreign fruit was admitted, prices fell, and the mechanic who had an apple-durapling only once a week before, had it three times then : the demand antl consumption increased ; the home-grower had not enough to supply it, and the foreigner, of course, reaped as great an advantage as he did. Our growers began to find this out, and they set-to planting more ex.tensively. Still, however, the demand increases ; the prosperity of the country, and the increasing comforts and luxuries of the working classes cry, " give, give." Railways bring town to country and country to town, and year after year we find consumption on the increase. Now, the first object to be kept in view in planting new planta- tions is the varieties of the fruits. The sorts in general cultivation twenty or thirty years ago will not do now; and it is our intention, next week, to allude more particularly to the varieties which we consider best adapted for this purpose, and which will be most re- munerative to the grower. Meanwhile, we shall proceed as usual to record the state of the market for the past week. Fkuit. — The supply of Apples during the week has been rather short. Many of the growers are holding back in expectation that the supply will be short. There is no doubt that the crop this year is much shorter than last, and prices will be higher, but we question if it will be judicious on the part of holders to overstand the market while they can realise a fair price. The consequence of holding back will be, a considerable rise, and also a large importation, and then comes the usual reaction — a fall. And it ought, also, to be borne iu mind, that there are many feeders to London now; fruit is brought from districts in England in the present day which either consumed or destroyed the crop in the olden time for waut of an outlet ; and a high price will pay to send fi'om great distances. The prices which have been made during the week are, for cooking Apples, 3s. Gd. to Os. per bushel, consisting of TorksJiire Orcenings, Kentish Broadends, Catslieacis, Beauty of Kent, and Flower of Kent. Dessert Apples are making -ts. to 8s., and are Rihstons, Blenheim Pippins, Fearn's J 18 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. Pippins, Oolden Pippins, ami Bvaddiclis KonpareiU. Pears of the common I;inds arc not so plentiful ; the early orclmrd varieties are getting over, and what come now are chiefly the finer varieties, such as have been planted of late years. The most choice are Duchesse d'AmjouUme, Passe Colmar, Oloiit Morceau, and we have observed a few parcels of Beurri de Eance. These are making as much as 3s. and is. per dozen. Some very fine Duchesse d'Angoulomes make as much as 6s. per dozen. What few there are of the more common kinds make 5s. to 7s. the half-sieve. Grapes are plentiful ; Blacl- Hamhurghs realise from Is. 6d. to 5s. per pound, and Muscat of Alexandria, 6s. Melons are plentiful, at 3s. (id. and Os. per pound. Eilbeets, UOs. to 65s. per owt., or retail at lOd. and Is. per pound. Oranges are now beginning to come more plentifully ; they are, however, rather of a greenish tinge, and make from 6s. to 12s. per hundred. Vegetables.— There is no alteration in the supply of vegetables, and the prices in consequence continue much the same. Cabbages, 6d. to Is. per dozen. Brussels Sprouts, Is. 6d. to 2s. per half-sieve. Cauli- flowers, Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per dozen. Greens, Is. to 2s. per dozen bunches. Turnips, Is. to Is. Od. per dozen. Carrots, 2s. 6d. to 4s. per dozen. Onions, 2d. to 4d. per bunch. Leeks, Id. to 2d. per bunch. Celery, 9d. to Is. 'iA. per bundle. Scarlet Runners, 2s. to 2s. 6d. per half-sieve. Endive, Is. to Is. Od. per score. Mushrooms, !)d. to Is. 3d. per pottle. Plants and Flowers. — The usual sorts of Ever- greens in pots are offered, and seem to meet with a ready demand. Plants in pots consist of Chrysanthe- mums of all kinds, Heaths, Cinerarias, Chinese Prim- roses, double and single, I\lif)nonette, and Ficus elastica, or Indian-ruhlier Tree. The Cut Flowers are abundant, and consist of Scarlet Anemones, Roses, Trachelium cccruleum. Pinks, Heliotropes, Scarlet Oeraniums, Stocks, Camellias, Cereus speciosus. Double Chinese Primroses, Jasminum grandijlorum. Gardenia radicans, and last, though not least, Orange Flowers ! H. GOSSIP. No fact is more certain — and this certainty gives us great pleasure — tlian that even farmers are becoming more awakened to the importance of Poullrg as a portion of their stock. Lord Ducie was a considerable buyer of Shanghao fowls at Mr. Sturgeon's sale; other practical agriculturists are following the example of Mr. jSIoody, Mr. Sturgeon, and Mr. Punchard ; and we have no doubt but that within five years the breed of Poultry will bo so improved, as to make both farmers and poulterers smile over the remembrance of the weedy mongrels prevalent at the pi-esent time. The desire to obtain first-rate birds is not confined to one variety ; and, as a proof of this, we may state, that a corres- pondent informs us, that ho knows Captain Hornby refused to take thirty-live guineas for three Spanish fowls which be exhibited at Cheltenham. The same correspondent, writing from near Livei-pool, adds this account of another convulsion — " It may interest you to know, that after a very hot day and evening (very oppressive) we were all roused by a sliai^pish earthquake at twenty-five minutes past foiu' this morning (Nov. nth). From the shaking of tlie windows when I awoke, my impression was that tliieves were biealdng through the windows. I jumped up, and struck a light, when my wife showed me the bed and cmtains heaving and shaking, and the things on the washing-stand were clat- tering. I thinly it lasted near two minutes, with a disagree- able rumbling noise. It v\'as felt at Eoby, Seaforth, &c. ; but a party of keepers, who were out about four miles from liere, did not feel it. It was shai'per than most I have felt abroad." Privation and want bring with them so much of suffering, not merely personal but relative, that the heart softens, and the hand is stretched forth to save from them those accustomed even in their infancy to hardships and deprivations. Still more impressive, still more exciting of every benevolent feeling, comes upon us the information that the great in learning and in virtue are similarly pressed down and benumbed by poverty, and such information has just come to us con- cerning the celebrated German naturalist M. Nees Von Essenbeck. Our contemporary, the Gardeners Journal, says that the professor, " On accormt of Ins liberal opinions incautiously expressed dm-ing the revolutionw of 184s and 1840, was deprived of his professorship, and is now living in a low suburb of Ereslau, in a jilace called a room, over a cow-shed, and without companion or attendant. He is said to be in his 70th year, and Uterally starving from want. It is further stated that, some time ago, bis lilirai'y was sold to pay some debts ; and his dried plants, which aie now his only pro- perty, and which, although in some branches they are un- equalled, he has nevertheless been unable to dispose of. " It is a melancholy fact, which we would look past and beyond if we durst, but the fact is patent to all, that science does, with rare exceptions, exact this severe penalty from her ti'ue and genuine disciples, as a test of theii' true devo- votion. Poverty, indeed, often deep and distressing, would seem to be all but an unalterable condition imposed upon those who unreservedly follow the leadings of science. " It may, perhaps, be lu'ged that Aon Essenbeck snflers not for his devotion to science, but for his meddling with politics. Let us even grant that it was quite competent for the government of his country to supersede him in the Chair of Botany, which he had so long and so ahly tilled, siuely his grey hairs and the invaluable labours of bis life ought to have secured him, if not a reasonable competence in his retirement, at least sufficient to make the remainder of his Ufe beai'able. Instead of this, however, the man who had so long occupied a leading position among the suvaiils of the continent — if we are to believe our authority — 'is lileralhj starving from waul ! ' " The fate of William Gardiner, whose death we noticed some mouths since, leaving one orphan boy, is a painful testimony that poverty and science are too often mated. We mention this, however, more especially for the purpose of making known that Mr. G. Lawson, Curator to the Botanical Society, and Lecturer on Botany at Edinburgh, having undertaken to prepare a Biogra- phical Sketch of William Gardiner, with selections from his unpublished papers and letters, and notices of those other self-taught naturalists in humble life, who were his local contemporaries, will be obliged by parties in possession of original JISS. and letters bearing upon tlio subject, favouring him with the use of tlio same. It is intended to add, in an Appendix (from unpublished November 18, THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 119 MSS.), Contributions to the Fauna of Forfarsliire ; also, atlditious to tlie Flora of the County, embracing those I'lants not recorded iu Mr. Gardiner's " Flora" (now out of print), as well as additional localities, &o., for the rarer species. In this department assistance is invited from local naturalists, whose contributions of facts will be duly acknowledged in the work. Commu- nications may be addressed to Mr. Lawson, 7, Hill Square, Edinburgh. It is too usual to turn from Rahhits as profitless animals, and to associate them with the remembrance of various unsavoury smells. Both these arise from mis- management, for we know of instances where they were most profitably kept ; the yard in which they were was perfectly unoffending, and their manure was the best fertiliser of tlie adjoining garden. That the breeding of rabbits miglit be made still more remunerative we have no doubt, for the consumption of them is very large, and the importation from Ostend so extensive, that a deputation from the poultry trade recently stated to our government, that the traffic in rabbits from that port finds employment for from 180,000 to 200,000 persons. Very recently has been published two very unpre- tending volumes by Andrew Hamilton, Esq., entitled "Sixteen Months in tlie Danish Isles." We shall only give from them two short quotations, adding the assur- ance to our readers, that they will find the work one of the most amusing that has been published this year : — " From the cemetery, the road goes at once into the country. 'Tis a pleasing change, partly, perhaps, because not a sudden one, to come from the buryiug-grouud to the fields where they are sowing the grain for autumn's harvest. There are plenty of nice land-lilce farms in the immediate neighbom-hood of the metropolis ; large comfortable esta- blishments, mth apparatus fit for laying in provision of all kinds for the longest winteu at a hundred leagues from any town, yet they have the chief town at the very door. And now husbandmen mai'ched o'er the furrows, and scattered their precious seed, in the dull bleak afternoon of a cold spring day, when it needed some faith to believe that the season of budding and blossoming was at hand. But in the trees and about the grass there was now a tendency to burst forth and shoot, that gave notice the time of earth's verdure was about to return. Spring is the time when the sower soweth his seed; it happens also to be the time when most human bodies are laid in earth. The fates of the two are wonderfully similar. As I leaned over the paling and looked at the husbandman's field, I knew tliat, in a few months, the seeds he planted there would have burst forth, renewed and multiplied, and that the scene, by the blessing of Heaven, would be one of redundant life and beauty. And when I turned my head towards the dead wall I had lately passed, and thought of the more dead enclosure within, I knew that there also, one day, would be a similar scene of revivification, even ' there,' as Bishop Taylor saith, ' where the field of God is sown witla the seeds of the re- surrection.' " " Harvest was all past save the fruit harvest. This year there happened to be an unusual abundance of apples and pears, but the quahty was inferior. The season had, on the whole, not been genial enough to ripen the fruit; but the spring had been peculiarly favourable to its formation, and the quantity was quite prodigious. Owhig to these two cir- cumstances, many people did not think it worth while to gather their fruit at all ; they took as much as they might be likely to want, and allowed the rest to rot. In many of tlie gardens and orchards of om' neighbours, we trod on wallcs covered with fallen apples, — a not very desirable or dry kind of gravel. The plenty was so enormous, I did not wonder at people becoming hopeless of ever housing it, or using it if they did. And it appeai'ed that there was no niarlict for so much fruit iu Copenhagen. " There was no such scene in the garden-walks of my host, who considered it as a despising of God's gifts to take no pains to reap the kiudly fruits of the earth. Whatever might eventually lie then' fate, they were meantime to be husbanded. " For many days, nay, for weeks, there was no cessation in the plucking, bearing in-doors, and stowing away of apples. The trees in the garden were, many of them, in- habited by one or two human beings, busy from morning to night, filling large baskets. Two men did nothing but carry the fruit to the house. Many times did I mar\-el at that constant carrying. Come down stairs when one would, and look through the window whatever time it chanced to occur to one, it was impossible to fail seeing the same two men marching from tlie garden-gate across the court-yard to a door on the other side, and bearing between them the same large hamper piled high with apples. It was as if the men, on reaching their destination, were transported back to go over the same ground again. I used to think it must be a pastime the mansion owners got up for their guest's amuse- ment, or that it took place by enchantment. I remembered the American superstition of Jumbieback, — the evil spirit who assumed the form of a vast plain or prauie. When travellers essayed to cross the seeming muirland, he allowed them to get on very well dming the day, but at night, when they stuck up their tents, he would give a quiet hitch, and transport them back to the self-same spot they had left in the morning, so that they might traverse the treacherous jirairie till the day of their death, and never advance one step. I was ready to think my two apple-bearers had got upon .Jumbieback. " Up, above the highest floor of the mansion, it seemed there was a series of attics which were used as store-rooms. There, one of the ladies presided for many days over the disposition of the fruit, until she announced that she abbon-ed even the smell of apples. " There was proportionally a like plenty of pears which were the only fruit we thought worthy of being eaten. In the forenoon tind in the evenmg, we used to consume them as heartily as we could ; but we made little progress. Each day saw large loads afresh brought in ; so we fell upon a clever plan. In the morning, wdien we took our walks, it was resolved to bear a moderate- sized basket filled mth ripe peai's for distribution among such of our humbler neigh- bours as we might meet, or whose cottages we might pass. I carried tlie basket, but when a cottager hove in sight, I delivered it to one of the ladies, knowing that she could disjiense its contents more wisely than I, and that they would be more welcome from her hand. In the course of our round, of whatever length it might be, we always con- trived to empty our basket. The attention on the part of the gracious Misses was evidently very well received by their dependents. The first morning of this arrangement, we met, not far from the gates, a large-built peasant girl. " Will you have some pears ? " quoth one of the ladies, taking the basket from me, and emptying a good share of its contents into the apron that was at once held out to receive them. The gu-1 spake not a word ; but when she had bundled up her apron again about the fruit, with a somewhat theatrical air, as if her gratitude was too great for language, she seized the lady by the arm with her large fist, so that I tliought she was going to put Miss's hand into her mouth ; but it ttuned out she was only going to imprint a Idss on it, after which she went on her way. " One Sunday, when we drove across to afternoon service at the parish church, owing to some error of the clocks, it turned out we had come nearly an hour too early. The clergyman had not yet arrived from his annexed church, at which he had been performing morning service. Coachman was bid to put up the horses, whUe the Majoress asked me whether I would accompany her and her family to call upon the pastor's wife ; I acceded. " In stepping through the garden, I was made aware of the pecuharity in the good lady we were going to see, that, in spite of apparent perfect prosperity, and the absence of all outward calamity, she nevertheless found the world go evermore grievously against her, and her lot full of crooks, ]20 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. of wliich she was apt to complain bitterh" to all wlio came within ear-shot. Sometimes she was in such a sea of U-ouhles, that she would hardly admit a "s-isitor. " We were, however, admitted. " ' How do you do, Madame ? ' "'Oil! very middling ! AVill you sit down, Ma.ioress ? ' (Here tlie foreigner was introduced, and made sadly welcome.) ' I have just been in Copeuha;.'cn ; returned on Friday. I ought to have staid longer for my health, for I have been sutt'ering dreadfully from rheumatism ; but the weather became so cold after I had been away two d.ays. and as I had left no word here for lighting the stoves, I l;now — ' (hero she mentioned her husband), 'must be sitting in the cold, for they could not get the stoves heated without me, and I was obliged to eome back to see it done. I was so vexed when 1 thought of his sitting mtbout fire ; I assm-e you when I thought of him sitting in a cold room, I grew so angrj' — I was so enraged — I could have — I don't know what I could have done.' '■Here the good woman wi'ought herself into a fronzj', and rolled about on her chair, while wo thought she might liave spared herself much of the suffering by allowing the sen-ant (or her husband) control enough over domestic matters even to light a stove on pcrson.al responsibilitj". But tlie pastoress did not sufier any one to rule or even advise in the house, — certainly not her goodmau. " We tried to lead her from the painful theme of the stove, and talked, of com-se, of the ^^■eather, as a gentle change, and other cognate things. " 'It has been an excellent harvest,' said some one; ' there is a remarkable plenty of fruit.' " ' Fi'uit ! ' cried Madame ; ' oh, such an un- heard-of quantity of fruit! Hid you ever know such a plague ■.' I never saw anything like it. I am sure, before I went to Copenhagen, I tUd nothing for days together but get the apples and pears taken into the liouse and put up in the attics ; I was so sick of them ! And while I Avas away the pears all rotted, and when I came back the juice had run down througli the seams of the floor, and stained all the roof of the room below, and raised such a smell ! We have three great pear-trees in the garden, and they bore such a quantity this year. I wish they were cut down ; — I wish they were pulled up by the roots. Those wretched pears have spoiled all the ceiling of my room ; I wish I had never seen one of them! And all when I was away from home ! ' " The following is a list of the Horl'tcullural and Poultnj Shows of which we are at present awai-e. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending xis ad- ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se- cretaries. HOP.TICUI.TIT.AL SHOWS. Bury St. Edmunds, Nov. 20 (Chvysanlhcraums). {Sec. U. r. Clay, Esq.) Cu.F.DONiAN (Inverleith Eow), Edinburgh, Pec. 2. H.uipsHiRE, Nov. 2:'< (Winchester). (Sec. Kev. F. Wick- bara, Wincliester.) London Floeicultural (Exeter Hall, Strand), Nov. 2:1, Dec. lit. North London, Nov. 2:!, Chrysanthemum. South London (Uoyai.), Doc. 9>, 10. rouLTRY shows. BinariNOHAH and jMidland Counttes, 14th, LOth, Ifilh, ami 17th December. Bristol Agricot.tural, December 7th, 8th, and Oth. {Sec. .Tames Marmont.) CoRNWAi.T, (Penzance), .Tanuai'y lOHi, and lllb. {Sccx. Kev. W. W. Wingfield, (iulval 'S'icaragc, and E. H. Bodd, Esq.) Dorchester, Nov. 18th. {Sec. G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dor- chester.) TIoNiTON, .Tamiai-y 12th. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) WiNi'iiESTEr., Dcceudier 1st. (/?«-.«. G. W. Johnson and .1. Colson.) t For sccttlin^s only. PINE-CULTURE. {Coiilinued from pntjc 5i).) It will now be necessary to pursue the subject of aftev-culture : we will then, if time and space ])evmit, recapitulate the chief features. Ijefore oHering any com- ment of our own, it will be well to take a loaf out of Mr. Hamilton's book, and we may at once tin-n to page 81 of liis truly practical work. Ho says, as to planting- out Pines; "On Eebrnary 2li, 1S28, 1 planted forly-cight pine plants in the tan-bed, all of which, except one, Iruited the same year. The process which I adopted was as follows : — 'j'he pit in which tliey were grown was twenty-seven feet long by ten feet wide inside ; two feet of which were occupied by the flues and cavities, which left a width ofeiglitfeet for the tan-bed. After all the plants were taken out of the bed, the old tan was levelled, well trodden down, and smoothed with the rake: the whole bed was tlion covered with fresh tan to the depth of ten inches, the plants were immediately turned out of their ]]ots, with Iheir halls as entire us jmssiMc, and planted in the bed ; they were then healcn tiiihthl about the ball, and covered to the depth of one incli only. It will be necessary here to observe, that if the ball, with the roots, be covered too deep, tlieij uill he in ilanijcr of being hurneil. The tan used for this mode of culture must he from British bark, as it undergoes a slower fer- mentation than foreign tan ; and I have always found that as it decays it is rendered less fit for supplying the plants with food. I have tried planting in old decayed tan, but the plants made very little progress; the fruit, also, was of inferior size. Foreign tan is objectionable, as it soon decays. I have been informed that it is mixed with the bark of some of the pine trees; if so. the resinous matter contained in such trees may be injurious to the roots of plants. I am of tliat opinion ; for I have never found foreir/n tan ansncr for the above system. Plants turned out into fresh British tan, as described, will grow more in four mouths than in six by any otlier treatment. The plants, when turned out of their ]iots into the tan. were about eleven months old. The sorts were principally Moutserrats, Black damaicas, and a few old Queens; the progress they made during the first three mouths was really astonishing, and all, cxcejit one, ripened their fruit from September to the 1st January. The year following, January (i, 182'.1, I tried the follow- ing experiment. Tiio tan-bed was managed, as I have stated, for those planted out in February, ls2S; the sorts were Montserrats, Black Jnmaicas, and three or four (,|neens ; and stronger than those of tlie preceding year, being about thirteen months old when planted in the tan. The same care was taken when turned out of their ]iots to preserve the ball of earth )(///; its roots iin- disiurhed. They were also planted the same depth, and the tan beat tightly about tlicir roots witli the hand when planted. In this state they wore allowed to remain until the last week in March, at which time even/ plant ■uas earefidhi lifted oiit of the tan iiith a lony pronged fork, by which means the primitive ball was jireservcd. The roots of some had extended nearly two feet along the surl'ace of the fresh tan, iVoin which they were eare- fnlhj disentangled, and immediately planted in pots o;;(? size larger than those they were turned out of in the January preceding. After the tan was watered and forked over to the depth of two I'eet, they were again plunged up to the rims of the pots. The cheek the iilants received by being disturbed whilst growing so vigorously may bo easily conceived ; and they, eonsequciitly, all showed fruit in the three following months, and rijiened in July, August, and September. Not at all satisfied, on account of the fruit being smaller than that of the former year, I tried a third experimenl, wbicli indeed varied very little from the first. In tlie latter end of October, 18211, the same pit was again prepared, by November 16. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 121. lovolling the old tan, &o., and fresh bark to the depth of olovuu inches was spread all over the bed ; in this 1 turned out fifty ))hmts, ant of their pots, witli their balls entire, and all jjuijectctl Uiclr frail I'rom the beginning of August to the end of October. Tbinliing, however, a groat iuiproveinent might be made in this method of planting out in the tau, T tried the following experi- ment, which fid'!/ unsiiered my ex|)ectatious. At the time these plants were showing fruit, 1 added two ur three inches of fresh tan all over the roots of twenty, beating it down with tlie spade; and the beneficial result was shown in the swelling of their fruit. When these were cut, the suckers growing on all the plants were of a prodigious size; and had I then known, the value of their produce, hy lotliu!^ them remain attached to the old stools, their second fruits might have been ripened by the following October." This is a long e.-itract, but we do not feel called upon to oiler an apology, seeing that it is Mr. Hamilton we would fain represent, and it is, perhajjs, well that he sliould speak for himself: our comments thereon will be at least harmless, and the public will be in a position to judge freely for themselves. Before proceeding far- ther, we would beg attention to the italics, which we have superadded to the original te.Kt, in order to direct the eyes of the uninitiated to the chief features of the Hamiltonian plan. And now a few words to illustrate some of these matters before farther details. It will be seen, that the experiments here related were undertaken for a double purpose, viz., to test the productive powers of the pine g''own in tau, and to ascertain if pines could be compelled to "sliow" through the medium of a check, without loss of size in the fruit. The tan matter appears to be established beyond dispute, although, of course, the question still remains whether it is the most desir- able medium. This, it apiiears is, in a great degree, ne- gatived by Mr. Hamilton's subsequent practii:e. Mr. II., however, says in a note, "I used tan at Thorn- lield, but none in the new house here; but they like the smell of tan." As to the check producing fruit, this is what, indeed, might be expected; in most fruits with which we are acquainted, a check on a healthy subject, after a fair amount of liberal growth, generally produces this result, light being in due proportion. The tyro may here learn, that in the case of the pine such was not accomplished without deterioration of size; this, indeed, agrees with the experience of all our most celebrated pine growers : the breaking up of the disrooting system some years since was the signal for an abandonment of the " check system." Again: Mr. Hamilton gives this caution — -"I wish also to observe, that when pine plants are turned out in the winter season, their growth is so rapid, that except they have plenty of air and light, the yoiuig leaves ai-e apt to blanch. For several weeks after planting, tlie siiifaco of the tan ought to be frequently stirred with a rake or long stick, to prevent any fungi breeding, to efi'ect the escape of superabundant bottom-heat, to allow the atmo- sphere to have free access to the roots, and to keep the tan in a clean, pure state." It may be here asked, why so much about the tan, if Mr. Hamilton has ceased to use it? This is a fair question, and we answer, because we think tan-culture still an open question ; and also, because localities dilier so much. Those who live next door to a coal-pit will hardly care for tan ; but we can imagine cases in which parties would be justified in making a liberal use of it; moreover, Sir. Hamilton himself has never, as far as we are aware, totally repudiated its use, whether as a heat- ing medium or for planting in. We have been speaking all along of " notes " received from Mr. Hamilton, but we Imd it expedient to have recourse to his most useful little book ; which, indeed, should bo well read by all about to embark in Pine- culture without • any previous practical knowledge. Candid readers will readUy allow for any little " slijis of the pen" for the sake of the breadtli of Mr. H.'s views; lor no sooner is he studied carel'ully, than those liard letters imposed by a time-honoui'cd routine, seem to fall elf one by one; aud the would-be ])ine grower speedily acquires an amount of freedom before luiknown. This, arising from a perception of its simpHcity, makes us fancy that pots, crocks, shifts, composts, &c., are passing away like a dissolving view. Pages 40 to 4H in Mr. Hamilton's second edition, now on the table, are occupied with experiments strongly corroborative of the planting-out system; in which, "of course, pots, potting niceties, with other time-consuming matters, arc dispensed with : and it is evident that if even Pine-culture were for the million, either this or some other high amount of simphfioation must be put in requisition. Of course, space will not permit many more quotations from the book, and we will proceed to finish our observations about cultural matters on the planting-out plan ; and in a succeeding paper will just skim over the great essen- tials ; or rather skim the very cream Iroui Hamilton's dish, in order to leave the main features strong on the mind of the reader. After this, we do hope to hear of Pine-culture becoming a necessary jiortion of every gardening system with the middle classes. This, with the Orchard-house, are, perhaps, the two most prominent features in modern fruit-gardening; and surely The CoTT.\GE G.iRDENER may fairly lay claim to having " performed its mission well " in these things. We last week thought it necessary, in order fairly to elucidate the subject, to pop a few questions to Mr. Hamilton chielly on the subject of after-culture on the planting-out system. We will give the enquiries and answers verbatim. " 1st. How long after planting before they require culture? Ans. All kinds would be better by a little soil on the surface once a year. 2nd. Do you advocate the use of tan up the stems ? A71S. fused tan at Thornlield, but not now; they, hosvever, like the smell of tan. ;3rd. How about leaf-stripping ? Ans. Be very careful of cutting your leaves. 4th. How about choice of suckers? Ans. Should never destroy a ground-sucker unless the plant was already too low in the bed. 5th. AVhat number retained when plenty ? Ans. I never leave more than three. 0th. Are they chosen by succession or quality ? Ans. By quality. 7th. When are they removed or thinned out? Ans. I tear all superfluous suckers out when six or eight inches high. Sth. Plow many to a stool, on the average ? Ans. Three; two stem-suckers aud one ground. ifth. Do you ever water at root ? Ans. I have watered at root twice this summer. 10th. Any plan for checking size in the crown? Ans. They want none." Our readers will see how nmch I have to thank Mr. Hamilton ; indeed, had he not been a very old and well- known friend such liberties could not have been taken. As it is, the only thing to regret is that we could not have the benefit of a regular chit-chat over the aliair : distance, &.e., precluded the possibility. Still, it is to be hoped that enough will have been stated to prove a pretty good guide to those seeking information. In our next paper on the subject, which may be deferred for a week or two, we shall work up some useful facts, which will throw farther light on the system: in the meantime, we invito young beginners to put what questions they 122 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 1R. deem necessary on neglected points : they best know their own wants. R. Errington. MEETING OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— November 2, 1852. Were it not for the novelty of seeing a grand straggle for the prizes oflered by the Society for the growth and improvement of the Chnjsanlhemum, no one, round London, would be tempted to go out-of-doors on such a day as this was — dull and dreary, with rain pouring down in torrents the whole day. The spirit of the practicah, however, was up to the boiling point, and, rain or no rain, they must see and enjoy the battle lil;o true Britons as they are. So they mustered in great numbers; but, alas! the council of our Society are not of praoticals, and of course they can hardly be blamed for not knowing the right time of the year for the Chrysanthemums to be in a fit state for competition. They knew that Chrysanthemums usually bloom in November, and that was all; and a show on the 2nd or 22ud of the month was tlie same in their unpractical brains. Tho editors of Moore's Almanack managed much better than this, by keeping snow out in the dog days! This blundering could not have happened at a worse time in our progress. The Chrysanthemum has lately become a fit subject for the gamblers in flowers, who, if they could but cook one prize flower iip to the mark, would not hesitate to sacrifice twelve of their best plants ; and, what is worse than all, their evil practices, to my own personal knowledge, go a long way to sacrifice the credit of the best gardeners in the country. We have had, lately, excellent treatises on the proper cultivation of this useful flower, in defence of practical gardening, and the Horticultural Society steps in, just at the nick-oftime, to second these attempts, and to stamp their value, and the character of our best gardeners ; aud, as if to prove their zeal, one of the best-grown collections of Chrysanthemums in Eng- land may now be seen in their own garden, but all to no purpose ; and now it is of no use to try to back out of the scrape by saying tliat gardeners did not under- stand the rules. Gardeners did understand the rules, and blame me very much for tempting tho Society to offer prizes for things out of season. Well, as I have taken a great deal of interest in the shows and meetings of the Society, enjoyed them myself, aud endeavoured to make them useful to others, I must pocket this rebuke, and explain how we may get on better in future. Upon the average of seasons. Chrysanthemums are in their prime about the 20th of November, or say from the l&th to the 25th, and one week sooner, or one week later, affects them more severely than any other flower that has ever been exhibited ; all practical men know this. It is true, tluit in large establishments in the country, flowers are very much in request late in the autumn, when ladies cannot go much in the open air, and that October is the worst month in the whole year for house flowers. As a kind of compromise, therefore, gardeners in such places sacrifice some of their earliest Ghrysantheiiiums by a slight forcing, and then all that they will bear is only a cold house, such as a peach- house, or vinery at rest, and the doors open at both ends, day and night, and also tho top lights a little open at night and on dull days. On very sunny days the top lights and one of the doors may be shut close, but not during the long dark nights. There is no way that a man could lliiuk of but I have tried to get in some Chrysanthemums by the first of November, and this is the only way in which I ever succeeded ; just the reverse of what one would do late in the spring. I have had the Queen, Bicolor, and three other old varieties, not now well-known, in bloom by the 2Dth of October by these means, but none of the others before tho end of the first week in November; therefore, I trembled when 1 fu'st heard of the Society's resolve to open a competition for them in the first week of the month, but concluded, that, as my practice lay at a distance from London. I might be mistaken, and that the flowers come earlier up here than with us far in the country. To make sure of how this stood was my first aim as soon as I saw the failure of this meeting, and there was no lack of London growers on the spot to consult. After ex- changing notes with Mr. Chandler, of "S'auxhall Nursery, the best authority in London for this flower, and other growers and exhibitors, it turns out that none of them would expect so early a Ifloom as myself, and some of them maintain that if even very slight forcing were attempted here, mildew would be the consequence and reward in many places round London. This settled, and knowing that "we must all live and learn," the next Chrysanthemum exhibition or competition in Regent-street nuist be held somewhere between the I'lih and 20th of November. Now, I think I need not blush for saying that we had only one solitaiy plant of the common Chrysanthemum at this meeting, and that ought to be noted down as a very early one, and I can say it is a very good one — the name is iladame Lkrreiix, a fine-shaped flower, flat and imbricated on the face, and of a buflish-yellow colour. The value of the pretty Poinjjones, the grand, and great- grand-children of Mr. Fortune's Chusan Daisy Chry- santhemum, was never better exemplified than on this occasion. All kinds of Chrysanthemums are ten days later this season round London than usual ; and we have seen already that we can now depend on these Pompones from the middle of October, beginning with Hendcrsonii, wliich was a brownish-yellow on the last occasion (lOth October). The same plant was in fine bloom to-day, aud age turned the blossoms to a clear yellow. Hendcrsonii should, therefore, be held in great demand for a mother breeder till we get seedlings that will flower from tlie first of October. Another peculiarity, and a valuable one, appeared in this race, for the first time, on this occasion — sweet scented flowers. A beautiful little, light lilac flower, called Le Maine Bete, has a delicious scent, something between that of orris root, and violets. It was in a collection exhibited, but not for com- jietition, by INIr. Chandler, of Vauxhall Nursery. He had another one called Ninon, which will be a great favourite with the ladies in their nosegays and wreaths, for evening head-dresses. It is as flat as a looking-glass, the first essential for a wreath Chrysanthenuim. The size is halfway between Sico?or, the only one of tho old sorts that did not look vulgar in a wreath, and a ]3achelor's-button. The colour is a delicate Freuch- wliitc. No flowers are more suitable for making regular nosegays than these button Chrysanthenumis, par- ticularly the pure white, as Argentine; French-whites, like Lc Maine Bete, the sweet one ; and the mottled rose, as Bniiton de Venus ; but tho great bulk of them are yet of difl'erent shades of yellow and bulf. We expect a large muster of them at the next meeting on the 7tli December, and then I shall take the names of the best varieties, and mention the most distinct colours. Tlie great lion at this meeting was a Hi/hrid .A'sc//;/- nantli, from Mr. Pince of Exeter, called Sjdeuilidus, a weU-bcstowcd name. It is by far the best of Iho family, and shows what can be done witli judicious crossing, for which the genus seems to ofl'er great hopes. 1 did not hear the parentage of this beautiful cross stated, but it ought to have been told. A jiractiscd eye coidd see tliat Chandijiunis was one of the parents; aud when not in flower, die cross might easily be mistaken for tliat species; and tliat will sulliciently explain the aspect of the plant. The flowers stand more upright than iu Qrandijiorus ; they aro also much large)', a November 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 123 greater nvimber of them in a head, and they all open at the same time in each head. Tlie top part of the flower is a rich, soft, crimson-scarlet, lower down, fading into orange-scarlet ; and the bottom of the tube ending in a sliaded orange colour ; altogether making the richest cross that lias appeared since the ])urplish-crim- son water-lily at Chatsworth, called Ntjmpluca Devoiiiensis. There were twelve plants of it in bloom, all from cut- tings this summer ; and all in CO's, or three-inch pots, showing wliat a free bloomer it is. Their heights might be from six to eighteen inches ; and the largest beads had from ten to twelve open blooms each. Now, as it is lawful, by common consent, to make large specimens of Aohimenes from a collection of plants, individually small, by planting so many of them in one pot just as they show for bloom ; and knowing that some of our best gardeners cannot flower the stronger iEschynantbs but indifferently after they come of age; being also quite familiar with the fact, of which Mr. Pince seems to be well aware, that all iEsobynanths, whether strong growers or otherwise, flower much better and with greater freedom on single slioots and in the smallest pots ; why might not the law he extended to these beautiful jEschynanths as well as to the Achimedes? I mean for eompetiton plants. I recollect very well when the parent of this cross, Orandijiorus, first appeared, that I made a large number of cuttings of it about the middle of May, and before they were out of their first shift. They all flowered exactly as did the plants now exhibited by Mr. Pince ; but before they were allowed to be seen I made two fine specimens with them, in No. 12-pots, and they were much admired that autumn in tlie conservator}'. The two pots were more than half-filled with drainage, so as not to overwhelm the roots with too mucli soil ; about two inches of very rough peat were put over this; then the little plants with very firm balls were turned out of the small pots, No. UO's ; the balls were placed on the rough peat, and the spaces between them filled in with equal quantities of peat, sand, and leaf-mould, witliout any lumps, the surface of the balls being covered balf-an-inoh. The tallest plants were put in the middle. When the wliole were staked, and had a week or two's growth, they were fit for tlie Queen; but the upshot of the thing was, that in after- years, my worthy employer, Sir W. Middleton, pretty nigh puUed my ears because I did not, or could not, make him such fine specimens with old plants. The like had happened before tliat time with JEschynanthus ramosissimus, for which I paid five guineas to Mr. Tate, of Sloane-street, or at the rate of one guinea an inch. AH this I had forgotten till I saw how cleverly Mr. Pince got up his beautiful cross to surprise the Londoners. But I am perfectly sure tliat this is the grand secret for amateurs and for many gardeners to make the best of all the species of the genus. It is also by far the easiest, as there is no risk, provided that the iilants are not turned out of the little pots vnitil tlie flowers are near tlieir full size. This will not do, how- ever, for competition, as it is against the law to have more than one plant in a pot. From Mr. Veitch we had a fine plant of the Vaiida ccerulea in beautiful bloom ; and, as is usual with this liberal firm, they always tell the easiest and best way to manage their new plants. They sent to say that tlie degree of richness in the flowers of this new orchid is according to tlie beat applied — the more heat the fainter the colour, and the reverse. This may account for what we saw at the last meeting, two growers having each a different variety of V. crcnilea, one with a deeper blue lip than the other. If this can be traced to tem- perature, this orchid should be treated as a Mexican. At any rate, it always gives pleasure to hoar how such things have been managed. We had also a large plant of Calanthe vestita, from the Messrs. Veitch, having large spreading white flowers on long shoots trained ou sticks, each flower having a scarlet eye, so to speak. Also a new stove plant, be- longing to the order of Cinchonads, and putting one somewhat in mind of Pavetta ciiffra. Mr. Weeks, the celebrated hothouse builder of Chelsea, and whose name has reached the ends of the eartli for his success in flowering the Victoria water-lily in an open pond, sent Zygopetaliim crinitum, a closer growing orchid, and with smaller flowers than those of Z. Mackaiji, but otherwise not unlike them. Also Maxillaria picia, with flowers as strongly scented as those of M. aromatica, and, there- fore, very desirable ; and Oncidimn ornithorlujnoum with small purplish flowers of no great account. There was a nice Hybrid Begonia from the Society's garden, with a wrong parentage given. No one who has the smallest idea of how the pollen tells in this genus, could go so far wrong as to call this a cross between Manicata and Ginnahanna. There is not a drop of the juice of Manicata, or of any species belonging to that section of the genus, in this cross. Nevertheless, the cross itself is a very desirable Begonia flowering at this late season, and it looks as if it were much easier to manage than Cinnaharina. I saw some splended crosses from this genus this autumn, in the west of England, and I know of no plants more easy to cross, or from which better results may be expected. ■ There were two good specimens of late Achimenes, from the Society's garden ; the old Coccinea and Liepmanni, and some good plants of the perpetual Tree Carnation in three or four varieties. Every body ought to grow these Tree Carnations, as they ai-e called, as they flower late and early, and almost all the year round. They were from the continent a few years back, and very little heard of in country places. Veronica Andersonii, with five racemes of lilac and blue flowers, after the manner of Speciosa, was also from the Society's garden, and samples of the little carpet-plant, Gochlearia acanlis. Everybody is now asking where seeds of this little wonder can be had, but I cannot tell. Most of the Fellows of the Society ought to have it by this time, as well as all the London seedsmen. Bilhergia Morel- liana, a late acquisition from the continent, is as good as any in this genus, the beauty being more in the broad scarlet bracts whicli accompany the flower. And, lastly, Cactus truncatus, a fine plant in good bloom, telling how close we are on the winter. Of Fniit, we had Pine Apples, Grapes, Pears, Sweet Limes, Mandarin Oranges, Citrons, and white Alpine Strawberries, with a Clingstone Peach, which was sent as a Hybrid between a peach and an apricot ! No wonder that gardeners, after a change, or confusion of tallies, should make mistakes about crossed Begonias, when people of education will entertain such absurd notions as that a peach could be crossed with an apricot — or that any plant on the face of the earth can ever be crossed v/ith any other plant not of the same genus. Those who simper out extravagances about " hi-gencric crosses" merely use hard words as a veil for ignorance. There were three beautiful Queen Pines, from Mr. Fleming, gardener to the Duke of Sutherland, at Trent- ham, two of which were exactly of the same weight, ilb. Goz., the third one was heavier by 8oz. Every pine-grower in the kingdom ought to have seen these, if only to pu/.zlc them to know how he can grow such pines, with crowns not bigger than the head of a starling. Mr. Fleming has some grand secret for throwing the whole strength of his plants into the fruit. Mr. Dodds, gardener to Sir J. Cathoart, Bart., sent two Queen's Pines of the very same weight as those sent by Mr. Fleming, and more ripe, with crowns rather less than usual ; but a smooth-leaved Cayenne Pine, from another grower, put these beautiful Queens to the blush — in looks, in size, and in weight. It was 01b. 4oz., and 12i THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. as handsome a i'niit as ever went to table. iJany gardeners cannot gi'ow tliis pine at all. If it gets tlic least too wet or too dam]) in winter it turns sulky, and they cannot bring it round again. There was a basket ot the true llVsi's Si. Peter's Onipe, and one ot'il/»»frt(a, neither of which would ho quite ripe before next Christmas. This rainy, cloudy, and muggy autumn, must have taught a severe lesson to all those gardeners who maintain that late grapes should not be forced. There never was a greater mistake. Keep them from " breaking " as late in the spring as you please, hut when they do come into leaf, they ought to have as much heat and moisture as air ])lauts, until the fruit begins to turn colour. Even greenhouse grapes, as the llanibrough, are improved by a push from the first coming of the bunch to six weeks after the setting of the berries. Tlie Citron tribe were from Mr. I'iper, gardener to E. V. Digby, Esq., of Mintern, Dorsetshire, 1 happeii to know them both, but 1 cannot tell who is the liest gardener — the master or the man. They are both bests, and their largo Citrous and i\laudarine Oranges were very much admired at this ineetiug. A gentleman in the room told me that they grow the Mandarine Orange, at Mintern, in the greenhouse as freely as gooseberi'ies, and that ho had a basketful of tliem last August. Oitrons, after they lay twelve months in preserve, make a beautiful dish at table, cither whole or quartered ; if whole, they will keep I know not how long. Ordinary Linus are better than JjCmons in the kitchen, and, better still in whisky-punch, or anything good and hot with a spoon in it ; hut sweet Limes, like those from Mr. J^igby, are scarce articles, and arc as good as the best oranges. There was a fine-looking Yellow Turnip, called the " Orange -Jelly," of which they spoko very highly. It was raised by j\lr. Chivas, of Chester. CeJenj, Sjjiiiaeh, Auhl Ralii, Peas, and some other vegetables were shown, with a King or Queen of the Vegetable Marrow tribe, weighing l(JS:}lbs. — it looked like Burn's " Great chieftain o' the puddin'-race" — a Scotch haggis. 1). IJE.rroN. OXALIS BOWEII, AND OTHER SPECIES Enquikiics as to these not blooming; and complaints as to their not growing, not forcing, and ]iroducing fine foliage but iudifl'ercnt flowers, i hope will be mot by the following short outline of culture. For this beautiful species, as well as for others the most charming of the family, we are indebted to that land of bulbs and heaths, the Cape of Good Hope. The whole have more or less of a peculiar acid taste, which, when not in excess, is very agreeable. Jllven the most un- initiated may form some idea of the form of the leaves and ilowers of tlic group by examiuing those of the litllo Oxajis Aeeloselhi, found often so plentifully in woods, but no idea could thus be fornjcd of the magnihcence of the present species, with its large crimson flowers. Jt is generally described as a plant only a few inches in height, but, though it has no stem, it is no uncommon thing to see the /lowers rising on strong stalks to from twelve to seventeen inches in height. Few things will beat it, either in a greenhouse or window, on a fine bright day in autumn. It is generally considered an autunni-fiower, but, like many other Cape bulbs, the time of hhumini/ depends iqion the timo of resting and starting into growth. J!y successions, I have had it in bloom for seven or' eight months out of the twelve ; a ehislihtg of the bulbs careli^ssly together destroyed the arrangement. They can only bo brought into this succession mode gradually, as each bulb re(piires the greater part of 'a twelvennmth to start, grow, bloom, rnaturo, and rest itself. i''orccd they may be, but they do not like it; an anxious amateur would, however, soon get over the little dilliculty. Even should his bulbs start uuicli about the same lime, yet the keeping of a )iart as cool as to be safe, and giving the others extra heat, will make in the first season a considerable difierence in the time of blooming; this first lot may bo then kept separate, and treated in the same manner another season. Tliu.^ we have seen it hloom from May to December ; the medium between these two extremes is the period when it will hloom best with little trouble. In sfieltercd silualions it might I then do out-ofdoois. I will eonline myself to the [ growing it in pots. j Istly. Cli-vosing Plants. — Prefer growing plants, or even ])lanls finished flowering, but with the foliage green; ] the reason is, that thus you may be sure of well-rijicned I brdbs by such treatment as will piescnlly be recom- j mended. Failing such plants in pots, choose the largest, 'firmest, and hroirncst looking hulbs you can find. Jf I soft, or bagged with watery juices, the conse(juenco of [ cutting away tlie foliage too early, you nuiy get foliage, but your Ilowers will be weak and scanty. ."indly. Slarling into growth. — Unless particularly wanted, 1 would not advise this being done durhig the dark months of winter. 1{ growtii commences iu March, bloom may be expected in June and -July. It is best to place the tubei'ous bulbs, with their sundl ends iqipermost, iu pans or saucers covei'cd over with earth, rather dry than otherwise, and just kejjt in that state. .\ moist, warm place will cause them to shoot sooner; but in the early part of the season I would not advise an average temperature pi-oduced by fire heat above ■'iO'-^. J t is better to hurry growth by closeness, warmth, and yet plenty of light afterwards. As soon, however, as the hulbs begin to shoot, before roots commence to form to any extent, they should he placed oi'dly. lit their Jluwering-jjols. — These should range from six-inch pots for windows, to those from eight inches to twelve inches for greenhouses Drainage of coui'se must he attended to. Over the drainage a layer of old dried cow-dung, in small hard bits, mixed with charcoal, will be an advantage. The soil shoidd consist of equal parts of sand}' fibry loam, and fihry peat, with a little charcoal ; but fine plants may be produced from sandy well-aired loam and a little rotten leaf mould, or old cow-dung. The soil should bo neither wet nor dry. 1 nuist try and explain what 1 mean. "Oh, something about minding pennies, and pounds will take care of themselves." Well, just so; 1 am no advocate for the contracted and miserly; but, somehow, without these Utiles we cannot get on in gardening. But to the soil : take half-a-handful and close your lingers over it firmly ; if on operiiug your hand tlie soil remains all in apiece, shewing the marks of your lingers, but hdls to pieces when you lay it gently down on the potting bench, it is just in the right state; if it will not remain in one mass in your hand, it is loo drg : if, wlien you place it on, the bench, it remains without falling to pieces, it is too wet. In the oiio ease, you must danij) with a lino rose ; iu the other, you must dry; and either operation will save you future labour ancl inicerta.inty. Fill the ]iots with this soil to within about two inches of the siu'face, firming it a little; then ])laco the bulbs, small ends upwards, equally over it : about eight bulbs will fill tho largest pot well, and yield a large mass of Ilowers ; but if the bulbs are small, add a few more. Sprinkle in tho earth amongst them, and over them so that their points aro covered. I!y-and-by, when the (lower-stalks arc showing, and the leaves are getting the size of a half- penny, the soil will have sunk a little so as to allbrd room for a lop-dressing of old cow-dung, and over that the fastidious may throw a sprinkling ol' line soil just to bide it. Hilly. }\'ateriii(j. — (Jf course you will water none NovEaiBBn 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 135 when tlio bulbs arc not growiug ; but as they are started and potted moisture will be requisite. Here now will appear the imiiortanco of what was just now said about soil. 11' ilri/, willi common watering when would you got it I'qiKiIJi/ moist? If wet, it woald dry and crack on the surface; and ten to one but the hrstwielder of a water-pail that passed that way would render bulbs and soil alike as comfortable as if they had been sunk a foot beneath the surface of a plashy morass. Jlut use the soil indicated ; take the precaution, in addition, to place your pots in a pit or frame where thorough air is admitted, the atmosphere is somewhat close and moist, and if the jiot is plunged in ashes, &c., all the better. Then the soil will just be in the position for roots to ramify in ; and you may sal'ely lock up the water-can until tiie leaves, getting to the size of a shilling, begin to sliow that they need a rei'resher, and by tliat time roots and everything will have gone also well, that it would require a peculiar clumsy knack indeed to be able to sour or sodden the soil. As the leaves inci'ease in size, and the Uower-stalks shew themselves, more air and water will bo needed. Pouring it over the dressing of cow-dung will give strength to the flower-stalks after they have fairly started; and after the first blooms appear, manure-watering may be given twice a week in addition. When the flowering is over and the first withered leaves appear, water must be gradually lessened ; but some should bo given so long as the leaves are green, giving them during this period a good open position, and allowing the plants to remain in the pots several weeks, if not altogether after the ibliage has decayed. •5thly. Position and Temperature. — As now indicated, when in a dormant state, they cannot be better than in the pots in which they grow, and turned on their broad- sides to keep the soil dry. But, if for economy, the pots should be otherwise wanted, after the bulbs are tho- roughly ripened and partly rested, they may be carefully removed, and packed in dryish earth, and kept anywhere where neither wet nor frost can reach them. The earth, in either case, will jjrevent the juices of the bulbs being evaporated, which, though it might not oppose tlie pro- duction of flowers, would be apt to deprive them of strength, and the foliage of healthy luxuriance. The pi ants grow freely where the average night tempe- rature docs not fall much below .50°, with a good rise fur sunshine ; but when flowering, or advancing towards it, enjoys the clearest sunshine and the highest temperature of our summers. A cold pit may, therefore, be said to be its chief delight from May to the middle of Septem- ber, where it may have full light and air when blooming, and a slight shade and a closer atmosphere when grow- ing. In October the plant will do best in an open warmish greenhouse. 1 have never seen it better than in sunny days in November and the beginning of Decem- ber ; but then it stood in a rather dry house, — a combi- nation of a plant-stove and a greenhouse, where the tem- perature at night was seldom below 50". Even tlien, at that season of the year, though the bloom opened in clear days, they never became fully expanded, unless during sunshine. These facts will show our greenhouse and window friends the importance of blooming this plant in summer and autumn. Othly. Traininij.- — I have allowed the flowers and leaves to droop ; but, unless the plant was elevated above the eye, uothiug was gained by the mode, if oven then. The simplest, and perhaps the best plan is to place a number of small slender sticks round the inside of the pot, and also several in the centre ; connect these together with fine thread ; the leaves and flower-stalks will grow through and among them, and will thus be held fast, while the supporting medium will soon be entirely encircled. It would have been out of place to have said so much CONIEERzE. ( Continued from page 87 ). •luNiPEKS. — A large genus of handsome, mostly hardy shrubs; the commoner kinds are grown in almost every garden, and are well suited for that purpose, both on account of their beauty, and being perfectly hardy; about O. Boweii, at this season, in this department, wore it not that a similar mode of management is appli- cable to the whole bulbous group of Oxalis, with, per- hai)S, the exception of using more peat for the tenderer kinds. They are mostly all such beautiful tilings, both for grcenliouse and window, that 1 should be glad both | to see and have a collection of them ; and most of them can be well grown insix-iuch pots, and take up but little room in comjiarison with Boweii. What, for instance, ) at this season, in a warmish greenhouse or window, can be more beautiful tluui U. lobata, with its lobed leaves, and largo yellow flowers ; or 0. sericea, in spring, with its glitteriug silky foliage and pretty yellow flowers ; or I O. tricolor during the winter and spring, especially in clear sunny weather? As 1 have already mentioned, many \ in time may be made to bloom at any period, according to j the time they are rested, but it is not advisable to have ; many in the dead of winter, as it requires a fail' tem- perature and good light to cause the blooms of the best to expand freely. How interesting might many become in autumn and spring to those friends who have but little space at their command. I will, therefore, conclude with a short list of dwarf kinds that bloom i'reely in autuuni and the first months of winter, in spring, and m summer-. In Autumn. — Lobata, mentioned above ; Asinisina, ass-leaved, yellow ; Carnosa, flesh-coloni'ed ; Fulgida, crimson ; Hirta, yellow ; Rosacea, rose-coloured ; Variabilis, white and red. In Spring. — Sericea, already mentioned ; Ganescens, hoary-leaved, purple flowers ; Flava, yellow; Incarnata, flesh; Midtiflora, lilac. In Summer. — Fuscata, brown; Miniata, vermilion; Tenclla, lilac ; Rubra flaua, red and yellow ; Da.r- ■walliana, crimson. Without adding more, I might recommend Frulicosa, a yellow semi-shrubby one, to those having the heat of a cool stove at command in winter, and a greenhouse herbaceous one named Florihunda, which is easily increased by suckers and division of the roots ; the flowers are simple and pink in colour; but the singularity about it is twofold ; first, as the plant grows it produces its flowers and leaves in a bundle at the point of the shoots ; and secondly, as years roll on this habit gives to the stem of the plant more of the character of a miniature Palm than an herbaceous plant. I have had these stems from a foot to eigliteen inches iii length, and as smooth as a mop-handle; in fact, altogether the plant was too like the mop, handle and all; but still, in a common greenhouse, with rough treatment, it was scarcely ever destitute of flowers. Oxalis Grenata, once lauded for its edible tubers, and which seemed driven out of the field by Oxalis Depjm, but of which little has been seen or heard lately; so difficult is it to get artistes of the kitchen, or gentlefolks either, to patronise new-fangled things, if or hojie ERiTisH GKowTH ; tliougli ccrtainly the flowers and points of shoots were nice and pretty too in a salad; the stems made no bad tart ; and the tubers, well dressed, being destitute of acid, were immeasurably better to simj)le tastes, than many ol' those unprououncable hich- sliaws which epicures make so much of, because they pay so nicely for them. T'hese, no doubt, at the right time will bo introduced to the notice of those desiring it, by our able fellow-labourer, Mr. Eobson. K. Eish. 126 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. November 18. but they grow best about midway between the mountain- top and a low boggy valley. As might be e.\.pected, they wore well-] " " AVlien I want lo go to the shop, ma'am, I take down the basket, and she knows the meaning, and then brings me safe home again." Can any one of ray readers imagine a more touching sight than a blind mother led by a little deaf and dumb child? If they can even read this poor description of it without a tbrolibing of the heart, they must be less Ihuii human beings ! Tliis poor blind eroaturo has lost lier sight about two years; but such is her deep, unalVocled piety, that she appears as accuslonicd to her painful atllictiou as if she bad never known what it was to see. It is wonderful wliiit religion does for us; I mean rehgion of the Acio/. nol Ihat which the world understands. It is one thing lo lull;; auolher thhig load; and anolher thing still lo sutler joy- NovEMDEn 18. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 129 fully what Iho will of the Lord aproints. I cnlled one day, and found her suflering from illness. S)ie was sitting witliout a lire, in a cloak and bonnet, and looldng very ill ; but her heart-happiness was the same. " I want for nothing, maam, bless the Lord. I am not drowthy, and I am not hungry ; I want for nothing." Oh ! how fully did this show forth the faithfulness of the promise, " he that Cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that beheveth on me shall never thirst." It is impossible to look in her face, sightless as she is, and not see the evidence of a " peace which passeth .all understanding ; " and the quiet, simple expression of her feelings is exquisite to hear. Here is ni) excessive "talk of the lips;" no display to catch the eye and deceive ; you feel it is real, and it goes to the heart at once. Tlie cottage is not one to gratify a tasteful imagination ; it is silnated in rather a wild but pretty spot, — a sort of green, through which glasses a cartway ; bnt the scenery on all sides is lovely, and the neighbouring hills always give a sort of grandeur to the valley at their feet. Tlie inside of the dwelling is not attractive either ; the air of the little kitchen is not clean or comfortable, as one would wish to see ; but a child of ten or twelve cannot be expected to do exactly as she ought, unless inn.ately clean, which few childi'en are; and the poor bUnd motlier can do little. Still they are better than very many others, and their clothes are neat .and mended. Let us all lay to our hearts the lesson taught us by this cottage scene. Let us look round upon our mercies, our food, our raiment, our possessions. Let us consider our health, our eyesight, the sense of hearing, the power of speech ; let us dwell a few moments upon all these things, .and then ask ourselves whether we can say as the blind mother does, "I want for nothing." What is the secret of her abundance ? What fills her basket and her store ? She quietly malces answer, " The Lord is my shepherd : I shall not want;" " Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies : tliou anointed my head with oil : my cup runneth over." This is the secret, ever-flowing spring of her peace and jjlenty. She has notJiUuj, and yet she " possesseth all things." Tliis is the secret of all peace. We may have plenty in the world ; but we cannot have peace out of Christ. We may turn and twist the matter a thousand ways, but we shall never get at it, never obtain real peace, until we are " one with Christ," until we can experience, in aU its truth and richness, that glorious prerogative, " The Lord is my shep- herd." Then we shall be sweetly led to say with the poor blind woman, " I want for nothing." VISITS TO SOME OF THE CHIEF POULTEY YARDS OF ENGLAND.— No. 3. (Penzance). [The following has .appeared in the Cornish. Tfh'graph, hut was obligingly communicated to us by the author.] Penzanoe contains several collections of poultry, which would do credit to places where then- several merits have long been subjects of emulation. Among those whose ardom' has been specially kindled in this pursuit is Mr. A. Blee ; and the result of his observa- tion at Birmingham leads him to regard the Cochin- China race .as those most deser\ang of his care. It would be diffi- cult, indeed, to point out any better lot of pullets than those he now possesses, excellent both as to colour as well as figure. As regards the former, they are mostly fawn and light buft'; the neck-hackles in some cases being slightly pencilled, and the legs of all feathered throughout with the same tint. In shape they are robust and compact, with a fine head, and well-proportioned legs. A pullet hatched Februaiy 37th in the present year weighed Tibs. 2oz., and many others were above (ilbs. Mi\ Blee's enclosure is divided only by slight wire net three feet high, which proves that the Gochin-Chinas h.ave one great merit, viz., that of being retained mthin bounds by fences which would be altogether disregarded by other fowls. Opposite to this goodly bevy, and in full view, appear the cockerels and their sires, the two latter being admir.ahle specimens, the one bred by Mr. Sturgeon, and the other by I*r. Gwynn ; of blood, therefore, as pure as any fancier can desire. The birds of the year woitld warrant expectations of their attiiiuing even greater size tlian their parents ; for while the cocks, which are about Hi monllis old, weigh each 10} lbs., a young cockerel hatched in Februitry last had already reached tijlbs. Some jirettily marked golden spangled Polands, with capital tufts, and fortunately, as we think, uiihvarded, make an agreeable contrast to the lighter colours of the Cochin- Chinas. Mr. Blee has given great attention to the origin.al selec- tion and subsequent management of his stock, wliich pro- mises, however, amply to repay all his care. The following list of the respective weights of some of his Cochin-Cliinas, cockerels and pullets, hatched on February !27th, in the present year, and otliers in March, speaks favourably for their early maturity. Cockep.ei.s. lbs. oz. No. 1 8 3 „ a 8 0 V 3 >^ -l „ -1 S 8 PUU.ETS. „ 1 0 li " ."l 8 „ 3 n 4 „ -1 7 y „ .5 C 4 „ 0 7 13 „ T 7 0 „ 8 C 13 A hen of last year was now taken off her nest, and put into the scales, which gave 71bs. as her weight. At Christ- mas last she was well up to Dibs., and this would probably be about an average loss after laying any considerable number of eggs and then sitting. A singular instance of the good qualities of the Cocliin- Chinas as layers occurred in the case of a Pimchard hen, sold by Mr. Blee to a gentleman at Illoggan. Having reached her new home, she laid the next day, and continued to do so, till in ninety-six days she had laid ninety-five eggs; in twenty more days she laid ten more eggs, making in all 105 eggs in 13G days. She then took her nest, sat well, and reared a lai'ge and healthy brood. About 100 head of poultry at present form Mr. Blee's collection, and this is in com'se of almost daily reduction, from a general desire of amateurs and others to avail them- selves of so good a stock. They are certainly well cared for, a four-roomed cottage, with commodious lofts .attached, being devoted to their accommodation, with a large exercising area railed ofl' for them in an .adjoining field. Mr. Blee gives it as his decided opinion that, in proportion to their weight, the Cochin-Chinas are not larger consimiers of food than other fowls. Mr. Lawrence was another of the e.arly members of the Penzance Society, and resolving to decide for himself on the competing claims to excellence of difl'erent varieties, he is now enabled to decide on their several merits from personal experience. His Cochin-Chinas came from the stock of Mr. Andrews, of Dorchester, a most successful exhibitor. The parent birds .are certainly worthy of their origin, but their progeny we think bid fair to surpass them. WEIGHTS AND MEASUEEMENTS. — COCHIN-CHINAS. lbs. OZ. No. 1. Cockerel, hatched March 28th 8 0 „ a. Ditto, hatched April 8th 7 8 „ 3. Light Cockerel, hatched March 38th 0 8 „ 4. Pullet, hatched April 8th U 8 „ ."). Hen 8 9 Somewhat more compact in form than the larger varieties, Mr. Lawrence's older birds are distinguished by great sym- metry, and a more prevailing tint of cinnamon in their plumage ; but the chickens from them h.ave given colours as light as could be desired. It is a cm-ious circumstance respecting Cocliin-Chiuas, that the offspring of a dfirk cock and light hen, or vlci^ versa, constantly produce colom's as light, or even lighter, than when the parents are both of them light-coloured birds. 130 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. Mr. Lawrence is fortunate in the possession of a run for his birds in a walled garden near the Roman Catholic Chapel, in addition to his poultry-yard at lionie. But other claimants now demand our attention, and with good cause. Some Spanish are before us with the perfect white cheek, so characteristic of then breed, and the graceful carriage so peculiarly their own. Then- character, in an economical point of view, standing so high, no wonder they come into competition with Cochin-Cliinas and other favoured races. But, meritorious as are the specimens it now contains, Mr. Lawrence's poultry-yard, we are given to understand, is about to receive a valuable addition in this class from the hitherto imrivalled stoclc of Capt. Hornby, E.N. We wisli him success with them, such as his past efforts have un- deniably merited. But om- catalogue of Mr. La\vi-ence'3 poultn'-yard is yet fai' from completed. Here ai'e speckled Dorkinijs, as good as we need desire ; and the Malays, which although first- class birds, must, we fear, share the fate of their race by gradually yielding to the greater merits of their oriental neighbours, the Cochin-Chinas. Here also are specimens of the birds that excited our admiration at Truro — the JJlute Indian Game fowls, the beauty of whose form we cannot hut admire, though altogether ignorant as to their possession of, the courage of their English relatives. The meaning of the word " penciUinij," so often used in describing poultiy, cannot be better illustrated than by re- ferring to a jjair of silver pheasants belonging to Mr. Law- rence. With a touch more delicate than the finest camel's hair brush is equal to, is each single plume of its feathers marked — clear and distinct as the choicest specimen of the Horist's most cherished bloom. Thus gloriously clothed, its crest of crimson velvet, confirms our belief that of all the feathered race none can boast of greater symmetry of form, or a more sUiking combination of colours in its apparel. In courage, also, it takes no second place to the game fowl itself, and thus strict seclusion becomes necessary where more than one male of these birds are kept in aviaries however extensive. Mr. Lawrence's stock, like some of his neighbour's, has of late rapidly decreased, so many, both of this neigh- bourhood and elsewhere, being desirous of possessing stock selected with so much judgment. To those who think favourably of Cochin-Chinas, it is satisfactory to hear that the experienced owner of so many varieties of fowls has it in contemplation henceforwaixl to limit his attention to Cochin-Chinas and Spanish; and wherever facihties exist for keeping them distuict, his example is, doubtless, worthy of imitation. Mr. W. C. Pennington also has a portion of this garden, where we saw some good Spanish and grey Dorkings, prin- cipally, we believe, from the stock of Mr. Lawrence. These, though as yet young, may still do much before Christmas ne.xt, and beai-tily do we wish success to Mr. Pennington, who, from the first formation of the Penzance Society, has given it his best assistance in every way. His pen of ijolden phea- sanls at our last exhibition will long be remembered, and most deservedly were they then distinguished by a medal. Mr. Pennington had also purchased some of the liest specimens of 7lfa/a)/s that were shown at Bn-rningham, but an unfor- tunate catastrophe occuri'ed, and tliey are no longer in ex- istence. An aviary of bright-plumaged canaries shows that Mr. Pennington's partiality for the objects of natural history is not limited to poultry alone. We ai-e all awai-e of the indefatigable zeal and industry by wliich so perfect a collection of liri/ish hiri>i has been formed by Mr. Eodd. Tlie peculiar character of our district has probably afforded greater facilities for such a work than any other part of England would have given, and the Scilly Islands have also contributed many rare speci- mens. But, however interesting a task to enumerate tlie various treasures that have been Iierc accumulated, our present task is witli tlie living, for Mr. P.odd's patronage has been shared by them as well as by the fortunate occupants of his glass cases. Some white Dorkings, which, passing into other hands, won a first prize at the Penzance Exhi- bition, were the first inhabitants of his poultry-yard, but their plumage was better suil(^(l to a rural than a town abode ; they were therefore succeeded liy gi-ey Dorkings, birds that fully bore out the reputation of Mr. Baily, the dealer from whom they were obtained. Mr. Piodd is also in possession of some veiy handsome game fowls, whose martial can-iage is, probably, a true criterion of the courage they would manifest were the barbarisms of other days ever lilcely to be renewed. The Penzance Poultry Society lias been greatly indebted to this gentleman for the con- tinued assistance which, as Secretary, he has always be- stowed upon it. W. {To he continued,) SUFFOLK HEATHS. I CAN scarcely conceive a greater treat for the lover of nature than a ride or walk over one of our Suffolk Heaths in tlie month of June, when the Furze or Whin is in fuU blossom. Tliese heaths extend along the coast, with slight interruptions, from near my residence for upwards of thirty miles. In some places, as far as the eye can reach, scarcely is anything to be seen but Whins with their yellow llowers waving like a sea of gold. They vaiy in height from two to eight feet; and a person no sooner enters amongst them, than he is struck with the beauty and variety of their fantastic forms. There is hardly any ornament or order in architecture which cannot be recognized ; domes, columns, pyramids, broken arches, &c., all gilded, appear to be scattered around, like tlie ruins of some ancient city. There is one nai-row gorge in jiarticular, about a-raile-and-a-half in length, and where no two persons can well pass, up which I often ride, literally buried in flowers, the sprays being above my head. Their perfume is that of the cocoa-nut. These wild and beau- tiful places were much resorted to fonnerly by smugglers, who there secreted their booty. If a run of spu'its or tobacco was landed and found its way into these heaths all chance of discovery vanished. " There were three gangs of smugglers here," said an old shepherd to nie the other day ; " I l;new all the fellows well ; and often have I driven my flock of sheep to and fro in the early morning over tlie wheel-marks of the previous night to obliterate their traces, and my reward for this service was a bottle of brandy." Smuggling is not so much carried on now. Whins are largely used for fuel, fencing, and draining. The jiarishioners in our parish have a right to cut Whhis at pleasure ; and the farmers who reside neai' the heaths have the liberty of using them by virtue of their occupations. The latter employ a labom'er, to whom they give Is. per load of forty faggots for cutting and binding; the load sells for 3s. on the spot to the cai-ters, who retail thein round the neighbourhood at 4s. a load. Fires sometimes occiu' on the heaths, and then the church-bell is rung, and all who can repair to the spot provided with various missiles to extinguish it ; when this is accomplished, men are left to watch, for the smothered flame \vill often brealc out afresh and run in dift'erent directions. Acres of 'Whins ai'e by this means sometimes consumed, and a bright greensward springs up in their place. Notwithstanding their great annual consumption, Whins are still on the increase. There are two sorts 'with us, the Vlex Enropu:us, which blossoms in the months of May, June, and July ; and the Vlex nana, or Dwarf Furze, which blossoms in September, October, and November. Between these periods, the purple Ericas, or Heaths, come into flower, and form, with the Hawkweeds and Hai'ebells, an interesting Unk in the floral chain. Thus Nature, on the wUd heaths, crowns barrenness with beauty. Among the Ericas grow the Ferns, and both together cover large tracts ; they are principally used as litter for farmyards and cattle-sheds, and ti'cad down into excellent manm'e. Partridges nestle in the Ferns, batching there their young broods ; and i'or this reason Ibey are mostly preserved. Lichens and Musses furnish a varieil and elastic carpet. Crabbe, of whom liyrun has said tluit he was "Nature's sternest painter, but the host," has given us in his Poems many faithful pictures of our Suffolk coast; he writes ; — " I loved to walk where none had walked before, About the rocks that ran alonp the shore ; Or far beyond the sight of men tu stray, And take iny pleasure when I lost iiiy way ; For then t'was mine to traec the hilly heath. And all the mossy moor that lies beneath ; Here had I favourite stations, where I stood And heard the murmurs of the ocean-flood, November 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 131 with not a sound beside, except when flew Aloft the liapwing, or the gray curlew, Who with wild notes my fancied power defied, And mocked the dreams of solitary pride." The farms on the outskirts of the heaths hiive mostlj' a right of pasturage attached to them, and their occupiers are generally HocU-masters, and keep from five to twenty and more scoro of sheep. It is a heautifid sight to see these flocks approach their feeding-grounds from different points, and separate into lines among tlie furze bushes, looking at a distance lilce so many net-works of silver. A shepherd and dog attends each. The latter is shaggy, large, and docile, very useful in Iceeping the flocic ajiart, very expert in singling out intruders, and he will collect the sheep together, and follow his master wherever he may incline to lead them. Shepherds themselves are generally morose and taciturn, they are also long-sighted, as is the case with sailors, and most persons accustomed to view distant objects. I re- member, a few years since, wlien some North American Indians were on a visit at I'lashet House, the residence of the late Elizabeth Fry, of Upton, they descried minutely objects in the rigging of the vessels passing up and down the Thames, when no other persons present could discern tliem, and it was not till a telescope had been procm'ed that the facts could he verified. Hares are not numerous, but rabbits abound, and do much damage to the crops of the farmer ; indeed, so rapid is their increase, that it is necessary to have occasional hatlues to desti'oy them. They usually sell from Is. to Is. 2d. per couple. A pair of these in "a ship-pie " is a welcome treat after a walk on a frosty morning. By vh'tue of the game laws, game is preserved on our heaths, greatly to the annoyance of the public, to the injm-y of the agriculturist, and to the demoralisation of the labouring classes. Hawks are often shot or entrapped by the game- keepers. Eooks and starlings frequent in flocks the more open tracts, to feed on worms, insects, and larvfE ; they mis with the sheep, probably because the tread of the latter disturbs what they are searching for; hut should a crow make his appearance, the shepherd becomes alarmed, as he thinks that this bird portends death or disease among his flock ; certain it is that during the lambing season, he is sure to be hovering about. Lapwings congregate in numbers, but a single pair will often separate from the rest to hatch their young at a dis- tance, and should a stranger approach their haunt they will sail around him, and greet him with their wild cries. Plovers, redwings, and fieldfares, are to be met with. The fern-owl or goat-sucker, frequents the. hedge-rows ; cuckoos, in the spring, are calling to each other throughout the day, and larks are abundant, often damaging the young corn by drawing up the blades and feeding on the sprouted kernels. There is no lack of the smaller birds, as stonechats, whin- chats, yellowhammers, greater and lesser redpoles, green- finches, goldfinches, &c. Our village boys capture these by means of a bird-lime which they make by chewing the bark of the holly-tree. The configuration of our heaths is mididating; the soil, sand and gravel ; and there are abundant evidences of their having once foniied the bed of the ocean. The history of the gravel is a desideratum. Its colour, for the most part, is red, and aboimding with flints, which are small and rounded, showing them to have been waterworn. AVhere in the world so many flints could have come from, is a puzzle yet to be solved ; certainly not from the beds of chalk in our neighbourhood, for these are free from them. The belief that they were originally marine vegetables seems probable, not only from their exterior form, but also from their interior structure — numbers, if broken, display the stem, branches, and organised parts of plants in great per- fection, and sometimes the plant itself will separate entu-e from its matrix. A dUigent and scientific investigator might soon collect a series of these fossil plants, and perhaps be able to name and classify them. And if to the study of these he would add that of the various rounded fragments of rooks, and could decide on tlieir original habitat, he would go far to establish the laws of tides and currents. The veins and markings in many of the red flints, prove that the colouring-matter must have entered them when they were in a pulpy state ; these flints, if polished, often vie in beauty with more eosfly gems. The sifting of stones from the gravel is the work of our unemployed poor ; and the materials thus raised are used for the repair of the public roads. Gryphites, echinites, helemuites, madrepores, coals, etc., are found in tlie gravel. The sands vary in colour and texture. Bog- earth is found in the water-courses and round the margins of ponds; and the most interesting, if not tlie most useful strata of all, is the crag, which lies under the gravels, at various depths, being of different thicknesses, and often cropping out on the surface. This is a shell deposit, formed, apparently, at two distinct periods, and con- sists of the upper, or red crag, and the lower, or coralline crag. On entering a crag-pit (which is generally formed by cutting down a foot of a hUl) you have before you a perpen- dicular wall from ten to fifteen feet high, bristling all over with the projecting points of shells ; and here an Owen, or an Agassiz, might dive and delve to his heart's content. It furnishes amusement for the visitor, specimens for the collector, and matter for the scientific inciuirer. About four hundred species and varieties of these fossil shells have been already discovered. My own collection consists of about that number, besides a great variety of other organic remains, as corals, zoophiles, foraminifera, teeth, itc, all of mai-ine origin. The shells vary in size from a pin's-head to that of a pony's hoof ; and the teeth, from a barleycorn to that of a man's hand. In addition to these, there are occa- sionally to be met with the teeth of the elephant, rhinoceros, and bear ; and it is a curious fact, that out of evei^y hun- dred of the marine fossils, sixty of them ai'e now extinct, or their representatives are to he found only in tropical seas. The corals must have been produced under a like tempera- ture; thus proving that, at the time of their formation, a totally difl'erent order of things prevailed. What secrets, then, does this single drawer in the geological cabinet unfold to us ? It is a page in nature, written in physical characters on the earth's changes, itself not being obliterated by time. A careful investigation of these phenomena, and a compari- son of extinct Avith living species, would serve to correct theory, and enlarge the hounds of our scientific knowledge. S. P., Rmhmerc, SPANISH V. SHANGHAE FOWLS AND GOLDEN PHEASANTS. Though my experience did not lead me to the conclusion to which you had arrived, viz., " That two or three fowls by themselves will consume proportionately more food in a day than when a great number are fed together;" yet, "as fair play Is a jewel," and as you considered this an objection to the fairness of my trial, I have lost no time in putting the things to the test, and the results which I now enclose you, prove that your's is theory and nothing more. You will see, that in confinement the fowls eat rather less than when with a free range ; and I think this is natural enough, as in confinement they are not as healthy as W'hen they are able to find insects, and grasses, which they know assist digestion, and promote health. 'The Gold Pheasants were in the moult, and did not lay. As for your second objection, I certainly did not weigh all mine, nor can I send you the weights of the " full grown" fowls, hut I know that the weight of the Spanish Cockerels I quoted, varied fi'om 5ffi. 14oz. to Glh. 3oz.; with the Pullets just under 5}tjs., which even, with the argument lately adopted " in proportion to size," will give a greater weight than that of the fowls on which your trials were made, the average weight of which, I find to have been •'3ffis. 9oz. Many of yom''s must, therefore, be mere chickens, at least according to the weight of my Spanish chickens. I cannot end this discussion better than by quoting a letter from a friend of mine (a man of strict veracity), written from Devonshire, where the fowls do not probably enjoy the over "keen appetites bestowed upon their brethren in tlie north," relative to a Cochin-China Cockerel, hatched March 3rd ; and mind, this is the opinion of a former C. China fancier. "Fine fellow as he is, however, he certainly does eat enormously. One day I weighed his food, which was chiefly barley-meal mixed with milk and water, of which he 133 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. ate in one day about l^It)., or to about tbe value of l^jd., wbicli I tliink quite enough ' in ]mij:urliun lo sl:c.' " I give you tliese I'acts; I think they require no comments. Gaixus. tbi.\1. ov cost of sp.\nish and gold pheasant fowls. Time of Experiment — Oct. 28 to Nov. 4. f ^ Description Age is pi Quantity of food consumed Cost III o tr 1 Gold Pheasant Cocli Gold Pheasant Hen Gold Pheasant Hen 1S5I 1S5I 1851 17 to T3 If Ib.oz. Corn a 0 Meal !.■) Bran 1 0 4 13 d. 3 1 4 d. li oz. 2 Spanish Cock ipanish Hen Spanish Hen 1350 1S5I !85! If Corn 3 8 Meal I 3 Ui-an 1 u 5 11 3i J. 5i 13 6 1S4 [We are glad that " Gallus " has settled the question, that a few poulti-y do not eat more in proi^ortion than wlien many are fed together, because, though om- limited e.x^ perience on this point seemed to indicate the contrary, yet we have never tried the experiment so accurately as lias been done by om- correspondent. He has proved also, by his experiments, that a Spanish Cockerel, -weighing on an average Gibs, and two Spaiiish Pullets, weighing rather less than olbs. a-piece, can be kept for seven or eight fai-things per week each ; whilst a Shanghae Cock, weighing lOlbs., and two hens, weigliing Tibs, (we speak within their actual weight), cost each from fourteen to fifteen fartliings. We sliould not be fai- out, we believe, if we stated that the ex- periments of "Gallus" demonstrate that Spanish fowls, weighing half as much as Shanghae fowls, only eat half as much food, whilst they lay as many eggs, .and one-tliird larger. Those, therefore, who look to eggs only, will do well to keep Spanisli fowls. Those who are limited in the space they can devote to Pnultry; those who must have birds that cannot fly over a low fence ; those who wish for eggs during the winter, smd for chickens for the table when only twelve weelcs old, and for full-grown fowls that will fill a dish hke a turkey; tliose who admire gentleness of habit, elegance of form, and beauty of colour ; and who would have no ob- jection, as did Mr. Sturgeon, to sell 172 birds for .£(iOS, will keep Shanghaes. The result of that sale gives the verdict of the public witliout requiring a jury to be impanelled. — Ed. C. G.] THE BKST FUCHSIAS. Allow nie to recommend a few of the best Fuchsias to tlie notice of your readers, and in doing so I would state what I consider the properties of a good Fuchsia. Fh-st, the lii'ie should be stout, and in due proportion to the breadth and length of the sepals, which should be broad, retaining theii- breadth for at least half the length, well reilexed, but not turning round like a ram's-horn, but stand- ing Ijoldly out, and the tip tm-ning up with a gentle curve ; the corolla should expand well, so as to form a bell-shape, and be quite even on the edge. The following varieties, taking all points, come neai'er that standard than any others I know. For dar/i varieties take Nil Desperaiidinn, Clianipiun of Eiii/land, Mayles' Game Boij, .and Turner's Standard; these, if well managed, ai-e not to be beaten by anything yet out. For light varieties, 'Ba.nk's E.vpaiisinn and Princess, and Kendal's Beauty Supreme. I laiow of no I'uchsia, light or darl;, having a tube or corolla to equal tliis. It is rather bad to manage, it requires a Uglit soil, not much manure, and a little heat to bring the sepals up. Mayle's Bride also requires a light soil. Mayle's Dia- dem of Flora is a fine greenhouse flower, but ratlier too coarse for exhibition purposes; every cottage gardener should grow it. Mr. Harrison, of Darlington, has a first- rate light one called Enyland's Glor:/, if cut blooms form any criterion, aud I think they are, any one may piu'chase this witliout fear of being disappointed. Any one wlio may purchase the above-named, and grow them well, wiU not regret the advice given by A Lanoasuire Fuchsia Ghoweu. nrJTISH SONG BIRDS. THE TITLj\r.K, On TELE PIPIT. Tnsf.ssokes Dentieostkes. Axthid.e. Aluuila trivialis. Pipit Lark; Alandii minor. Tree Pipit; Anthns minor the Titlark. Field Titling; Antlnis arlioreus, Tree Pipit; The Tree Pipit appears to lie not so generally Icnown as to be readily ilistinguished by unpractised eyes from its congener, the Meadow Pipit, while the tivo are often con- founded with each other, each being called the Titlark. Tlie Tree Pipit, however, which is the tnie Titlark (that is, if you were to request a bird-catcher to send you a T'itlark, he would, on receiving sucli order, send tlie Tree Pipit), is a summer visitor, one of our migratoiy birds, aniving here about the first fortnight in April, and is instantly known by its constant, never vai-ying, but cheerful song, wliich it com- mences immediately on its arrival. It is usual to obseiwe it perched on the topmost branch of the highest trees, when every few minutes it uprises into tlie air some distance, uttering a pretty twittering note till it anives at a certain height, then, with outspread wings and tail, it gradually descends singing its strain, as much like those of a canary as it is possible for one bud to sing like that of another ; this in a fe-w minutes is repeated, in IDse maimer ascending and descending, and by a careful obseiwer may be noticed eveiy five minutes, or even more frequently. Now, the bird ^vith which it is often confounded seldom or never perches on trees, and as for its song, I can say very little in its favour. It may be distinguished from the Bleadow Pipit, also, first from its being of a lighter colour in its plumage, not so green a cast ; next, in being a larger bird ; and, lastly, from its hind claw being shorter, and for that reason better enabled to grasp the branch on which it perches. Its gait, too, is more stately tliim the Meadow Pipit, it walks along the grass more slowly, and moves its tail in a similar manner to the Wagtails, while it differs from the Lai-ks in being a washer, and not a duster ; though in washing itself, it does not perform this operation so vigorously as other bii'ds, but cautiously sprinkles itself -with the water. In its habits it is solitai-y, only to be seen in pairs. Ill its natural or wild slate, the food of the Titlark- mainly consists of insects, such as beetles, grasshoppers, Hies, and their lai'va, and worms. It may be readily and easily kept in confinement. I have, however, never attempted to keep a wild caught hu'd, as I so much prefer to bring lliem up from the nest, tliey then liecome exceedingly tame and fiimiliar, feeding from the hand most readily and pleasingly. The food upon which I bring them up is bread and milk boiled together, and formed iiitn a stift- paste, with wliich scmie coai'sely powdered hcmpseed has been well mixed ; chopped egg, white and yolk togetlier, and crumb of bread mixed together or separate, and when able to feed themselves, they usually partook of tlie food common to all. If placed in an open aviary their habits are well developed, and they may be seen singing on the topmost branch of a tree or perch, and occasionally from thence catching insects on the wing. Its nest miiy genenilly be found on the ground, always well concealed, and formed of such materials as best corresponds with the spot selected, but is usually composed of dried grasses and fibrous roots, lined with similar mateiials of a finer quality, and mixed with hair. The female is a close sitter, and is not readily frightened tVom lier liome ; but if November 18. THE COTTAGE QAEDENER. 1?3 she once catclies sight of j'onr eye watching lier, she steaUhily ami quietly creeps off her nest, and running along the groniid sonic rlistance, at lenffth takes to flight. The male bird is usually singing on a tree very close to the nest, Avhicli I have often discovered by oliserving the male bird, after singing, descend to visit his mate. They will breed in confinement, which has been the case with me ; this I attribute to my having hrouglit the birds up by hand. — William Hayner. DISEASES OF POULTRY.— Laying Soft Eggs. SojiE time since I noticed in your paper a request for any information respecting the Diseases of Toultry, and their treatment. For some years I have reliuiiiiished the use of the lancet for that of the pen, but when opportunity offers I employ my medical experience (now getting somewhat rusty for want of use) in alleviating the lUsorders of my domestic xiets. I need scarcely say, that all empirical remedies, such as Rue-pills, &o., &c., meet with no en- couragement from me; but that I endeavour to treat any disease on ordinary general principles. My mediciil ex- perience with regard to Poultry is rather limited, my stock consisting of the progeny of two hens, and a cock of Baily's grey Dorkuigs, which I have found to be as hardy and healthy as it is possible for fowls to be ; I have not lost this year a single chicken, although some of the breeders of Cochins in the immediate neighbourhood lost scores of their birds. The only disorder that I liad to treat was the laying of soft and partly-foniied eggs, which' occurred in one Dorldng hen, and in a half-bred Cochin. It appears to me that the laying of soft eggs must arise from one of two causes ; either a deficiency of lime rubbish, or old mortal-, for the fowls to peck at, which was not my case; or from an excited or inflamed state of the oviduct. Thus a hen escaping into the street, and being driven, will ol'ten lay a soft egg or two. The Dorldng hen above alluded to began to lay exactly one month after hatching, and laid very large eggs, some weighing more than SJoz.; she then laid several soft eggs when at roost, and others of which the skins were not closed; the feathers over the back were raised ; there was great eflbrt made to get rid of the imperfect eggs and general feverishness ; all tlie symptoms betokened inflammation of the egg-passages, and the treat- ment was evident. I employed the same remedies that would be used to subdue inflammation of the mucous membranes in the human subject, — one grain of Calomel, and one-twelfth of a grain of Tartar emetic, were made into a piU with bread- crumb, and readily taken. The next day no egg was laid; but on the following day a well-formed hard-shelled egg. Some weeks or months after the com- plaint recurred, was met by the same treatment, and a hard egg was again laid on the second day. The half-bred Cochin hen was treated in the same way, and with jirecisely the same result. There ends my poultry medical experience. Should I at any thne have any extension of practice, or any post mortems, I will, if you think my notes worth inserting, send you the result. As I have the jien in hand, I may perhaps be allowed to give you my opinion respecting the Cochin controversy. As fmicy birds T admire them ; those sold at Baker-street from Mr. Sturgeon's stock were truly magnificent. As table birds, it appears to be very doubtful whether (notwithstand- ing then' great size when full grown) they can be fatted to I eight or nine pounds at four or five months, like the j Dorkings. Again, their fat and flesh come in the wrong i place ; their wings are so imperfectly developed that they do ! not fly; and the muscles which move the wings, and form I the mass of flesh on the breast, are slightly developed also. ■ Then, although " de (/ustibiis nan est flispitlanititm," I doubt , very much the delicacy of that palate that prefers a Cochin j to a Dorking. As to eggs ; the fact that the hens become I broody several times during the season must lessen their productiveness below that of the Dutch every-day-layers, who never sit; and it appears to me, that if an equal number and weight of eggs can be obtained from a Cochin and a Hamburgh, the latter must be the most profitable ; for the lai'ger bird must require a larger amount of food, to supply the function of nutrition and the production of animal warmth. Another point, and I will finish this rambling, desnltoiy letter. Will you lend yoiu' aid to securing uniforuiily in the names of the Polish and Hamburgh. Paily, in tlie new echtion of his book on Fowls (winch, by-the-by, is one of the very best really practical books I have seen). Trotter, Dixon, and Eichardson, all agree in terming all the top- knots, " Polands," whether they have small combs or not, and Ihey confine the term " Hamburghs " to the Dutch every-day layers and its varieties, which arc all without a top knot. If this example is followed, there will be a unifor- mity of nomenclature, which I was sorry to see one of your recent correspondents endeavoured to overset. It appears to me, that it would add much to your usefulness, if those desirous of exchanging cocks, to prevent breeding in-and-in, were to coniniunicate to you ; and, if you permit such a notice, I would say that I sliould bo glad to exchange one or two very promising grey Dorliing cockerels for equally good birds, or for either gold or silver-spangled Ham- burghs.— ^.V. B. Tegetiieier, Tottenham, Mhldlesex. TO CORfSESPOWDEWTS. *** We request that no one will ^Tite to the departmental writers of Thr Cottage Gaf-dener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Ed'dnr of the Cottage Gardenei-t^, Amen Corner, Paternoster Rotv, London,^* To ALL Correspondents. — In self-defence we are reluctantly com- pelled to announce that we must decline inserting any announcements of articles to be sold, or required, except as advertisements. We are compelled to adopt this resolution, because we tind that a contrary course is misinterpreted, lays us open to the charge of giving preferences, and has led to impositions, not only upon ourselves, but upon our readers. Our resolution is sustained by the following letter, by which we are much obliged : — "Enclosed you have payment for inserting the advertisement herein. Should this not be correct, please let me hear from j'ou. You will, I have no doubt (when I tell you that myself and other gentlemen, your constant readers and well-wishers coincide with me), understand me when I tell you, with the very best intentions and most friendly feeling, that you do not get the support to nearly the extent you would do from gentlemen having a few "spare Cochin-Chinas," Sic, to dispose of — (« numerous body now) — in consequence of allowing any one who writes to you to append to his communications nn advertise' inent of this or that sort of fowl, or a few ' Spanish ' to he disposed of, ^■c. In one case an advertisement appeared in the regular character, and on the same page, three or four communications of this very natux-e, and each appearing in the very article before put before the public. It has been thought that this favour was only allowed to correspondents who were also subscribers, or well known to the editor. But this is not so ; in one case, at least, when fowls were purchased from one of these favoured ones, and the purchaser was most shamefully cheated and imposed upon; whereas, not unlikely, the honest advertiser came off without a sale, and minus the money sent for his more expensive, but less favoured, advertisement. It strikes everyone so clearly that this is not the kind of way an honest advertiser should be treated, that I am sure I have only to name this to secure better treatment in future. In conclusion, I wish you every success, and hope, in future, I shall sec ' The Country Gentleman's Companion' increases in circulation, and made a medium for advertising to the extent its editor's most sanguine desires can wish." We now state most distinctly and unreservedly, that when we have allowed such notices to apiiear, it has only been on some plea which we thought called upon us to sacrifice our own pecuniary interest. In future wc must be more firm — for the sake of others as well as of our- selves. Silk Fowls (H. S. It.). — There may be a variety of these in Cochin China; but they have no relationship to the Shanghae fowl. The Silk fowl is a native of the warmer parts of the East Indies. We never heard of a cross between them and the Shanghae fowls. PiNETUM. — Ignotus has the following— Cw;;)'(?ssms stricfa, C. Gore- nia7}u, C. niacrocarpa, C, func/jris, Arauearia imbricata^ Juniperiis communis, J. Chinensis, J. excelsa, a deciduous Cypress, Cedar of Leba~ nun, I'inus cxcelsa, P. insignis^ Cryptomeria Japonica, Ta.rodium sein- pcrvirens, Abies Canadensis, A, Bou^lasii, A. MensesH, and wants a few more of the Abies tribe, or other fastiffiate evergreens. A few more desirable additions to your list are — Ahies morinda, alias Smithiunn, or Khutrow, for the three are the same. Then the Silver-fir tribe, or Piren, as P. Cephalonica, P. Fraseri, P. Wehbiana, and P. Pinsapo. The old Silver-fir is as handsome as any ; and, where the soil suits it, the Balm- of-Gilead-fir, or P. balsamea, the same. Pinus pinea, or Stone-pine, P. Sabinitina, and P. Lamhertiana ; Cnpressits torulosa and C. Uhdi'itna ; and of the very newest, if you can spare a guinea for it, Fitzroi/a J'ata- gonica — a fast-growing and beautiful tree, after the manner of the Cy- press. Of Junipers, plant o.rycedrus and thiinfera. The A'irginian Cedar {Jiiniperus Virginiana), and Chinese Arbor vitce, are not in your list; neither are the Deodar and Mount Atlas Cedars, all of which should be in every selection of the order. Hints and Annuals (S. S.).—^^ quite agree with you that it would be desirable to have monthly lists of Annuals and other things lU THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 18. that might be sown in heat or cold, and now that we have more room we shall keep your "hints" in mind. Nothing of this sort, however, will he in season before the middle of next February. RIeantime we should like to hear of any other '"hints" which our subscribers think would improve our pages. One of our chief recommendations has been to till all the spare places between bedders as soon as the beds arc planted ; but whether "one sort, or colour, should be planted in each bed" is a matter of taste with which we never interfere. We prefer three colours in some of the beds, two in others, and one only in the greatest number. At other times, the stock of Annuals governs our choice ; the truth is, we can hardly do amiss if the soil is all covered as soon as possible. It is out of our power to say at what distance bedding-plants should be jdanted, for each kind cannot be persuaded to be of the same size all over the kingdom at the time of i)lanting. We have planted Verbenas at six inches apart; Calceolarias and Pt'tzmias the same; Geraniums from nine inches to a foot from plant to plant, and so on ; but all these we have put in at twice or three times surh disi.ances. The Kilkenni/ Anemones are the same as the common border ones all over the kingdom . Back Gardens {Grumbler. ).~'}*It. Robson will tell you how to make the best of the back garden, 20U feet long and from 35 to 40 feet wide. We shall also give a plan or two to convert such enclosures into flower- gardens ; still we have no sympathy with " grumblers." Caterpillars o.v Hamuubgii Grapes (C. ir.).— "The Caterpillar which feeds on the outer skins of the lierries of Grapes is that of the little moth Cochylis AviphacieUa of Andouin's * IVIemoir on the Insects of the Vine.' Fumigation and a sharp look out seem to be the only serviceable remedies." — J. O. W. OxALis BowEii (il/. D. P.). — We suspect the dull weather has lately been against the flowers expanding. Give it the openest and lighest position you can command, and a temperature little below 50° at night. See an article to-day by Mr. Fish. Poultry-keeping. — A Poor Mali's TT't'?/-«'iW/er writes thus: — "When will this question be set at rest concerning which is the most profitable ( breed of poultry for a poor man ? I cannot wait any longer, for have a , pair of some sort I must; for what I have read about them in The i Cottage Gardener has put me so much agog for some of these fine I birds, that I can hardly sleep in my bed for thinking about them. \\'hat I profitable things they must be to live upon little more than a penny per week, and to lay six eggs in a week that are worth one shilling each ! O dear me ! but I must have some of them, you may depend upon it. If I was not a poor man, there would be Cochin-Chinas, Dorkings, Spanish, and Malays, to be seen at my house in less than a month ; but, as it is, I am hardly able to purchase one pair, and this makes me so desirous of knowing which would be the l)cst ; but I think I may make myself quite satisfied that there is no one going to tell me, so I must purchase one pair at a time, and prove for myself. I think I shall com- mence with the Cochin-Chinas, for I have a friend that has reared five this summer, two cockerels and three ]mllets. They were hatched the last week in Rlay, and he tells me that the five have not cost him two- pence per week ; and I am sure they have not been within half-a-mile of a stack-yard, or a barn-door, neither have they seen a field of grain of any sort. What will Ulr. " Gallus" say to this? They have a good walk on grass, and they are now living, and have been for this last month, upon acorns, which they pick themselves ; and when they come home at night they would not thank you for a bit of barley, although I\Ir. " Gallus " says they are never satisfied. Now all this I know ; but about Dorkings, Spanish, and Malays I know notliing ; but I don't care how soon I do, for I long to be in possession of some of these profitable birds. But my wife is quite angry to think about me giving a guinea for a pair of fowls, when I have to work hard all the week for the one-half of it ; for I must inform you that I am nothing but a poor day labourer, and gold is a thing that I see but once a fortnight ; and besides, I shall have to pay for every grain that they eat, for 1 have nowhere to turn them out, neither on grass nor gravel ; but it is no use, for this wliim has got hold of me so fast that I must have some of them. But woe- iictide you, fllr. Editor, and Mrs, Anster Bonn, if I do not find some little truth in your writing, for I know my wife will comb my hair for nic if I do not get some little profit, after spending so much money. So now I hope, instead of telling me which is the best sort to keep, you will tell mc which is the best and cheapest way of feeding them, and tell your readers to follow my plan, and get a pair of each sort, keep them separate, and judge for themselves which they think are the most profit- able ; or, if they do not like to venture into (juite so deep a water that I am venturing into, why all that I can say is, there is a good time a coming, so they must wait a little longer till I am got safe ashore, and then 1 will tell them exactly the way that I got over, if ever I do get over at all, and if I smk I will hold up ray hand ; but the worst of it will be to them, if there is sound land on the other side, I shall be a mile-and-a- half ahead of them, for you may depend upon it if they waited to see me safe over I shall not wait for them afterwards, for I shall be boldly on the road, for I know very well that there will he poultry shows in our country shortly, where prizes will be given for the best breeds of poultry, and then how I shall laugh at them if, the wliilst they are dabbling in the matter, I am in the field gaining the prize. But I must stop, for I dare say you will not think this lot of stulV worth a place in The Cottage Gaudener ; but. Sir, I hope you will encourage your cottage readers to press forward. I will tell them anything that I know with the greatest of pleasure, if they would like to hear it, and yon have no objections againiit printing it ; there is always something to be learned of the igno- rant." — A Poor Man's Well-wisher. [We shall readily insert more of your " ignorance."— Ed, C. G.] IVIasters and their Gardekers. — We well knew when we inserted "/I City Friar^s^* letter, that he had run his pen into a hornet's nest. We have received many replies, but can find space but for one, and with this the discussion must cease : — " I hope you will pardon the liberty I have taken in writing a few lines to you on the subject of a gentleman's letter, wlio styles himself *A Citt/ Friar,* in vour number of October IJ. He considers gardeners as 'droll dogs,' and as having the bump of conceit. Now, it is all very well for the masters, such as ' T/ie City Friar,' to be talking like that ; but what would be the consequence if they were to listen to all that is told them? Tliey would be led astray and blamed for carelessness, or for want of a little more of ' the bump of conceit.' If a master wishes to be as master, let him be one, and let the gardener be a gardener; or, else let the master have a common labourer, and him- self may be the head-gardener. There are a class of people who are very conceited — masters as well as servants ; but you will not find there gar- deners who understand their business. They know what wants doing as well (in my opinion, better) than their masters. There are many things a gardener can see want doing that a master does not sec, and it grieves him because he cannot do it ; why is this but because there are other things that want doing at the same time ? This I know by experience ; and my opinion is, that if such masters as these were to allow more strength, and leave the managing to the gardener, their gardens would be kept in better order, and things that the master sees undone would be done, and it would be more to Ihe master's interest as well as the gardener's credit. It makes a man careless when a master comes order- ing a thing one way, and, perhaps, that thing ought to be done diame- trically another way. They would find it quite a different thing if they could but exchange situations." — A Constant Reader. Celery (J. R. A'.). — Nutt's Champion and Cole's Solid- Stalked are the best varieties we have grown ; but we see that at the last meeting of the Horticultural Society, in Ecgcnt-street, M'hittington's Red carried off the prize. Let us add, however, that Celery is so much influenced by cultivation, that almost every variety can be grown to a very large size and to a high degree of excellence ; rapid unchecked growth secures both those good qualities. We cannot name dealers, OuE Volumes {Clerieus). — You can have the two half-yearly volumes ready bound together in one volume, with the fitting Indexes, by applying at our oflSce. We are enquiring about the seed, and will send it if we succeed; we have none left. Sewage from House and Stable (E, C S., i?(crr/fs.).— Probably about four buckets of water to one of the liquor will make it sufficiently weak for both fruit-trees and flowers ; but this is not the time to apply it to them. Why not give it to growing kitchen-garden crops, such as cabbages, celery, &c. Drain from Stable (B.J.). — To convoy the drainage from this, the piggery, &c., to a tank, nothing will answer better ihan the sewer pipes now made of coarse stoneware. If they are not less than six inches diameter they will not be liable to choke, if laid with a moderate slope to the tank. A common cast-iron pump is the best for emptying the tank. Heating Small Conservatory {E. C.).— As your conservatory docs not contain more than twenty-flve cubic yards of air, and you only wish to exclude the frost, we should have two four-gallon stone bottles, and if one of these was kept with hot water in it during the day, and both were kept so filled at night in the conservatory, you would cft'ect your purpose. To prevent their appearing unsightly during the day, it is very easy to have a wooden case perforated with holes to put over them. Shanguae Fowls (.4 Poultry Fancier.). — If you cook the cockerels when three or four months old, accordingly as they have thriven, their legs do not appear awkwardly long when roasted. Nor do they at any time appear too long, in proportion to their size, if true and well-bred specimens are kept. It is a libel to call the gangling, half-Malay creatures, which are so common, by the aristocratic title of " Shanghae." Training Pots. — Mr. J. H. Horsley justly observes: "I have often thought what an assistance it would be if we could pet some jjots made with small lioles round the rim to pass the matting througli, instead of crooks and all other contrivances. I have written to Mr. Phillips, potter, of Weston-super-Mare, who informs mc he will get some pots made immediately for tlie trade ; and I am sure Geranium growers, who arc desirous of making good specimens, will find those pots very useful.'* Louise Bonne Pear,— Mr. Hogg says:— "It is a very old French variety, and originated about the middle of the I7th century, in Poitu, on the property of a lady whose christian name was Louise, but whose surname I have never been able to disco\'er. There is, I believe, no good ground for calling any other variety by the distinctive name of "Bonne ;" but the old Louise Bonne, being for upwards of a century and a half a popular variety in France, other varieties received .similar appellations, cither from fancied resemblance to the old variety, or as recommendation of excellence, merely distinguishing them with the name of the places where they were raised, or whence they came. The J^ouisc Bonne of .Jersey is a misnomer, and has no claim to the ' Bonne.' " Names of Plants (Rev. R. M. E.). — You send us such small spe- cimens, that you give us much needless trouble ; why not send larger ones? We cannot say, from such a specimen, which of the Geraniums your's is. The variegated leaf is of Phlox suaveotrna, var. vttriegata. The other .small leaf is, probably, of Swainaonia galtgifotin. We really have not time to ponder over such specimens. {W. X. 11'.). — Yours is not a Ileticlirysum, but Helianthus ulUssimns. Names of Fruits (A. B., an Old Subscriber.). — The apple is Dinnclow's Seedtittg, and the pear is Easter Beiirre. London: Printed by Harry Wooldridgb, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Somerville Ore, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London,— November 18lh, 1B52, November 25. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 135 tl w NOV. 25— DEC. 1, 13.')2. Weather near London in 1851. Sun Rises. Sun Sets. Moon R.&S. IMoon's nin.-lt Day of Year. D| D 2.1 TH 20 F 2; s 28 Son 29 M 30 Tu 1 W Barometer. Thermo. Wind.lRainin In. Age. aft. Sun. Michaelmas Term ends. Oak leafless. Greenfinches flock. Advent Sunday. Song Thrush agam smgs. St. Andrew. Gray Plover goes. 29-492'— 29.469 46—2:1 29.738 — 29. 599j 36-28 29.899 — 29.7881 12—26 30.073-29.990 44—21 30.170 — 30.1.53| 39—22 30.247 — 30.162' ,39—20 30.257 — 30.245' 39—32 S.W. N.W. N W. N.W. S.W. N.E. W. 33 a. 7 39 41 42 U 45 46 57 a. 3 56 55 55 54 53 53 5 49 rises. 4 a 37 5 13 5 59 6 56 8 1 U © 16 17 18 19 20 12 41 12 22 12 2 11 41 11 20 10 58 10 36 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 IHeteorology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations durin.a: the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 47.1° and 35.°5 respectively. The greatest heat, 00°, occurred ou the 28th in 1823 ; and the lowest cold, 16°, on the 29th in 1846. During the period 85 days were fine, and on 90 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. WATEK-LILIES. — NYMPHj:AOEiE. (Coiiliimed from page 95.) NUPIIAE. YEIiLOW WATEK-LILV. Generic Chaeacteb. — Cali/.v below the seed-vessel, of five or six large, leathery, concave, coloured, permanent leaves. Petals numerous, oblong, much smaller than the calyx; fm'rowed and honey-bearing at the back; proceeding, like the stamens, from the receptacle. Stamens very numerous, unconnected with the germen, line-shaped, beut back. Anthers line-shaped, of two parallel cells, closely attached to the inner surface of the upper part of each fila- ment. Germen nearly stalkless, egg-shaped, with an elon- gation at the summit. Style none. Slhjma stalkless, orbicular, convex, entire or notched, witli many central radiating clefts. Berry leathery, smooth, pointed-egg- shaped, of as many cells a.s there are rays, finally pulpy within. Seeds numerous, smooth, egg-shaped, in several rows in each cell. NurHAK lutea; Common Yellow Water-lily ; Water-can; Brandy-bottle. Description. — It is a perennial. Leaves slightly egg- shaped, but nearly round, ten or twelve inches in diameter, floating nearly flat upon the water's surface, the edge only being slightly raised as if to keep the water from the upper surface, and the lobes at the stalk lapping over each other, tough, pliant, nerves or veins much raised beneath, upper surface bright green, but under surface paler ; leaf-stalks smooth, three-sided, and then- length depending on the depth of the water. Dr. Martyn had them 5J- feet long. Flowers an inch and-half in diameter, smelling like wine or brandy, which, connected with the shape of the seed-vessel, has given occasion for one of its popular names. Calyx larger than the corolla, its sepals being almost an inch in diameter, roundish, erect, quite entire, slightly waved, smooth, tough, yellow, except at the base outside, where they are green. Petuls fleshy, golden yellow, half-an-inch long, notched and grooved, from ten to twenty in number. Stamens very numerous, amounting from 100 to llio, press- ing closely on the germ when the flower first opens, but falling back after shedding their pollen ; filaments yellowish, thicker than the anthers, which are yellow, and two lines in length. Germen egg-shaped, blunt, smooth, terminated by a small roundish hollow. Style scarcely any, with a stigma yellow, unequally and sliglitly notched, rather convex, but depressed in the centre, and with eleven or twelve rays. Seed-vessel bottle-shaped, smooth, divided into twelve or more cells, and irregularly subdivided, so that each seed seems in its own cell. Seeds pointed egg-shaped, smooth, shining, and angularly-keeled. Floioer-stnl/is nearly cylin- drical, long in proportion to the depth of the water, always elevating the flower above its surface, but after impreg- nation bending down and ripening the seeds under water. Nnpliur differs from Nymplncn in having its petals and stamens inserted into a disk at the base of the gennen. In Nymph BisinNGH.vir and Midland Counties, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17 th December. Br.isTOL Aghicultukal, December 7th, 8th, and 9th. {Sec. James Marmont.) CornW/VLL (Penzance), January 10th, and 11th. {Sees. Eev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. P.odd, Esq.) HoNiTON, January 12th. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) Winchester, December 1st. {Sees. G. W. Johnson and J. Colson.) NURSERYMEN AND THEIR FRUITS. Amongst the many disappointments which flesh is heir to, few are more annoying than those connected with choine fruits. It is, indeed, exceedingly so for a person to find, after building expensive structures, or garden walls, and liaving his patience taxed by waiting some three or four years for produce, to find that his supposed Hambro's are Frontignans, or his desired Galande Peach is the Early Anne ; yet tliese are things that happen every day somewhere, and the writer of this has undergone several severe disappointments of the kind in his time. Our nurserymen certainly are not the most negligent tradesmen of the day, by any means; but this grievance happens so frequently as to call on them for increased vigilance in the propagation of their fruits, and in the execution of their orders. Some years since we had determined to have a Galande Peach-tree in a favourite position : this was desirable, in Order to furnish a link wanting in the chain of suc- cession. One was obtained from a first-rate nursery- man, and in three years, on fruiting, behold it was a Royal George. Again, soon afterwards it became de- sirable to plant a very late peach, and a Late Admirable was chosen ; and behold, on fruiting, we had another Royal George. Now, this was really infamous, and the annoyance was by no means lessened by a good ground for suspicion that the Royal George had been knowingly substituted. It so happens that nurserymen have not at all times good trees of our more tender peaches ; and the Royal (Jeorge, being a free grower, might, by a not over-par- ticular foreman, be substituted, Wo do hope our esteemed friend, Mr. Appleby, will keep a watchful eye on such matters, and this we cannot doubt, — having been a gardener himself, he is keenly alive to the ini"- portance of accuracy in such things, and, by thus taking a stand from the first, will be in a position to render the gardening public a service. Much is expected of all classes in these days, and the nurseryman must use wliip and spur in order to keep up with the foremost rank. One of the chief features of our day is the division of labour in our various trades, and this practice has reached tlio nurseryman in common with the rest. Hence we have rose florists, fruit growers, cultivators of exotics ibr exhibition pur- poses, &o. ; and we do apprehend that, as the tide flows, this division of labour is destined still farther to extend in the gardening world. This is as it should be ; for the business of a nursery- man was fast becoming of too multifarious a character to be well carried out by one firm in all its branches. We all know, by experience, that much less error takes place with such things as Roses by our rose-growers in these days than by the old mixed nursery system. We do not wish it to be inferred, however, that these rose- growers cannot supply a general order — by no means ; but the fact is, they throw their chief strength into the roses, the rest being more of a subsidiary character. The confusion in the nomenclature of our fruits, hither- to existing, has, indeed, been an enormous grievance, and seems to call either for fresh arrangements, or a far better' administration of those existing. We are quite aware that what is called " the trade" is a very sensitive hydra-beaded creature ; and, doubtless, justly so ; for, indeed, its well-being depends, in the main, on its integrity. And it is because we would fain increase even its high character, that we have the temerity to charge it with the possibility of not being entirely immaculate. Moreover, we owe a duty to the public, whose precedency in this case is indisputable. Under such circumstances, we rejoice to see a weekly report of that great emporium of fruits and vegetables, Covent Garden market, added to the pages of The Cottage Gardener, and to which the initial " H." is appended; and which letter seems to point to a first- rate pomologist, whose very style and fulness of infor- mation seems to betray him. These reports will be invaluable, but country folks would fain have the retail prices distinguished from the wholesale prices. This is, we are aware, a nice task to perform ; but who shall say what is impossible in these days ? And here another word to our nurserymen, who cer- tainly in their kind are nowhere excelled: no, not in any country. Since the million will have gardens, and possess the desire, without the practical knowledge, to avail themselves of superior fruits, some means should be placed within their reach of knowing at a glimpse what will suit their purpose. Catalogues they under- stand not ; neither liave they time or inclination to collect facts by a slow and tiresome detail, which would put them in a position with the really practical man in adapting kinds to their necessities, or as subordinate to their schemes. Here we must point to the importance of a growing art, the modelling fruits, as well as flowers, in wax. Why not have a cabinet of wax models of fruits as a very proper and necessary appendage to a nursery- man's counter, or shop-window? We are led to suggest this course in consequence of showing the very superior manner in which some of our rising artistes manage these things. Most of our readers have seen the Kew Garden's Museum, or if not this interesting cabinet of models of fruits, they have seen such things in the great metropolis. But wo can assure them, that not in the iiietropolis alone are these matters well carried out, the uo THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 23 taste has fairly beset ouv proviiioials. At the last Livei-ijool eyhibition. for instance, Miss Newton, the wax-flower hitly, liad a case which would not have^ dis- graced the counter of the first seed shops in Britain. This was uiostlv composed of iiear« and apples, and the merest novice would have traced the actual fruits by the liupaments therein portrajod. Incorrectness iu colour- in" seems 10 be the only ^liarge against these wa\ modellers; and, doubtless, it is a nice point to hit otf the peculiarities of our fruits in this respect; but such ditBcuUies will vanish before that extra perseverance engendered by the increasing demands. Now, as it appears to us, there are at least two strong reasons why nurserymen might be expected to adopt such a plan: first, its ntilily to their customers; and | secondly, for the information of their staff. As it is, I but few of these persons can beconje familiar with the ■ character of tlie majority of the fruits they sell: their yonug trees bear not whilst in their hands ; in offering | information, therefore, to ignorant purchasers, it is not | expected, under such circumstances, to be very complete. But in these days we do hold it essential that every tradesman should be able correctly to describe the cha- racter of the wares he deals in. Advertisements are all very proper ; catalogues very proper ; but none of these will produce that impression on the mind of the anxious purchaser that well-executed wax models would do. For instance, we will here give an extract (descriptive) from the fruit catalogue of one of o>ir most respectable nur- seryman— "Grapes— 5f. Peter':!; black; round; ripens late, &c. F^.^ns—Eeiim Bosc : large; good; melting, &c. Apples — Kerry P'qqnn : small; first quality; table, &c." Now, these taken at random, may serve to illustrate the matter; and we may ask how any noviee could form a just idea of the true form, general character, and peculiarly fine bloom of the West's St. Peter's Grape from so narrow a description'.' Then the Beurre Bnsc, which carries such an extraordinary impress on the table when in full size, so peculiar in character; the description would apply equally to a Beurrc Diet. And to finish: the Kernj Pippin Apple; to say nothing of the vei-y superior flavour and peculiarly high-colouring of the flesh, almost an orange colour, no one could picture to himself the handsome appearance on the table of a dish of high-coloured Kerrifs in the middle of September. And now we will take it for granted that anything which will greatly serve and please cus- tomers it is the nurseryman's interest to cari-y out. We remember, some years since, when the late Mr. Loudon— who was always aiming at progress— used all the inlluenee his pen could command in trying to im- prove the character of our nurseryman's catalogues, which liad previously been very dry affairs. This, although a somewhat up-hill work at first, at last pro- gressed almost beyond his expectations; and now we liave them in the plant way of as high a botanical cha- racter as could be desired ; and, moreover, through a well -conceived grouping, most useful guides to the purchaser. Such trays, or cabinets, then, we do urge would pro- mote the culture of fruits, as well as a well-studied and correct nomenclature; and they would be a sort of guarantee that the tradesman was quite in earnest about his collection. They would also lead to increased inquiries on the part of the public; to an enlarged study of fruits, tlieir characters, qualities, &o. ; their origin ; and, lastly, habits of growth. The last is an important matter, as on a knowledge of such facts must, in a degree, all successful culture ho based. To this end we would beg to push the question a little farther, and to suggest that a leaf, a modelled blossom, and a twig of the kind in question, should accompany every specimen. These, with a tabular card sheet, setting forth, in distinct columns, something like the following: Uses; (juaiities ; when in use and their keejiini/ ; heiiring chitracter ; elir/ibilities as to site, iCc. : peciduirilies as to snil, or othenrise ; and, indeed, any other infni-uiation likely to be needed on the spot. Now, this well carried out would, we feel assured, s]ieedily raise die chaiacttr of any fruit grown. The public would feel assured that the mere carrying out the idea would necessarily impose so ranch real attention to fruits on the part of the vendor, as would of itself lead to that fulness of infor- mation requisite to guide the public. ft remains, whilst on this subject, to offer another suggestion, for which we have not the assurance to claim novelty, but we possess a desire to see it made an indispensable qualification of one who aims at being a public purveyor in the matter of IVuits. It is this: that every grower plant out a tree, under favouralile circum- stances, of every kind he receives into his catalogue, in order to let it attain maturity, and fruit if it will; its products tending, of course, to establish or destroy the identity of the wax model. This is surely a wholesome practice, both as to the salesman and his customers : in the former leading to careful selection and a facility of obtaining genuine grafts and buds — and in the latter, engendering that confidence which is the life and soul of all such transactions. Had we a nm-sery we should cause these specimen- fruits to accompany all the principal lines or prome- nades, and every one should have a descriptive label, bearing reference to the model in the seed-shop ; as also to the tabular account. R. Eerixgiox. HARDY AND HALF-HARDY BULBS. Ox the first appearance of The Cottaok Gardexer, 1 i)romised the Editor, in my haste, that if 1 could not serve him in any other way, I could " do " the bulbs for him. Ever since, 1 have found that promises to Kditors are like marriage vows — if you once break them, you will probably be out at elbows to the end of the chapter. As if to prove all this, 1 have now on the table seven folio pages full of the names of hardy and half-hardy bidbs, alphabetically arranged, with their natural orders indicated, all culled, industriously, from the pages of our useful Cottage Gardexkrs' Dictionary by a cor- respondent (S. S. S.) ; and I am to give, from the epitome condensed by my friend, Mr. Fish, in the pages of the Dictionary aforesaid, an extended view of their propagation and cultivation, in conformity with my hasty promise. If f were to do this in a consecutive order, from week to week, and from Aejapanthus to Zephijriinthes, 1 should be called to account ; therefore 1 shall only give a chapter on them now and then, when nothing else is more pressing. To save repetitions, I shall observe at once, that the different soils for hdhs ought to be well exposed for some time before using, so as that all vegetable remains in the compost may be quite decayed, and well incor- porated with the mass by frequent turnings ; that most bulbs are nuich improved by beds far deejier than many good gardeners are aware of; that planting with a clibber is injurious to many deli(!ate bulbs, unless good clean sand is used at the same time, and if it is, planting with a dibber is the best practice. The reason of this is, that the sides of a hole made by a dibber will fall heavy on the bulb after the fii-st frost or heavy rain, or, if tiiey stand, will be apt to hold water too long, or make more of it pass down over the bulb than would do so if all the soil over the bulb were free and loose. 15y making a comparatively largo hole for the size of the bulb with a sharp-pointed stick, or dibber, November 23. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Ul and then jnittiug in an inoli or two inches of sand, then the bulb, al'ter that by filling over the bulb, and all up the hole to the surface of the bed or border, with more sand, all the bad consequences of dibber-plauting are got rid of, and a freer passage for the leaves through the column of sand is provided, and the sand, besides lying less heavily over the bulb, is not so apt to injure it as tlie soil is ; besides, the wire-worms, and other grubs, which delight in the mischief they do to bulbs, do not like to work among sand. I suppose sharp silver or river sand tickles them too much to be pleasaut. Add to this, that if the mark-stick or tally over the bulb is lost, you have only to scrape a little on the surface till you come to the top of the sand column, and then you are sure of the place. Almost all greenhouse bulbs, particularly those of them which do not grow actively during our winter, may be grown in a border by the side of a wall, or other building, if they are jilanted si.K inches deep, and a slight protection is given from heavy rains and frost. A very small bulb will be able to push up its leaves si.\ inches through a column of sand; and I have seen a Crocus, that was accidentally buried two feet deep in trenching a border, come up as vigorously in the leaf as if it were only four inches deep ; and I have often seen the Crocus flower when the tube of the flower must have been a foot long, owing to the depth of the covering over the bulbs. On the whole, therefore, 1 shall lay it down as a rule, that, all bulbs, whether hardy or other- wise, that grow to tlie size of an ordinary Crocus, may be planted six inches deep, if sand is placed all round them, and straight over tlieui to the surface ; and that four inches deep is the safest for such bulbs as do not grow to the size of a common Crocus ; and that without sand, or very sandy soil, these depths are too much, although they may not show the bad effects for the first few years after planting. I am rather ambitious that these papers on Bulbs should be as complete and useful as our present know- ledge would wai'rant us to expect ; therefore, if 1 omit anything, or say things that a reader does not compre- hend— or if he knows, from actual e,vperie?we, a better way than I shall point out — pray let him write directly, as soon as he reads each paper, aud put what he means in as few words as possible. Agapanthus mnhellatus, alhidus, and variegatus, are three forms of the same beautiful plant — the blue African Lily. Some people believe that there are two more forms ot it under cultivation, one much taller, and another considerably less than the common one. I cannot decide the point ; but 1 believe the supposed difference arose from different modes of treatment — at least, I never saw any form of the blue one which could not be referred to the common sort. Alhidus is not such a strong grower as umbellatus, and the flowers are of a bluish-white colour. It is a desirable variety, and so is the variegated one. There are no other bulbs tliat I am acquainted with, except some of the Asiatic great Grinuins, which delight so much in our very strongest loams, fertilised by the richest manures, as the blue African Lily ; and it will bloom and look green in a pot with soil that would stint an Aloe, provided abun- dance of water is given. I have known it to look well with tiie roots immersed in water for four months daring the summer. It seeds freely with some gardeners, but is seldom increased that way, as it stoles, or makes side suckers so freely. The most singular thing that 1 know of in the whole order of bulbs is, that this, a true evergreen, will flower yearly, for many years in succession, out in the open ground, after the leaves are destroyed every winter by frost : but of the fact itself, I am quite sure, I never knew a frost under 7° injure the leaves, while 10° or 12° of frost will kill them outright. It makes a bold, line-looking bed, and it is the most useful pot-plant we have to stand out in summer about the doors, or accom- panying architectural works, or in terrace-gardens, as the leaves take no hurt with any wind, and the flower-stems are so stifl'that a gale has no eft'eot ou them. It can be kept over the winter in pots, with less light and with harder treatment than any other bulb, and very little water will do for it from November to March. March or April is the best time to divide it for increase ; but it may he divided any day from that time to October, if not all the year round. It is necessary to use a sharp spade for dividing it. for the roots are strong and much inter- laced among each other. A small portion of roots will do with each division, and, in potting them, use strong, stifl'loam and very rotten dung, leaving more room for watering than is usual with other ]ilauts, as it requires large supplies of water during the summer. Ayapanthus albiflurus is only a variety of the former, and of much less strengtli. It requires lighter soil, and more care in winter, but is not cultivated nearly so mucli as it deserves. There can be no question about getting new and useful varieties if the pollen of the blue one were apphed to the flowers of this; but 1 never e.xperi- mented on this family, and cannot say if this will ever seed. Aijapi.mthus varier/aUis also is scarce ; but now that a taste for variegated plants is on tlie rise it will be more run after. Neither of the varieties make such free ■growth, or produce suckers like the old species; aud both of them require lighter soil, and more careful treatment than the old species. 1 never heard if either could be trusted out-of doors in winter ; probably not. They belong to a section of the order Lily worts, named after Hemerocallis, the day lily. The others best known of this section are the sweet tube rose, the beautiful Blandfordias, the splendid Tntomas, aud the rigid New Zealand Flax Phormiuin tenax. Albuca. — This is a genus of South African Lilyworts, belonging to the section of Squills (Scillacefe), a section which abounds in beautiful bulbs, all of which cast their leaves when going to rest. The species of Albuca are numerous, and very ill defined ; many of them come here with assortments of " Cape bulbs," but they are soon lost. The bulbs are generally small, light-coloured, and very tender-skinned; and the least mishap causes them to rot, as it does the Lacheiialias, from the same country. Some of them are the very smallest bulbs at the Cape, and almost defy our attempts at growing them for any length of time; and others throw up stout flower-stalks, two or more feet high, with a crowd of little white flowers on the top. The most of them have white, or creamy-yellow flowers ; but the whole family, like the Alliums, are more for botanic gardens than for general ciflture, and, what is singular, I believe they all dislike peat. Very sandy loam seems more favourable to them. I lost nine kinds of them in two years, by putting them in a peat bed, inside a cold frame. They came direct from the Cape in jNIay, and that may have caused the failure, as all of them begin to grow late in the autumn. We mentioned seventeen species of them in the Dic- tionary, but I much doubt if half that number could be bought in the trade. Albuca major, fragrans, aurea, and viridijlora, would give a good representation of the genus; hut fragrans is very ticklish to keep. Pot-culture would suit them best ; and the moment the leaves turn yellow, the bulbs should be turned out of the jiots, and put on a shelf to dry in the sun for a few days, and then to be laid by in silver sand till the end of October. At potting-time, place sand i-ound the bulbs, and do not water them till the leaves appear. Alstro.meria, not Alstromcuria, as some spell it. — As far as we know, all the species of this genus of fine plants have tuberous or fascicled roots. All of them in U2 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. NOVEJIBER 25. our gardens live out the winter with little or no pro- tection; or, if they are grown in pots, they require abundance of air, and larfje supplies of water wliile in a growing state. They dcliglit in deep, rich, light soil, well drained, e.'voept A. atirca, whicli will do in stiff, damp clay, as well as in common, rich, kitchen-garden soil. The species are e.\ceedingly difficult to distinguish from varieties, as niucli so as Calceolarias ; and from one peculiarity common to tliem all, they are liable to cross each other in a state of nature: hence the great confusion in tlie names. This peculiarity is in the style, or female organ, which never ripens for the pollen till all the pollen is dead and gone in the same flower; but as the flowers do not all open at the same time, the stigma of the foremost flower gets fertilized by the pollen of the next that opeus; meantime, it is as likely as not that strange pollen may find access when more than one kind grow together. Another genus, called Bomaria, is often confounded with Ahtrumeria ; but the distinction between them is evident, witiiout any knowledge of botanical points. All the Bomarias twine like hops, but none of the AUtriJ- merias do. Some of my friends assert that they crossed Bomaria aciitifolia with a species oi Ahtrumeria ; but, I am so acquainted with the ways of both, that I would as soon believe in the union of the man-in-the-moon with Diana of the Ephesiaus. C'ollania and Splucrine, two genera of which we have no species in cultivation, inter- vene between AlstriJmeria and Bomaria ; and, if any reliance can be placed on their characters, none of them would or could be crossed with either an Alstrmneria or Bomaria. I am thus particular, because, sooner or later, both of them will be great favourites with the cross-breeder. A. aurea, alias Aurantiaca (golden). — Native of the Island of Chiloe; flowers orange, streaked with red, on stalks three to four feet liigh; quite hardy in England; seeds freely, and increases by the roots as fast as Spear- grass. It ought to be as common as Poppies. I have had it four feet high in clay so stiff that it could not be dug without dipping the spade in water every other thrust; and I believe it would grow in a marsli, or at the edges of ponds or lakes. None of the family like dry challvy soil. A. Cmnmingiana. — Named after 'My. Gumming, who first discovered it "on mountains near Valparaiso." It comes nearest to Hookeriana ; flowers all the summer and down to November, in the open air, and is as hardy, apparently, as a Crocus, if planted si.\ inches deep in rich loamy soil The stalks are from ten to fifteen inches high, and the flowers of various colours — yellow, brown, and green, chiefly. A. caryophyllaa (Clove-scented). — This is the proper name for tlie old A. liylu, a stove plant, which requires hglit soil, and rest from October till March. It flowers soon after it begins to grow ; and as soon as the stems cease growing the plants should bo removed into a greenhouse for the rest of the season; without this change it seldom flowers at all, and now it is very scarce. The flowers, crimson and white, are very handsome. A. Iiamaiitha (Blood - coloured). — Notwithstanding the name, the colour of tlie flowers is not much diflerent from that of aurea : but in the meadows near Antueo, in South Chili, it sports naturally into white, Vermillion, yellow, orange, and lemon colours. It is also the mother of thirty or forty varieties, called Van Bout's Ahtrijmcrias ; and all of them rest three or four months, from July, aud they ought to be taken up every second year, astliey bury themselves deeper and deeper at every growth. A tulip bed, or one for hyacinths, made after the old florist school, suits them best, and they should be abundantly watered after Ihey throw up for flower, and they grow slowly from November through the winter, and, if they appear above ground early in the spring, they ought to have a slight protection. A. Neillii. — Named alter the late Dr. Neil, of Edin- burgh, the best friend Scotch gardeners ever had. I am afraid this plant is lost; it was very difficult to manage. The flowers are of a very pink colour, with yellow blotches. I only saw one plant of tliis. It had all the appearance of being a genuine species, and wanted the twist in the leaf so common in the genus. Some of the species have been seen growing out of the clefts of the rocks, and this appears to me to be one of them. D. Be.\tox. {To he continued.) AZALEA JAPONICA.— WREST PARK. The comparing of notes some time ago, if report spoke true, seemed to be much enjoyed by our readers. None require to be more reminded that there may be unity amid the greatest apparent diversity, than those who make gardening a pleasant recreation, or a pro- fessional pursuit. Often differences are more seeming than real ; and the liair's-breadth of advantage that one system possesses over another, can only be demonstrated when, with all tlieir details, they are brought closely in contact. Without this we are too apt, from our imita- tive faculties, to chime in practically with the dogma, that "what is best administered is best," while all the time there may he some little error in the very thing administered. A striking result so arrests the attention, that to equal the same, most people imagine that they must attend to every iota in a similar manner; while others, more experienced, and generally intelligent, can at once see, that in similar circumstances they can secure the same result with less trouble and expense. It would not be safe for the inexperienced to generalise, as their very ignorance might lead them to regard some apparently trifling matters as of no importance, though these, to the more conversant, would be I'egarded as the main cardinal points of the system. Hence, I find that the trifles of processes are the things about which young beginners chiefly concern themselves; by-and-by they will find that comparatively a few principles will sus- tain them, instead of a long calendar of routines. In the meantime, discrepancies in practice sadly puzzle them ; they follow our advice this week, the opinion of another the week following, and the counsel of a third after- wards, and then how generally annoyed they are when result -time comes! Had they persisted in any one system all might have been satisfactory. They arc told there are many ways to one end ; and so there may be, and perhaps not one preferable to the others ; but how or when is the end to be gained, when, instead of following out one way to its termination, you keep scrambling from one way across to another? I would meet every doubt if I knew them, and coukl solve them, and reconcile discrepancies if not beyond my ability. We are too constantly needing instruction to imagine we really know veiy much. Truth has been said to lie deep in a well; hence, few can see hei-, few find her, and man}', with their cumbrous machinery, siuk her deeper, and cover her out of sight. I believe she mirrors herself from the smooth surface of the unruffled pool at our feet, and when once we fairly get a shiuce of her, the only wonder is, not anything about the ex- ceeding dilKoulty of finding her, but tluit we had been so blinded by pride and self-conceit as not to see her clearly before. Wo have all our pet systems, yet nothing would please us more than to be able to improve our favourite plans, or even ]uitan extinguisher on them, and to adopt that wliich was decidedly superior. What better for this than the statement of difficulties aud discrepancies, and the calm, friendly discussion of any differences. Thus, November 25. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEK. 1-13 tbougli living comparatively in retirement, as many gardeners do, and perhaps not free from self-opinion- atedness, the usual concomitant ol' such circumstances, we siiould, tlu'ough the pages of our Cottage Gar- dener, possess many of the advantages alike of tlic class-room and of congenial society, wliere thought is met by thought, opinion is tested by opinion, and mind is directly brought into contact with mind. Azidea Japonica (see p. S3). — Our friend, ifr. Beaton, hoped I might Jish out something about this interesting plant. I am at times half-inclined to envy him his present privileges, of being able to see everything that is wonderful, beautiful, and new. In the present case I am fairly upsides with him. I saw the plant before the branch was cut in the evening preparatory to its being taken to London the following morning. I can fully conlirm the fact, that the huge panicle was only one of many ; and so generally fine were they, that the select- ing of the one to be sent was almost a matter of hap- hazard. Even Mr. Snow could not fix upon one that was markedly superior. The plant seemed about seven feet high, and the top nearly as much in diameter. Now for the position, as that is tlie most important matter as to the plant flourishing so well. Imagine you are standing on the east side of a high ornamental wall that runs from north to south. At the south end, a dwarfer wall goes at right angles to the west, for the length of somewhere about twenty feet, and then it takes off, at right angles, to the south again for a good distance, constituting, in fact, the eastern boundary of the fruit and kitchen garden. In front of this wall there is a border for shrubs — the exact width of tlie short wall above referred to — so that the front of the border ranges in a line with the ornamental wall. At the extreme north end of this border, and hence ou the south side of the short wall, protected, tlierefore, from the north and the west, rather freely exposed to the east, but a little shaded by higher things from the south, stands this beautiful plant. The border consists of deep sandy loam ; but it is very likely that J\lr. Snow gave his favourites a little assistance from leaf mould and peat when young. There are many fine specimens on tills border besides, such as Spirxa Lindleijana, Oupressus toridosa, G. tliurifera, &c. Whether the plant will thrive equally well in exposed situations, I am unable to say. It was the first time I had seen it in bloom ; and I was rather surprised at the colour being whitish, as most descriptions had spoken of it being green. Even though it should be proved hardy enough for exposed places, yet the conservative wall (of which more anon) would be its proper position, as, unless it bloomed earlier, it would be apt to be destroyed by frost before the bloom expanded. No doubt we shall hear more about it. I have mentioned all this the more, because, though Wrest Park Oa.rdens lie rather low, they are protected in every direction. A description of the place would at once show this ; but this would require considerable space, and I have not got one note on the subject. To give our friends such a slight idea as might incite them to a pilgrim's survey for themselves, I will present them with a few pencil-marlis from memory — such as I fre- quently give, in lieu of a chart, by a few strokes of the pen, to strangers who are going farther, and who com- plain of a double difficulty: first, that when at a stand- still they can find no one to exercise the inquisitive bump on ; and, secondly, that when they do find a rustic, they have to stare at each other, like the respec- tive parties in the last recorded miracle ; and from the same cause, their respective patois being Greek to each other. The nearest approach to Wrest Park, by rail, is Hitohen, on the Great Northern ; and from thence it is distant somewhere about eight inilcs. From Luton it is nine miles; and I forget how far from Ampthill and Bedford. The road between these respective places passes the village of Tilsoe, wliere the main entrance is. Here, however, you enter, — 1 would advise you to go ; and this shall be our first pencil dot. The gates are beautifully artistic ; but what an avenue, or rather triple avenue within — formed of Elms and Sweet Cliesnuts 1 The central, or carriage one is very unique. Had the Gothic style " loomed in the future" the first architect of taste tliat had a glance at that avenue would have made it a matter of \Xie present. The huge arms of the large trees, mostly naturally, but perhaps a little assisted, span and meet far above your heads, resembling a splen- did Gothic cathedral. Ere long, as you go eastward, you soon descry the walls of the garden ; Mr. Snow's house at the west corner of the north wall, bouse and wall being of an ornamental character ; and the latter passing eastward until it joins the mansion and offices. 'The mansion offices, kitchen, frnit, and flower-gardens, are new : the park and main features of the pleasure- ground are I do not know or recollect how old, though constantly being improved. The mansion is in the Louis Quatorze style ; and as everything connected with it was made from the designs of Earl de Grey himself some conception may be formed of the chaste beauty everywhere apparent, and all impressed with one uniform character, within and without. The whole place may be said to be "self-contained," that is, though it forms a 'fine feature in the landscape, when seen from high grounds, to the south-east, south, and south-west, you can, when there, see nothing beyond its boundaries. There is only one exception. Standing on or near the noble stone terrace, on the south side of the mansion, ornamented with statues and vases, you glance along a beautiful glade. First, there is a noble walk, thirty feet in width, proceeding right on, near to a large long parallelo- gram of water, where the walk parts right and left, and passes along both banks of the water, backed on either side with woods and pleasure-grounds. A pretty temple in the centre terminates the home view ; but over its top you see bare and rugged and barren heights in the distance, which some might cousider an agreeable relief, but which many more would feel to be a Paid Pry in- trusion upon the soft, mellow beauty and rich luxuri- anceevery where around. If such bare heights emdd be covered with wood, with a tower or cottage peeping through it, the eti'ect would be harmonious and enchant- ing. In the woods and pleasure-grounds, on either side of the piece of water, are many walks, in which hours may be agreeably spent, more especially if accompanied by one versed in local traditionary, and legendary lore. 'Turning again your back upon the water, and approach- ing the mansion, you are struck now, if not before, with the vast extent of lawn. A considerable distance to the westward, you will notice a beautiful building, at one time used as a pavilion, or banquet hall. Anon, right and left, you stand opposite another avenue, terminated at either end by commemorative obelisks. Presently, another walk branches off right and left; that to the west leading you to the centre of a beautiful building, standing on the highest of a series of grass terraces. This building is filled with splendid orange trees, im- ported from the Continent last season, and now encased in Beck's beautiful slate tubs. As an architectural fabric, this house presents a fine effect; but as a habitation for plants, the back wall being opaque, the front is decidedly too massive and heavy. This is more apparent when, on entering, you perceive the roof is chiefly opaque, relieved only by upright square lanthorn-liko boxes, glazed with glass all round, but from which the rays of light are too diffused before they reach the plants. The whole of the roof might easily, and more economically, have been of glass, without interfering in the least witli the architectiu-al effect. This is only one instance added ]44 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. NoVEilBEK 25. I to the mauy, that the most aeroinplislied architects are but indifierent gardeners. That such buildings would answer on the Continent, we believe ; but have we the sky and the climate ot France and Italy ? Retracing our steps, or taking a short cut across the lawn, we again get on the broad walk and approach the mansion. On the east side of the broad walk, and just below the terrace, is a scroll-like Italian garden, orna- mented with marble figures, and having some beautiful young standards of Portugal laurels ; but we uiust mount the terrace to see it well. The design seems somewhat intricate ; but then every turn and bend are so gi-aceful. Getting to the west end of the terrace, you see the mansion is there terminated by a conservatory. I'Vom this, as well as the rooms with which it com- muuicates, a pretty vista is formed, through the opened doors in the divisions of the kitcheu-garden. Between them and tlie conservatory is a wide grass drive, and a beautiful flower-garden, the beds having stone edgings, and the walks of gravel. The south wall, which bounds it to the north, is covered with interesting plants, such as the Geanotlius azurevs, and the finer Tea lioscs. The east wall already alluded to, in connection with the Azalea, along with other things, has one of the finest plants of the old yellow Base in the country. I men- tioned more thau a twelvemonth ago, how fine the Geranium beds, &c., were in this garden. Of the kitchen-garden I must not speak. I cannot think where \ should begin and stojj my pencil-marks. If not the best, it is one of the very best kitchen-gardens in England. Its extent is somewhere about five acres, and nicely divided by intersecting walls. The soil is for the most part artificial; Mr. Snow having received something like carte blanche to take soil wherever he could find it. The staple, tlierefore, varies according to the purpose wanted, but chiefly consists of a deep, rich, sandy loam, resting upon gravel. This, and being so fully protected, makes the garden a very early one. All sorts of fruits and vegetables thrive well. In the middle of one of the divisions is the chief range of houses : a plant-stove in the centre, with vineries and peaeh-house on the sides. In this stove, in addition to mauy good things, there is a fine collection of the Amaryllis group, most of them hybrids of Mr. Snow's raising. The Vines are very luxuriant. The Peaches have been seen at the Metropolitan exhibitions. The division of the garden next Mr. Snow's dwelling is none the least interesting. In some particular bor- ders near the house are beautiful old, but rare, lierba- ceous and bulbous plants. The centre part is chiefly occupied as the pit and frame ground, and here such crops as Sea-kale, Pihubarb, &c., are grown. On the south side, overshadowed by trees, is the fruit-room, a long building, perfectly dry, with double or hollow walls, double roof, means of giving air and letting ofl' vapour at pleasure, a pattern that would please even our friend Mr. Errington, and the excellency of which has been proved in the fine fruit that Mr. Snow has shown for years at the early Metropolitan exhibitions. But in this division, besides some small Fig and Peach- [ bouses, there is a range of small lean-to houses, near ' Mr. Snow's dwelling, on the east side of the west , boundary wall. Here there is idways something nice | to be seen ; and among other things, a fine collection | of the Oladioli group ; but what I mention them par- I ticularly for, is to lemind amateurs that these are the houses I have some time ago chronicled for being heated so economically by small narrow flues under- neath the jiaved floor. 1 had no thought of making these dottings until I had finished the few words on tlio Azalea. If I had possessed notes, or told Mr. Snow of my intention, they might have been more interesting. But that may yet be mended. I forgot to say that the walks in the kitchen-garden ai'e mostly, and all wiU be, edged with slate ; the gravel is firm and clean. One characteristic of the place is the neatness ever apparent, owing parily, no doubt, to the necessary supply of labour ; hut partly, also, to the innate sense of the neat and the beautiful, and a thorough enthubiasm for his profession, which must bo accorded to the respected superintendent. R. Fish. JOTTINGS BY THE WAY. {Concluded from page 100.) Northampton. — Close to the town there are two somewhat extensive nurseries, both well kept, and full of excellent stock, especially of hardy Coniferie, hardy ornamental slirubs and fi'uit-trees. The oldest one is now occupied by ilessrs. Jeyes and Co. In front of one of the hothouses I observed a very fine Juniperus excelsa, fully fifteen feet high, and a very unique speci- men. In the flower department, I saw several plants in bloom of a tall Lobelia, named Queen Victoria, one of the best of its tribe. The petals are so broad that they almost touch each other, and the colour a rich scarlet- crimson. I was so much pleased with it, that I pur- cha.sed some for the purpose of hybridizing. It is a Viu-iety that every grower of such things should procure. The owner of the other nursery is Mr. John Perkins. In it I observed a fine stock of trained Peaches, Nec- tarines, and other wall-fruit. In both nurseries there were some fine specimens of the best of the Arbor vitrr ; the one commonly called the Siberian variety (TInija Siberica). This is hardier than the Chinese (Tliiija orientalis), and more compact than the American (I'laija occidentalis), forming beautiful pyramidal-shaped buslies of a bright green colour all the year. lu that pleasing property it far surpasses any other species of Tlwiia. Com teen Hall, the residence of Sir Charles Wake, Bart. ; JMr Gardiner is the gardener at this place. It was the last 1 called at, and I saw several things that pleased me much. The place is about tliree miles from the Blisworth Station, on the Great Northern Railway, and is situated in a well -wooded park, very much secluded from the rest of the world. It may be characterised by the term " quiet," in the most ex- clusive sense. The flower-garden is rather extensive, and well attended to. I was much gratified with what was to me quite a novelty. The flower-beds were circularly disposed, and in the centre of each bed were several standard Scarlet Geraniums in full flower. Just at that season, the end of August, the standard Koses were out of flower, the summer-bloomers being past their season, and the autunmals or perpetuals had not come into bloom, but the standai'd Scarlet Geraniums were fine objects, and made a bright display of rich scarlet, causing no regret for the absence of Hoses in bloom. Mr. Gardiner inlbrmed me that he first raises young plants, trains them up in pots, dressing ofl' all the side-shoots till they attain the requisite height (four feet) before he allows them to make a head. He then plants them out in June, and they bloom till frost stops them. He then takes them up, pots them, and keeps them through the winter in some dry room till spring, then gently starts them into growth, and when the season returns replants them in the flower-garden. By this management they last several years. To prevent the winds from breaking ofl' the side branches of the heads, he fixes a kind of ring or hoop to the stake that supports them, and fastens every shoot to this ring. I recommended the adoption of this method of growing Scarlet Geraniums, the eft'ect is exceUent.- Amongst * The variety used for forming standards, is that Itnown as Mrs. Uliii/lor. What a fine one for that purpose Henderson's Dt'/tance Scarlet Geranium would be ! November 25. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 145 tlie staudavd Geraniums I noticed a iiue plant or two of Cassia cori/mbosa grown also as standards. This species is neither so well known, nor so mncli cultivated as an ornament to the flower-garden, as it deserves. Its bright green handsome foliage, and fine golden-coloured flowers, which are produced for a long season, render it very attractive. My able coadjutor, i\Ir. Beaton, re- commends it, and from what I saw at Courteen Hall, I can confidently recommend it also, and in addition to its good properties as a low bedding-out plant, it forms a very ornamental standard, the colour of its flowers being very striking in contrast with the Scarlet Gera- niums. Here, also, I noted some beds of the Zelinda Dahlia, not more than a foot high, and covered with its purple blossoms. Mr. Beaton would have been in raptures with them. Sui-ely every cultivator of flowers in masses will try a bed or two of this showy, useful plant next year. Sir Joseph Paxton, amongst his 50,000 Scarlet Geraniums in the grounds of the Park at Sydenham, should have some thousands of this showy Dhalia, as an agreeable relief to the glowing colours of Tom Thumb, or his master either. No doulit he will, and thus bring this fine purple-bedder into public notice. In the pleasure ground at Courteen Hall there are a few thriving Conifera3, especially a fast-grown Piiius insignis. planted only in 1S4B, six years ago. It had attained, in that short time, the height of eighteen feet, with a stem as straight as an arrow, and regularly furnished with branches down to the ground. A more unique specimen of its kind does not exist in the kingdom. This concludes my " Jottings by the Way." I trust, the few cultural hints, scattered, perhaps, too thinly, through them, will be found useful to many. I have yet in reserve a few notes on the Bagshot Nurseries, which I took on a recent visit to these celebrated stores of Coniferfe and American plants, on which I may scribble a paper by-and-by. T. Appleby. THE PETUNIA. ( Continued from imge l:-7.) Summer Treatment. — The season for this work com- mences in early spring. 1 shall suppose a plant to be in a 60-pot, and has passed through winter unscathed. It should be a low, bushy plant, well furnished with branches and healthy leaves. The soil, as directed in my last, should be duly prepared sometime previous, and a suflicient portion placed under cover to become particdly dry. A good method to know when the soil or compost is in right condition, is to take up a handful, press it gently, and let it fall upon the bench ; if it break into pieces it is fit for use, but if it clings toge- ther, it is a sign that it requires more time to dry. I do not approve of quiek dryimj, by laying upon flues, for that method drives oft' the nutritious gases contained in the compost. Let it dry gradually, and, as it were, na- turally, and then these gases are preserved. The soil being in suitable condition, let the plants be brought out of the greenhouse to the bench, and prepare the pots to receive them. If old and dirty, let them be clean-washed, and do not use them till they are per- fectly dry ; then drain them well in the usual way ; place some rough sittings over the drainage and upon them place as much soil as will raise the ball of earth the plants are growing in to the level of the rim of the new pots ; then turn the plants in succession out of the pots ; remove carefully the drainage that may be attached to each ball without injuring the roots; place the plant in the fresh pot, and fill round the ball the new compost till the pot is full ; then give a gentle stroke upon the bench to settle the plants and new earth, and fill up the deficiency ; the old ball should then be covered about half-an-inch, and a small space left below the level of the rim to contain water. Proceed thus till all the plants are finished, and then give a gentle watering, and the operation is complete. Return them to the greenhouse, and, if possible, place them close to the glass. As they grow, take care to stop each shoot, to cause more shoots to be produced, and thereby induce a bushy habit. The tops, if required, may be made use of as cuttings. In this stage the plants will require con- stant attention to keep them duly supplied with water, and plenty of air whenever the weather is mild ; and this treatment suits most of tlie inhabitants of the green- house which is so far fortunate for the Petunia. About the middle of April, if all has gone on favourably, they will require a second shift into larger pots, into the same compost, using the same precautious as to drying the soil, draining the pots, and so forth. Most probably the green fly will now make its appearance, and must be instantly checked and destroyed by frequent fumigations of to- bacco. It would be an advantage, when the weather becomes warmer, to place the plants in a cold frame or pit, upon a layer of coal ashes. There they will grow much stronger and more bushy than on tlie greenhouse stage or platform, and thus, as it were, lay in a stock of strength to produce a fine bloom. There is one disad- vantage in placing these soft-leaved plants in such a situation, and that is, the mildew sometimes makes its appearance on the leaves. The best remedy I have found for this disease is a dusting of sulphur upon the leaves affected, and a large admission of fresh air on mild dry days. If a weak solution of liquid manure be given to all otherwise healthy plants, more vigour will be given to the system of each, and they will, with the addition of the sidphnr, soon grow out of the disease. A third and last shift will be necessary in June; the plants should then be put into pots nine inches in diameter, and in these they are to flower. As soon as the usual inhabitants of the greenhouse are removed into their summer quarters, the Petunias will be in a fit state to take their jdaoe. Plenty of air must be given and the roof should be shaded with canvass bunting whenever the sun shines brightly. There, along with Fuchsias, and other summer-flowering plants, they will produce a splendid bloom of fine flowers for two or three months. Winter Treatment. — As the Petunia is little more than an annual, old plants that have flowered freely through the summer will be so exhausted that it is hardly worth while to keep them through v.-inter ; but for scarce kinds or seedlings a winter treatment is re- quisite. Let such be cut down early in August, leaving all the young shoots that are near the soil ; take them to the potting bench, turn them out of their blooming pots, reduce the ball pretty freely, so as to enable the operator to repot them into five-inch pots, give no water, and place them either in a close pit or in a shady part of the greenhouse, where no air can blow upon or over them. Shade closely for a week or two till fresh growth is induced, then inure them gradually ; stop the top shoots, and give a small watering. Keep them through the winter as close to the glass as possible, and rather dry than otherwise through that trying dreary season. If these plants can be preserved, they will make fine, strong, early-blooming plants the season following. T. Appleby. {To he concluded in our next.') EARLY SEA-KALE AND EARLY RHUBARB. DirfEKiNG from almost every thing else, Sea-kale is in higher estimation when in a forced state than when I 146 THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. November 25. produced under natural conditions. This difference, no doubt, arises from the more complete e."cclusion of the light and air in the former than is often done in the latter case, as well as in the more timely service it renders at Cln-istmas than it could in ilay. Leaving, however, a part to furnish fine strong heads in the natural way when spring sets in, let us see what can be done to have some at Christmas, or before, as well as the remainder of the winter and early spring months. Now, to accomplish this no time must be lost; in fact, when this paper reaches the mass of south country readers who have large quantities of tliis to supply, some progress in the way of hastening it will have been made. Leaving these parties to follow out the practice which their experience has taught them to be most successful, the less-experienced would do well to look over bis beds, and after noting down their capabilities and general qualifications, he will see at once which is best to force on the ground it occupies, and which ought to be taken up and hurried into use in some other medium. If the instructions given last j'car have been carried out there will be a certain breadtii of roots pre- pared expressly for the latter purpose, which ought to be carefully looked to now, as they present the readiest, quickest, and most economical mode of obtaining early Kale, Supposing, therefore, that a quantity of seed had been sown early in spring on some well-prepared piece of ground, had been afterwards thinned, ground-stirred, and every other attention paid to it calculated to en- courage its growth, it will by this time liave attained a root equal in size with that of most ordinary carrots, and, of course, have formed its buds (which are. in the first year, only one to a plant,) with a degree of strength and plumpness without which it is useless to think of a successful issue, or, rather, it is impossible to obtain fine, strong heads, except from plants which have accu- mulated a large amount of vital energy in their embryo buds. There may be cases in which the latter produces only a weali, sickly after-growth ; and in all cases the forced is below the natural strength in that respect, and, in some instances, goes so far as to present us with a sickly, weak growth from a bud apparently set with consi- derable vigour; but this anomaly is easily accounted for; the sacrifice it has been called on to make is such as some plants would not live under — let alone flourish. The period of rest so necessary to all vegetation is denied this altogether; and an amount of stimulating heat applied to tliis with a view to forward its utility — nay, even to drive or hurry it on to the utmost of its spee(l ; it is, therefore, no wonder that it sometimes becomes sickly, and not unfrequently refuses to grow altogether ; it is, therefore, imperative on all those who wish to have this production as early as possible, and in good condi- tion, to give it all the advantages that can tend to that result, and, of course, avoid all those evils having a contrary tendency. Now it is well known that a considerable sacrifice has to be made in all produce hastened to a prema- ture ripeness ; and this sacrifice, like many others, difiers in the degree of forcible means used ; a short period of rest, followed by a gentle heat, gradually applied, is more likely to result in a successful issue, than an application of a moist heat applied to plants whose summer growth lias hardly yet ripened. The weary traveller does not like to be roused again into action ere he has retired to rest at all ; neither does vegetation, even of the most robust kind, of which Sea- kale is a very good example, as a less hardy plant would be killed outright with one-half of the ill-treatment this is often subjected to. Yet this one has its point of endurance, beyond which it is impossible to go with- out endangering its existence. Now these dangers are more numerous in the early part of the season than later on ; the same amount of trial and hardship that would produce excellent Kale in February, would either kill plants in December, or only produce a sickly gi-owth at that untoward season. Yet Sea-kale is wanted at both these seasons. Greater care must, therefore, be exer- cised in the earlier crops, and the plants may be coaxed into producing fair, good, averiige-sized heads, when everything is supplied them nccessaiy to their wants, and stimulation applied no further than is consistent with their well-doing. In this respect nuich judgment is required ; the plant which, if left until March, could and would endure almost any amount of heat, lan- guishes and dies now, when subjected to only mode- rate changes of temperature ; it must, therctbi'e, be reduced so low, as only to forward vegetation by those gradual means to which alone it is susceptible at this season. The best way to accomplish this, is to have the jihints in a methum, over which a perfect com- mand of heat may be attained. When forcing by fire- ! heat is going on in another department, there is often some odd corner contiguous to the fire-place where a deep box or two might be placed, to be filled with the roots of this plant, then to be afterwards covered with another box inverted over them, and some means taken to keep the atmosphere they are growing in as moist as possible, A mushroom-house is also a very appropriate place for early Kale, where a shelf or bin may be filled with the roots, placed a few inches apart, and fine soil run in amongst them, with an inch or so of sand or coal-ashes at top. One or two waterings with tepid mauure-water will be of service after they have started growth, or even before, if the plant be at all subjected to the drying effects of fire-heat ; but either in this case or any other where the plants are so treated, a certain amount of moisture must surround the ynung shoots, or they will be tough, and not good. Now, if this be difficult to command at all times, it would be better to cover the plants slightly with a soraethiug to which moisture may be apjilied when necessary; moss or litter dijiped in hot-water, to which a little salt has been added to kill all insects, will do very well; or it may be that a cover- ing of coal-ashes may be applied, which may be put on so gradually as only to keep the shoots covered as they advance into growth ; this, of course, will be best known by occasional examinations, and, with ordinary care, this way Sea-kale of good quahty has been produced under circumstances of a very homely and makeshift kind, which every one is obliged to adopt in something or other. And if the amateur, whose means are only limited, be anxious to have Sea-kale at his Christmas dinner, he may certainly accomplish this yet by the means noted above, or he may even produce it by the ordinary method of covering it up on the ground where growing with gentle heating material, of which leaves are the best, and the result in the latter case will bo equally good as the former, only not so quick ; and when any other heating material than leaves is used, much un- certainty exists as to its overheating, and other contin- gencies which it is difficult to guard against. The only counter-benefits of the plan is, the little injury its roots derive, comjiared with those that are taken up and unavoidably mutilated ; but the latter should bo done as carefully as possible, in order to give the plant every encouragement compatible with the circumstances of its case, I'lauts, or, rather roots, carelessly taken up, half-broken and otherwise mutilated or deprived of one- half their supplying feeders to the crown of tlie plant, can hardly be expected to produce heads of any couso- quence. We, therefore, strongly urge on the amntcur to take especial care of this; and in putting them into their forcing quarters not to crowd and injure them to an unreasonable extent, otherwise the produce cannot be exjiected to bo satisfactory, Allhough f have not mentioned Ithiibaiii in this article, yet it may be subjected to a similar mode of November 25. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. U7 treatment to tliat given for Sea-kale. A few old plants, taken up and planted out in some heated situation, will pvodueo fine useful stalks some time before that growing in the open ground can be urged into action. The deep roots of this plant extending beyond the depth of the heat applied, render its progress more slow tlian Sea-kale ; thus, in most cases, a few roots taken up in November, and put into some warm corner, will produce stalks long before that in open ground, although covered up. So that for all purposes, where an early supply is wanted, the quantity put in as above is attended with better results. It is almost needless to observe, that a well-prepared hot-bed, or one that can be heated by linings, &c., will answer the purpose for Sea-kale, Asparagus, and Rhu- barb; but as frames may be all otherwise engaged, a less troublesome mode may serve the first and last of them. Asparagus must be accommodated with a frame and hot-bed, as it is important to allow it light prior to its being cut for use. But more of this anon. J. ROBSON. FLOWER-GARDEN PLANS. No. II. This plan was only sent to us this week; but it is so appropriate for what a large class of our readers, in the vicinity of large towns, have been asking for, that I made choice of it in preference to another plan I had ready, but for a different class of subscribers. I had a veiy sensible letter the other day from "Grum- bler"— the last word in our language that I would use for a signature — in which he vu-ged the great demand that is now made for such plans as are suitable for " block buildings," of which there are three hundred now in his own neighboiu"- liood, not far from London, ready to be laid ""out. Block buildings, it may be necessary to tell our country cousins, are merely the ordinary villas, or suburban retreats ; or, if you like it better, the " country houses " of nine-tenths of our great city chieftains, as tliey would say in the Highlands ; every trade and calling having its own chief or chieftains, and among the rest of them our- o^vu correspondent, the " Grumbler." Why such villas, ifec, are called " block buildings," is best known to the speculative builder himself. He liuys a field one hundred feet wide along a main road, and two huiuhed feet the other way; he runs a fence down the middle of it, and each division he calls a "block" of fifty feet. In the centre at each block, and twenty feet irora the road, lie builds a handsome villa, and sells the two to get some money to enable him to buy or lease a larger '• field " next time. Here, then, we have two chieftains and four gardens — two back and two front ones. The front garden is twenty feet one way, and fifty feet the contrary way. The back garden may he about one hundred feet ; so that each block needs two plans ; a plan for the front garden ne.vt the road, and another for the back, for flowers and vegetables, and " all manner of things." The all manner of things are already on the place, standing bolt upright and as green as leeks ; the block builder took care of aU that to make the best of his bargain ; and here we are in a great bustle to put all things straight. To make anything of a country life we must have flowers, and to show them off to the best advantage we must have "plans;" and while Mr. Eobson is working in the baciv ground, preparing for getting vegetables " fresh and fresh like," here is our No. 2 plan for the front flower-garden, or for the front part of the back garden ; and it is the very thing for such places. Our worthy friend who kindly took the trouble, for the use of our new settlers, remarked, " notwithstanding its simplicity, I venture to send the inclosed plan, as I have a small flower-garden so laid out which looks exceedingly well. The beds are confined by box edgings, and being near the sea-side the walks are covered with shell- gravel." These are the " white shells " which Mr. Eobson recom- mends for the surface-coat of his new walks (page 108), and capital things they are. They are as brittle as egg-shells, and crumble under the tread like "shortcake" under the double teeth of a school-boy coming home from a country fair. The best use I ever saw made of these shells was one day last summer, on the spur of the moment. It was at one of the flower-shows at the Regent's Park. Her Majesty was expected, and the ground was soapy under the tents with so much rain, so, instead of laying crimson cloth all over the paths, as they usually do at the entrance when they expect the Queen, what did iUr. Marnock do but set a whole lot of able fellows with large Ijags of these shells, to strew them along the paths right round the tents, and they scattered them with their hands, just as Anster Bonn would deal out so much barley to a covey of the true Shanghae breed. In less than ten minutes the royal suite passed along, as dry and comfortable as any of you could wish. After seeing all this, and knowing my relish for comfortable walks, you will not be surprised to hear me chime in with Mr. Eobson, " I would strongly advocate the use of shells to all who are within reach of them." After plans for vUla gardens, the next greatest demand has been for how to get the best contrivance for disposing of a collection of herbaceous plants, and how herbaceous plants might be made to do the work of bedding plants, for which sufficient accommodation could not be jirocured; and, last of all, the best shape for a flower-bed has been asked for. Now, it is certain that all these points depend entirely on taste ; yea, what we call the jiriiiciple of planting, whether it be flower-beds, cabbage-plots, plantations, or park scenery, is no principle at all, if we except the proper distances and soils for the dift'erent things we plant; all the rest is, as it ought to be, governed by taste. Therefore, how is it pos- sible that one generation can lay down rules of taste for the next generation, or be itself governed by that of the past ? It is just the same with individuals ; and an individual who aspu'es to lead the public in any branches of taste, or branches governed by taste, ought to show no purlicvlnr taste of his own, farther than that certain means are better for certain ends than others ; anything beyond this narrows the channel through which taste flows, according to the influence of the leader. If The Cottage Gaedenee were to take up a certain notion, and say that such-and-such was the most tasteful way of arranging a garden, it has influence enough to do a vast extent of injmy, by thus contracting the means of improvement. Let individual taste, therefore, have fidl play only in private, and it will soon improve on 148 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. KOVEMBER 25. itself. Let it send the results of its experiments, from time to time, to the full glare of light in these pages, and all mil strive to follow, and some will endeavour to improve still further, and thus improvements would go on uniuter rupteJlv, were it not lor the misfortune that a book or an essay appears now and then, in which the author strongly advises the subject of his tale to be carried on according to some improvements which he has etfected, or thought upon, to (he exclusion of (ill otiiers .' Instead of being leaders, such authors ought to be pilloried, as a warning to the public against trusting to such dealers in universal medicines. This is my second and last preface on the subject. I laid the substance of the two before the Editor, at first starting, in quite another form, but he would not hear of my plau. He told me, in effect, you must tell your tale yourself, in the best way you can, and that is all a.buut it. Now, I hope I have done so sufficiently to be understood. In future, I shall be like Bailie Nicol Jarvie, iu Eob Key — "A Bailie," " a magistrate," and " a free-born citizen," sitting, not in judg- ment on the different styles of tastes in laying out flower- gardens, but to give a fair hearing and a suitable inU-oduc- tion to all styles and plans that are sent to me ; so that we may all learn and improve as we go on. The plan before us is very accommodating ; it may stand either in the front of a villa, next the road, or nearest the country. The front-door, or the centre of the house, may be opposite 1-1, or opposite 2-2 ; or it may be a distinct feature in a part away from the house. 1-1 and 2-2 would be one of the best arrangements for " herbaceous plants," and the middle figures for gay bedders. Or if the house stood behind 1, the opposite 1 might be of Dahlias, or with DaUias and a row of the best Hollyhocks behind them. The same with tlie 2. 2. No one can "go up straight to the middle of this garden ; and this is always a wise arrange- ment, particularly in plans of limited extent. Again, l-l and i-a might be made the " Eosary," surrounding the flower-garden, with rose-arches thrown overthe four corners; and if so, pillar-roses, or high standards, ought to run along the centres of each long bed. Those who object to tail standards, and I am one of them, would have pillar-roses about seven feet high, or height of the rose-arches, and festoons from pillar to pillar, and joining the arches. For any of these suggestions, the long beds would need to be at least six feet wide, and eight feet would be better, par- ticularly for the roses, as we must suppose a good pillai-- rose to he at least two feet through at the bottom, and the festoons will need as much room as the bottom of the pillars, to allow them to swing about with the wind. Then with an eight-feet bed we have only room for three rows of , dwar-f-roses on each side of these beds, and hardly that. ! Once moi-e, if these long beds were only three or four feet wide, and raised six inches above tlie general level, filled as Mr. Appleljy says for florists' flowers ; the best late Tulips would do in the one farthest from the house; the hest Iliirl;/ | Tulips, being dwarfer and earher, next the house ; and the side ones with Hyacinths, bordered with Turban or some I common Ranunculus. In the summer, all the long beds, being planted with Roses, might be edged with the white Campnnulii pumilii at six inches from the sides, or the white C. ciirpnticu at nine inches. The plants standing nearly close to each other in the row. Last of all, the two No. 1 beds might be planted with Mayles's I'ariet/utcd Gcrtiuium, and Beinit;/ supreme A'erbena, plant for plant; or the one next the house this way, and the opposite a shot- silk bed, with Verheiui vciiosn, and the old varicgaled Scarlet Geranium. For the middle beds 3-:3 ought to have plants a little taller than i-i and .'J-5, and the dwarfest plants to occupy the four centre beds. If the front door, or the drawing-room window stood opposite 2, then -4 and !) ought to be of one colour, and if a cUfferent plant is used for each, their heights and way of growth ought to be as much alil;e as possible. The same colours should be repeated in the opposite -i and u ; the plants either straight across or corner- wise— that is, the plant in i to be repeated in the •'> at the opposite corner, or just across in the other 4. On the other hand, if the door or window is opposite 1, then 4-i should be of the same height and colour, and Ti-.O may be of quite a different colour, and the plants a little higlier than in 1-f , as they are farther from the eye. For the same reason, the colour in 0-5 should be brighter, or more telling. If 1 is of the variegated Geranium and Pink A'ei'bena, we have a strong pink on a white ground ; and no bli\e, lilac, purple, or white should stand in ;3 iu front of it. I would put the Keutish Hern Calceolaria in this 3, and a bright-yellow Calceolaria in the opposite 3. I would plant S-") with two good pm'ples, or light rose-coloured Verbenas or Petunias, and 4-4 with pink or dark-bluish flowers ; or, say the right- hand 0 was full of Shruhlnml-rosc Petunias, and the left- hand 4 with Sapouariu calahricu, then the right-hand 4 with pink Ivy-leaved Geranium, and the left hand o with I'etuma, Devonicusis. But any other pilants coming near to these sizes and colours would do just as well. It is the firm opinion of the best planters, ho«'e\er, that matching the height of jilants is as essential as the disposition of the colours, if not more so. Also, to suit the height to the size of a bed is of first importance : thus, a circle ten feet in diameter, quite flat, and planted with 2'um-Tli umb Geraniums, all of one size and age, though brilliant in the extreme, would still Vie " bald, like a cat's face," in the eyes of an artist, as I once hoard Sir Charles Barry remark- ing to another great artist, speaking of a great building. The same Tom-'l'liumbs, planted in a circle not more than finu' or five feet through, would make a gem, and a person who did not know on what part of the liody gems are worn, would be just as hkely to wear one across the bridge of the nose as anywhere else ; and it is as essential in placing heights and colours in flower-gardens. AVe have still four beds in tlje centre of our plan, and if you keep in mind what is said of fitting the height of a plant to the size of the bed, if you never planted a bed before, you can plant these four just as well as any of us. We have got the plants and colours so disposed of in the rest of the plan that you cannot possibly mar the effect or add much to it. I would plant the four beds with scarlet and white — either Verljonas or Geraniums — or with four shades, as Ludij Mnrij Fox, Dindcmnlum ru- hcsceus, QuerciJ'olium coecinea, and old DiadcmaUnn. Or, I would Iceep them for any of whatever were my pet plants, as no colour will mucli affect that part of the garden. The little blue Lobelias and yellow (Enothera prosiratn would do there. All the beds might be large enough to allow these centre ones, in proportion, to be three feet on the sides; in that case, two of them with Sapouaria calabrica, the other two of Sanvitalia procumheus, ^vol\\d look very well indeed; but then there should be none of the Sapouaria in the plan. After all this, there are ten other diflerent ways to manage this plan ei]ually well. I). Beaton. ALLOTMENT EAllMIXa.— DEctcMRER. Feosty, dark December 1 the very sound of this month is but too apt to engender in the sons of the soil apathetic feelings. The iron rule of the Ice king, the investment of the earth's surface with a mantle of snow, or, what is generally the alternative, sleety, drizzling rains, tmiiing midday into a land of twilight, ajipear to furnish a solid excuse for a total neglect of the soil. And, indeed, either of these conditions, wliilst it lasts, is a serious impediment to garden operations. Still, let not any nuui fancy that the smell, by anticipation, of the Chiistmas pudding, can alone furnish a thorough excuse for hanging up the spade and mattock to rest for a month or two. Of course, the ordinary labourer has no overplus time to spare from his regular emplo}', which, after all, is the main thing, and to which all other things must give place. He may be, which we hope he is, in full employ, his services regularly re- quired by his master. But most employers will grant a diiy by chance for a special matter, the thing properly e.x- plained. If we were to seek for a fault in the allotment system, as co'nnected with om' agrarian population, it would be where too much temptation exists to absent themselves from their regular employ; in consequence of which a host of ill-feelings sometimes arise. The winter has been, perhaps, an unusually protracted one, or the early spring months excessively wet ; at last a favourable period arrives for working the soil ; the employer is all on tiji-toe, of course, for he has a rent to jiay, and a living to make. Well, the very approach of fine weather aud long days is the signal for the labom'er to begin a spring career on his plot, and if NoVEMBEH 2;"). THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 149 that plot is nearly a statute acre — as is frequently the case in some districts — there is too often an end of aU comfort hetween tlie employer and employed. We do not say that such cases are the rule : the exception they are and need he ; but when they do occur they are not a whit less a griev- ance. The only cure for all this is with those who grant allotment plots, to taUe care that they are not sufficiently large to draw the liolder away from his ordinary duties. By experience, we ai'e assured that half-an-acre is too nmch, and we should suggest a quarter, as well meeting the average of cases. But, perhaps, these remarks apply more to the holders of cottages, to which land has long been attached ; with these we have had 7nuc/i to ilo during the last twenty years as labourers under our superintendence, and can bear ample testimony to the asperity of feelings induced by having labourers who would be ever at their post iu the short or bad days, and off without notice o]i the first fine day, when real business might be advantageously carried out. But now for the business of the allotment or cottage gardener, for oui' duties lie with both. First of all, we will ask, Is the land riJfjed from which crops have been totally removed, and which is liable to be soured by rain or snow ? That is to say, is it piled up to mellow by the irinter's frosts, and to draui from the winter's snow? If not, you have omitted a most necessary pro- ceeding, which we assuredly have not omitted to advise in former papers. In order to save repetition, we beg to refer the attentive reader to page 00, on the improvement of the staple, and pass on to think about rotations for the ensuing year; for we will try and persuade every one of our allotment friends, yea, and cottage gai'deners too, to spend the dull evenings, which are not only approaching, but at our threshold, in conning over the various modes or schemes of cropping, by which a pro^i may be realised, and the domestic comlbrts of the family increased. Those who may feel thus inchned, may refer to many back allotment papers for suggestions, and we will here again offer the I'esults of many con- siderations of this question, carried on for some years, in which, according to cue of our fine writers, we liave en- deavom'ed to " make each day a critic on the last." We do take it for granted that the production of keepiiuj roots is the chief basis on which allotment cropping ought to rest, and that all mixed cropping ought to be held sub- ordinate to this principle. Of course, if no pig is kept, it materially alters the question ; and if both cow and pigs, more so still. The latter being quite the exception, we have, in general, paid less attention to it ; but as to a pig alone, that constitutes, doubtless, the majority of cases. In connection with this view of the case, we hold another maxim — viz., that deep digging or trenching ought to he had recourse to every third year. Such being admitted, it becomes a consideration what class of crops to trench for. As to the benefits derivable from trenching, it is to be hoped that to the minds of many of our readers they are quite familiar ; to others we say, that all crops with which we are acquainted, unless of a very stubborn character, enjoy a taste of the subsoil, which appears to contain certain in- organic matters of importance to most crops. This, bow- ever, is not all — depth of root to crops that have to undergo culture a whole summer and autumn is of immense im- portance. Two plots of the Sicede Turnip shall stand side by side, the soil equal in quality, and in the same condition as to prerious cropping. No. 1 shall be trenched two feet deep, using the manure between the spits ; No. 2 shall be dug the depth of a half-worn spade, which we will call seven inches, and the same amount of manure dug in. And now we will suppose a hot and dry time in August. The almost certain result would be, that No. 2 will grow with more rapidity, if showery weather, for the first month : but as soon as overtaken by drought it will become stationary, and not only that, but mildewed. The greater expanse of fohage will ouly subject them to a higher amount of elabo- ration when the drought comes, and if they cannot extend their fibres in a degree commensurate with the drought in their foliage, they begin to flag, and this flagging indicates the condition of sap requisite to encourage the mildew. By this time. No. I shall he striking downwards, and shall have fibres more than a foot in depth, where there is a per- manency of moisture, whilst No. 2 has four-fifths of its fibres in mere dust. Thus stands the case with most crops that we have experimented on ; and we boldly affirm that the case is in no way overcharged. The destruction of weeds, insects, Jtc, although we hold it to be a subordinate consideration, is by no means unimportant ; and thus, alto- gether, surely a case is made out for a periodical trenching. For general purposes, we do think that the crops for an allotment may be placed in three equal divisions, under the heads — Eoots, JMiscellaneous Crops, Potatoes. Now, although it is not intended rigidly to enforce so I'ery dis- tinct a separation of objects, yet, on the whole, w-e would adhere to it as a maxim, and, aljove all, take it as a guid- ing principle annually, as the allotment planning came round. This will keep the cultivator from confusion, and by it, if tolerably well adhered to, be will always be in a position to know the past history of his plots and prospective hopes. These things bemg settled, mixed or " stolen crops " may be so woven iu with the system, as not to derange the main plan ; and this must be from a full consideration of the habits and periods of the principal crops. Although Potatoes may be fairly classed among the root- crops, yet in this we would keep them separate ; they require separate culture in these days, and, moreover, by separating them the chief of the remaining root-crops will be the deep- rooted or fusiform class, for which depth is particularly essential. This brings us to oivr point : the ground in three divisions, one dirision trenched annually, and that for the root-crops. Now these root - crops, ixnder such circumstances, we would term renewal - crops, or renovators — not that they detract less from tbe soil than others, hut tliat extra depth and extra culture leaves the land in first-rate order for other successions. They will prove excellent preparers for either Potatoes or the Miscellaneous section ; but where many of the Cabbageworts are grown, we should prefer following them with Potatoes, without a particle of manure, presuming the ground to have been liberally treated for the Cabbageworts. We have no more space for rotation affairs, and now beg of oiu- little gardeners to study this matter during these long evenings, and to lay on the fire an extra log, for the wind begins to whistle tln'ough every cranny. When they have once decided, let them get a stick or two, shave one end flat for writing on, get a little thick white paitit, which rub thinly on the writing part, and immediatfly write the name of the crop ; if succeeded by anything, or to receive a "stolen crop," with the cu'cumstances of manuring, digging, A-c. Thus — " Broad Beans sown early in February, rows three feet; /vVJc planted between, sown March. Beans succeeded by Cuhhnyeii'orls, or Coleworts, sown middle of June ; lightly manured, and dug iu end of November into ridges ; ridges levelled down in beginning of February." AVe have written in full, but an ingenious mind mil soon make short work of this by a system of abbreviations, or substituting signs or marks for words. Thus, sown may be represented thus, . . . . ; planting thus, X representing a dibble, com- monly called a " dibber ; " the months by first and last letter — thus. My. May, Jy. July, and so on. Even tbe dig- ging and trenching may stand thus, 1, 2, the one single, the other double digging ; and the period of the month by b., m., e., signifying beginning, middle, and end. We now take leave of this portion, having " broken the ice " fairly. Priming for Spring Crops. — Let not our friends despise the soot of their chimneys, but hoard it up for niixtm-es to drill with ; this we call priming. Such, mixed in spring with burnt or charred rubbish, and the residue of old manure heaps, old leaf or vegetable soil, and a little of Messrs. Gibbs' Peruvian Guano, all well blended, will soon set your young plants on their legs. Ditclics and Fences. — If your allotment or garden has anything of this kind, pray do not delay till the spring, if you can possibly carry anything out. Experience tells us, that spring, if faudy personified by the painter, might come in the shape of a young, strong, and raw, broad-shouldered fellow ; but of what use is it having broad shoidders, if they are compelled to do double duty. If his sage old pai-ent, winter, has been a far-seeing old gentleman, and has cun- ningly had a portion of the burdens destined for the young squires shouldering got rid of before-hand, why all we can say is — a wise sire, and a lucky youth. But joking will not 130 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 2.'i do ; and we say, at least cleai- out water courses, mouths of drains, or anything else that tells of a stagnation ; in fact, any boundary matter also ; and if scourings, dubbings, ditchings, or" any bulky vegetable matter comes to hand, i pray secure it ; Dy to mellow, and to decompose it. j In conclusion, we advise, make up your roliilions betimes ; i proceed with not only improvements where possilde, but necessary business, ridging and digging, if feasible, for early spring cropping. And, above all, loolc to yom' manure- heaps ; if not yet wanted, tlirow them up into steep conical heaps, in order to keep the rain out. If any one doubts the effects of much rain on a heap of muck, let him look at the colour of the water in the nearest ditch below the muck heap, or watch his mfe's teapot. li. Eeeington. THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— December. By J. H. Payne, Esq., Author of'^ The Bee-Kce-j)cfs Guide," i(:c. Answees to Many Questions. — Numerous have been the questions to me of late : " What am I to do witli my weak stocks ; how can I keep them through the winter ?" To all I would say, as I have already repeatedly done, feed them well, in the manner aU'eady directed in the pages of The Cottage Gakdenek, and you may keep them through the winter. Enemies. — Guard well against birds and mice ; except a vigilant eye is kept upon these, sad inroads may he made amongst your stocks, especially in exposed situations, and at this season they are most to be feared. Ventilation. — Look well to this matter for the next two months, where the bees are in boxes or straw hives with wood tops ; hives entirely of strav/ will not requh-e it. A small opening at the top of each box, with an inverted tumbler placed over it, will be sufficient. Fi.ooR-BoARDS. — Give the floor-boards a cleaning, and, at the same time, see that the hives have not suffered from the late unusually heavy rains. Freeness from damp is essential to their prosperity, for with it the richest stocks are sometimes destroyed. Snow. — Be particularly careful to shut up during the time that snow lies upon the ground, for wdien the sun shines upon the hives at that time the bees are induced to come out, when numbers perish, by which the hives are much depopulated. Driving Bees. — Thanks are due to " Investigator " for his paper in The Cottage Gardener of the 11th instant. I willingly tender him mine ; many practical hints may be gathered from it, even by those who are far away from the " Moors." Erratum. — In my last Calendar, in Mr. Taylor's letter, for woi-kiiiy read mukiny. COST OF KEEPING SHANGHAE FOWLS. Although, Sir, I am, with yourself, very willing to credit the accuracy of " Callus's " report of his experiments on feeding, and feel, as mtist all interested in the subject, much indebted to him for the trouble he has taken in the nu^tter, I must, for one, confess that I am very far from thinking those experiments conclusive on the points attempted to be definitively settled by tliem — namely, as either showing that the Cochin-China breed are larger consumers of food than either the Spanish or the Dorking ; or, supposing this to be so, as proving that, therefore, the former is a less profitable breed for the cottager than either of the latter. I think, indeed, that very few of your luiprejudiced or disinterested readers will be inclined to admit that those trials, opposed as they are in their results to the experience of so many equally reliable authorities, are of so satisfactory a nature as to justify " Gallus's " opinion of tliem — that they will of themselves suffice to plead the cause he has imdertaken ; j and, with your permission, I will endeavour to point out , in what particulars they appear to me wholly unsatisfactory. First, then, and in addition to the exceptions taken by you, I altogether object to chichens, or any but full-grown birds, forming part of experiments snade to nscertain the points I in question. It will hardly be maintained by Anster Bonn, or any other champion of the large breed, that bu'ds which, when full-grown, weigh as ranch as twelve pounds, will re- quire no more food to bring them to maturity than others which, wlien full-grown, only attain half that weight, which is not far from the relative diflerence in the weights of Cochins, on the one hand, and Spanish and Dorkings on the other ; consequently, if the rapidity of growth is in at all proportionate rates in the large and smaller breeds, it cannot but follow that chickens of the larger breed will consume most food. But it does not necessarily follow, as I will presently attempt to show, that the largest consumers of food, when chickens, are therefore the least remunerative breed to keep. A less obvious, but not on that account a less valid ob- jection to admitting any but fuU-grown birds into these experiments, is the fact, sutheiently notorious to observant amatem's, that at dift'erent and uncertain periods of their growth, chickens, particulai'ly of the Shanghae breeds, in- crease in weight very much faster than at others (this is partly seen by a comparison of the weights in tables 3 of " Gallus's" experiments) ; and not unfreipieutly, after con- tinuing for a time in a slowly-growing state, they will, with a sudden impetus as it were, " go ahead," and develop so rapidly in shape and size as in a few days almost to outgrow the recollection of the feeder. At such times their appe- tites are most voracious, and the amount of food cousmned is in no proportion to what might have been a fair estimate of it before this impetus in growth set in. Hence, results derived from experiments with birds subject to such adven- titious influences must be of questionable authority. These objections are, I think, insuperable to the conclusiveness of " Gallus's" experiments; but there are others which, though they may appear to some captious and trivial, to those who are aware of the difficulty of obtaining reliable results in all experiments on the feeding of animals, will of themselves be thought sufficient to preclude safe deductions being drawn from a consideration of the abstract results of these trials. Such are — the want of sameness in the condition of the old birds, some being in moult, some laring, and others not; the unequal advantages to which the difierent lots were subjected — one lot having tlie run of a lai-ge plantation and stubble field, and another access to a lai-ge grass field and i^lantation, while two more lots were confined to a wire cage, and occasionally fed with bread by children ; apparently, too, some little difference in the description of food given to one or two lots, and a few days variation in the date of commencing the trial in lots 4, — none of them, perhaps, very important circumstances individually, but in the aggregate, and whether regarded as in favour or against any particular view of the subject, must, from the want of uniformity and precision in the details, militate against the accuracy of the results. I suspect that the objectors to the Shanghae and Cochin- China breeds, on the score of their being such large con- sumers of food, have come to this conclusion from their experience of what the ynuiiii liirds of tlicse breeds are cnpaljle of in this way, when contrasted with those of the smaller breeds ; but sm-ely this is an unfair comparison, unless the much greater weight of auinuxl food obtained as an equivalent, and the rapidity witli which that food is produced in the one case over the other, is also taken into account and compared. It is a well-known law in the economy of healthy-growing animals, that tlie great bulk of the nutriment of tlie food consumed, or all but a minute portion of it, is applied to build up the various textm-es of which the body is composed ; ancl as in edible vegetables, so in the case of animals used as food — the more rapid the growth and formation of these textures the better will be the quality, the more delicate tlio consistence and fiavour of the food so produced. Looking, tlicrefore, at the " chicken" merely as a machine for the conversion of cheap materials into a costly ai-ticle of animal food, the point to be considered by those who have this object in view, and would be guided by motives of economy in their selection is, not which machine will consume least of the raw material (for, in any case, the equivalent in the manu- factured article will be in a fixed proportion to the amoinit of materials employed), but which will manufacture the article most expeditiously, and give the quickest return of serviceable food. Here, I think, it will not be questioned, NOVEMEEE 25. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. IJl that the Cochin-China hreed xiossesses this property in a pre-eminent degree — seeing that their chickens at four months old will outweigh those of Spanish or Dorking at six. And with regard to the quality of their flesh, the general opinion expressed hy your con'espondents is, I think, decisive that, although there exists as yet some little prejudice against the long legs and colour of the skin, they come behind no hreed in the essentials which render this description of food so valuable an adjunct to the table. And, certainly, my ow'n opinion, founded on pretty exten- sive trials in this agreeable particular, is not opposed to that conclusion. Take, now, the other commodity, to the remunerative pro- duction of which the attention of the cottager would he more especially directed in forming his estimate of the most suitable breed, namely, " Eggs." In the full-grown laying hen, as in the growing chicken, only a very inconsiderable part of the nutriment, as compared with the whole extracted from the food eaten, is required to replace the loss occa- sioned by the waste which, to a certain extent, is continually going on in the bodies of all animals. By far the larger portion of it is diverted to supply the specific drain which is necessary to, and results in, the formation of the egg; and it wiU be found, with here and there perhaps an exception, that in proportion to the food consumed will be the fertility of the hen in her yield of eggs. So that here, again, if we regard the hen as an " egg-producing machine," the ques- tion of preference with the cottager ouglit to be — not which breed of hens are the smallest eaters (for the number of eggs laid being in the ratio of the food consumed, he will assuredly with small eaters also have but indifferent layers) — but, which breed will manufacture their food most expe- ditiously ; which, in short, possesses the greatest egg-pro- ducing power, irrespective of the food consumed, which, however, mil be a true reflex of that power. Now, my own opinion is, that nothing can excel the Cochin-China breeds in the number of eggs they produce. Spanish, I believe, may equal them in this respect, and even surpass them in weight of eggs, and though, the quality of the eggs being the same, I should esteem this an important point, it would be of httle benefit to the cottager so long as eggs are sold by number and not weight. But the superior richness and flavour of the smaller egg will, I think, in the long run, prove more than a set-off against any deficiency in its size, for I am quite of opinion that when the breed becomes more general, this superiority will be so notorious as to enable them to command a better price than the eggs of any other breed, particularly in our large towns, where quality, in all that conduces to the gratification of the palate at least, is so well appreciated. Allowing, however, the merits of the two breeds as layers to be equal (I do not here include Dorkings, as from my experience of them they do not, as layers, merit a comparison, and this defect will, I think, partly account for their being, which they indisputably are, so excellent a fowl for the table), there remains one point, and to my thinking onhj one, on the question of the alleged greater cost of keeping Cochins over Spanish, and that is in the supposed ease of a cottager who may have no market for his chickens, and whose sole object, there- fore, in rearing poultry, would be for the profit of their eggs. Being told that both breeds are equally prolific layers, but that Cochins, from their quicker growth and greater size, were the most expensive to keep ns chickens, unless he could dispose of them as such, he might not unreasonably ask whether there were any advantages in the large breed, over the small, which would compensate for this diiferenoe in the cost of keeping, prior to the period of laying. On this point your readers have had such ample means of forming an opinion, both from the excellent articles of Anster Bonn, and the interesting communications of so many able corres- pondents, that I am unwilling to say anything on the subject, further than that in my own opinion, more than an equivalent, for this small additional cost, will be found in the fact of the Cochins exeeUiug, not only Spanish, but all other fowls, as far as I am conversant with them, as winter layers. A consideration of all others perhaps the most im- portant to the cottager. — SH.iKGHAE Mandarin. HARDY HERBACEOUS LOBELIAS. Lobelia Syphii.itica. — How rarely is this beautiful plant to be seen, in either a choice selection, or even in botanical collections, where anything and everything should be kept for the lovers of plants. Notwithstanding the tine high colours of the Lobelia splendens and fulijens, and their varieties, we think tliis much prettier, and very desirable to mix with them in a bed or border. Indeed, we think tins the hardiest and handsomest of all of the upright- growing " Cardinal flowers." It rises from two to three feet high ; the whole plant is of a pale green colour, and leafy from the root to the very tip of its flower-stems, and a profuse bloomer; its flowers are of a hght-blue colour; indeed, the whole plant makes a very striking appearance in the flower-border at all seasons, for even its leafy crowns are always visible, forming evergreen bunches in the borders during winter. It is a native of Virginia, and was introduced to this country in 166.5. In order to keep it growing to perfection it should be taken up, divided, and replanted every year in the spring months. The soil cannot be too rich for it, and it should be planted in rather a cool situation. We always choose new spots for these plants every year in our borders, and take care to keep a number of plants, in particular of any choice kinds, well working up the natural soil, and adding to it a spade or two of turfy-loam and leaf mould in equal parts; then planting a compact bunch of the j)lant, and with the hand pressing the soil about it snug and fi_rm. Its time of flowering is from August to October. Being anxious to have enough of it, we have often put a bit of it in the kitchen-garden, at the foot of some of the vegetable quarters, where rich enough is the soil, and which is a new place too to the plant. These make fine specimens to lift into pots, in September, to take to a Horticultural Exhibition. Sometimes we have turned this plant out again to take its course like others in the borders until spring ; and at other times we have in- dulged it with ° to 70*^. Cherries, (see Pencft). Coverings, apply assiduously, so as to be able to give air frequently. Fires, use discreetly, to repel frost, to sus- tain the proper temperature, and to be able to give air rather liberally. Figs, (see Peach). Glass ; wash all roofs. Grapes, late fruit, fire freely in the day with much air; avoid spilling water in house, and use the scissors once a-week thoroughly. Insects, extirpate, now is the time; do not forget the soft-soap, the sulphur, the sponge, and fumigation. Kidney-beans, pot in five-inch pots, four in a pot; the Dun's and Ncwini^fun })'under ; light secure by all means ; keep glass clean washed. flIusiiROOMS, temperature 50'^ to 55^; plenty of air moisture. Nec- tarine and Peach in blossom, keep at about 55^ by day, at night about -10°; water very sparingly; shake branches gently, to distribute the pollen ; stir earth around often. Pines, secure 60° to 70^ to fruiters, with plenty of air; bottom-heat, 77° in dung-pits, keep hardy by plenty of air, and good linings ; no water until the end of January. Roots, protect in all tubs, boxes, pots, 8), " Newly potted plants will be benefited by a heat of about 00° for two or tlu-ee weeks; after which time it may fall to 85° max. and 80° min.; but in the winter 75° will be sufficient for successions. The bottom-heat required for those plants which are to produce several fruits from the same plants ought to be as equable as possible, at a medium of about 80°, and not to fluctuate more than 3° above or below. However, I have known a plant to swell well in the summer in a bottom-heat of 70"; but in winter, when the superincumbent air is kept cooler, the plants that are swelling their fruits will make but little progress except the bottom-heat be about 80°." We may here caution young beginners against the erroneous idea of going a-head by means of extreme bottom-heats : we advise them not to exceed 85° on any account, until they quite understand the habits of the Pine. We saw some of the finest grown Pines in England, this summer, at Alnwick Castle gardens, the seat of liis Grace of Nortiiumberland ; gardens kept in capital order by Mr. Pillans, the head gardener. The bottom-heat to these Pines could not have been above 75°, and the pots only half plunged, Mr. P. preferring to depend on a pot full of robust roots, to any extra attempts at stimulating the vital action of the plants. Composts. — At p. 7, Mr. H. says, " With regard to rich composts, I mean not to dispute their efficiency; I can assure the public, however, that the Pine will flourish well without them if the system of root and atmospheric moisture here recommended be adhered to : water and air, there can be little doubt, constitute the principal food of the Pine-apple." These are strong views, and no doubt, in the main, correct; but it is well known that some of our best pine-growers use liquid- manure, and this we think by far the best form of manuring; for the admixture of manurial matters in the soil has a tendency to hasten the decomposition of the organic matter; and we do think that on the long preservation of this depends, in a great degree, that longevity in the roots which Mr. H. takes as the basis of his system. See heading " Longevity." Mr. H. has, since writing his very useful little book, stated to me by letter, that he considers a good loam, rich in vegetable fibre, complete in itself for the culture of the Pine; and we recommend the opinion to our readers. Disrooting. — This, about which so much fuss was made in our laddish days, is now entirely repudiated by all good gardeners, and is only justifiable when plants have received abuses, injuring or destroying their roots; or in case the soil in their pots has become what is technically termed " soured." For further notice, see " Longevity." Errors. — We merely take this in its course to dii-ect attention to one or two which have somehow crept into our remarks ; they will be corrected in the conclusion. Foliage. — Those who watch the evidence in this Pine case will remember Mr. H.'s dry way of defending the poor unoffending foliage. " Be as careful," he says, " of cutting the foliage as you would of cutting your corns." This language, although not remarkable for dignity, is highly emphatic. At p. (i3 of his unmistakable little book he says, "No destroying nor shortening healthy leaves," &o. Would not the late Mr. Ivnight, of Downton, have rejoiced to find that his deep diving into Nature's secrets had not been in vain ; that the very class of men who were best able to appreciate high principles (and, perhaps, least fitted to seize them at one period through the giant-like tyranny of that hard slave-driver, pre- scription) had entered into his labours. Let then, we say, no man cut away a leaf of a Pine until he can show a sound reason (not fancy) for so doing. Mr. H. 160 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Dfxember 2. very valiantly contends for the astounding longevity of the Pine roots: why did he not say tliat the foliage wras barely second to tiieul in that capacity ? Those who desire to look further into this matter may just refer to pages 37, G4, and " Address," p. 6, of Mr. H.'s edition of 1845. Kinds. — There are, perhaps, some sixty varieties or more in this country, but the principal kinds grown are the Providence, Queen, Enville, Jauiaica, and Cayenne. Mr. Hamilton's planting-out system has been principally confined to the .Jamaicas, Queens, and Providences ; though, we think, he has not cultivated the last to the extent of the two former. He says, " All the Queens, except the old variety, are well adapted to my system. The old Queen is apt to breed too many suckers." In another place he says, " I like the Queens best for quantity of fruit." What the Cayennes may prove under this system is not well decided; but it must be kept in mind that the Jamaica is the most valuahle as winter fruit; the Queens then become insipid. LoNOEViTi'. — It was formerly considered that the roots of the Pine possessed no vitality worth consideration [ beyond a year or two ; but the fact was, gardeners gene- j rally contrived to shorten the days of the roots by bad i culture. Mr. H. says (p. 6, and edit.), " It has, however, j been established, by the results of many years practice at , Thornfleld, that one Pine plant is capable of ])roduciug ' one or more fruit annually for any period of time." Again, i p. 49, "I had remarked that all the largest fruit, but more | particularly the Enville and Queens, were produced I from those plants which had been the longest potted j previous to "fruiting." Mr. O. Jennings, of Knowsley, i the seat of Earl Derby, and Mr. Fleming, of Trentham, j have, he says, adopted his ideas; Mr. J. has produced splendid results, and Mr. F., it seems, has, in a public print, pronounced Hamilton's system to be tlie best ; j this mode of culture, as i)efore observed, being based principally on the lougevity of the roots. There can be no question, it appears, that those minute fibres, scarcely visible, and which i-amify with age in all directions,^ penetrating drainage materials, and every lump of turf or soil, possess vast absorbing powers, and that of a continuous character, if totally undistiu-bed. T'hese were despised in former times ; our old cultivators could only recognise those lusty white roots which the Pine makes up the stem, and to obtain which, disrooting and other tricks were had recourse to. Those who understand the culture of Orchids will very well understand the j position of this question. We do not expect to find our friend Appleby disrooting and leaf-stripping his huge ; specimen Cattloyas every year, unless it be to make a five pound plant into a ten-pounder, by cutting ten slices i at a pound each. Main minciples. — These, in the abstract, may be ! thus summed up:— 1st. A secured air-heat adapted to the season: summer, 75° to 85°; winter, 60° to 70°; other periods about intermediate, principally ruled by the amount of light. '~!nd. A certain and little fluctuating bottom-heat, bearing a close relation to the air-heat, in summer about 81°, winter about 75°; other periods 1 principally graduated according to the demand on the foliage through light and heat. 3rd. Atmospheric moisture at all times in proportion to the amount of heat. ith. A liberal ventilation without sudden checks, on principle for the purification of the air, and as an expedient to reduce extreme beats. Lastly, undisturbed i-oot action, in a proper aud long-enduring medium. Now this is simply an epitome of all the rest, aud to knowing pine-growers may seem superfluous ; but as these papers profess to set the matter on a plain footing to a rising generation of pine-men, we feel that the matter cannot be set in too strong a light. I Moisturk. — Hero we have air moisture, and root 1 jnoistuve ; two very different affairs. The former cau hardly be supplied in a too liberal way by any of the ordi- nary means, provided heat and a free ventilation be concomitants. As to root moisture, little is needed by the Hamiltonian mode. Mr. H. writes thus as to an inquiiy ahout wateiing — " I have watered at the root twice this summer." It must be observed here that the plants are out of pots; llifir immoveable fibres seizing on aud in- vesiing all kinds of material in the bed, soil, turfy matters, and even, no doubt, the very stones, debris, &c., &c., attached to which they have a proper feeding ground, an exemption from dangerous extremes, and, doubtless, collect food continually Irom the gaseous matters by which they are surrounded ; the latter brought into play by beat and moisture. Old stools. — Mr. H. is all for planting clean stools, if to be had, in preference to young plants, unless the latter are exceedingly strong. He, however, shows that, although Mr. Knight, of Downton, used old stools, that they were in error in totally disrooting or shaking the soil from the roots ; " by which prac- tice," he says, "I have discovered the plants will fre- quently make a long growth before they fruit." Our readers will here see the importance of planting such stools out without disturbance. If, he adds, they cannot be had with roots and balls, there need be no hesitation in planting them without at once into the compost, where, if handled according to the directions in his book, he will guarantee them to produce first-rate fruit the first year. He adds, " They may be planted at any time." Planting out. — This heading is almost a repetition of the former. W^e wiU, nevertheless, take this opportunity to suggest attention to the modes described in an earlier paper, viz., that twenty inches of soil is enough, and that the pipes be covered with broken bricks three inches, also three inches between ; the pipes will, consequently, be fairly imbedded in bricks or rubble of some kind. Aud here, one remark-. Any one about to commence might fancy the soil would get too dry without some provision for water; but such is not the case it appears : Mr. H. solidly aflirms this. Indeed, the following extract from a recent letter will show how this stands : " You seem surprised about the ' Chamber' afiair. 1 have dispensed with them everywhere, or nearly so. I have proved the beneficial effects of covering the pipes with rubble (in- stead of chambering) for twenty years, and never found any inconvenience from the soil getting caked or dry. I should be cautious of laying anything that is a non- conductor between the rubble and the soil. The nibble at the top may be covered with rough gravel, the fine sifted out." In another paper we shall probably finish the Hamil- tonian system. R. Erhinoion. BULBS. {Contimicil from pngc 14'^.) AUtrumeria Hoolcenana, alias rosea. — This is a beau- tiful dwarf species, and one of the hardiest of them, keeps its leaves the whole winter in the open border, unless the winter is very bard ; and if the to]is get kiUed it is the first of them which is above ground in the spring. It will grow in the very richest kitchen- garden soil ; but the front of a vinery, where the border is well drained, is the place it likes best. It is also a good pot-plant, as the leaves and flower-stems are more rigid than any of the rest — besides being dwarf, like jtal.chra. The colour is diflicult to describe : rosea was a bad name for it, as one-half of the flower is not rose colour; the jioints of the petals are greenish, then rosy, the bottom of the upper or back petals are light and full of streaks and speckles, with a shade of yellow between the white and rosy parts. It will not cross with pcref/riiia, jisiUctcina, or aiirca. A. percgriaa (the Foreigner). — This is the oldest of DECElIBift 2. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 161 the gonus under ciiltivatiou. It was gathered along with a few more of theui by a Frenchman named Feuillet, who first introduced them. Linnaus named them for the Frenchman, and founded the genus on jiercgrbia, but, by a misprint, it is called " jjelegrina," in Feuillct's book ; and in the Coitaije OanUners Dictionanj ; also iu every list of them, but one, that has appeared iu the old or new world from that day to tills. Dr. Herbert corrected the error, however, in 1837. Peregrina means " a foreign lady," and it is evident that Linnaeus, who was fond of joking, gave a feminine termiualion to Baron Alstromer's name, purposely to suit jteregrina. It is one of the best pot-plants among them, and is hardy enough to live in a border or cold pit, if the border is slightly covered duriug frost. There is a garden variety of it with white flowers, which does better in a pot, and Gumming found a greenish-white variety of it near A^alparaiso ; still it is not easy to get it to cross with others, and the white one does not always come true from seeds. A. psitlacina (Parrot-like). — This is the ne.'it tallest and hardiest after aurea, and will grow and flower in the open border in any good garden soil The flowers are dull red, with green tips and black spots. This came out in 182'.J. A. pukhella (Preilj). — Orange and red, approaching to scarlet. For many years this was considered a distinct species, and, as such, it was figured iu all the Magaziaes ; but now it must fall iuto Vau Houtte's Ghent varieties along with another called Siiiisii or Simsiana. They are all from a common type— hamantha, and any one may run them into endless varieties. Since I wrote about lumvmtlm (page Mi), 1 have learned that Jl. Van Houtte denies a hybrid origin to his seedlings, but that he had them from wild seeds — which only proves that the seeds were gathered in South Chili, where Prappig states that ho found luBmantha in meadows near Antuco, running iuto all shades of red, orange, lemon and white. Another, called pilosa in the " Botaidcal Hegister," is one of them. All these varieties make a gorgeous bed planted togethef, and are as easily managed as so many common tulips or hyacinths, only that the roots ought to be taken up every other year to prevent their going too dee]) in the bed. A. pnlchra (Fair).— This is the last in our enumera- tion of them ; it was first figured in the Botanical Maijazine. It is called tricolor, in Hooker's Exotic Flora, and Flos Martini, in the Botanical Register. Gumming found it near Valparaiso, and it appears to have a great range in Chili, according to the other travellers. When I was collecting the species, many years ago, I found two or three seedlings of this at Mr. Loddige's Nursery, at Hackney ; they were a dirty white, with green tips, and not worth much, but proving how much they are given to sport. Tricolor is a better name than the true one, but it has four distinct colours, if not five — d. white or light groirud, streaked with purple, red and green tips, with a dash of yellow across the petals. It is quite as hardy as the rest of them, and is well adapted for pot-culture. I once had a beau- tiful bed of them, a circle, planted thus — a large mass of aurea in the centre, then a row of psittacina, round tha.t h(Bmantha, and some of ^Ji'^c/tra, and ^«)'<'(/n»!n, in one row, for want of a good stock of them, with a border of Hookeriaita ; this bed I afterwards turned into a basket-form, by planting a row of Boinarea acittifolia, and hirtella, or ovata, as some call it, quite round the sides : the bed was three feet deep, and nearly one-half of quite rotten leaf-mould, with a soft yellow loam. The two Bomareas grew ten to twelve feet in this, and were trained round and round, and at a height of eighteen- inches, on sticks with a handle of hazel rod across, on which acittifolia was trained from both ends. This bed was much admired, but now, by using the best of the Ghent seedlings, along with aurea and psitlacina in the middle, a splendid bed, of any shape, might be made much easier, and I can vouch for it, that if it was hedged with these twining Bomareas, ])lanted also eighteen or thirty inches, so as to get a thick mass of them, they would much improve the bed, and be in character too, besides the novelty of the thing; for I am ! not aware of any one else having ever used them so. ■ I may remark, that almost all the Alstrvmerias are natives of Chili, and that out of forty Bomareas de- j scribed, none were found iu the whole of Chili, but two species. The rest are natives of Peru, and northwards into Guatemala and Mexico. Amanjllis. — Since this genus was printed for the Cottage Gardeners' Dictionanj, strange relations re- specting it have appeared, which overthrow both Dr. I Herbert's arrangenieuts, and that liy Dr. Lindley, iu the regetahle Kingdom. The greatest amount of prac- tical knowledge on one side, and consummate philosophy on both sides, were not suflicient to hear the natural test of a true arrangement. In the AmarglUdacea, the greatest point of difference by which Amaryllis, and other allied genera are kept asunder, is a solid flower- stalk, or a hollow one. So many genera have the flower-stalk hollow, or pipy, and so many the reverse. According to Dr. Herbert's ideas, a bulb with a solid flower-stalk or scape, could no more be crossed with one having the scape hollow, than with " an oak-tree." In the Vegetable Kingdom, the true Amaryllids are also divided into two sections, the point of difference being the cup or coronet, peculiar to many of them, as the cup inside the flower of a Nai'oissus. All Amaryllids having this cup iu the flower are in one division, and those of them wanting the cup iu the other. Two very simple and convenient arrangements, but they are not natural, neither are the genera in them placed according to their natural aftinity. In both, Amaryllis is placed far from Vallota, and in both, J'allota is kept much asunder from Brunsvigia, yet the three ought to stand side-by-side, and be followed by CyrtantJms. Dr. Herbert could not cross one s]iecies of i Brunsvigia [midtijiora) with Amaryllis, therefore, he thought Brunsrigia might "yet be upheld." But in New South , Wales, where all the Brunsvigias and Amaryllises cross freely, the cross seedlings from Bruns- vigia multijlora are the most showy of all, as we might expect. The gentleman who eft'ected this cross with whom the plants first flowered in I847, tells us (Oar- dsners' Chronicle, 18.50, 470), that as many as from twenty to forty flowers Averc on a single scape, and that the " colour is generally like that of Passiflora Icer- mesina." And at home 1 have put the union of Vallota, C'yrtanthus, and Brunsvigia Josepihina!, beyond a doubt. If Dr. Herbert was alive, he would be the first to acknowledge the necessity for re-arranging of the genera afresh, and this explanation was necessary at the outset, in order to remove doubts that might naturally be entertained against such and such crosses as I shall suggest here and there iu these ])apers on bulbs. I have no wish to change a single name; it is more con- venient to hold on as we are, as we do with Azalea, Pihodora, and Khododendron. All that I claim is, a fair hearing, because I have now no means of pushing such experiments myself. Amaryllis Belladonna. — This is the best known of all the family ; and whatever we may think of the soil in which it is found growing at the Cape, there is no doubt but it likes a good rich soil and an open air treatment in this country. I never saw it growing in a pot half so finely and so vigorously as it does in the open air. Miller's compost for it is as good as any that has been tried since; at two feet deep, after draining the border. J 02 THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. December 2. lie mixed a quantity of rotten dung ; aftei- that be put a foot of rich garden loam, planted his bulbs, and used a lighter soil on the top, the bulbs standing six inches deep. We have seen lately how beautifully they get it to flower at Claremont under similar treatment, and a change every sixth year. I have also seen it flowering well with the bulbs nearly out of the gi'ound, in a very rich border. It increases fast from off-set bulbs, but does not seed freely, or but very seldom in this country. In Australia it seeds freely enough, and the cross seed- lings from it there would be a great acquisition in this country, particularly the crosses from the pollen of BnmsKigia multijiora ; and there is no reason why it should not sport there as Hijjpeastrum does here. Bella- donnas, and all other bulbs which grow in winter and rest in summer should not be planted in mixed borders, nor wliere the roots of large trees or bushes can reach : I the latter will suck away the goodness from the soil; and gi'owing plants require water iu summer; and these i Amaryllises ai-e better in the dry while they are at rest. There are two varieties, one of them paler; and the third species mentioned in the Dictionary, Blanda, is not in any public collection in this country, as far as I : can learn. When I come to the other sections of the genus, I shall speak of the best mode of treating a whole collection of them; but, as they are now pushing out of the ground, I may remark generally, that they require air constantly, and large doses of water from the time the leaf is two inches long ; and if they are in pots it is better to water them from below by a saucer full of water, now and then, but not constantly; say as much as the soil can take up in a couple of days; then take away ' the saucer for ten days or a fortnight. There is a scarce little bulb, called Cyrtanthus iini- Jlorus, Oastrenama clavatuni, and other names. It is a true Amaryllis, and so are all the Cyrtanthus Bruns- ' i-iyias ; and there is little doubt but Strumaria and , Hessca are also true Amaryllises — at any rate they require the above treatment at this season, as well as all other half-hardy bulbs that grow in winter. Androcymbium.- — There are three species of this little- I known genus in our Dictionary, but they are not worth { while for their beauty, only as botanical sections, or cm-iosities; that they require sometimes to illustrate \ lectures and so forth. Their flowers are small, and dull, greenish white. Anisanthus (see Antlwlyza) from which Sweet divided them upon grounds not now recognised by botanists. Anthericdm is on any list, but there are no bulbs in | it, and therefore I shall pass it, although botanists make ■ it a section of the lilies; at best they are only Asi^hodels. D. Beaton. {To be continued.) VIOLETS. I.v this age of glitter, it is something to find that worth, however retiring, is not always passed by and forgotten. The brilliant rivets the attention, and affords full play to a buoyant imagination. The yood is more securely enshrined in the recesses of our warmest affections. Insensible though the world be to merit, 1 believe it is hardly so black a transgressor as many aspirants for distiuction would have us believe. But to win the approbation of the world the merit must be real — no ]ilated, gilded thing will long pass muster. And, again, the merit must be free Irom alloy, not associated with the impure or the revolting. Then we will freely own that the greatest worth is not always conjoined with the greatest show, and that there are many bright deeds, and many bright things in this world of ours, which are but little noticed by a dreamy philosophy. Would any reader enjoy a quiet insight into men and things, let him, in an hour's leisure, glance over the advertising columns of a daily newspaper, or even of those connected with our own humble serial. What a satire at times upon vanity and upwardism ! What an unfolding, in general, of prevailing wants, tastes, and aspirations; and, above all, what joyous ho])es infused, frequently, for the future. Advertise- ments will appear just as long as they suit a purpose. Between the line of the beautiful in nature, and the appreciation of the lovely in morals, there is a close connection. Every advertisement, therelbre, respecting the gorgeous in flowers, speaks of a refining influence healthily spreading. Every statement an- nouncing where superb violets are to be procured, declares not only that the same bettering iniiuence is being felt by the humblest in society, but also, that if not the already and the now, the period is Hearing, when tiTje worth, however retiring, whether among ])lants or men, shall receive its due meed of appro- bation. Who can forget emotions of the past, asso- ciated with a single bloom of the lowly violet? Who has traversed the brakes and hedge-banks of society without discovering there, again and again, many of the noblest virtues that adorn humanity? Several inquiries having lately been made on the general management of these much-prized plants, our Captain Editor has wished me to have "my say" ou the subject of violets, although I have, in one of our earlier volumes, already noted the main points of manage- ment. Keferring back might not, however, suit some subscribers, and, as at present I cannot lay hands upon the paper myself, readers will have the advantage of any changes of practice that have been suggested since then. The kinds or varieties will be mentioned in rotation, according to the estimate formed of them, and their early autumn, winter, and spring blooming. 1. Neapolitan Violet. — This I still consider to be worthy of a first place, both on account of the size and sirectoess of its lilac flowers. There is one disadvantage connected with it, namely, that it seldom does any good out-ofdoors, unless in a very dry and sheltered situa- tion, and even there they will be late. A conservatory, or a glass-covered pit or frame is the place for it in winter. For this purpose young plants are best. Propagation. This is efiected by runners and divisions. First. By Runners. — These, if wanted, may be allowed to grow in spring, but at no other time. They may be cut off when three inches in length, and inserted in sandy soil, under handlights, ou a slight hotbed in March and April. AVhen well rooted they should be planted out in a nice mellow border, about eight inches apart. Second. By Division. — This mode involves least trouble, and I think it is the better of the two. Talce the plants that have doue flowering iu April or May, and tear them to pieces with the hand ; one plant may thus be made into a good number, each sup- plied with a nice crown of leaves and roots. Plant these out as mentioned above for the cuttings, giving tliem from six to eight inches from plant to plant. Summer treatment. — Almost all the success depends upon this. The soil should be mellow, open, and well drained, enriched with a fair proportion of rotten diing, or leaf mould, and if the soil is very adhesive, a good projiortion of road or drift sand. The soil should also be fre(|uently stirred after planting. Waterings must be duly attended to, and, if a vestige of red spider appear, the plants must be well drenched with soot and sulphur. Shadings will be required at first, but as soon as the plants are taking free hold of the soil they must gradually be exposed to every ray of sunsliiue. Every weed will tell against success, because it will prove that neither cleanliness nor stirring the soil has been attended to. Eveiy runner must be removed as soon as it ap- pears. Unless produced very early in the season, not one Df.cembee 2. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 163 of them will produce anything bnt leaves during the foUowiijg winter and spring. This is a first and most essential point of management. Culture must be directed to obtaining strong well-matured heads or crowns; every runner, after a certain size, will be alike a shader and a robber. When first planted out, and root action is desirable, they need not be nipped too closely at first, but, after free growth is jtroceeding, every weed should be looked upon as an intruder. Winter management. — In October they should be taken up and potted, or placed in a bed to be covered by glass. But why not cover them where they are, and thus save labour — if the bed was well prepared at fii'st I do not see why the plants should be moved? The first essential for such saving mode would be the securing of the glass not further than sis or eight inclies from the plants. But even then, when I tried this mode, I found it was no saving in the end. For instance, the ground was apt to be too wet, and thus the fiowcrs were likely to damp in winter. Both slugs and worms were prone to have their colonies, and then woe betide the beauty of the flowers; and besides, leaves were likely to be more abundant than blooms. When transplanted, on the other hand, though raised carefully in balls, a cheek was given to the growing principle, just enough and no more than to give a hint to the flower-buds to show themselves; and by the time the buds swelled, the roots were spreading in t\\e, fresh soil, and thus catering for strength of flower-stalk and size of blossom. In plant- ing in the flowering beds, one of two modes may be adopted according to circumstances. First, where the situation is damp and cold : here it is advisable to raise the bottom of the bed one foot above the surface-soil, either by faggots, old wood, clinkers, stones, or even common soil — above this, if the bloom is wanted early, it will be advisable to have a slight hotbed, one foot in thickness, at least, and over that three inches of rotten dung, or leaf mould, made firm, and over all, eight or nine inches of sandy loam, rather rich and rather dry. When the situation is warm and dry, the soil beiug sandy, resting on gravel, chalk, or porous rock, then any position in the garden facing the south, or south-west, will answer admirably. A little leaf mould may be added, the soil be well stirred and aijrated before planting, and if at all wet or exhausted, a few barrows- ful of good, fresh soil may be added. In planting, beginners should attend to one little matter : take out a trench across the bed, set the plants so near as to leave a couple of inches rsund them, pack them firmly with the soil, and then water thoroughly, and when that has drained away, cover the surface with the dry, unwatered soil. It is scarcely possible to have the sur- face too dry in winter if there is moisture enough below. In addition to this, I often cover the surface between the plants, when fairly growing, with a slight layer of dry road-drift and charcoal, which, besides helping to pro- mote a dry atmosphere, slugs can wriggle along, but very slowly, amongst such material when dry. In addition, I may add, that air may be given freely when the ex- ternal temperature is about JtO", especially when the sun has raised it higher ; and frost must be excluded by covering the glass, and protecting the sides of the box or pit. Pots for the window, or greenhouse, may be managed in a similar manner; one large, or three small plants for a six-inch pot. This sort involves a little trouble ; but that given, and these little matters looked to, there wOl be no disappointment. All the rest are easier managed, and will require less to be said about them. 2. Perpetual or Tkee Violet. — This is a useful variety. It well deserves the name Perpetual, as I have seen it bloom from September to June. The title Tree, may not bs a misnomer, as this violet may suit that mode better than oth ers ; and I rather think it does : though each and every one of them may be grown in that moppish manner where desirable. A number of complaints reached me last winter and spring that it would not bloom early. In every case that came under my inspection the parties had received a counterfeit — namely, tlie common double blue, a fine thing in its way, producing, when well grown, finer flowers than tlie Perpetual, or Tree, but then it will rarely or never bloom in winter — it may also be known by its flowers being flat and hroail, whilst those of the Perpetual are orbicular. Unlike tlie Neapolitan, the common blue will not agree with the slightest forcing : the Perpetual never requires it. In pots, it will bloom splendidly in windows and green- houses ; it will also do admirably in a sheltered raised place out-of-doors, where it can have temporary pro- tection in bad weather. Of course it would do better still in a frame or pit. The flowers are not, in general, very large, hut they are produced very abundantly, and are very sweet. All Violets dislike stagnant moisture. Where other conveniences are wanting, they flourish at the foot of a wall, or fence, facing the south, south-east, and south-west, provided you have either a wide board, or a narrow straw -thatched hurdle, from fifteen to eighteen inches in depth, to place against them in wet and frosty weather. For 2»'opagation and culture in frames and pots, see Neapolitan — only, if bulk is de- sired, the first-formed runners may remain, as in a fine summer they will be sufliciently matured to bloom along with the mother or principal bead. The soil should also have more loam in its composition. Mr. Tiley advertises a Perpetual Tree white ; the common double white is a poor thing in winter. If this Perpetual white is at all equal to the blue in this respect, it will be invaluable where there are ladies. I have not yet tried it. Forming Tree Violets. — This is best done by dividing plants two or three years old. A nice little head, with a fair supply of roots, and a clean stem between them a number of inches in length, are thus obtained. Whether these are planted out-of-doors, or potted, the stems must at first be supported by little sticks. The head soon takes an upright direction. Ere long, the stem increases in sti-ength, and also in length little by little every year. When once potted, and valued for their singularity, care must be given to supply them with plenty of water, and an open airy place in summer, and to avoid all stagnant moisture in winter. Sour earth about the stems will make tliem mijf'g and short- lived. Even when not shifted every year into larger pots, the drainage should be examined, a little old soil picked away, and fresh surfacings applied; and round the base of the stem a little (ione of bruised charcoal will be a safeguard. I had them thus grown of all varieties, one of the best was a Neapiolitan; but I got tired of them; I saxf little beanty in the bare stems, and, from a pot similar in size, I coidd get many more flov/ers from a plant grown in the usual way. Allowing the runners to festoon from the top for several generations, like an Aaron's-beard Saxifrage, seemed an improve- ment, where all was so stilted; but to carry out that idea in a moderate-sized pot pre-supposes considerable attention to rich surface-dressings and manure-waterings. 3. Russian Violet and Supeeb Violet. — These afe extremely useful single Violets; the latter larger than the common. They are easily propagated by seeds, runners, sHps, and divisions, and should never stand long in one place, as young plants generally bloom most freely. 'J'hey are seldom potted, but they are worthy a place in the cottage window, where they could stand outside in fine weather, and be brought inside in sleet and frost. They will bloom very freely, where sashes and other covering can be given them in winter. In common seasons, they thrive and bloom tolerably well on raised banks, by the side of fences, &c., where a few branches, 164 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. December 2. or otlier ooveriug, may he given them in severe weather. From Octoher and onwards, a lew rows of them perfume ! also rather tender, a garden. 1 miderstaud something grand in this way \ species is looming in the ticar. A deep, loamy, well-drained soil is that in which all the varieties I have met with in this section delight. If the soil is light and sandy, and tolerahly rich withal, the numher and size of the leaves will keep the flowers in the shade. 4. The Double Blue \sd Double White. — The last is the most tender. Unless in very mild winters, neither of them flower much until spring. For fine efiect, pro- pagate and cultivate the same as the Neapolitan, by runners, slips, and divisions. As flowers are produced on the first-formed runners, as well as the crown, they may remain several years iu the same ground, but tlie flowers are likely to get less and less in size. A rich, deep, dry loam is their delight. In such circumstances, the bloom from strong young plants is truly fine. In sandy and clialky soils the plants run too much to leaf. J. FRAGEANs (The Sweet-smelliiig J.). — From >. odo7-a ruhrn the best. The Hardy Kinds are as follows : — Daphne hybrida, or, as it is most generally known by the name of D. duuphinii, Dauphin's Daphne. This is one of the most desirable plants that any garden, great or small, can possess. It is a beau- tiful plant to grow against a south wall or warm corner. It does well as a shrub in the open border, and from the goodness of the plant, it is worth a place, planted out in a conservatory, where it would be seen in bloom nearly the whole year', more or less. AVe have a large plant of this upon a conservative wall covering a space of about five feet by five to six feet. It is not nailed in lUce a Peach-ti'ee, but just fastened up, suffi- cient to secure it firmly to the wall, with a fine thicket of breastwood over the face of the whole tree, protrutling about from six to nine inches from the wall. It seldom requires any pruning more than it gets by being so much cut for nosegays, as its flowers are very sweet-scented. Nearly X6S THE COTTAGE GARDENER, December 2. ereiy shoot over the wliole tree terminates in a bunch of bloom of a inirplish-recl coloui', and the whole foliage is of a dark shining-green colour. It commences llowering in Sep- tember, and continues in bloom, more or less, until the end of April. Ours is a perfect gem at this moment (Nov. aoth). I was, with a friend, a few evenings since admiring the beauty of this plant, and to see the moths flying from flower to flow'er { mostly of the Phaltnin finmnid, or the Greek G. moth- kind) proved that they admired its sweetness too. This shrub was planted out here the spring following the severe winter of 1837-8, and has never been protected. I believe it is nearly as hai'dy as the B. laureola, on which it is grafted. When the weather is very severe, it causes some of the blossoms to fall off; yet, after a change again to a south-westerly wind and a few showers, the tree looks as gay as ever. Daphne cneoriim. — This is well named "the Gai-land flower," and a prettier little hardy plant does not exist. It should always be a front border plant when planted out, and have as nice, open, sunny spot as can be given it. It is often grafted, like others, upon the J), laureola, and small plants of it look very pretty in tliis way, either in pot or planted out. It may be planted out in almost any good garden soil when grafted on the laureola, but when the plant stands upon its own roots it should be plmited out in peat, in a dry, warm, sunny situation, which makes the finest specimens to stand the test of years. I do not know how many legs of D. laureola it would require to bear up a speci- men we have of this beautiful plant on its own roots, and many rooted plants might be taken from it it rei|uired, for the outer stems, as they come in contact with the earth, put out roots readily, consequently it is increased easily by layers. There are two varieties of this plant, namely T'arie- ynta and Graiidijlora. Both the species and its varieties are equally beautiful. It commences flowering in April, and" continues oftentimes more or less dming the summer months, of a beautiful redcUsh-pink colom', and very sweet- scented. The flowers keep perfect a long time after beuig cut for nosegays, for which it is so very desirable. Daphne pontkn is a very desirable kind as a front shrub in the plantation, or as a hunch or group by itself. Low ground, or a cool situation, suits it best. Indeed, it does very well under the drip of other trees, and also best upon its own roots iu such places. It grows too straggling and rampant to be grafted upon tlie D. laureola — though grafted jjlants are all very well for a few years' growth of any of the kinds. The stems of this species, as they come in contact with the earth, put out roots freely enough, so that, of course, it is readily increased by layers. The whole plant is of a pale-green colour, rising from two to three feet in height. Its flowers are numerous, and of a yellowish- green colour, and very sweet scented. It flowers in April and May. Daphne Mezereum, commonly called Mezereon, has two varieties, the white and dark red. Though a native of our own woods it is none the worse for that. These are plants of very pretty growth, suitable as front plants to the planta- tion, and, as a poet says, '* Tliouph leafless, well attired, and thick beset \\it\\ blushing wreaths investing every spray." These plants are increased by seed, and require a good sandy loam. The ripe berries look very tempting upon the plants, but they are poisonous. The Mezereon is one of the first shrubs to be seen in bloom in the plantation. February and March is its time of flowering, and, if not the only shrub then in bloom, it will for certain be the most sho\vy and the sweetest. Daphne Collwa, Keapolitana, and Gnidiiim, and several others are grafted upon the D. Innrcola, and, as shrubs, are very well where the number of kinds is the consideration. The Daphne laureola is itself a particularly useful plant to live, flourish, and flower under the drip of trees, and in the shade where few other things wUl live. — T. Weaver. CROSS BREEDING OF FOAVLS, AND CURE FOR THE ROUP. I HAVE read attentively nearly all papers that have appeared in The Cottage Gardener relative to that now " fashionable subject, the Cochin-China fowl and its rival | the Spanish ; " and throughout tlie whole I find eacli advo- cating the cause of his favomite bird too frequently by vague assertion or " mere fancy." The table by " Gallus " is not at all satisfactory ; it would require that tlie same number of fowls of each kind and sex be kept together for a considerable length of time — say twelve months — the food they consume weighed, and the retrnm they give in eggs , also weighed; we could then come to something like a correct estimate of the relative value of the different kinds. ' But at present one asserts ■' the Spanish lay lai'ger eggs, and are more jirofitable to keep in consequence of consuming much less food ; " another affirms " that Cochins do not eat more than Spanish or Dorldug," and that "their frequent and pertinacious desire to sit is then- only drawback." The Cochins, on all hands, are allowed to be very pro- ductive, but then- very great desire to hatch is a failing in the breed. The Spanish, on the other hand, are seldom or never inclined to sit, and lay eggs of a much larger size. Now, it appeal's to me that a cross between the Spanish and Cochin would be the very perfection of fowls; and a breed of fowls may be raised between them combining the good qualifications of both, just as you, Jlr. Editor, would take the pollen from one flower, and put it in another. Take an instance : If I had a fine formed flower of a colour which I was desirous of altering in its progeny, what would I do ? I wotild look about me for the best-formed flower of the colour I wished, and impregnate with this jjollen my favourite-formed flower, and the probability would be that I should obtain some of the desii'ed colour, and equal in form to its female parent ; and, reasoning from the world of tlowers to the world of animal life, I would find the same general law to hold good in both. " But, ah ' " says the amateur, " I'll have no mongrel race ; I'll have nothing but pure breed." Now, I do believe this to be a great mistake. How, I would ask, have we improved our breed of oatUe '! Is it not by breeding with those animals who have what we want in greatest perfection, and by following it out Ihat we find them in the improved state they are now in ; and I cannot see why the breecUng of poultiy should be an exception. I have been led to make these remarks in consequence of having last year a cliicken from a cross between a Poland hen and a Cochin-China cock. It turned out a hen, and began laying in the beginning of January last (being only hatched in .Tuly), aud laid, on an average, five and six eggs a-week until the end of March following, when she mani- fested a desire to sit, and was then set on a dozen Cochin eggs, eleven of which were hatched by her ; and before the chickens icere three iceelrs old she had began laying again, and has continued doing so, I may say, almost without inter- mission ever since ; for when she showed an inclination to hatch again, a single day, or two, at the tuost (very ditt'ereut from Cochins), in a crib, put the fever ofl", and in eight or ten days she was laying again. She moulted about a montli ago, and was scarcely finished moulting when she began again to lay ; and altliough she may not lay so many days running as Cochins, still I have no doubt she lays within the year a greater number, and tlie eggs are considerably larger. I have two pullets this year Irom the same hen and a Cochin cock, which seem to promise equally well; and in the spring of next yeai' I mean to try a cross between' a Spanish cock and a Cochin hen, and I have no doubt that the progeny will be larger and stronger than the Spanish; and the number of eggs will be increased from the pro- ductiveness of the Cochin, and " the pertinacoous desire to set" will be lessened by the Spanish, and altogether a better fowl will bo produced for profitable purposes (and that is what is really wanted) than what either will produce sepa- rately, and all luy observations on tho breeding of fowls confirms it. I have kept fowis for several year's, but have nc^er known what disease was, until this season. A disease ( 1 am at a loss to give it a name) has seized on nearly all my young broods when about half or tliree-parts grown, and several of them have died in consequence — wasting and pining away. The ti'ouljle, to all outward appearance, being in tho head. The first thing that strikes one is the ruflled state of their feathers, afterwards a dischai'go from the nostrils, and as the disease advances, the head, between the eyes and the December S. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 169 bill, swell up in small pimplea nearly the size of a small pea, and very i'requently a kind of froth is seen working about over the eyes. After being from home for two or three days, I found one with the disease in a very advanced stage, and on taking it up in iny hand it appeared little heavier than the bones and featliers should have been. I took tlie little sufferer and washed all its head about the nostrils with soap and milk-warm water, and dried it with a cloth, gave it a little toasted bread steeped in lea, part of which I had to put down its throat, being so blind it could hardly see. Having before tried everything recommended in book, and many things beside, without effect, I again tried as a change (thinking it very probable the bird would die at any rate) some iodide of potassium. I dissolved ten grains in an ounce of water, and having taken a small piece of loaf- bread an inch square, and half that in thickness, I dropped some of the iodide on the bread, say about sixty drops, and gave it. Next morning I again washed it with soap and water, and dried it, gave it a few grains of corn, which it either could not see to eat, or did not feel inclined to do so. I then gave it a little toast steeped in tea, as before, and concluded with giving it the same quantity, as before, of iodide, and in the evening I repeated exactly the same, toast and iodide. The following day it was decidedly better, and ate the little corn I gave it evidently with a relish, after which I gave it the toast and iodide, and continued that treatment for about a week, when I put it out with the other fowls, and only occasionally afterwards giving it a little of the same medicine; in about a fortnight to three weeks it was as well as any fowl in my walk. Since then, I have treated many of them in the same way, for the same disease, and since having done so, I have not lost a single fowl, and I shall be glad if it be found to be as useful to others as it has been to me. I have found cream-of-tartar the best laxitive medicine for fowls, and have almost always ended my cure by giving them a little ; as much as will he on a sixpence, for a full-grown fowl, is a sufficient dose. If you think the above remarks of use to any of your numerous readers they are at your disposal, and you may hear again how my other cross-breeds succeed. — A. S. W., Glasgow. EATABLE FUNGI. ( Contimied from page 110.) The Hijihnims form another genus, most of which are eatable, and several highly esteemed as food. Hydnnm erinacemi, which is found growing upon old oaks, forms a common article of diet in the Yosges, a range of mountains separating Lorraine from Alsace. Hydmim coralloirles is eaten in Piedmont and Tuscany. H. auriscalpiiim, which is indigenous to this country, and found growing on fir canes ; and H. Itoiiiidmum, a native of Sweden, are also eatable. H. allium, has somewhat the flavour of the Cantarille. £C. repandum, however, is the one most generally esteemed, and is reckoned amongst the most delicate fungi of Italy. In preparing it for the table, being a very dry fungus, it requires to he cooked for a long time, or it is tough ; but when well stewed in rich gravy, it forms an excellent dish, and has a slight flavovn- of oysters. The Boletuses form another genus, which, although in- cluding poisonous species, contains also many that are valued as an article of diet, as much, if not more, than any previously mentioned. So highly, Dr. Badham says, is the S. edulis esteemed, that gold, and silver, and dresses, may be trusted to a messenger, but not this Boletus, because he would eat it on the road I Perhaps no genus of the fungi supplies such abundance of food to so large a pro- portion of the population of the globe. The species ai'e generally of large dimensions, and are found in immense profusion. B. edulis is the easiest cultivated of all fungi, and is found growing naturally almost in every locality where an oak-tree or trees exist, and B. scaler is almost as abundant. According to Drummond, many species of Boletus are used as food iji "\\'estern Australia ; and I have no doubt that those fungi seen by travellers, the di- mensions of which equalled crouching lions, belonged to this genus. The B. scaber is a favourite amongst the Russians and Poles, who have many ways of cooking it. In Hungary, a soup is made of B. edulis, and considered a great delicacy. In other parts of the Continent, many species, as B. siibtomeutosus, B. granulus, B. edulis, B. scaber, ifcc, are brought into the markets, but, undoubtedly, B. edulis is considered by all as the best, and in my opinion, when fresh, is good eaten in any way. I have eaten it raw with bread and butter and enjoyed it. My ex- perience, however, has taught me that it is best to remove the tubes of this genus before using them as an article of diet, as independent of their being watery, they have a hot peppery taste, and are very liable to be loaded with insects or their eggs. With respect to dressing the Boletuses, more especially edulis, I quite agree with Dr. Badham, when he says it; will improve any dish. I wiU give, however, the following recipes : — Boletus edulis soup, as made in Hungary (Paulet). Having dried some Boletuses in an oven, soak them in tepid water, thickening with toasted bread, till the whole be of the consistence of a puree, then rub through a sieve, throw in some stewed Boletuses, boil together, and serve with the usual condiments. Boletus edulis is also fine ^WVrf in fresh butter, served up on dry toast, and eaten with or without beefsteaks, the seasoning with salt, pepper, &c., left to the cook. Agarics form the largest genus of the fungi, and produce many, both poisonous and eatable. I regret that space will not allow me to enumerate all its species, which, as is well known, have from time to time been used in different parts of the globe as food. The British I shall briefly notice here, as my next paper will be confined to the British fungi exclusively. The Agarics are dispersed in almost every region of the globe, affording to both savage and civilised natives an abundant supply of wholesome and nutritious food. On the Continent, and more especially in Poland and Russia, several Agarics are used and highly esteemed as an article of diet. Agarlcus trauslucens has been reported to be eaten by the people of Montpelier, but it is a very watery mushroom, and must form a very indifferent food. A. nivalis is said to be eaten by the Tuscans, but I cannot re- commend it as an article of diet in this country. A. vaginatus is eaten lai'gely by the poor of Muscovy, but cases are on record in which it has proved poisonous. A. jyrocertis, which is known by many other names, is largely used throughout France and Italy. The receipts for dressing Agarics are numerous. I shall, therefore, only give a few which may be also found most useful for dressing fungi generally. Fried Fungi. — The usual method of frying fungi is either in oil or fresh butter. The latter I consider far pre- ferable, and served up in the following way :■ — When the fungi are nearly done, have ready some dry toast, place it in the frying-pan, and in a few minutes turn it, place the fungi on the toast, sprinkle them with a little pepper and salt, and ivhen the toast is warm through, convey them to the table, and eat while hot. Grilled Fungi. — Many fungi ai'e far preferable grilled, but will require a little butter to prevent their burning, and may be seasoned as in the last, with pepper and salt ; as, however, the essence of the fungus is often deposited in the fire in a liquid state, my experience has taught me, if the cook possesses good patience, and time is not an object, that toasting on a fork, or in a Dutch-oven, with many fungi, is far preferable, as in this way they do not get burnt, and the liquid is preserved. Stuffed Mushrooms. — Take large mushrooms, full-grown, but remove the gills, and place in lieu of them the fol- lowmg stuffing : — Bacon shredded, crumbs of bread, chopped herbs, and a little garlic or eschalot (as for omelettes), salt, pepper, and a taste of spice. Broil in paper as a maintenon cutlet, moistening with butter when necessary. Mushroom Dumplings. — An agreeable dish may be made from the common mushroom, by simply cutting up the small (or button) mushrooms, and forming them into a dumpling, with pieces of bacon the size of a dice, and a sprinlde of salt and pepper. F. Yokke Bkocas. {^To he continued.) 170 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. DEaEMBER 2. SHANGHAE OR CHINA FOWLS. This fine sort of fowl lias been often described, but I con- sider that amateurs liave been rather too limited in their- descriptions, and that tlieii- rules for the fancy birds of this breed are too naiTow and restiicted ; so that many families of fine and pure-bed Shanghae fowls cannot be brought to submit to them; a short explanation of which I will en- deavour to give. Fu-st, then, " The beak should be short." Now, I do not notice that it is shorter in these than other fowls ; but I think the front part of the head is longer. Next, " The comb should be medium-sized, single, and straight," but I often see it bent from side to side, and occa- sionally slightly inclined to be double at the upper extremity, and often it is over the medium, and as I do not know of any other breed of fowls having this peculiar bent comb, so I see no reason why it should be objected to. Then, " They should not be tufted." But were not some tufted, there would not have been any necessity for this rule, and it is very constant in some families. Some persons think these fowls descended from the great St. Jago fowl, which is described as often tufted, in which case I do not consider it right that the tufts should be objected to. Others seem to fancy they were obtained by the Chinese from some of the South Pacific Islands. Could any one throw light on this subject it would be interesting. They are described as having " double gUls or wattles," but this I consider a mistake, as all I have seen have rather short, broad, single gUls ; the ear plates are, however, lai'ge, folded, and some- what pendant, which may have given rise to the error. These are all points of tlie head, and I believe a fowd may differ in them, and still be a pure-bred bird ; not that I should consider all of the imported fowls to be of the true stock. Again, I think fanciers have dwelt too much on colour, the dark birds being least prized ; but I think them generally the heaviest fowls ; and the buffs they endeavour to breed without black, not because it is the natural colour, but because it is difficult to be obtained ; for the same reason the white ai-e esteemed, though I think they will often be found to be somewhat the smallest. In the other points I heartily concur, and I think the most important consider- ation is weight ; next shape, wide shoulders, full well-covered thighs, resembling a Dutchman's breeches; short, thick legs, and feather-footed. Long, lank, and narrow-made birds will occasionally be produced, but I should not keep them for stock. Others, which are admired by some, have no feathers on their feet, but I think the feather-footed birds approach nearest to the original type. The tail is the best criterion by which to judge of the purity of the breed that I know of — this is always small, and though composed of the same number of feathers as those of other fowls, they are very short, scarcely reaching above the bunch of curled rump feathers, and the chickens attain to a large size before any tail makes its appearance, though the pullets sometimes get tails earlier, and a half-bred chick will sometimes be a long time before it has a tail. A five -toed fowl I should look on with suspicion, although it miglit be perfect in all other respects. The produc- tiveness of the Shanghae fowls is very great, the hens being good layers, close sitters, and laying again soon after hatch- ing ; the chickens seem hardy, and grow fast, though they featlier slowly. The eggs, the shells of which are often dark-coloured, are good eating, and the young fowls are excellent for the table, being fine-flavoured and juicy. To this I can bear testimony, for having reai-ed many more than I want for stock, and not having been able to part with them, I have killed several, and always found them delicious, much better in flavour than any fowl I have ever eaten, and though never cooped or fatted, they were in the highest condition. The way to raise large fowls is to hatch them eaidy, feed them well, and not to breed from relations. The gait of the male bird is peculiar, rather crouching, resembling that of a cock turkey. They are a quiet fowl, not strajing far from home, are easily kept witliin bounds, and seem to bear confinement well. I do not know why they should be called Cochin- China fowls, as they are brought from the more northern part of China, principally from the town of Shanghai and its neighbourhood. — B. V. Bkent, Besscl's Green, near Seven Oaks. NORMAXDY. {Continued from page 112.) Throughoitt France generally, and especially in the Departments of Calvados and La Manche, female accom- plishments assume quite new and unexpected forms. Near Bayeux, I saw a woman on her Imees by the roadside breaking stones ; another, near Periers, was mowing some clover in a field, to take home to her quadmped, probably a horse, who was too tired to carry it himself ; and in the town of Periers, I noticed a female postman— a fiicleuse, instead of afacteur — going her rounds to dehver the letters and newspapers. She had the usual tin box slung before her, but had dispensed with the glazed hat and the livery coat. At Sartilly, a lady was painting the wheels of a cart, while her husband was employed about finishing the body; and between Sartilly and Avranches, many women were to be seen lustily at work with the flail, threshing away with right good will and thorough good humour. One party, consisting of half-a-dozen threshers, was composed of five women and one man: and, as the ililigence passed, they laughed, as if oirr appearance amused them quite as much as theu-'s did us. It maybe expected, that if women thresh, they also winnow ; and female hands were flirting fans of a difl'erent description to those usually seen in ball-rooms, for they tossed and shook no trifling measm-e of wheat. The harvest here is variously reported. The Journal d' Avranches for September 5, quoting the Moniteur, states, that " certain journals have published estimates as to the haiwest of 1S.12, which would tend to make it supposed to be insufiicient. These journals have been wrongly informed. The result of the information received by government is, that the harvest of 18.j'2 will be, on the average, equivalent to that of ordinary yeai-s, and even superior, by nearly one- fourth, in certain depai-tments, which furnish a great pro- portion of the cereals consumed in France." But the Conseil d'Arrondissement of Avranches, in reply to the ques- tions put in the letter of M. !e Prij'el, dated August 12, 1852, is of opinion 1st. That the harvest of 1852 is inferior to the harvest of an ordinai-y year, for wheat and rye. 2ndly. That the amount of deficiency is about one-fifth for those two species of cereals. :3rdly. That the produce would be sufficient for the wants of the aiTondissement if the harvest of barley and of buck- wheat is not compromised ; with this observation, that the barley is already injured. itlily. That the influence of the temperature must he considered as the cause of the diminution and the inferiority of the produce. 5thly. That the atmospheric accidents have been the unusual cold in spi-ing, the heavj- and continual rains in May and June, and the excessive heats which succeeded during the month of July; that all these accidents were necessarily injurious, in the first place, to the blossoming, and afterwards to the formation and the development of the grain, whose yield will, consequently, be lighter. Meanwhile, the French press is calling general attention to the subject. It fears, if not a scarcity of bread by the middle or end of the winter, at least a denrncss of that article ; and it is especially apprehensive of the conse([uences of such a feai' acting upon the popular mind. When we remember the past history of France, the amount of a harvest becomes a matter of ■s'ital importance to the country. Before taking leave of the Conseil d'.\vranches, I will mention, that " In consideration of the lateness of the cereal harvest this year, of buckwheat particulai-ly, it expresses the wish tliat the opening of the sporting season may not be fixed before the anth of September. It petitions M. !e Prhfet to take this expressed wish into consideration." Englishmen would not like a similar interference, and would be jealous of trusting any single individual, whether I'refet, or Lord-Lieutenant of the county, with the power of shifting the 1st of September, and of sparing tho parlridges till the end of the month. But there can be no doubt that it would be a good thing if some constitutional authority — for instance, tho county magistrates assembled in quarter sessions — could exercise a like discretion. In France, the overture de la chasse, or opening of the shooting-season, takes December 2. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 171 place at a diflerent date, in different arron2///e/s.— 1st prizes to Mr. H. Gilbert, 17, Upper Phili- more Place, Kensington ; Mr. G. C. Peters, Moseley, Birmingham ; Mr. W. Lort, Ward End, Birmingham; and Mr. E. Steward, South Town, Yarmouth. 2nd. W. T. squire, Esq., Barton Place, Milden- hall. 3rd. C. Punchard, Esq., Blunt's Hall, Haverhill, Suffolk. DORKING. (WHITE.) Cock and two hens.— 2nd. Mr. J. Jennens, Moseley, Birmingham. Cock and three pullets.— \at. Mr. H. Forster, Markyate-street, Herts, 2nd. Bliss Blary Lane, fliaidencroft, Hitcliin. DORKING. (COLOURED.) Cock and two hens. — 1st. Blr. Oliver Steed, Baldock. 2nd prizes to Mr. F. Thursby, Abingdon, Northamptonshire ; Blr. H. Forster, Blarkyate- street, Herts; and Blr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 3rd. Blr. Joseph Lucas, Hitchin. Cock and three pullets.— Ut. Mr. T. Nice, Great Bradley Hall, Suffolk. 2nd. Rev. J. Boys, Biddenden, Kent. 3rd. Blr. W. Harrison, Bag- worth Park, Leicestershire. SPANISH. Cock and two hens.— \st. Hon. BIrs. Astley, Swanton House, Thetford. 2nd. Blr. John Taylor, jun., Cresey House, Shepherd's Bush, London. 3rd. Blr. James Barber, Great Yarmouth. CocA" and three pullets. — Prizes withheld. GABIE FOWLS. (WHITE). CocA- and two hens.— 1st. H. ThurnaU, Esq., Royston, Hertfordshire. 2nd. BIvs. Hoggett, Norton, near Baldock. Cock and thi-ee pullets.— 1st. Blr. W. Groom, Holt, Norfolk. GABIE. (COLOURED). Cock and two hens.— \st. Henry Thurnall, Esq., Royston. 2nd. Blr. W. Groom, Holt, Norfolk. 'Two 3rd prizes. Henry Thurnall, Esq., Royston. GABIE. (COLOURED). Cock and three pullets, chickens of 1852.— Two 1st prizes. Henry Thur. nail, Esq., Royston. 2nd. Blr. A. Cannell, Cringleford, Norfolk. GOLDEN.PENCILLED HABIBURGH. Cock and two hens.— '2nd. Blr, T. Church, Acle, Norfolk. Cock and three pullets.— 1st. J!r. T. Barber. Acle, Norfolk. GOLDEN-SPANGLED HABIBURGH. Cock and two hens.— 1st. Blr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston, Birmingham. 3rd. Blr. T. Cane, Baldock. Cock and three putlets.—No entry. SILVER-PENCILLED HABIBURGH. Cock and two hens. — 1st. The Hon. BIrs. Astley, Swanton House, Thet- ford. 2nd. Blr. J. Dutton, Bury St. Edmunds. Cock and ttiree pullets.— 1st prizes to Blr. Charles Thurnall, A^Tiittles- ford, near Cambridge ; and Francis L'Estrange Astley, Esq., Burgh Hall, Thetford. 2nd. Rev. Justice Chapman, Clareborough Vicarage, East Retford. 3rd. Blr. James Blonsey, St. Bliles, Thorne Lane, Norwich. SILVER-SPANGLED HABIBURGH. CocA- and two liens.- 1st. Blr. Joseph Jennens, Bloseley, Birmingham. 3rd. W.J. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. Cock and three pullets. — No entry. BIALAV. Cock and two hens.-lrd prizes to Blr. BI. Ridgway, Dewsbury, York- shire ; and Blr. W. Harrison, Bagworth Park, Leicestershire. Class not flieritorioua. CocA- a7id three pullets. — Prizes withheld. POLAND FOWL. (GOLDEN). Cock and two hens.— 1st. W.J. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorgr.n- ahire. 2nd. Blr. C. Stephenson, 2, Loudoun Place, Bri.vton, Surrey. CocA- and tliree pullets,— iad. Mr. C. Stephenson, 2, Loudoun Place, Briiton, Surrey. December 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 173 POLAND FOWL. (SILVER.) Cock and two /letis. — 1st. W. J. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorgan- shire. Cock and three puflets. — 2nri. Blr. C. Stephenson, 2 Loudoun-place, Brixton, fiurrey. 3rd. BIr. Voucll, Yarmouth. POLAND FOWL. (OF ANY OTHER COLOUR OR VARIETY.) Cock and two hf^na. — 1st. BIr. G. C, Aflkins, Edfjbaston, Birmingham. 2nd. W. J. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. Cock and three pullets, — No entry. MIXED BREED. 3rd. Mr. Hainworth, Hitchen, and Mr. Bennell, Hitohen. (The .Judges disapprove of this class.) FOWLS. (DISTINCT VARIETY, NOT NAMED IN THE ABOVE CLASSES.) 1st. Mr. John Taylor, jun., Cresey House, Shepherd'g Bush, London. Snd. Mr. E. Hughes, Yarmouth. 3rd. W. J, Virian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. BANTAMS. (GOLD LACED.) Cock and two kens.— 1st. Mrs. Elizabeth Roper, Croston, Thetford, Norfolk. 2nd. Mr. U. Spary, Markyate-street, Herts. BANTAMS. (SILVER.) Cock and two kens. — 1st. Mr. H. .1. Jones, Bedford. 2nd. John Fairlie, Esq., Cheveley Park, Newmarket. BANTAMS. (WHITE). Cock and two kem. — 1st. Mr. M. Leno, jun., Hemel Hempstead. BANTAMS. (ANY OTHER COLOUR OR VARIETY). j Cock and two hens. — 1st. Blr. James Monsey, St. I\Iiles, Thorne Lane, Norwich. 2nd. Mr. Wheeler, Plexton House, Herts. 3rd, Mr. M. Ridgway, Dewsbury, Yorkshire. GUINEA FOWL. Cock and two hens. — BIr. Joseph M'^hiting, Hitchin. TURKEYS. Cock and tivo hens. — 1st. John Fairlie, Esq., Clievely Park, Newmarket. 2nd. Mr. W. Harrison, Bagworth Park, Leicestershire ; Mr. A. Cannel, Cringleford, Norfolk ; and Mr. G. Roberts, Kingswalden, Herts. 3rd. Mr. Charles Thurnall, Whittlesford, near Cambridge; and Mr. John Steed, Baldock, GEESE. Gandei' and two geese. — 1st. Mr, J. Taylor, jun., Cresey House, Shep- herd's Bush, London. DUCKS. (WHITE AYLESBURY). Drake a^nd two ducks.— \%t. Mr. Arch, Clinton, Beds. 2nd, Dlr. C. Thurnall, Whittlesford, near Cambridge. 3rd. Mr. Robert Tingcy, Hcnlow Beds. DUCKS. {COLOURED VARIETIES). Drake and two ducks. —Ist. Mr. Youell, Yarmouth. 2nd. C. Punchard, Esq., Blunt's Hall, Haverhill, Suffolk. MUSCOVY. Drake and two ducks. — 1st. Sir. John Steed, Baldock, Herts, Pig EOMS.— Twelve prizes were awarded to Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston, Birmingham; and Mr. Beazor, Yarmouth; Mr. O. Steed, Bddock ; and Mr. J, Playford, Yarmouth, had each a prizCt TO CORRESPONDENTS. Bee-keeping. — "The three questions asked me by your corres- pondent, B. B,, at page 210, 1 will answer in this communication. First, I must ask B. B. to remember that the word * enormous' was not applied by me to swarms, but to 07ie swarm ; and B. B. must also under- stand that both that terra, as well as the expression 'amazing quantity,' &c., were only incidentally used in acquainting you, at your request, with my esperience of the 'Country Curate's ' system, and not with a view to publication. Beforealludingto the subject of B. B.'s questions. I have to inform you that five hives were tried by me on that plan, though I said nothing of the fifth in my last to you, and for this reason ; — It was my in- tention greatly to alter this hive (though not destroy it), which would, of course, prevent it being a fair subject for experiment. When I did alter it I found it very full of bees, and containing nineteen pounds of honey — in fact, full; but the plan of the hive (a wood and glass toy affair) is miserable, as you may well imagine when that is all it will contain. TAree of the four others I consider the best I have in all respects, but regret now to report badly of the remaining one. This failure was a swarm of June 2-ith, and an earlier one than 07ie of the last three alluded to. The hive that threw off two swarms in one swarmed June 20th, and is as strong as any I have, weighing }iow 21 lbs. contents, and full of verj/ savage bees, which I like. On looking over my apiary on Wednesday last, for a good hive, to give a friend in exchange for a Cochin- China cock, I pitched on the failure, weighed it, found it contained at (east 21 lbs. of honey, and thought all ' couleur de rose.' My gardener fa great hand at bees) remarked, 'They seem very quiet. Sir;' and so they might, for on turning it up there appeared a very very few in it. To-day I smoked it down with Racodium cellare, and it did contain a queen, though her majesty was small and poor looking; and the bees, about % lb., tilled a dinner tumbler of the ordinary size. I have just most carefully weighed the honey, and find it 22ilb3.; so my Wednesday's calculation was li^lbs, under. Of these five hives the wood and glass toy hive was not shut up at all; the rest only until the evening of their swarming days. Three were moved to new stands, one hundred yards from the old place ; and two to new stands, forty yards from the old place. The failure ( ? ) was moved one hundred yards, so was that which threw off the two swarms in one ; the good old hive forty yards. While I was a month at Scarborough, my heaviest straw hive ivent wrong, nnd was of course emptied by the other bees ; and whether the uproar injured the 'failure,' which stood next it, you must judge— that is the opinion of my gardener. Question 1. — I use three-sized hives of straw ; one weighs, empty, 3 lbs,, another 7 lbs., the third gibs. All three have straw tops, with 3,^-inch holes in them. The first has a perfecth/ flat top, and measures (ingide measure) 12^ in. by 9^ in. The second is shaped like the old bell-hive, but a portion of the top flat, and measures U^in. by lOin.deep. The third, which I alluded to as "a very large hive," measures H.'^in. by IS^jin. deep. The siiape of this last is, I know, against all rule ; but they do very well with us. Question 2nd. — I never did weigh a swarm, though I have seen and hived a great many, and know a targe one, when I see it, evon on a hut day. (Question 3rd. — I broke up, August 1st, three hives, each weighing (contents of course — honey and efl?H//) as follows :— First, 36 lbs. ; second, 32 lbs. ; third, 3Ulbs. Same day I broke up two old hives of wood, to convert into Taylor's — first, 34 lbs. ; second, 27 lbs. You will be interested in knowing that the bees driven out of two of the first three mentioned were joined and put into an empti/ hive, and sent the same day to the moors, with the cap in its top full of honey, which the good old hive made, to start them with. This hive returned containing 18 lbs. of moor honey, and the cap as full as it went. At the same time I sent to the moors two late swarms ; one returned containing 33 lbs., the other 35 lljs. The above is the ' amazing quantity,* with the addition of 22.Hbs. got from the failure (?) an hour ago. My plan of dealing with Taylor's hives is exttctly similar to Investigator's plan of dealing with Golding's; and our success seems pretty much the same, except that, perhaps, his top would not hold more than 28 lbs,, whereas mine hold about 33lb3./H//. We all here think tliat if I had had twelve Taylor's, instead of three, this season, every top would have been full. 12 times 33=396, supposing each hive, of course, to be reasonably strong to start with. If I live to another season my plan will be, seven 'Taylor's,' five ' Country Curate's.' 'Investigator' says July (alt July) was very productive ; so I found it. I cannot account for the wonderful quantity of honey gathered so late this last season ; I never before found it so. We had no rain during the month of July in the day-time, and fearful heat, but splendid showers at 7iigkt. Pray excuse the length of this, and believe me yours truly. P. S. October 27, —This should have been posted a fortnight ago. My bee-keeping, / admit, is neither for pecuniary profit nor scientific enquiry. I am tempted to add, that if they shut up their old hives for such long periods, it is not to be wondered at that when they are let out, and fly back to their old stands, they are not recognised, if scent has anything to do with it.— C. R. R." Cyclamen Leaves Rotting-off {Flora). — This has probably received rather too much wet, out-of-doors, but do not despair; take away every .leaf carefully, that shows the least trace of decay. Put the plant in any window where you can give it air in this mild weather. Do not give much water until the weather changes, or the plant seems to want it, by the first symptoms of drooping ; prevent frost from hurting it ; top-dress with a little rich, light soil ; strew some powdered charcoal over the top of the tuber, whence you remove the fading leaves, and unless there is sometliing radically wrong, such as having been shaded when the leaves were growing, we think you will yet be rewarded with bloom. Gloxinia (P.). — You ask how to shade in a light forcing-house, glass all round. We do not think shading will be required nou'. When the sun gets strong it will. Any usual mode will do. We generally place them in the front of auch a house, and paint the glass a little higher than their tops, with hot, double size^ and we find this effectually saves the bloom. Viola aeboeea (Subscribers). — See an article to-day by Mr. Fish. Climbers (An Old Subscriber). — In addition to those you have /or stove, Passiflora princeps, Passiflora kermensina, Allamanda cathartica, Hoya carnosa. We presume there is plenty of light. For the middle house, Mandevilla suaveolens, Kennedya MarryattEe, Tacsonia pinnatistipula, Tecoma jasminoides, or Cherere ; for greenhouse, Dolichos lignosus, Jasminum gracile, Hardenberpia 'macrophylla. Lists of climbers for different purposes have been given lately. Flower-gakden (Turquoise). — Your planting is perfect, on the prin- ciple of contrasts ; we cannot alter a leaf, unless it were 15 (Unique Geranium) to Saponuriu calabrica, for this rea;on, that young plants of Unique do not fl.ower freely, and that old ones will make the bed too high for 16 and 17, without constant attendance to pegging and training. Again, 15 is your match for 20, and it will get hislier than 20 ; if you change 15 for 20, perhaps it will suit better than in Saponaria. Then, 21), 21, and 22, would be higher than their opposites, 15, I6, and I7, and that is, no doubt, what you intended. You are certainly not " A Novice," There is not one out of ten, of old practicals, who could do it half so well. The shapes of 10, 11, 12, and 13, are very unusual, bat we shall engrave the whole some day or other. Indian Seeds (W. C).— One-hundred-and-forty-five Indian seeds, correctly named, 120 of them are the very pick of the Indian Flora, and the rest not at all so common as we often sec from India, and great judgment exercised in the selection, but without a particle of practical knowledge of what we want, and v/hat we can manage in England. M'^e question if there is a nurseryman, or botanic gardener in the three kine"- diims, who would give the value of the paper in which they are packed, 1 for all the seeds. If you imagine a line drawn across our Indian territories, 1 from Bombay to Sylhet, you may lay it down as an axiom, that there are not ten kinds of seeds on the south side of that line that arc worth the carriage from India ; and not twenty seeds from the first fifty or sixty miles to the north of that line. Noisette LAMARQT7E (Some One). — You did wrong by treating this Rose like a Banksian Rose, and so kept it from flowering in the autumn ; you cut in the small wood, and cut out the strong shoots. Do exactly the contrary, and you will be rewarded with autumn flowers; but if it comes too strong after the first flowering, you had better give a slight root-pruning, say early in June. Bulbs and Beds {An old Subscriber), — In the first place, are you willing to lay out i£^20 or ^£'25 on bulbs for your seventeen beds, if that would plant them, which we much doubt? Be content with about 500 m'wed Hyacinths, 600 mixed ICarly Tulips, 1000 mixed Narcissus, 5000 mixed Crotus, 100 double Tulips, 500 Spanish Iris, 500 English h-is, in mixtures, 600 or 700 double, single, and star-flowered Anemones, about 300 Turban Ranunculus in three colours, 50 Fritillarias, 100 Crown Imperials in four colours, 50 Blartaeon Lilies in four colours, 500 Col- chitum auinmnalis, 50 Dogstootk Violets in two colours, 50 Featkered Hyacinths, 50 Grape Hyacinths, 50 Musk Hyacinths, 1000 Winter AcO' 174 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. BECEMDEn 2. niles, 1000 double and single Snowdrops, with as many florist's bulbs as your own fancy tells you. We would not plant a quarter of your space with bulbs. Your garden will look more like a nursery in Holland than anything else ; too much of a good thiny; is as bad as too little, and yet the above will only make a scanty clothing for your space. Gladioli {Regular Siihscriber). — The heights are relative, but wliat the proportions are on your sod we cannot say. The highest is 1, Gtm- davensis, orange-scarlet; 2, Ra/nosiis, white and red; the rest arc about the same height, or, say on an average, a yard high, and the colour various shades of red and orange. Psittacinus, Gandavensis, and Flori- bundu-t, may be planted any time between this and April. The right name of Ftoribundus is Oppusitijiorus ; and if you have it true, it is all but white. The rest of them should be planted now. The time of flowering will be governed by your locality, and the time of planting; for instance, if you plant Psittucinus now, it will come in flower next June; plant again in the bejiinning of February to bloom in July; plant in Ularch for August bloom, and in April for September and October bloom. Trof(EOLusi TV GEV.OSVM. —Wareham says — " I dug up my TropiEO- lum tuberosum a day or two ago, the result was— Twenty-one tubers, larger than the original, for which I gave la. ; twentv-two about the same size ; twenty-four somewhat smaller; and something like sixty very small. I cooked a few, and they were very nice, resembling Asparagus somewhat in flavour. The small I have pickled. They are not amiss raw, as a salad. A paper in Chambers^ Edinburgh Journal mentions that they produce fifteen to eighteen tubers; if that is the average, I must consider mine as a good crop ; and I think I should have had more had I earthed it up, as there were many immature tubers outside the ground. It was manured with wood ashes and burnt sticks, half-charred. Though it cannot be expected to supply the place of the Potato, yet I see no reason why it should not be cultivated as an esculent. The tubers keep well, and, as an occasional dish, would, I think, be found useful. Can you suggest a way to make it flower well?" Your crop was very good, a little above the average on good land. Tastes differ so much in these things, that we do not like to say much eitlicrway. We have tasted them, and all the Oxalises that have been recommended, and we still prefer the worst potato to the best of them. Roses {Ibid). — They will do perfectly well where you say, and they require little or no sun in winter; same with Pinks and Carnations. Name of Hardy Shrub (C. f?.).— Yours is the Sea-Buckthorn, or Sallowthorn [Hippophae rhamnoides) ; one of those few bushes that will grow well in sea-sand, to the edge of the tide. FocHSiA-BED (il/. Fermanagh). — Your compost is very good for a Fuchsia-bed; indeed, too good to be jiassed— One-part garden mould; one-part turf, ashes, and a little sand; and two-parts turf. Fuchsias will grow away like willows in such a soil. i\Iake it full two feet deep for them. But do not think of planting climbers in the centre of such a beautiful Ijed ; nor a Cori/mbi/lora Fuchsia either, which, instead of being '' too delicate," is so ravenous, that it would eat up all the others before the end of the season. For a row in the centre, Hiccurtonii or Gracilis are the cheapest, and as good as any if you transplant them every other spring, so that they do not encroach on the new sorts all round. Look at the list we gave last July, before you decide on what kinds to plant. Your Cleopatra Fuchsia will grow too strong for Dr. Jephson, so you must keep them well apart, with others between. Bees in TAVLoa's Hive (4 Subscriber). — Our correspondent says : — *' I have a stock of bees in Taylor's Boxes, as described in his * Bee- Keeper's Manual,' third edition, page IJ. The stock-box they have been in three years, the combs are getting very black, so that I should be very glad to change them into another, and I think there is now a chance of so doing, if 1 knew how to proceed ; they being very strong the summer before last, I put a cap on, fast, so that I cannot now take it off. I have been following the side-box system, as described in the above work, page 29, but have not succeeded very well, as they swarm most seasons, and scarcely ever fill the side-boy. ; last summer they threw off a strong swarm in June, and were very full afterwards. I put aside-box too, they worked very well into it, but did not aljove half fill it, and by what I could sec through the glass, I thought there was little or no honey in it, so I thought I would let it remain till the bees left it, and were in the stock-hive, and then take it away, and put the stock-hive in its place. I liave tried several times, but always found a great many bees in it, so 1 thought I would let it remain tilj the weather became cold. Last idght being very cold, the thermometer out down to thirty-two, with cold wind, and the Staffordshire hills covered with snow, but as soon as I stirred the box they were all on the move, as usual. I tilted the box up two inches on one side, hoping they would go into the other at six o'clock ; I then let it remain till ten o'clock, but then found them all, as usual, in the side-box, and very irascible ; in fact, one flew out and stung me, whilst lowering the box down on to the floor-board. This morn- ing I find them there as usual, and on examining the stock-box, found but three or four bees in it, but very heavy indeed with honey, full quite I three-parts down. I have put it in its place ajain, but should be very glad it I could take it away, so that the bees may have the box with new \ combs ; but how will they succeed, the box being hut half-full of combs ? There is plenty of honey in the stock-box, and I should be glad to know how to give it to them in the best way, I always feed at the top, with tins, as described in the above work, page 65. Would it be better to put the honey in the comb in the tins, and feed them in that way ; and would they increase the combs at this season of the year ? or would it be better to put the box the bees are in, on the top of the stock-box, and let them help themselves? but I fear in that way they would again take possession of the stock-box, with the old combs, which I do not want them to do." You may safely take the stock-box away, but cut seven or eight pounds of honey-comb out of it, and place it under a cap or bell-glass, upon the top of the box the bees are in, and when they have emptied the combs of honey, give them another supply, SaANGHAE oa CocuiN-CniNA Fowls (Brj>/on).— These are one and the same, and *iie have abided by our determination to call f hem S/cm- ghue only. We cannot make our correspondents always do bo. The variety is not known in Cochin, and they are found only about Sbanghae, and other noWAent districts of China. "China fowls," as you suggest, would be a correct name, but we think Sbanghae is accepted generally. The following, from a correspondent in Gloucestershire, quite agrees with what we have ascertained from a traveller recently from China, and which we shall soon publish in another form. " You would oblige by informing me, if you can, why the ' Poultry World,' in speaking of China fowls, use indiscriminately, as they do, or, in fact, why they use at all, the prefix ' Cochin,' and do not call them simply ' China fowls ?' I have endea- voured, Ijut in vain, to ascertain the origin of the name ' Cochin-China,' [ as applied to fowls, and cannot learn that there is, hut, on the contrary, I I believe, from all I have learned, there is not, any breed peculiar to and | to he found in that particular part of China, or Ijearing its name. I have kept China fowls for nearly four years, and possess birds bred from the largest sort, and some of the earliest (if not the first, except the Queen's, presented to Her Majesty by the Emperor of China) introduced into England ; those birds, however, came from afar more northerly province, viz., that of Peang-nan, in China Proper, to which place, also, I know that the best birds in this country, that is. those that have taken prizes during the past and current year, are indebted in part, if not wholly, for their parentage. The synonyme of Sbanghae, which has now become generally current, was given to the race to which mine belong merely because they were shipped from the Port of that name, and as a distinc- tion from the smaller class of birds which at the earliest English Exhi- bitions were described and acknowledged by the Judges as Cochin-Chinas, between which and mine there is a great diff'erenee, as there is also between those originally and those now received as Cochins. In one of your recent numbers, an article appeared stating as a necessary charac- teristic of pure Cochin-China fowls that they must have no tail feathers, I should he glad to know upon what authority it is so stated. I maintain that pure bred China birds (cocks), of the finest sorts, come from what part of that country they may, have, or ought to have, perfect tail feathers, but of a dwarfish description; they should, I am told, be fourteen in number; and if any of these are wanting, the attention of the judges at exhibitions should be directed to ascertain whether such feathers have been lost accidental/i/ or plucked intentionally to meet the erroneous and absurd /«M/ort of the day, which appears to be ' that the best China fowls must be a buft" colour and tail-less.' — T. A.^* We do not remember anywhere its being stated in these pages that Shanghae fowls should be without tails altogether, but we are quite sure that cocks of the pure breed have no sickle feathers in their tails. Potato-Onion (F. Wit hers). —VXunt offsets in early spring, about the beginning of March, in rows eight inches apart, and the point of each offset just above the surface. The soil as for other onions. They have completed their growth by September, and may then he taken up to plant again at the end of October, cr to be kept until the foUowiu'* spring. Do not earth them up, nor give any cultivation except an occasional earth-stirring. Parlour AauARiuM. — Clericus would be glad to know where he can purchase one of these. He also requires some seed of Polygonum vaccinifoliuin. Exchange of Ducks, &c. (Vicar).— We have given notice that we cannot insert such notices in future. We are not merely liable to advertisement duty, but give offence to advertisers. Wheat Dibbling Machine.— J. R. N. wishes to know which is the best for making the holes and delivering the seed at the same time. Bees {H, Edwards). — Leave the comb in the hive, tie a covering over the mouth, hang it in a dry place, and put a swarm into it next year. Diseased Grapes {A Subscriber, Guer}iset/).~'rhe berries of your Muscats were affected with what is technically called "the spot." 'The following is extracted from The Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary :— " It is a gangrene, probably occasioned by an irregularity in the supply of mois- ture and vicissitudes of temperature, but especially if one of the extremes is much ie/oiiJ the degree of heat most favourable to the healthy growth of the plant. il/;isc«^s are particularly liable to this disease." 'Muscats require a higher temperature than most other grapes, and that of your greenhouse was probably much too low during our recent ungeuial weather. The large Haricot Bean yon enclosed, and which you'state is commonly cultivated in the south of France, would be advantageously grown by our cottagers if hardy enough for our cliniate ; its green pods and dried seeds being equally excellent for boiling. It is probably the Lima variety, and if so, requires the plants to be forwarded in a hotbed. Worm-casts on Lawns (//e/iWcfwr).— These cannot be entirely pre- vented. Frequent waterings with lime water keep the worms from coming near the surface. Shanghae Cockerel {Anew Subscriber).— ^tindi your address, and state what aged bird do you require. The other information you seek will appear in due time. PoMiCB Stone (Pteris, Dublin).— This will do very well for a small fernery. Tropieolum tricolorum (<7. P. Willand).—We cannot give you the name of your plant by the two small leaves sent. The Tropa'olnm tri- colorum that has put up four inches, and now died down again, we should say has been kept too wet, and most likely its roots have decayed too ; whether or not, stop watering until you see if it will put out again, which probably it will not do fur several months. September is about the time this plant begins to shoot out, at which time it should be jiottcd. Until growth reappears the pot and tuber may be placed upon a dry shelf. Names ok Plants iTroublesome).—The leaf you enclosed is of the Ca/la JUtliiopica, mentioned at page 113 of our sixth volume. {J. R.). — The crimson flower is Siphocampylos Surinamensis, var. ruhra. The orchid bud was crushed. {Rev. M. E.). — Yours is Veronica speciosn ; even in Ireland we think it will not do under a warm wall without pro- tection. (H. B). — No. 1. Ruscus racemosus, or Ale-raiidriaii Laurel. No. 2. Gazania unijiora, a greenhouse undershrub. No. 3 is a Phlox, but we cannot determine which. London; Printed by Haeey Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Somervillb Obr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— December 2nd, 1862, Decembei! 0. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 17& ir w !d1 J) ~i qTn 10:P US 12 Sun 13 M 14Tu 15 VV UECEMBKIl 9-15, 19r.2. Red-throated Diver comes. Wild Swan comes. Grosbeak seen. 3 Sunday in Advent. Lucv, Stinking Hellebore flowers, EmbebWeek. WEATHEa NEAR LONDON IN 18r,I. Barometer. iThermo. Wind. Itainin In, 30.189—30.091 30.057 — 29. 9SI, ."I0.,521— 30.3C(Jj 30.510 — 30.412 30.404 —30.389 30.472 — 30.410 30.437 — 30.387 54—52 53—33 51—27 38—30 44—37 41—36 40—36 S.W. ' S. I w. I N.W. E. 1 E. S. 1 Sun Rises. Sun Sets. ia, 7 VIII 0 1 49 a, 3 49 49 49 49 49 49 Moon R,&S, 5 25 6 52 sets. 5 a 8 6 15 7 27 8 42 Moon's , Clock Age, aft. Sun, 23 29 ® 1 2 3 4 7 14 6 46 6 19 5 60 5 22 4 63 4 23 Day of Year. 344 345 3J6 347 348 .149 350 IVlETEOROLOGY OF THE Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 40.2° and 34.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 01°, occurred on the 13th in 1842 ; and the lowest cold, 11°, on the 13th in 1840. During the period 106 days were fine, and on 09 rain fell. WINGED TOB.\CCO PL.^NT. (Nkotiana alald.) This is a tender annual, and a native of South Brazil. It belongs to the Natm-al Order of Nightshades (Sola- nace!B), and to, Tentandria Monogynia of the Linnaian system. Like other tender annuals of the same family, the seeds require to he sown early in spring, on a gentle hotbed, and the seedlings, when they have three leaves, to be pricked out into small pots, and kept under the same frame, and to be moved to their blooming jjlace after re- potting in May. We extract the following from Paxton's Flower Garden : — "We translate literally the account given of this plant by Link and Otto. ' The stem is from four to five feet in height, branching, mth distant, glandular hairs. The leaves are from tliree to four or more inches long, and from one to two inches broad ; the upper ones are smaller ; they are all decurrent and form narrow wings on the stem, obtuse, and ■with a small callous point, but a little repand at the edges, and toothed, the teeth having also little callous points, on both sides rough with small somewhat closely pressed hairs, and at the edges furnished with distant and glandular hairs. The flowers are placed rather far apart from each other on a raceme ; the lower pedicels are one inch long, the upper ones are shorter. The rough calyx is not quite an inch in length, tubular ; its teeth are long and very narrow. The flowers are white, and sweet-scented ; the tube from two to three inches long, a little expanding at the top ; the teeth of the limb, eight lines in length, ai'e oval, somewhat ex- panded, obtuse. Stamens as long as the tube. Style some- what longer. Capsules oblong. Tlie seeds of this plant were sent by M. Sello, in IS-JT, from Brazil. They should be sown in the spring in pots, and the seedlings should be planted out in the open groimd when the frosts are gone. The plant is hardy, and may be kept in winter in a tem- perature of from ;iS° to 4o° Fahr,, and as such plants as are s'trongest flower best and produce most seeds, they should be so treated. The soil should be light, but rich, and mixed v.fith sand. The large, white, odoriferous flowers, forming nice-looking tufts, render the plant suitable for bedding-out. The flowers close in the day-time and hang down, but open at night. If the weather is cloudy they open as early as five, p. SI., but if clear, not before six-and-a-half, p.m. ; in like manner they shut in the morning at six if the weather be clear, but not before seven if it he overcast.' " Such is the account given by Link and Otto, of a plant which we think is beyond all doubt what Sir Henry Willock found cultivated in Persia, and sent to England as the source of Shiraz Tobacco ; in consequence of which it was called N. persica by one of us, and, according to M. Walpers, N. (lecurrcns, by Bishop Agardh. We must, however, observe that the Persian plant was not observed to be a perennial ; nor do the leaves appear to have been so distinctly decurrent as is represented in the accompanying figirre : but the specimens which have been preserved show that the leaves were somewhat decurrent, even near the summit of the flowering-stem. This identification of plants supposed to be distinct, leads to the inquiry of how a South Brazilian plant came to be cultivated in Persia as Tobacco ? and also whether any Brazilian Tobacco is manufactured from it? We trust that some one will be able to answer these questions, as well as many others connected with the history of commercial Tobacco ; as, for instance, is any Havannah Tobacco prepared from N. atnplcxlcaiiUs, as George Don reported ? Is the wdiite-flowered Guatemala Tobacco a species distinct from the Red A^irginian, N. Tabacum? Are the red-flowered Tobaccos all varieties of N. Tuhacnm > or do they belong to different species, as some pretend ? What yields the pitchy Tobacco of Latakia ; or the mild Tobacco of Syria ? TJie Djebele seems to belong to N. Tahiicmn. Is it true that 7^/". j)a"ic«?a/a is cultivated in the East? How came N. rustica to be grown in Egypt and Tunis, wliere it produces the fragrant but strong Tombaki Tobacco, which was shown at the Great Exhibition of all Nations ? Of what country is N. rustica certainly a native ? All these are in- teresting questions, to not one of which we heUeve can a satisfactory answer be found in books. N. alata is lost in English gardens, but might perhaps be recovered from Berlin." It is a paradoxical but explicable Kentish proverb, that " Tentei'den church steeple was the origin of the Good- win Sands ; " and we have heard of a shipwreck being shewn satisfactorily to have been caused by the vessel having sailed on a Friday; but out of five letters, all accusing Guano of being the cause of the Potato murrain, we cannot trace even the pretence of a reason, much less of evidence, on which our five correspondents No. CCXIX., Vol. IX. 176 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decembek 9. ("iind tlieir oiiinion. One of thorn, indeed, ventures to say, tliat " it was never intended that such a mass of excrementitious matter slioiJd be brought into this country ; " and the inference intended tlience to be drawn is that the Potato nuu'rain is a judgment upon us for having doue so ! Wo must be excused for characterising sucli an observation as so absurd, that we think the writer, when ho remembers that the disease is in a hundred countries where the use of Guano is unknown, will laugh at his own hasty illogical conclusion. We have no intention to re-enter, at present, upon the subject of the Potato disease, but we have mentioned the subject of these letters that it may indicate why we think it necessary to explain the cause of Guano being so powerful a fertiliser. It is a fact, which wo pointed out in the " Gardener's Magazine" (vol iv. 81), about twenty-five years since, that manures are powerful in proportion to the quantity of ammonia which they contain. Night soil, we then observed, one of the most beneficial of manures, surpasses all others m the abundance of its ammoniacal constituents in the proportion of three to one ; iuid the nearer any animal approaches to man ia tlie nature of its food, the more fertilizing is the manure which it affords. We added our belief that such power of promoting the vigour of plants arises from the stimu- lating qualities of the ammonia those manures contain, adding, that we had no doubt that a languishing plant, such as orange-trees, as they usually arrive hero from Italy, might be aided in recovering by having their stenr and branches steeped in a tepid weak solution of carbonate of ammonia, and by suspending an un- corked phial, containing some of the same solution, among its branches when planted. These opinions are strongly confirmed by the recent experiments of M. Ville, published in the " Comptes Rendns." Wlien we wrote as above, the use of Quano as a manure was unknown among our cultivators of the soil ; and it aftbrds another powerful testimony to the truth of om- opinion, that manures are powerful in proportion to their richness in ammonia. Professor Way has analysed the Guano brought from various localities, and it is certain that in the following list the specimens are superior as manures, exactly in the jiroportion they excel each other in ammonia. Peruvian . . 17,41 per cent. Icaboe . . . 7.30 Patagouian . . 2.04 „ Saldauha Bay . . i.(i2 So powerlhl are the effects of the ammonia, that about four lumdred weight of Peruvian is a quantity quite sufficient for manuring an aero, and of the others, quantities just proportioned to tlieir annnoniacal con- stituent. This indicates, unmistakably, the importance to the cultivator of obtaining genuine Guano, and he cannot feel confidence that ho will obtain such security, unless he purchases from long-established dealers, who have a business to lose if it is proved that they have deceived their customers. The increasing demand shows that the value of Guano is confirmed by every year's experience ; and we hail the fact as a proof that British cultivators, true to our national character, meet increased difficulties by in- creased efforts to rise superior over them. The quan- tities imported in the last five years are as follows [Farmers Almanac for 1853,^). 21) : — 1847 1848 184!) IS.jO ISO] 110,92.5 24:l,01(i Tons... 82,:ji)2 71,414 80,430 In Guano the allotment-gardener and the small market- gardener have a powerful i'riend. Want of capital, and of the means of keeping much animal stock, renders a deficiency of manure their chief difficulty, and Guano releases them from it. We have now seen it em])loyed almost for every important garden crop ; and wo can testify that it lielps them to as excellent a growth as would be obtained by applying twenty times their weight of any farm-yard dung. All the Cabbage- worts, Spinach, Celery, Asparagus, Strawberries, Roses, and many other garden plants, we have seen grown without any other manure being added, and we can testii'y that never was a finer produce obtained, even with a lavish expenditure of the gardener's usual com- post. Let all gardeners bear this in mind, and when- ever iuconvenienced by a deficiency of manure, let them remember that they can purchase the best Peruvian Guano for ten shillings per hundred weight. COVENT GARDEN. Ere this, our readers will have had time to consider the ju'oposition we made as to the economical planta. tions of fruit-trees ; and taking it for gi-auted that, with some of them at least, it has met with some degree of favour, we continue the subject. We have already given a list of those varieties of Apples which we would recommend for dessert use, and which are likely to be most remunerative when taken to market. This week we shall devote our attention to those adapted for culinary purposes; and, carrying out the same plan as that on which we set out, by taking them in their order of maturity, we shall now com- mence with — 1. Manks Godlin..- — Quo of the earliest, licst, nud most abundant-bearing culinary Apples we have. We have chosen this variety in preference to some of the other early Codlins, because the tree is of a very hardy constitution, succeeds well in exposed situations, and is not very nice as regards soil. This being of a snuill habit of growth, it would be well to graft it standard high on some other variety of vigorous gi'owtli, and which would make a stronger stem than the Manks Codlin would if tr.aiued up of itself. 2 Eiirlij JiiJieii. — To many tlio name of this Apple will bo new, for it is not so well-known as it ought to be, and couseipieutly not so extensively cultivated. It is, nevertheless, a variety of some standing. In the appearance of the fruit it has some resemblance to the llawthorinlcn, but is as superior to that variety as the Decembek 9. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 177 Hawtlwrndcn is to a turnip. Its flesh is firm and crisp, very juicy and brisk, witli a very strong and ricli bal- samic flavour. The tree is a very early and abundant bearer, almost, if not quite, as much so as the Hmo- thornden. It is ripe in the middle of August, and lasts during the greater part of September. It may even be used in the dessert. 0. Nonesuch. — This is a very old and very beautiful English apple, and well suited for orchard planting for the supply of markets, as the tree is an early and great bearer, and the high colour of the fruit is very attrac- tive. It is one of the best for preserving, and makes the finest apple jelly. It is ripe in about the second week in September, and lasts during October. 4. Wormsley Pippin. — Among all the varieties Mr. Knight raised, we question if he got a better and more generally valuable apple than this. Besides being of a very large size, and first-rate in every respect for culinary use, it is even a good dessert apple, being crisp, brisk, sugary, and aromatic. But perhaps its greatest qualifi- cation is the wide range of country for which it is adapted ; it being as easily cultivated iu Scotland as in the south of England. It comes in use in September,^ and lasts during October. 5. Cellini. — This is a sort, too, which is deserving of greater popularity. It is handsome and beautifully coloured, and of a good size. It is particidarly brisk', juicy, and crisp, with that strong balsamic flavour which is peculiar only to some apples. It is in use during October and November. The tree is a strong and capital grower, and a most abundant bearer. We have only just to look out of the window where we are now writing to see a Cellini tree, about five feet high, which this season was as full of apples as it could hold. 6. Oolden Winter Pearmain. — This is what is known to most people by the name of King of the Pippins, which is, in fact, a decoy name given to this variety by a London nurseryman, that he might for a time secure the sale of it to himself. This variety is now pretty well known, and is quite an established favoiu'ite, especially in Covent Garden and the other London markets. It is a pretty and handsome apple, and is in use from October till January. 7. Beauty of Kent. — One of the most magnificent- looking, and one of the best culinary apples which this country has ever produced. It gi-ows to a great size, and is a fine sauce apple. The tree, however, requires a warm and rather light soil. The fruit is in use from October till February. 3. Bumelow's Seedling. — There are few growers now- a-days who do not know the V/ellington Apple. This is it. It is also sometimes called Normanion Wonder. It is a very pretty apple, of good size, and exceedingly firm and weighty. It is one of the very best sauce apples, and well known now in almost all markets. Tlie tree is a strong and vigorous grower, and a good bearer. 9. Winter Pearmain. — This, for a cottager's garden, is one of the best we know. It will grow almost any- where and everywhere, is a most beautiful apple, and the tree is a very abundant bearer. It is an excellent variety for apple-pies, and is one of those which do not fall away to pulp, but which, though over so well cooked, still i-etains the form of slices the same as when first put into the pie. It is in use from Novem- ber till April, and is a good keeper. 10. Striped Beefing. — Very few of our readers know, or ever heard of this variety. The sooner they make its acquaintance the better. Wo have already exhausted our superlatives on the Beauty of Kent, otherwise we would have concentrated all on this. It is an immensely large apple, being generally never less than four inches diameter, beautifully coloured, and the most excellent of the best culinary apples. When baked by itself in a tin, or on a plate, which you will, it falls, and gives out a perfect syrup of rich, sugary juice. It is in use from December till May. 11. Winter Majetin. — ^In appearance this very much resembles the London Pippin : but the latter, in ripen- ing, attains a yellow colour, while the former may be kept tiU May or June, and will always preserve its green colour. It is a very hardy variety, and bears very abundantly. 12. Oooseherry Apple. — This is a very valuable apple, not only for its long keeping, but its very fine and pecu- liar flavour, which, wlien cooked, very much resembles that of the Gooseberry. It is now coming much into cultivation about London for the supply of the markets, and is a most profitable variety to grow. It comes into use in December or January, and keeps as late as June or July. We have now completed our list of Apples, and here we leave the subject for the present. Next week we shall, on the same plan, furnish a list of Pears. We announced, some weeks ago, that Apples must rise in price before long ; and now that time has arrived. During the past week, even although the weather has been so bad, and trade generally didl, the rise has been very considerable. Anything like good samples of kitchen sorts made as much as 7s. and 8s. per bushel, and good dessert 10s. We did not observe anything new among them besides what we have already noticed in former reports. There are still, however, plenty of Blenheim Pipinns, Alfristons, Newtown Pippins, Lady Apples, and a few Eibstons. We observed, also, a small parcel of the old Oalville Blanche, now very seldom seen iu this country, but a gi-eat favourite on the continent. These were imported specimens. Among Pears there is not much new, except a few Ne Plus Meuris, a very rich and highly-flavoured pear of the very first rank. It was raised by Van Mens, and named after his gardener Meuris. There are also some Nelis d^hiver, Beurre de Ranee, Olout Morceau, and very large specimens of imported Chaumontel; all of them make from .3s. to 4s. per dozen. Potatoes are rising very much in price, even common French kinds of inferior quality are making as high as £5 per ton. Regents, of home growth, are .£7 10s., and every day they are expected to rise considerably higher. 178 It is the opinion of good judges that thcr enough to last out the season. Cut FLon-ERS consist of Clmjmntliemums, Camellias. Chinese Primroses, Fuchsias, Heliotropes, Heaths, Bases. Yellow Calceolarias, Mignonette, and Blue ]'ioIets.—B.. THE COTTAGE GARDENER will not he Decejiber 9. mniister TiicAi'i/, weighing, we learnt, twenty-five pounds ! What a mine of trutHes it would liut we abstain fi-mn depicting ' a siglit to dream of not to see,' and ajjoiim the subject till tlie December show, whioli, we hupe, will abun- dantlj' surpass all its predecessors." GOSSIP. In a recent nuraher.p. 91, of the present Yolnme, an inquiry is made after Dixon ami Kerr's Ornamental and Domestic Poultry Bool: We have reason for suspecting that Mr. Kerr is an American, who wrote some time since to the Rev. ilr. Dixon, and that the work refei-red to is merely a reprint of ilr. Dixon's well-known work which we noticed last week, and we warn our readers from it accordingly; for it would be unjust to tiie original author to purchase what is pirated, if our suspicion be correct. Even the little island of Mauritius has its Royal Society of Arts and Sciences, and we are glad to see that gardening receives no small portion of its attention. At a recent meeting, over which the Governor presided, it was there stated that grafting had been successfully introduced by the society's means, and that two hun- dred scions had succeeded admirably. Twelve new varieties of the PiHe-aj)ple were introduced. Sugar, however, as might he expected, was the principal object, and we must quote on this subject from the Hon. Mr. Rawsou, Treasurer-General of the island. He said : — "A specimen of that which makes the wealth of the colony ^pointing to a magnificent cane on the table sent by Mr. Couvois of Black liiver), of a size such as no gentleman here ever before witnessed, lies before you. It measures eighteen French feet, and contains fifty-two knots. — There is (said the speaker proudly) the material of our wealth and prosperity. Here is, your Excellency, an evidence of the heiglit to "which we have attained, a height to wliich I hope ali planters in this colony are aspiring, and which, if most of them are successful in reaching, will certainly place us at the head of the sugar-growing colonies. Sir, and gentlemen, the medal which I hold in my hand was given to Messrs. W'ehh and Co. for a sample of the best sugar presented at the Great Exhibition in London. I think I am correct in saying that they are very, very near getting the Coiuicil medal for then- i)roductioa, which, had tliey obtained, would have been evidence of our sugar being the finest that was exhibited on that celebrated occasion. How- ever, they were second, if not entitled to be tlie first. Here, your Excellency, is the beautiful medal (handing it to tlie Governor) wliich was awarded to tliem, a medal which ouglit to be an object of pride not only to IMessrs. ^Vebb and Co., but to all tlie planters, and to every man in the community who takes an interest in the welfare and prosperity of the colony. (Applause)." But the Mauritians, we observe, also have their Poultry Shou-s, and here is an extract from a report of what was exhibited, and with this extract we will conclude : — " In I'oultry, also, there was great competition, and very superior specimens of Crcnlr-tircd were exhibited; we par- ticularly noticed those ol' Mr. Douglas (prize), Mr. Eicliard- son, and Mr. Marie. There were also some fancy fowls cif great beauty, and some magnificent capiais, which, howe/er, were unrewarded by any prize. We must not pass over Mr. Robinson's superior breed of Rnliliils, whicli well deserved tlio prize awarded ; nor Mr. Oliver's Ci'pe (,'icsv ; nor the The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry Sliou'S of which we arc at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to the list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. HOETICTILTUHAL SHOWS. London rLORicCLTUEAi (Exeter Hall, Strand), Dec. 11+. South London (Eoval), Dec. 10. rOUlTRV SHOWS. ElEMINGHAM AND SIlDLAND COUNTIES, 14th, l.'ilh, ICth, and 17th December. Cornwall (Penzance), January Iflth, and llth. (Sees. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) HoNiTON, January 12th. (Sec. H. K. Venn.) Salisbury and AVestern Counties, December 10. (Sec. T. Pain, Esq.) t For seedlings only. RENOVATION OF FRUIT-TREES. When wo cast our eyes around, and wdien we call to mind what a vast number of fruit-trees we have met with, or heard of, wdiich disease or unfruitl'ulness ren- der unworthy of preservation if incurable, it seems astonisliing that, after all the books that have been written, all the tales told, and all the iVuitist's lore made public, as well as the practical observations of a very many years brought to bear on the subject, such should still be the case. But so it is; and we tliiuk some ser- vice may be done by dealing out another blow or two at prevailing errors, and pointing to great facts committed with the root itself; to the due culture of which all pruning and training must ever hold a secondary position. Let no one suppose that we wish to decry in sweeping terms the genuine pruner's labours ; this time-honoured craft must still hold a place in the annals of horticulture ; and we look back with a sort of instinctive veneration on some genuine " early Yorks " whom we knew in our 'prentice days, and wdio used to sally in the " rest- season," knife in band, with an expression of counte- nance fuUv exhibiting an inward consciousness of their dexterity, "and of the great importance of their mission. These were amongst tlie most patient of men. Years rolled past, and still they pruned on with the utmost precision ; " spurring back" with all the exactitude of a walking-stick manufacturer. Indeed, we knew of two of these worthies who were first-raters at walking-sticks, and no marvel either. And fruit might occasionally be seen on such trees, which was strange enougli ; the Pears would occasionally take theii- stand in bunches at the extremi- ties like tassels; and it was noted, as an odd phenomenon, that the Pears generally commenced where the prnner left off! But our present business is not with wall-trees or Pears alone, but to point to root-culture, for the im- provement of unsatisfactory fruit-trees in general ; and in order to know what we are about, we must attempt a classification of the evils proposed to be remedied. As this subject will not bo disposed of in one paper, we are in duty bound to prepare the interested reader for it; and the following classification of evils will at once show the breadth of the subject: — 1st. Aged trees. 2nd. 'J'reos weakened by bearing. .'h'd. Diseased trees. Decembeii 9. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 179 4th. Ramblers. fJtli. Shy kinds. (ith. Gross, or plothorio youug trees. Before proceeding i'urtlier, let ns point to the causes of these evils ; let us give them names, in order to facilitate a due study of the various causes. The principal will stand as follows :— 1st. Soils of improper texture. 2nd. Soils too rich. 3rd. Too much depth of soil. ■1th. Ungenial subsoils. 0th. Atmospheric considerations. In the consideration of faults in texture, we have at once the too light, and the too stiff, or adhesive ; the first leading to a kind of leanness in the ti-ee, much averse to the production of first-rate fruit, or to a per- manency of liabit. On the other hand, there are the clayey loams of extreme tenacity ; these, by holding water too long, bring on a debility of constitution, equally averse to profitable results. Soils too rioh. — Most of our readers know by this time that much manure is prejudicial to fruit-trees in general, as inducing an overgross habit averse to the production of blossom-buds ; and in addition, in the case of trained or dwarfed trees, causing a most unwar- rantable amount of labour to the pruuer. There are some exceptions : the Gooseberry and the Black Currant will bear high manuring on most soils ; and, indeed, a few exceptions exist in the varieties of some of our fruits. Thus the Manks Codling, one of our very best kitchen apples, will succeed in a rich soil, which would drive a Dumelow's seedling or Normanton Wonder wild. But, be it remembered, that this Manks Apple has the pe- culiar property of j)roducing bloom-buds freely on the annual shoots ; which, of course, creates a greater de- mand on the root. Too great a depth is the next in oiu- brief review of the evils; the tendency of this is to place the tree beyond that wholesome control which has proved of so much service in later years. We are quite prepared to admit, that in the ordinary oi-chard, where the object is to pro- duce huge and long-enduring trees, which may pass on to our heirs, without either manuring or pruning, that the soil can scarcely be too deep, if sound ; or in other v?ords, if waters can pass freely away at that low level. This is altogether another affair from the dwarfed and early-bearing tree of the garden. And as to the merits of the dwarfing system, when duly carried out, what are the results as compared with the former position of affairs? Then the possessor of a little suburban garden might have a huge Bergamot Pear or a Jargonelle, per- haps a Swan's-Egg ; and then there would be the great, old Pi.usset Apple-tree, a gnarled old Codlin, &c., &c. ; and these being in bearing, he was therewith tolerably content ; for on being advised to plant others, it was ten to one some over-zealous gentleman set him at " com- posts," and give the ill-fated tree fifty per cent, more manure than the objects warranted. But now, in such a garden, it is becoming no uncommon thing to see an extensive collection, and that, too, in a small compass; in fact, as many kinds as the proprietor can desire. Ungenial subsoils are not the least of the evils con- nected with fruit-culture; we speak of those whiclr have received no assistance from the cultivator. Wet and sour bottoms bring on betimes all the effects of age on trees, decayed points, boughs smothei-ed with moss, and a generally lean and debilitated condition. No fine and high flavoured or good-keeping fruit can be expected under such circumstances. Atmospherio considerations. — Of course an artificial atmosphere is not to be expected out-doors ; but if we cannot fit the atmosphere to fruits, we can adapt the selection to peculiar conditions. This is a portion of our subject which has never yet received a fair consider- ation, oven by practical men; it is, however, of much importance, and for the Last thirty years — during which period this question, as one of note, has constantly ac- quired strength — wo have seen quite sufficient to con- firm the opinion, that it will be vi^ell for all parties to give it a consideration. If any reader doubts this, let him try to account for the singular and notorious fact, that a given apple, say A. B., which is a staple com- modity in one district, should be lightly esteemed in another. It is of no use saying the soil differs. Soils, after all, are not more material as afl'eoting fruits than the very character of the air itself; and that, it would appear, chiefly based on tlie degi-ee of moisture where- with it is charged. What makes Cheshire so noted for the production of cheese — its soil ? By no means. It is produced in this county from all classes of soils : reclaimed bogs, sandy uplands, and the downhill clays. We do not aflirm that an equality exists as to its virtues; but this will not weaken the force of our argument. And then the Damson, almost peculiar to Shropshu'e and Cheshire, where every hedge-row of the cottager, whether on the clays or the sands, has its thriving Damson-trees. In many gardens in Lancashire, and other maritime counties, it is no unusual thing to see Peach-trees, in the autumn, with most of their young shoots black and perishing with a kind of gangrene. About twenty years since, when Mr. Taylor was gardener to Earl Wilton, at .Heaton Park, near Manchester, he made some new borders for Peach and Nectarine-trees, at a considerable expense, and planted them with capital trees of choice kinds. These trees made the most splendid growth imaginable ; in fact, too splendid to be safe. I saw them in the month of October, and poor Taylor was quite puzzled about them; for, having lived previously gar- dener to the Marquis of Ailesbury, at Sheen, near Richmond, he had not been accustomed to the damp and murky skies of our tall-chimney gentlemen. These borders were twenty per cent, too deep, and sixty per cent, too rioh, for the circumstances they bad to battle with ; and had they been planted above the ground level (instead of making holes for them), aud the soil a simple upland loam from an old pasture, without a particle of manure on it, the probability is they would not have made half the length of shoot. Here, within thirty miles of Manchester, we never lose a shoot this way ; the wood ripens as perfectly as though the trees were in a peach-house ; but to be sure, our " stopping" practice has much to do with this ; we do not produce wood as sport for the pruner's knife. Now it is not a matter of temperature, let people fancy or affirm what they will ; of this we are perfectly satisfied. In order to oppose our argument, some might say, How can we alter the conditions of oiu' atmosphere ? We answer, you cannot ; but you can alter the conditions under which your trees are situated. It is tolerably evident, that in such climes the trees both absorb more from the atmosphere, and perspire much less ; indeed, the latter is the most im- portant fact ; for witliout a liberal perspiration how shall those elaborations freely proceed, which are doubly essential to trees from brighter and warmer climes? Thus we find these men insisting on the necessity for flued walls, by which, it need scarcely be urged, the fruit must become much more costly in its production. It being tolerably evident, then, that the absorption of too much sap from rich and deep soils is the cause of the failure of such trees, the question is, how to avoid this gluttony ? We at once answer. Give them less and poorer diet; put them, as our medical gentlemen would say, under a lowering course, if they become gross, by root- pruning or transplanting; for our readers may rest assured that the pruner's knife can never conquer such radical evils. Planting high is of the utmost import- ance in such cases ; and if folks tvill have what is termed 180 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 9. a border, let it be above the grouiid level instead of below it. Look at the nortli of Ireland, and, indeed, other parts of that fertile country, and examine the reasons why they cannot [iroduce Peaches, Nectarines, Apri- cots, &c., like some parts of England. We were in the hahit of corresponding on such subjects, some years since, with Mr. Young, then gardener to the Earl of Enniskillen, at Florence Court, where our singular Irish Yew first showed its face ; a mere sport from the com- mon \'ew. In such correspondence, IMr. Y. used to give e.xtraordinary accounts of the wild and rampant clui- racter of sucli fruit-trees through extreme humidity of air: not for want of warmth. Broad Beans have been quoted as six feet high, and many other things in propoi-tion. To be sure, the want of more sun-light is a great draw- back ; but here we are met with another reason for the avoidance of a plethoric habit. Mr. I'oung has, since those days, gone to Natal, on the African coast , and if ever these pages should obtain a footing amongst the descendants of Ham, we should be right glad to bear from him. He will have a very different account to give of that climate. In a subsequent paper we will give a detail of cases, with their treatmeut; and such will surely be fitting matter for the dormant season. R. Ehrixgton. A VISIT TO THE BOTANIC GARDEN, OXFORD. Tuis is the oldest botanic garden in the kingdom, having been founded iu l(io2. The first catalogue of plants in it was published in KibS, enumeiating two thousand species, of which six hundred were English. Dr. Robert Morison, a native of Aberdeen, was tlie first Professor of Botany: he was appointed in IGliO. Of bis three next successors little is known. In 172S, Dillenius, a German botanist, was appointed Professor, and tlie garden was much improved through tlie in- lluenoe and liberality of Dr. William Slierard, who bequeatlied £:W0 to provide a salary for tlie Profcasor- sliip. On the death of Dillenius, in 1717, Dr. Humphrey Sibthorp was appointed his successor, and lie, in liis turn, was succeeded, in 17S-t, by his j'oungest son. Dr. •lohii Sibthorp, the celebrated author of " Flora Grajca." Ho died of consumption, in 17'.Hi, at the early age of thirty-eiglit, and in his will bequeathed his books and collections to the botanic gardens. Th.e number of species collected from his manuscripts and specimens amount to three tliousand. He also devised a free- hold estate of £:iC\0 a-year to his own University, for the purjiose, fiist, of juihlishing his " Flora Gra:^ca," and afterwards of endowing a Professorship of Rural Economy. The author of the " Flora GrjBca " was succeeded by Dr. George Williams, who held the Pro- fessor's chair till his death, in ]S:!4, when the present occupier, Professor Daubney, took the reins. I had a longingdesire to visit Oxford, for two reasons; first, to make the personal acquaintance of the worthy curator, Mr. Baxter; and then to see, for the first time, the very garden from which the first ideas of the sexual system in plants was given to tlio world, from experi- ments and observations made there two lumdred years ago, and before Ray or anybody else had given a thought on the subject. Tlie cross-breeder was received at Oxford very differently from the reception given by Dillenius to Linnrcus, whose name is immortalized through the sexuality of plants. Within the last few years. Professor Daubney, assisted by Mr. Baxter, the curator, has made great alterations and improve- ments in the arrangements of this garden, and their plans are not yet finished. I bad some notion that the Professor bad a taste for flower gardening, from his remarks when I once conducted him over a fine scene in that style, but I little expected to find a better taste iu the disposition of the flower beds here, along two of the principal walks, than is to be seen in a similar way at Kew. The beds in the angles of walks, at t>xford, and along both sides of the wallis, in pairs, are in the best stylo of the art. They arc so at Kew. likewise; but there are no beds in tlie angles of any of the leading walks at Kew, and tliere is an outlandish taste in placing five or six feet circles immediately behind each pair of oblong beds, which may be from twenty to twenty-four feet long, writing from memory. The botanic herbaceous plants are planted, chieflj', in cii'cles of diffei-ent diameters, cut out of the gi-ass behind tlie flowei'-beds which skirt the walks, and the trees and shrubs are ]ilanted in long borders in such a way as to diversify the surface as much as possible, the situation being low, and without any natiu'al im- dulations. The grass garden is also in circles cut out of grass, every species having a circle for itself, and the whole bordered with medicinal plants, and the odds and ends are in borders or strips here and there over the garden. All the walls are covered with half-hardy or nearly hardy plants, and some of them are the very finest specimens in that style I ever saw, particularly a very large full-grown plant of Spinm lAndleijana. ou a south- east aspect. It was then in seed at the ends of all the branches, and on an average, the flower branches or clusters were from twenty to thirty inches long, and of immense thickness. It must have been the next thing to the Pamjias Grass while it was in flower. The plant is a very fast gi'ower, and last year T recommended to have it made into standards, to rival the Stag-horn Sumach; but, for a cold wall, where plenty of room can be given to it, I would plant it next after Whiaria sinensis, and before auy other deciduous plant tliat I can now think of. After that I would ])lant a strong young plant of Aralia j/ipoiiica, about which ^Ir. Fish put us on the right scent the other day. The Spirrm [ would train just like a peach-tree, and the Andin I would allow to grow out from the wall, as you see figs sometimes left untrained. I now see clearly enough that this Aralia ought to be treated in all respects like a fig, except the close nailing. lifcJirnithns major is here, and at Kew, against walls without heat, and is ono of the best of the very old plants that one could plant for the beauty and sea-green of tlie leaves. 'J'be flowers are dull, hut so full of honey, that at the Cape of Good Hope they use them for tea and colfee instead of sugar. In very hard winters this needs protection, but if the roots are saved they will soon throw vqi strong young wood. Smilax SarsaparilUi is of the same class, and is convenient for training here and there between specimens of larger growtli. The Olive, Christ's Thorn, {Zi:i/plnis PaJiiinis), the Osage Orange (Madura aurantiaca), the oak-leaf JT;/d- ranyca. Acacia juKhrissin, a line thing. New Zealand I'lax Convolvulus scamonium, Solanum crispvni. a fast grower but coarser and more common-looking than iS'. jasminoidcs, are all against cold walls here, with Passion flowers, Bauksian Roses, and manj' other less hardy plants, of which they have a large stock. Also two species of a very seareo plant called Hpltcdra (mono- stacJii/a and distachya). Ono seldom sees these two dwarf evergreen shrubs exce|it iu botanic gardens; but they are highly curious, and well worth having, as we have no other plants like them except the Casuarinas of Australia, or our own British Equiselums, or Maro's- tail. I must also notice the /''o.r O'ctr/jc of North y\merica, from among this class, if only to second a suggestion that was lately made by a7i able writer, to tlie ofl'ect December 9. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 181 that these liardy vines from North Aincrioii would iual;c oxcoUeiit stoolts to work oar hothouse grapes ou, in pre- ference to growing them ou their own tender roots as at present, — a very excellent idea as it ajipears to me. After tlie ahovo, 1 noted a few out-oi'-tlie-way plants which are suitahle for a wilderness or for rough hanks. (Jrlicii nivea — a kind of nettle — a largo, hushy shrub, with rough, broad leaves, having the underside quite white, and when they are moved about by the wind, they look singular and very interesting. Another one, of the Currant family, called Rihesferox, looks as fierce and wild as a porcupine. Out of all their herbaceous plants, the two which appeared to mo to he most siuted ibr a wilderness part of a garden, were Plii/lolncvii. de- canclra, the American .Poke, lately describeil, and Pyre- tlirmn scrotinnm, a very scarce herbaceous plant, reaching nine or ten feet high, with stems and leaves not much stouter than those of a Michaelmas Daisy, and bearing large clusters of white composite flowers on the top, the individual flowers being also large, and easy to be seen a long way olf. Whoever grows the old Astelma muxlma, will find a good match Ibr it in this P i/ rethnim. Among these trees 1 shall notice particularly the Maiden-hair Tree, Sulinburia adianiifolia, one of the finest specimens of it I ever saw; it is a tree that will grow as easily as a Thorn-tree, and every one who plants ought to Itave this one among the first. Kodreiitcna ^)rt«tc;i«Z((i((, from China, is another of those fancy trees which every one who wishes to excel in gardening ought to plant. In all the universities here they teach, among other things, an old Roman doctrine, which says, that " it becomes all men who aspire to excel (in gardening, let us say), to labour with tlieir utmost might, not to pass their life" so-and-so, like so-and-so, but to let the rest of the world understand tliat they, at any rate, shall not be left behind in the race of garden imj)rovements. Instead of planting ten or twenty trees of one sort, people of this caste would rather plant ten or twenty difibrent sorts of trees, if they only kuew the names of the best sorts. The KoelreiUeria is as pretty going to rest, with its deep, yellow, pinnated leaves, as when the end of every branch is in full bloom, on large, loose pannicles, boariug first, small yellow flowers, and after- wards, large, bladdery seed-pods or capsules. The first tree that attracted my notice, on passing the garden-gate, was a full-grown specimen of the true Service-tree [Pijrus domeslioa) loaded with fruit ; here is another tree one hardly sees in a day's inarch. The Manna-tree, (Omus Europccus), a very, very slow-growing tree at first, is a beautiful specimen here, and so with many others, for which I have no room to-day for mentioning them. There is a wide ditch on the south side of the garden, and a large pond near the bottom of the garden, in the same direction, and it was astonishing to me to see how many water-plants, from the stoves, they contrived to grow in them all the summer, without any more care than at first to fix them in their places. Those who doubt that most of our stove plants cannot be trusted out-of doors in the lioight of summer, and through the autumn, ought to visit Oxford to see these aquatics smothering each other with their luxuriant growth. Of an opposite family of plants, the Succulents, tliey have the best and cleanest-growing specimens in Eng- land, and a vast number of species of the different foi'ms of Aloes, Mesemhnjantliemums, Gacaluu, Orassultu, and so forth, but not many of the Cactus family. Many of these curious, gouty plants are enough to make one laugh to look at them. A whole row, on an upper shelf, of little, tiny Mcsembryanthemuius, their leaves fringed all round with rows of teeth, and standing in pairs facing each other, like the jaws of so many puppies of all the dog tribes, and all the oats, and other grinning creatures at full play, such as caninum, aijninum, vulpi- nmii, lupinum, Ugriiium, folinuin, murlnmu, mustdUnum; eniinum ; while obcordeUum, tcslicularo, murkalam, hiji- diiiii, spiuosum, roslralum, luborosmn, moiiilij'onne, tauri- niim. and a dozen more of such like, put you in mind of all the drolleries in a toy-shop ; and the best of it is, that you could put a score of full-grown plants of most of these into a night-cap ; that a little thumb-pot is large enough to grow any one of them ; that a little water once or twice a-week in summer, and once in three weeks or a mouth in winter, will do for them ; also that silver sand will do to grow them in ; but they will grow in anything ; then tell me if it is not wortli while to go all the way to (Jxford to learn this ; and yet the best part about succulent plants is not told, and cannot be told to-day. Among tlicse succulents are two wliich we might call silver plants, they are so white; they are Eeheoeria farinosa and ptdvendeiila, that is, mealy and powdery-looking. There is one plant of the Soco- turine Aloe, the finest specimen of the kind, perhaps, in existence, it is so perfect all over, so bushy, so healthy, and so heavy, that four men would find it a good pull to raise it into a barrow, and yet the specimen is not bigger than a full-grown geranium at the Loudon shows. Whether it is the air, the chalky soil, or the great attention they receive, I cannot tell ; but tliere is nothing about London whicli will come near to the succulents at Oxibrd for vigour, symmetry of growth, and cleanliness. Perhaps Cnissida perfossa is as sin- gular as any of the tribe : the leaves of this species iiiight almost be called versatile, that is, they are so slightly "attached to the stem that they may be turned round at pleasure." When Mr. Fish has a week to spare, he ought to look round Loudon, and see where the best succulents are to be had, a.nd, between us, wo could make up a fine selection for amateurs who cannot grow any other kind of plants. We could pick up a dozen sorts that would answer for balconies, terraces, and terrace-gardens, better than the more fashionable plants now in use, because of the novelty of the thing, and the little care needed to look after them. Perhajis Mr Appleby — now tliat he has a shop of his own — would luint out for us the best of the pan Aloes, tree Aloes, and otlier suitable ones from the other sections. I shall close this section with a wonder — a real tree- pink — Dianthus fruticosus. I never saw it, or the like of it before : it has a stem as rough and rugged, and as woody as any plant in the garden, and if the shoots and leaves were cut oil', no one could make out the trunk from that of an elm tree dvvarl'ed by a China- man. Even as it was, had it not been in flower, I could hardly bring myself to beheve that it was a pink at all ! D. Beaton. (To he continued.} TRIFLES TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT WITH REGARD TO PLANTS IN PI'TS, &c. It is quite possible to have too much of a good thing. The lady, so admirably pourtrayed in a late number, found this to be the case in regard to the abundance of fruit her garden yielded. Overflowing benificence was no blessing to her! Many, who nobly bufi'et with the storms of adversity, lose all balance and self-conti'ol when the gale of prosperity comes. Nothing but real evils would ever cure the Mrs. St. Clairs of society of their imaginary woes. Necessity is the chief spur to energy and existence. Without it, there may be striv- ings and splendid realizations among tlie few, but there would be sloth and sluggishness, mentally and physi- cally, among the many. What holds true of matters in general, holds equally true in gardening. Fine weather is not unfrequently permitted to do more mischief than the storm. A dull, mild autumn and winter will leave more empty pots behind them than an unusual amount 182 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. December 9. of frost and snow. In the one case, we are lulled into carelessness; in tlio otlier, we nre aroused into action. Already complaints are reaching us about having "too much of the good" of a warm, dull, dripping autumn. Cuttings fairly struck, and secured in pits and frames, are already damping oti'; and where will they be when April arrives '.' One person has acted so much on the defensive, that the glasses were kept close, to keep out the dull, foggy, moist air : and when he expected to be able to congratulate himself on his wisdom, the moving of a sash showed Mr. Damp in quiet undisturbed pos- session. A second has kept them exposed night and day, though many have been rotted off by the surface of the pot; and the soil, in addition to losing its uoui'ishing properties, has been lashed as hard as a briclt. A third, knowing that growing plants must not be thoroughly dry even in tliis weather', has wisely told young blue apron to examine all ; to take out those that are dry, and water and replace again when drained ; and, on his future inspection, he has the pleasui'e to perceive that the bottom of his pit, so dry erstwhile, is now as thoroughly soused as if a canal from the Nile had been introduced for irrigation. And here, fourthly, is our friend. Present Time, chuckling with glee over what he calls, " the stunted rusted things of neighbour Look-hefore-ldm" who beat him, it is true, last season, but let him look out for the next ! " Why, his plants have not budged since October ; while mine, from the attention and heat I have given them, have grown several inches, and the leaves are as green as leeks." Hint that there may be such a thing as extension, without much addition, and you will be met with a stare, that is designed to tell you, tliat surely, if great men have found out that plants are increased greatly in bulk when the leaves are gone, he cannot be wrong in coming to a similar conclusion when his leaves get fresher every day, and a measuring rule tells him how his shoots lengthen by inches. 'These, and many more oases, I will endeavour to meet in a few directions. 1st. At all times, hut especially in winter, let all stimu- lants to growth be in 2)roportion to the presence or absence of light. — It is somewhere about eighteen years since I sent an article to " Loudon's Magazine," disap- proving of a high temperature in hothouses at night. Opinions held then have been more than confirmed since — though tlien I had pilenty of reasons, theo- retical and practical. The mentioning of tliese in detail would occupy a number. Let me glance at one or two. In circumstances, as respects heat and moisture favourable to growth, I kept an account of measurements, taken several times a-day, of quick-grow- ing plants. 1 found that when tho night temperature was at all high, increase in length chiedy took jilace during the darkness of night. The next greatest growth, as respects length of shoot, took place in dull, shady days. In bright days there was always a diflbrence, as respects mere progression, in the case of one plant kept sliaded aud another fully exposed to sunlight. I per- ceived, however, that the plant with most light soonest arrived at maturity, bloomed best, and was less subject to casualties. 1 also found that in the case of such )ilants grown fully exposed to light, and with as low a tem- perature at night as to be safe; and, again, of those with a rather high temperature at night, or somewhat shaded during the day — when equal weiglits of similar-looking shoots were talicn from plants thus diil'erently treated, and ex])osed, first, to the evaporating influence of a dry, lieated air ; secondly, to being burned in an open vessel ; and, thirdly, charred in a somewhat close one — that in every case the hardy light-treated plants produced the heaviest weight of residuum. Then 1 came to the con- clusion, that there might be mere elongation and expan- sion without much widitioii, on the same ]U'inciple that out of a small piece of brass the clover worker will manage to spin out many yards of wire. Exceptions there are, arising from the peculiar nature of particular plants ; but, as a general rule, our young friends will do well to bear in mind, that the shining of the sun on the leaves is necessary to solid additions. What care, then, is necessary jiou'for plants in frames and pits, after such a season of warm, dull, muggy weather. Do what could be done, there was too much of the wire-drawing as respects growth. Eveiy thing sliould have been done, and must continue to be done, to prevent mere elongation, by keeping the plants as dry and in as low a temperature as to be safe. In general cases, there has been enough of moisture in the air to supply plants in such places without watering the roots ; and if, during a week's gloom, an hoin^'s sunshine should flag the foliage, it would be advisable then to dew the foliage with a little water, instead of drenching the roots. The very flagging, in such circumstances, speaks of an enervated state of growth ; and frequently, when the sun breaks out on a sudden, plants, rendered tender and watery by dull weather, will be most benefited by a slight shading, removing it, however, as soon as it can be done without. On dry days the sashes should be wholly ofi', when the outside temperature is 40° and above. No rain, however, should fall on the plants, as the moisture, when close, would increase the elongation. In misty weather keep the sashes on, but let air per- meate freely beneath them, back and front ; taking it away only at night, when there is danger from frost. 2. Prevent damp from attacking and spreading. No better weather coidd have been chosen for the attacks of this insidious enemy. Wherever the plants, in addition, have been kept close and warm, the slender shoots present another favourable circumstance. A low tem- perature, and abundance of air, as detailed above, are the chief preventives. But even these will not be sufficient. A few decaying and damping leaves left alone will soon spread their contagion. Cleanliness must, therefore, bo didy attended to. Not a decaying leaf should stand a day. All the fungous damps delight in garbage. Then the moving of the plants will be a great advantage. You can then roughly rub the outside of your pots ; place/resh dry ashes, saw-dust, or boards, for your plants to stand on. Remove a little of the old surface-soil, and fresh dress with dry sandy soil well mixed with powdered charcoal. In delicate cases, a little of this powdered charcoal, mixed with dry sand, and a little, very Utile, powdered lime, and sulphur, may be scattered or puffed among the shoots and leaves. If the frame or pit is deep enough, a raised stage will be a great advantage, more especially if there are means ibr letting in air, front and back, beneath the stage, as well ns orcr it by tilting the sashes. In extreme cases, lumps of unslackcd quicklime will help to dry and purify the atmosphere. In foggy weather, and there is no artificial means of heating, a few hottles of hot-water, corked, will teud to set the air in motion. Are all plants usually preserved in such places equally e.rposcd to injury ! No. The whole group of Geraniums will suffer little, unless unduly elong.atcd by close heat, and dull weather. Verbenas, Anagallis, Petunias, Scnecios, and all of that soft tribe, are easily ruined, and hard-wooded plants are easily mildewed. All th(! Calceolaria group will suffer little from damp. Half of young beginners ruin them by kindness, and a dry atmosphere. If nicely rooted, or commencing to root, they want nothing more during tho winter, than to bo kept from frost, have plenty of air, and a dusting from tho syringe in fine sunny weather. Suppose we want these j'bints chiefly for baskets and balconies next ,'ener are mucli indebted to Mr. Payne, suggests subjects of deep thought to the apiarian. On the comparative merits of old and young queens, I will beg to offer a few remarks. As far as I am able to judge, more from attentive observation than lengthened experience, I am led to the opinion that a young queen will be equally prolific from the day she begins to lay eggs, jvovided all contingencies are alike. However, it must ijie borne in mind, that a young queen, established at the same time, and with as strong a colony as an older queen, commences her sway under much less favouraljle circumstances. A week, a fortnight, or even longer, elapses before she commences to lay eggs ; and those apiarians whose hives enable them to view the whole body of bees at once, cannot fail to have been struck with the rapid diminution of tlieir numbers during tlie working season, when there are no young bees to replace those that are lost. Then, as in spiring, poverty in numbers is the pai'ent of poverty. I have seen a qiieen of two months old, from this cause, laying her eggs "to mere waste," and have counted as many as three and four in one cell, while others were dropped and devoured by the worlcers. With profound respect for royalty, I admit having detected a queeu con- descending to deception. I found one of my young queens, this year, going through the routine of depositing eggs, examining the cells first, as is their wont ; having reason to doubt tliis fact, I took out the window, and, maldng a minute inspection of the cells, found tliere was not a single egg. Next day she began to lay in earnest, but in another comb, and within a fortnight honey was stored in the cells where she had been HlmmmiiKj. But this is a digression, and I return to find further jiroof in favour of young queens. We have it on such good authority as that of Mr. Golding, that she has been known to lead off a swarm a few weeks after her birth. The second si?ason in one summer enjoyed by bees near the moors, offers a full test of her powers. There we find stocks depo- pulated by swarming, and second swarms labouring under the disadvantages above - mentioned, returning to their owners with as large a population as their elders possess. For instance, this season a second swarm filled a Grecian hive, and stored six or eiglit pounds of honey in a glass; while of four hives sent together to the moors, tlu-ee of which were swarms, and one a stock which had swarmed twice, the stock came home decidedly strongest, so full, indeed, of bees, that hnil the season lieen May in,-:tead of the end of October, I should have looked for a swarm in a few days. Yet I do not imagine a queen deteriorates before her thu'd year at soonest; and I am glad to see so experi- enced an apiarian as Mr. Taylor, is of tills opinion, as well as Mr. Golding, whose " old lady," at four yeai's of age, swarmed when she was dead ! Tills letter is already so long, that the consideration of queenless stocks and drone-laying bees must be delerred to another opportunity, if my pen should be again employed in transcribing from notes on bees. — Investiciatoe. TO CORRESPOPWESITS. Weigela Rosea (iV. B. K.). — Surely you must know that the rose and the vine tiower on wood made the s:.nie season; or, in t;ardener's language, on the current year's growth. The diiliculty lies in this, that both the vine and the rose have been, or may tie, pruned as close as to the last eye of the young wood, and to any other eye from the last to the one at the end of ten, twelve, or fourteen feet; tlierefore, they are not very ijood examples to teach the pruning of other plants from. It is a riile that ouijiht not to be slightly bro'iten, that all plants, when removed from one place to another, or transplanted, should be pruned in some way or otiier. Roses, low plants, and shrubs, like your beautiful Weigela, should be cut down to within a few eyes of the young wood ; and stronger things, as large trees, only to be thinned of shoots, or cut according to the extent, the vigour, or the mutilation of the roots in the removal. Rut eases do occur, and yours is one of them, where it goes against the grain to fultil the laws of pruning to the letter. For fear of misleading others, we must state your case before we advise yon, however. You planted your Weigela this autumn, and it has from lifteen to twenty shoots rising directly frorn the crown or collar of the plant, their average height being three feet. This tells a tale. This plant was too large for the space for it, or else it was too straggling, and they cut it down to the ground to renew it. The shoots are now too numerons for a plant not transplanted; and one that has been lately removed must have about one-half of these shoots — the weakest ones— cut in from three to six inches in length ; then take three of the strongest shoots, not cut, in your left hand, and cut off five or six inches from the points— then let them go ; now, with your eye, measure the best dintmwes between the top cuts and the bottom cuts, for cutting back the remainder of the shoots .at ditferent distances. Give the plant a good watering in April, three in May. and four in June —three or four gallons each time— and let us hear next August how it looks, &e., &c. In another year you will cut out all the very weak shoots and as much of the older wood as will keep the head regular, and the young shoots you will cut back, some to one-half their length, and some to one-third. Shaded Bokdek (R. ^t.).— What will grow ou a five-fcet-wide-border sloping a little to the north-west, and shaded with high laurels that may be cut down considerably ? This question admits of many answers, yet none of them might he to your liking. Tell us what you would like there. Pruning Standakd Cuina Roses (A. J. F.}. — It is not e.osy to answer about the pruning of monthly China Roses that are now strag- gling. The smallest Roses known are among the monthly Roses, and the very strongest also, as hidicti miijor, and every degree of strength between these extreme points are also found in monthlies. Now, we all know that these, and every other Rose, will get straggling in time, unless they are attended to; but about the pruning of monthlies, without knowing what kind of monthly they are. is more than is safe to under- take honestly, without writing an essay to include all the possible shades of pruning. In a general way, very strong Roses must not be pruned at all on standards ; that is to say, not much shortened ; whole shoots cut out entirely, to leave more room for others, is the rule ; standards, not very strong, may be pruned according to the degree of strength, without reference to what section they may belong to ; and weak-growing standards must be pruned close, under any circumstances. Trop.eoldm tricolorum iMichd). — There is nothing unusual in your plant starting vigorously and making as yet fi;w leaves. You will have plenty by-and-by; the" symptoms are quite prnmixini;. Do not give too much water in this dull weather. Let the pots be liUed with roots before you soak the soil freely. Pleeoma elegans (WW).— How .and when to propagate ? In early .spring, take olT the points of half-ripened shoots ; or, better still, select some shrubby side-shoots from two to three inches long ; cut them across at a joint, and remove one or two tiers of the lower leaves ; then plant them lirmly in silver-sand, over sandy-peat, well-drained; water; allow to drain, and the tops to dry ; then place over them a bell-glass, and plunge the pot in a sweet, mild, bottom-heat. After a few days, lift the corner of the glass at night, to prevent damping and to admit fresh air, and replace the glass firmly again in the morning, shading as nmeh during the day as will prevent the shoots flagging, and no more. Watsonia fulgida {Trou/jlesoiue) .—This growing in the border, may he left there with the protection of a hand-light ; but we thin^i you would be better pleased with the blooms if you lifted it carefully, potted it, and kept it in a cold pit during winter. RiGNONiA radicans MAJOR (l/'hl), — The pot of this has been cracked, and then inserted in a deep, ricli border, but the plant has not grown more than twelve inches since fliay. Examine the roots ; remove at least part, if not most of the pot ; and trace out the roots with the hand, and give them a little sandy-loam and peat, or leaf mould, to ramify in at first, and you will, most likely, have growth enough next year. lU THE COTTAGE GAKDENEK. December 9. T. n.'s HIoDE OF Propagating and pREscaviNc Veebenas (Ibid), — This mode is at p:ige 3/4 of our last volume. We cannot say whetlier T. B, possesses a mild climate or not. In any climate in this country his mode would answer well for propagating; and with care in protecting, especially with waterproofed material as overalls, we should see no great difficulty. We are, however, no advocates for hand-lights for such purposes. Vou might have a glazed frame, and each light would cost you little more than a glazed hand-light, while there would be no comparison of tlie available surface-soil. In a frame nr pit they would keep nicely under such treatment, and involve less labour than under hand-lights. See what Mr. Fish says to-day. Allamanda in Pots (A. Bartleman). — You speak of having large old plants, and ask when to start them? As soon as you like. Cut back the long shoots of this year's growth to from six to twelve inches of the previous year's wood, allowing the leaves to remain on the wood left. After that, just sec that the soil is not dry, as it is desirable to swell the buds left. An average temperature, from 55'^ to Co^ at night, will do. When the days lighten antl lengthen, in February, or before, add 10"^ or 15° to the temperature, and syringe the stems as well as water the roots. When the young shoots are several inches in length, give what shifting the plant requires, using rich rough loam and a little ])eat, and a pot not less than twelve inches in diamet-r, and a trellis at least three-and-a- half feet in height by two-and-a-half in diameter. \\'hen freely growing, give manure-water liberally. Success depends upon the vigour of the young shoots, and their being well exposed to light. AUamnnihi narn- fulia may be grown in a pot as a shrub ; the others require a considerable amount of room, whether on a trellis or a rafter. Variods. — Margaret, living in North Wales, kept 2Go plants last winter in five windows, including Verbenas, Petunias, &c. ; but has no greenhouse. 1. Xo^ws Jrtfoiffws is rather a bad thing to keep; you did right not to pot it. You should not have given it a very rich compost at this season as a top-dressing. Prune away all the decaying and withered parts, and give no more water than will just keep it from flagging ; and if you preserve life it will thank you for all the labour next summer. 2. Lilii-like phfnts. — We can hardly make out whether your plant is a Lily, a Calla, or an Arum ; but in its present symptoms you had better let it die down, but not to be quite dry. Any darkish place free from frost will do. 3. Your Fern-looking plant keep rather dry for a few months, and then water it freely. It is hardly worth growing. 4. Mimosas that have lost their leaves. — Do not repot now; just keep them a little moist at the root, but they will want little water until the leaves break afresh in the spring. We fear they will be rather strong-growing for the window. Before they break they will not require much light. 5. A/atra- vieriiiti nearly dying down. — Give them no water. They may be kept anvwhcre, where shelter from frost and wet can be afforded them. If you intend to grow them in pots, fresh pot before growth commences, t), Tropo'.ohim on a trellis. — Uo not interfere with the tuber until the foliage has withered, nor for a short time afterwards. You may then take it up, place the tubers in a small pot surrounded with earth, and give no water ; but when the young shoots begin to move, pot in a similar pot to that the plant is now growing in. Any pla^e in the room will do now ; it must liave all the light possible when growing. See another answer to a correspondent. /. Cactuses. — Do not think of moving them to a dark place ; give them what light you can. Give no water unless they shrivel much, but avoid the least frost. Your success is very creditable to you ; vour mode of giving air in winter by the top of the window is admirable, and knowing such results lightens labours that otherwise would not be easily borne. Names of Peaes (G.).— Passe Colmar. {W, B. JV.).— So far as we can judge from the sketches sent, and taking it for granted that the fruit is at maturity now, we should say No, 1 is Passe Colmar, and No. 2 either Calebasse, or Beurre Bosc ; but this, of course, is mere guess-work in absence of the fruit itself. Orchids {A. M. S.). — Such delicate flowers as yousentshould always be put into a tin-box, and be packed amongst soft, damp moss; put between thick paper as yours were, they arc sure to be crushed coming through the post-otlice. They were flattened, and the colour squeezed out completely. As far as we could judge, they are— No. I. Zt/gopetulum Mnrkai/i. No. 2. Zygopetalum crinitnm. No. 3. Maxillaria pictu. Gl\diohis Gandavensis iCafo). — This should have been planted last month, but as the weather has been so dreadfully wet they may be planted now, or as soon as we have three consecutive fair days. fllr. Appleby is preparing lists of all the best florists' flowers, and will give the Chrysanthemum very soon. For its culture see the back numbers of TiTE Cottage Gaedenee, or The Cottage Gardeners' Dictionary. Zero.— We have written to the gardener, and as soon as we receive his answer you shall know. Layehing Caenations {A Real Cottager).— Yoa do not say whether you grow vour Carnations in pots, or in the open border. We suppose the latter. You may thin out the shoots, if numerous, and peg the re- mainder down the same as if you had layered them, only do not cut off the ends of the leaves. Lay a little good, rich earth over the bare shoots, and do not neglect to layer them next August, or they will most probably run their colours. It is a great pity you have not layered them, for even with the above care you will find them much injured in respect to the properties they would have had bad they been layered at the right time. Various (C. C.),—Covibretum Pin-pureum. Plant this as you propose doing in the back border near the furnace. Allamanda Srhottii, keep in a pot at the warmest end of the house ; but we give you little hope of doing pood with either, if your house is merely kept from being lower than 40° at night. Let it range from 50° to 55°, and you will find all will do well ; but those heats would be too high for common greenhouse plants. The Ipomcea best next to Learii for a greenhouse, and not liable to spider, we think, is Seltotcii. It will contrast with Learii, being a reddish-pink. But you must keep your eyes about you, as eve7-i/ Ipomaia is liable to spider if not duly watered and syringed. Jusminum Sambac. This you can only grow successfully in the tempe- rature recommended above for Allamanda, though 5° less would do if not of long continuance ; then give it a warm pceition. But if 40*^ to 46° be your average range at night, 1 would advise you to substitute Jnaminum gracile, or J. grandifiorum, in its stead. The Oracile ia a very short thing, that will do well cither in a pot or against a pillar. These two hints we would give you as a young beginner. 1st. Do not make a bugbear of instcts. Every plant is subject to them if neglected. Care and attention will always keep them at a distance. We have seen people in a pretended agony about an insect-covered plant in a window ; and yet live minutes use of their ouii fingers, and a drench from the rose of a water-pail, would not have left the vcsligc of a living thing u|)on leaves or stem. 2nd. Never go to the ex])ense of getting large plants in pots like the Combn-tum sent to you, until you have pre- viously ascertained if such a plant will suit your circumstanci'S. As you have got it, try it in the place indicated. Your warm position and full cx)iosure to sun may do much. Poland versus Hamcuugus or Dutch.— " In The Cottage Gar- dener for November 18th, I observe a correspondent complains, that X have endeavoured to overset a uniformity of nomenclature respecting the Dutch Every-day-laycrs. I beg to state that such is not my desire; I only oppose the application of the name of Haniburghs to them, aa it is the only one by which the mongrel Poles arc kno\\n ; whereas, the Dutch Every-day-layers have many, and ought to be satisfied. A * Fowl Fancier,' at page 134, of the same number, while speaking of the Shanghaes, says: — 'It is a libel to call the gangling, half-Malay creatures, which are so common, by the aristocratic title of Shanghae.' Now, this is exactly my opinion about calling the Haniburghs Poles. And, however unpleasant it may be to those keeping them to he told, that the least appearance of comi) shows impurity, it is nevertheless true. i\Iy wish is to have things called by their right names, and to save, if possible, the true Poles, ere they become extinct. It is no new scheme of mine ; for if your correspondent will refer to Mr. Trotter's Prize Essay, as it stands in The Royal Agricultural Joui^ial. he will find them noticed separately there, although he has altered it in the separate edition of the same. I\ir. Dixon's descrifition of the Poland fowl I do not consider taken from good birds ; but Mr. Richardson's description of them is excellent ; but in the later enlarged edition of his work, some friend has tried to make him fashionable too, by mixing together what he had separated. I have not read Mr. Bailey's book, but will do eo. It has become too much the fashion to call all tufted fowls, Polands, and all five-clawed fowls Dorkings, which I consider greatly injures the purity of those varieties." — B, P. Brent. Sdtton in SuiiEEY {W . E. J.). — The soil of which you require in- formation in Surrey, is a fair, thin, sandy-loam, resting on the chalk formation. It is well adapted to the cultivation of common fruits, vege- tables, and flowers. In that county, not very far from the place you name, there are large fields devoted to the cultivation of Lavender, Peppermint, Cliamomille, and other flowering plants — we allude to the adjoining parishes of Mitcham, Carshalton, tkc. Water is there obtain- able from either wells, springs, or rain. Let " W. E. J." remember that it is found that sufficient rainfalls on every house in Encland to supjily its inmates with water. As to the rest, consult any Croydon land-agent or .auctioneer, such as Blake, or Fuller, or Stedall. Eruata.— At page l4:i, for Azalea read Aralia; at page 143, for TUsoe read Sil.'ioe. Mr, Sturgeon's Sale (A Fancier of Cochins). — I^ot 101, the cockerel by .Terry for which £\2 10s. were given, was bought by iMr. I!odgkinson, of Birmingham. Working Gardeners* Society {A few Working Gardeners). —hct us know what funds you have or can command. Books {I-foi-get-my-Name). —Buy Loudon's Self Instructor for Young Gardeners. You do not want any instructions for preserving botanical specimens. Put each between several sheets of blotting-paper, and press it moderately till dry. Damp (1001).— " Steam " is not generated in a cold pit, the damp condensed on its glass arises from the exterior cold causinir the air within to deposit its moisture. You understand our directions quite correctly as to the application of the peat, &c. Removing Vine Bark (R. S. E.).—\Vhat says "F. ?" "Nature never gave Vines bark that should be taken off by the hand of man ; it was given them for a wise purpose, and, therefore, should not be removed again." Now this is neither so philosophical, nor even so reverential, as appears at first blush. Suppose we can admit, with " F." that it was given for a wise purpose, and removed for one equally wise — where is " F.'s" philosophy ? It so happens, that our gracious Creator has not tied our haniis in the use of material things very tight, or we had not been permitted even to prune away branches .' But " F." should distinguish between a live bark and a dead bark. In our plan we take no living organs from the tree : only one crime we commit— we take away a very good non-conductor of heat, one which even in its decay doubtless subserves a very useful end. A tree with coarse dead bark on will neither become so rapidly heated nor cooled as a bare and polished one. So far so good. But we "give a sprat to catch a herring." We can, iji-doors,^ mannpc all about these conducting powers easier than we can manage mealy bugs, the concealed spores of destructive fungi, &c. And this, as we conceive, is a justification of the practice, which, however, is establislied beyond all cavil, by the best gardeners in the kingdom. Prune yonr peach-trees any time from now to the end of .Tanuary ; get them nailed also, providing you can hang canvass or boughs over thcni directly. Like the bees, they do not require to be awakened in mid-winter. Pruning Peacues and Apricots (H, M. S.).— Prune your Peaches, but rather leave your Apricots till the first week of February. You cannot well distinguish the blossom-eyes on the young wood, or even the spurs. Look at an answer to " R. S. E." \'ine Borhers (.'1 Country Gciitlemnn). — If your Vines have been un- luffkily concreted on the surface of the border— a notion unworthy of the age— we say, pull it all off^, and apply a compost, in a slight fermenting state, composed thus — fibrous, free loam, one-part; lime-rubbish, one- part, leaf-soil, one-part; and manure one-part ; wcll-blendcd. If you are "well-drained below," and your texture of soil right, pray do not take them up. London: Printed by Habst Wooldridob, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published bv WILLIA^) Somebville Obr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— December 9th, 1863. December 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 105 m' w D 1 U 16Th 17F IfiS 19 Son 20 M 21 Td 22 VV DECEMBER 16—22, 1852. Weather near London in 1851. Sun Rises. Sun Sets. Moon R. & S. Clock Day of Year. Barometer. Thermo. Wind, llainin In. Age. aft. Sun. Cambridge Term ends. Oxford Term ends. Eriognstcr Populi found. 4 Sunday in Advent. Sun's declination 23° 2/' s St. Thomas. Blacli Duclt comes. 30.365—30.336; 43—39 30.301—30.2321 44—33 30.185-30.136; 45—34 30.118 — 29.995 52—43 30.087-29.963 53—46 29.760 — 29.561 49-33 29.332-29.543 46—35 S.W. — s. ! 01 s.w. 02 S. 15 E. 31 3 a. 8 4 5 5 6 6 7 49 a. 3 49 SO 50 50 51 51 9 S6 U 8 morn. 0 16 1 23 2 30 3 37 5 6 9 10 11 3 54 3 26 2 55 2 25 1 55 1 25 U 55 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 Meteorology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations durinj? the last twenty tures of these days are 45.2° and 35.2° respectively. The greatest heat, 58°, occurred on in 1849, During the period 92 days were fine, and on 83 rain fell. -five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- the 16th in 1849 i and the lowest cold, 14°, on the 18th BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. POPPY-WORTS. — PAPAVEK.iCE.E. Chap.acters 01" THE Ohdek. — Sepals, two, deciduous. Petals below the ovaiy, either fom-, or some multiple of that number, inserted in a cross form. Stamens below the ovary, either eight, or some multiple of four, generally very numerous, inserted in four parcels, one of which adheres to the base of each petal ; anthers two-celled, innate. Ovarium solitary ; stijle short or none ; sligmala alternate with the placentfe, two or many ; in the latter case star- shaped upon the flat top of the ovarium. Fruit one-celled, either a long pod with two placenta? attached to its sides, or capsular with several placentas. Seeds numerous. Albumen between flesh and oily. Embryo minute, straight, at the base of the albumen, mth plano-convex cotyledons. PAPAVEPv. POPPV. Generic Character. — Calyx below the ovary, of two egg- shaped, concave, blunt, equal, deciduous leaves. Petals four, roundish, crumpled, spreading, large ; narrowest at the base ; two opposite ones smallest. Stamens very numerous, filaments hair-shaped, much shorterthau the corolla. Anthers terminal, erect, somewhat stalked, oblong, blunt, compressed. Ger- men roundish or oblong, large. Style none. Sliyma round- shield - like, radiated, downy, permanent. Capsule egg- shaped or oblong-reversed egg-shaped, leathery, large, of one cell, incompletely separated into a greater or less number of marginal cells, answering to the numlier of rays in the stigma, between which the capsule bursts by as many valvular openings, under the stiyma, which is more or less elevated by the incomplete partitions. Seeds kidney-shaped, numerous, minute, dotted, attached to the partitions. Section 1. — Poppies with bristly capsules. Papaver arsemone ; Long-pricldy-headed Poppy ; Wmd- rose ; Long-headed bastard Wild Poppy. Description. — It is an annual. Leaves, pinnate, and the pinna; opposite to each other, and deeply pinnatifid, the end piuna being three-cleft; upper side nearly smooth, nerves beneath, and tlie leafstalks rough with spreading hairs. Stem leafy, about a foot high ; tliis and the flower- stalk clothed with hairs pointing upwards. Calyx hairy. Petals wedge-shaped, narrow, often jagged, pale coppery- scarlet, with a black spot at the base, a little distant from each other, and falling in a few hours after opening. Germen reversed-coue-shaped, with a stigma from four to six rayed. The germen becomes a capsule having as many cells as the stigma has rays. The capsule is purplish, lihbed, and covered, but most tliickly at its upper part, with white bristles, which point upwards. Stamens about twenty, with purple filaments ; the anthers suspended by a fine thread from the top of the filaments ; pollen, bluish. Seeds blackish. It is sometimes found with double flowers, but Papaver maritimum of Witheiing is only a starved specimen of this species. Places where found. — Corn-fields, especially where the soil is sandy or gravelly. Time of Jloiveriny. — .June and ,Tuly. History. — This plant is found not only in all parts of Europe but in the Levant; but though so common is fre- quently unnoticed, owing to the speedy dropping off of its petals. Aryemoue is the old Greek name for this plant, and so called because its juice was found to allay the inflam- mation of the eyes, known by th^e name of Aryema. The bruised plant was also recommended to be put upon the black or blue marks caused by any violent blow. Papaver HVERiDi'M : Bound prickly-headed Poppy. Bas- tard Wild Poppy. Description. — It is an annual. Root small and tapering. Leaves doubly pinnatifid, the segments being numerous, narrow, nearly equal, slightly bending back, and each tipped with a bristle ; the pinna at the end of the leaf three- cleft; upper side nearly smooth, but the nerves beneath covered with bristles pointing upwards. Stem from twelve to eighteen inches high, this, as well as the branches and footstalks, which are channeled, covered witli similar bristles. Calyx oval, and slightly hairy. Petals small, dingy-scarlet, often violet at the base. Stamens with purple filaments, and bright blue anthers. Stiyma from five to eight rayed, and rather raised above the capsule. Capsule furrowed lengthwise, and thickly clothed with tawny bristles, pointing upwards. Places where found. — In sandy and chalky fields; rare. Time of Jloiveriny. — July. History. — Never was a specific name more misleading than hyhridum applied to this Poppy, for it is a true and permanent species. Gerarde says, speaking of both the species — " These plants do grow in tlie corn-fields in Somersetshire, and by the hedges and highways as ye travel from London to Bath. Lobel I'ound it growing in the next field unto a village in Kent, called Southfleet, myself being in his company, of purpose to discover some strange plants not hitherto written of." Its medicinal powers were con- sidered by the old herbalists to be the same as those of the preceding. {Lindley. Smith. Martyn. Gerarde.) No. COXX., Vol. IX. 190 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 1(1. Many of our readers have liearil or read of the differeuce of opinion wliich exists respecting the true origin of that anomalous production • — the purpk^ Laburnum, Cytisiis Ailanii. Some believe it to be a cross-bred plant between tlie common Laburnum and the purple Cytisiis, wliile others as firmly assert that it must be the result of artificial treatment, although the facts respect ing the process have escaped notice. The question is, therefore, still at issue, no clue having hitherto been discovered to decide it either way. Mr. Adam, in whose niu-sery, near Vitry, in France, it was originated about the year ]82r), believed it to have issued from a blind bud of the purple Cytisus inserted in the Laburnum as a stock in the common way, as related in the Annals of the Horticultural Society of Paris in 1830 by M. Poitean. A deputation from the Society was sent, after Mr. Adam's death, to ascertain if the original plant was really a seedling or a budded plant. But the evidence of this deputation was contrary to that of Mr. Adam's, and in favour of the cross-seedling side of the question. This gave currency to many wild and extravagant ideas on the continent as to the effect of hybridisation. The old notion, that mules can revert to one of their parents, was strongly nrged by some, and this anoma- lous plant adduced as a strong evidence that mules could change in time to either of their parents. Even the exploded doctrine of superfffitation was revived to account for the origin of such a plant ; and to the present time no satisfactory answer can be given as to how, or by what means, the plant first originated, and it is altogether different from those variations called "sports." Our own belief inclines strongly to the arti- ficial mode through the blind bud, because, among other reasons, if it is really a cross-bred plant, it stands alone in its habits among the thousands that have been so produced. Both parents, vei'y nearly in their ori- ginal characters, are produced simultaneously with the mixture between them ; and tlie seeds of the two parents, tlius produced, will come true in their gene- ration without any variation whatever. These facts of themselves amount almost to a proof that the purple Laburnum is not a cross-bred plant, but had its origin in some way which we have not yet dis- covered. For these peculiarities are widely different from the effects of hybridising on plants, as far as we have yet discovered them. We have not yet arrived at any conclusion which would indicate a law or rule by which the reversion of a tioie cross-bred plant to one or either of its parents is provided for ; and, after experi- menting on this point for very many years, we cannot say that we ever forced a true cross to assume or re-|)roduce either of its parents; and we believe the thing is an actual impossibility in the vegetable kingdom. It is true that many writers on this subject assert, that what they call a mule plant will in time revert to one of its parents ; but no one who has dived much into the mysteries of hybridisation can countenance such a doctrine. All that our experiments on the subject have hitherto brought to light is our own total ignorance of any such law. We cannot even, with any degree of confidence, foretell whether the offspring of any two jiUints will be fertile or sterile. The most dissimilar species in any genus, if they will cross at all, will be as likely to produce a fertile oftspring as not, while two others, to all appearance the nearest in aspect and affinity, will be equally likely to have a sterile oflspring. We make use of the words fertile and sterile to get rid of the confusion caused by the difl'ercnt meanings given to the term mule by different writers. Pi'ofessor Lindley, in his "Theory of Horticulture," limits the use of the word mule to the offspring of two distinct species, whether fertile or not; while he makes " cross- breeding" to cover all the productions between distinct varieties ; and if all writers had kept to these defini- tions we should be at no loss to comprehend their meaning ; but Dr. Herbert, late Dean of Manchester, applied the terms hybrid, cross-bred, and mule, indis- criminately, and scouted the idea of placing any limits between species and permanent varieties ; while other writers ap]ily the word nuile to any cross that is sterile, and writers on cross-breeding in the animal kingdom are just as far at sea in their opinions and terms. An actual impediment to a proper luiderstanding of the language of hybridisation is tluis placed in our path, which it would be useful to remove by discarding the word mule altogether, or at least from our popular literature. On poor, light soil the colour of the flowers of the piu'ple Laburnum is much affected by the nature of the previous season. After a hot, dry summer the flowers are almost all of that dingy colour peculiar to the first variation, for a "sport" it can hardly be called; and after a wet, cold summer the yellow flowers of the Laburnum are in excess. These variations are not so manifest when the tree is growing in rich moist soil till it attains its full size. If we could fathom the law which governs these variations, it might form a step towards the clearing of the mystery which hangs over the real origin of the plant. Dr. Herbert suggested a very ingenious and |U'obable hypothesis to account for the possible origin of this tree, which can easily be reconciled with the statement given by Mr. Adam, already referred to. Dr. Hei-bert believed that the shield of the purple Cytisus hud might be still alive after the bud itself was destroyed, and that this live portion might unite with the Laburnum stock in the absence of a bud, aiul that the new wood, or cellular matter, which formed over the wound, between the shield and the stock, might produce an incipient bud, in the absence of a leading bud ; and if the new bud was from an intermixed niattci' formed by tlic two plants, it could liardly fail of partaking of the two natures — that is, of tlie Laburnum stock and the purple Cytisus bud, which, in reality, it does; and the question is, how are we to proceed in oider to obtain similar productions between other allied plants, for we nnist still adhere to the fact tliat species can only mix by jioUcn, or by this kind of \niion, when they are nearly related to each other. If it is possible to force a bud from two wounds in union with each other, and partaking of the natures Decembee 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 107 of two different species thus brouglit together, there can be no doubt about our being able to push this process farther tlian can be done by means of strange pollen in the usual way ; and we think it can be done, tor we perfectly concur in Dr. Herbert's view of the question. The well-known fact, that the two natures in the purple Laburnum aspire to separate themselves from the union, and assume their original character, cannot be accounted for on any other principle. The means which Dr. Herbert suggested for effecting intermediate forms were to bud in the usual way, and, when the union took place to kill the bud, and to prevent the edges from uniting by lacerating the bark till a quantity of cellular matter was formed, from which a bud might be e.xpected to issue, if the growth of the tree was checked in other parts. It is impossible, however, to succeed simply by this process. The question involves the true origin of latent or incipient buds — a question that has never been satisfactorily answered by any one. We assorted, many years since, in " The Gardeners' Magazine," that if you cut out the buds from a yearling shoot, leaving only the top bud to carry on the branch, the part of the branch thus disbudded was incapable of producing a latent bud afterwards by any kind of manipulation. This assertion was much dis- puted by some in private correspondence, when Dr. Herbert opened the question in reference to the origin of the purple Laburnum. A new set of experiments were, tlierefore, set on foot, to prove if Dr. Herbert's suggestion could or could not be effected ; these experi- ments were begun in 1841, and carried on till the end of 1847. The most conclusive of these experiments we sliall briefly relate, as the residt is, pi-obably, the only stumbling-block in the way of clearing up the mystery which hangs over the origin of the purple Laburnum. Truncheons of the common Willow are proverbial for the ease with which they root and produce shoots from all parts of their surface when planted or stuck into the ground. The Willow was, therefore, iixed on as the most likely plant to produce incipient buds. In the spring of 1841, cuttings were made from the strongest Willow shoots that could be procvn-ed of the former year's growth. They were two feet long, and all the eyes or buds were carefully cut out, except the three top ones, and they were planted in the usual way in rich kitchen-garden soil. In 1 8-43, when these had made two year's growth, some of them were cut below the growing branches, leaving only a bare stump. Now, we should naturally suppose that a Willow shoot of full three year's growth, and with abundance of roots in good soil, would not refuse to shoot forth buds and twigs from all parts of the bark. Not so, however ; for they died away inch by inch, roots and all, without ever offering to produce a single leaf In 1844, another lot of the same batch were cut, and they died in the same way. After this, the bark of others was lacerated in all directions, to see if buds would issue from the new-formed wood over these wounds, but all to no purpose ; and the last two were cut in the spring of 1847, when they were much stouter than a walking- stick, and they died also. Now, these Willow-shoots, although united to other Willows by inarching or budding, could hardly be capable of producing an union-bud — as we suppose the prn-ple Cytisus and Laburniun to have done — seeing that they could not do so on their own roots ; at any rate, the inference is rational enough, and can hardly be controverted. How then, it may be asked, can you suppose the shield of a bud of the purple Cytisus could be capable of taking a part with the Laburnum stock to produce the purple Laburnum ? We answer — simply, by surmising that the said bud was taken from a ttoo or three-year-old shoot of the purple Cytisus, which is not at all unlikely, seeing how thin the bark of a younger Cytisus shoot is. Another inference in favour of this view of the question is, that in France they have always been in the habit of leaving more of the young wood attached to the buds in their nursery operations than is generally done in England ; and all of us know, that if a bud on a two or three-year-old shoot is destroyed, a quantity of incipient buds will immediately issue from the surrounding parts. The close-spurring of the Grape Vine is founded on a knowledge of this fact or principle. Therefore, we can see no reason why two shoots of mature age, to form incipient buds, may not be made to produce an union- bud, if the parts are at iirst ]iroperly arranged ; and we think we can see why union-buds are not produced in our nurseries when the more natuial bud fails, leaving the shield alive and in union with the stock. Our invariable practice is to take the buds from one- year-old shoots ; and we have seen, by the experiment with the Willow, that if buds on one-year-old shoots are once desti'oyed, the shoots are not able to furnish others ; besides, it may require more than a season or two to ripen the young wood over wounds sufficiently to produce buds ; and leaving a portion of the young wood attached to the bud, may have something to do with the time required. After weighing these considerations, we think the safest way to treat Dr. Herbert's hypothesis will be to inarch two shoots of closely-allied species, not less than three years old ; to bring an eye of each shoot directly opposite in the inarched part, to prevent the wound healing over in the vicinity of the buds for the first season ; and when the junction of the edges took the following year, to destroy the buds, or the shoots, which may have sprung from them, and to cut away some of the surface-bark from behind the buds, so that if incipient buds were formed at all, they must come from the sides next to the wounded parts ; and if the irritation caused by keeping tlie wound from healing over has forced the young matter from the two shoots to run into each other, and finally to have formed one solid body, there can hardly be any doubt as to the issue of this experiment. Let it first be clearly ascer- tained that it is possible to produce an union-bud, and then there need be no limits to the application of the process. — D. 198 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 1(J. COVENT GARDEN. Fol-LOwiNG up our remarks on the subject which has occupied our attentiou for the last two or three weeks, we eoine now to the consideration of the Pear. And here we would observe, that there is even greater room for improvement in the selection of its varieties than is ueoessaj-y in the Apple. Even in the oldest orchards composed of Apples we find many first-rate established varieties ; hut it is not so as regards the Pear ; and the reason is because it is only of late years that we have been made aci-xuainted with that new race of varieties, for which the world is indebted to the genius of Dr. Van Mons. However much our ancestors may have been disposed to e.-itend the cultivation of this as a winter fruit, they could not, for it had not been brought to the same degree of perfection as the Apple, and thus it is that our markets are so badly supplied during the winter months with such a succession of first-rate Pears as they are with Apples. All the Pears which are brought to market in any quantity are of the earlier kinds, and it would amount to an impossibility for any one to go to Covent-garden market during this and the following months and procure this fruit in the same quantity as they could two or three months ago. But still they can do so with the Apple, and what we want, is that they should do so with the same facility with the Pear. While Apples are now being sold, and will con- tinue for the next four or five months to be sold at per bushel, we have Pears ofl'ered at per dozen, and per half sieve. Surely, then, this is a subject worth engaging the attention of those who have even a small portion of ground which may be occupied by such a crop. In the following selection, we have chosen those which may be regarded as peculiarly rich in ilavour, and such as would always command the best price in the markets. The late varieties, particularly, would amply remunerate the gi-ower for any outlay he may incur. As before, we shall take them in the order of their ripening, and as the great object with cultivators is to have tlieir produce either very early, or very late, we have studied the two extremes. 1. Doyenne d'ete. — The earliest Pear which is worth cultivating, but it is very little known in this country. It is not of a large size, being considerably smaller than the White Doyenne, but for a Pear which is rijie in July, it is of good size and excellent flavour, being in this latter respect not unlike the old Jargonelle. 2. Citron lies Oarmes.— This is an old-fashioned but excellent early summer Pear, and admirably adapted for orchard planting, the tree being a strong and vigorous grower, an early and aliundant hearer, and succeeding well even in exposed situations. It ripens in the early part of August. 3. WilUrims's Bon Chretien.— '^e have been doubtful whether or not we are doing right in recommending this, the most deliglitlul of Pears, to the notice of our friends. It is a very uncertain hearer, and those who depend upon it for a crop will be subjected to very frequent disappointments. Still, however, as we have before re- marked, we are only treating now on what may be called economical planting, and, therefore, we venture to include this excellent variety, ilost people, now-a- days, know Williams's Bon Chretien, but if there are any who do not, let them by all means procure a tree. The fruit ripens in August, and continues in use during the greater part of September. ■1. Beurre d'xlmalis. — This is a variety which for a few years past has been rather largely imported from the Continent, and has become so great a favourite in Covent-garden, that many of our largest growers have made considerable plantations of it. None know better than the London market-gardeners what to plant, and we can seldom be far wi'ong in treading closely at their heels. This is a splendid early autumn Peai-, of very large size, handsome shape, and delicious flavour. It ripens in September. 5. Dimmore. — This is one of those delightful varieties raised by Mr. T. A. Knight. It is of large size, and of a particularly rich flavour. Every orchard and garden should have it. It ripens in September. 6. Seckel. — Of all tlie Pears we know at this season, we know of none to surpass or even to equal the little Seckel. It is originally from America, but it succeeds to perfection in this climate. It is remarkably rich in flavour, and when fully ripe seems as if charged with a powerfully aromatic sirupy juice. It ripens in October. 7. Beurre de Ca^riaumont. — This of late years has been very abundant in our markets, and has become deservedly popular. It is well adapted for orchard planting, being a most abundant bearer, and a beautil'ul, handsome, and excellent fruit. It ripens in October. 8. Jersey GratioU.— This is a particularly fine Pear, and, if we are not mistaken, we spoke in very high terms of it in some of our early reports. By way of climax, we can only say, wherever there is a garden, there should this Pear be. It ripens in October. 0. Marie Louise. — There are none of the Belgian Pears which seem to have had such an extended cul- tivation as the Marie Louise. It is now as common in the markets, and on the fruit-stalls, as the old Swan's Egg used to be. It is a most delightful and valuable Pear. The tree is extremely hardy, and hears well. It ripens in October, and lasts till the end of November. 10. Figuede Naples. — This is a Pear of good size and of the finest quality. It is comparatively little known, hut should always find a place in every collection. The flesh is very buttery, fine-grained, and melting, with a particularly rich, sugary, and aromatic flavour. The tree is a most abundant bearer. The fruit ripens in November. 11. Passe Cohnar. — A most delicious Pear, and cer- tainly one of the richest-flavoured we know when it is met with in perfection. Its flesh is very fine-grained, very juicy, buttery, melting, sugary and vinous, witli a rich aromatic flavoui'. It ripens in November, and continues over December. 12. Napoleon. — Dr. Did said of this Pear, that one may be said to drink, rather than eat it. Its flesh is tender, melting, and juicy, and very richly-flavoured. It Decembeb 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 100 ripens in November, and continues in use during De- cember. We must now draw our observations to a close for this week, seeing our space for the market report is rapidly diminishing. But as we have not a great deal to communicate, there being few novelties presenting themselves, we must be content with merely making a general statement. The prices of fruit continue firm, and rather on the rise. Apples, for kitchen uses, are making as much as from us. to 7s. Od., and 8s. per bushel. They consist chiefly of Ilanicell Souring, Winter Peamiain, Al/ris- ton, and a great quantity of nondescript varieties. Among the choice varieties, we observed Newtown Pippins, Rihstons, Golden Pearmains, Court of Wide, and Dounton Pijyins. We do not observe many of the common kinds of Peaes ; but there are plenty of the finer sorts, such as Ne Plus Meuris, Nelis d'Hiver, Passe Colinar, Qlout Morceau, and Beuree de Ranee. Gkapes are plentiful, the supply from abroad being rather large. These make from Is. to 2s. per lb. Home-grown Grapes are also pretty plentiful, and make from 2s. 6d. to 5s., and Us. per lb. In A'egetables there is the usual abundant supply, and, generally speaking, a good demand. Cabbages make from Gd. to Is. per dozen. Colewobts, Is. to 2s. per dozen bunches. Caulifloweks of good quality. Is. Cd. to 2s. Od. per dozen. Bkussels Sprouts, Is. 6d. per half sieve. Cakrots, 2s. Cd. to .5s. per dozen bunches. Turnips, Is. to Is. Od. per dozen bunches. Endive, Is. to Is. Od. per score. Potatoes maintain last week's prices, and are rather inclining upwards. Plants and Floweks. — The supply of Evergreens increases, and consists of Lauristinus full of bloom. Chinese and Siberian Arbor Vita, Aucuba japonica, Tree Box, Red Cedars, and Common Laurels. Cut Flowers are very plentiful, consisting of Chrysanthemums, Scarlet Geraniums, Roses, Heliotropes, Chinese Primroses, Ca- mellias, Cinerarias, and Fuchsias. — H. GOSSIP. We are informed, and we think upon good authority, that our observations relative to the Great Metropolitan Poultry Show are not justified by the facts. We lose no time, therefore, in stating what has just reached tis, namely, that the Exhibition has been instituted by a few gentlemen, and that no gain is to be made of the refreshments. We have also heard that Mr. Gilbert, who was one of the prize takers at Great Yarmouth, is a chief promoter of this Exhibition, and his experience will insure that it is well managed. These explanations, however, do not touch the general principle we ad- vocated, and still advocate, viz., that Poultry Shows should not be established for private gain, and, we think, Mr. Gilbert's own experience will induce him to join us in recommending the principal exhibitors to unite in signing a declaration, and publishing it in the public papers, that they will not exhibit at any place where their birds are required to be exhibited for more than two days. We Jiave received a very temperate letter on this subject, from " One of the Hitchin Com- mittee," which we will reply to next week. The continued tcet weather throughout November, and down to tlie time when we are writing (Dec. (Jth), has been too seriously felt to require in this column any general comment ; but we refer to it for the purpose of stating facts demonstrative that the usual exclamations about never remembering such weather are more than usually well founded. At Chiswick, in the twenty-six years extending from 1S2U to 1851, both inclusive, the average fall of rain during November has been 2.182 inches, whereas in the November just concluded 6.20 inches of rain fell, or but little less than treble the usual amount ! The excess is very great, even if we take the November when most rain occurred in those twenty-six years — namely, that of 1842, for in that month no more than 4.47 inches fell. Last month we ought to have expressed the genuine regret we felt at the loss science has sustained by the death of Dr. Gideon Algernon Mantell ; and we talie the more blame to ourselves for the omission, because with him has always been associated the memory of his brother, Mr. Joshua Mantell, our friend of early days, who cultivated his Dahlias with no small success, attended to the physical needs of his neighbours, and indulged his literary tastes by writing his Sssay on Floriculture, and editing Baxter's Agricultural Library, whilst resident at Newick, near Lewes. He died in 1830, and now, on the 10th of November of the present year, his more distinguished brother has followed him. " Dr. Mantell was a striking instance of a rise in life amidst great difficulties. He was born in the parish of St. John's sub Easter, at Lewes, where his father was a shoe- maker in a small line of business, but of quick parts, and with a readiness of perception, and a strictness of integrity, wliicb rendered him extremely iisefid to Mr. W. Cooper, the leader of the political party supporting the Whigs. " Dr. Mantell has well described his father's rirtues in some lines on a tablet erected to his memory in St. Michael's church in that town, reverently ending with the wish — " Oh fain would he, who in these humble lays Attempts a father's and a good man's praise, Follow the bright example thou hast given, And humbly trace thy footsteps up to heaven. "The family consisted of fom: sons and two daughters, and it was with great frugality that the sons acquired their education. Dr. Mantell received his first instruction at a dame school in the same lane as his father's liouse, and here he was so great a favourite that on the old lady's death she left him her little aU. From her he went to the school of Mr. Button, in the CUfle, wliere a sound and practical commercial education was given by a gentleman whose political sentiments were so accordant with those of Mr. Mantell the father, that he was known to be on the Govern- ment black list. 'The grammar-school at wliich Evelyn had been educated was not at that time available for a child of Mr. Mantell's political opinions, the twelve boys on the foundation being nominated entirely by the feoifees. On leaving Mr. Button's school, the kindness of ih: Cooper came to the aid of the young man, who had attracted the notice of his father's friends by the diligence with wdiicli he devoted himself to his studies, and by his quickness and general desire to advance himself in knowledge ; and the consequence was that he was apprenticed to Mr. .James Moore, a surgeon and apothecary of the old school, an amiable and accomplished man, and a bon vivant. Here, again, Gideon Mantell so far conciliated the good opinion of his master, that, after he had " walked the hospitals," 200 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December HI. and, what was then a novelty in country pracUce, heeome a licentiate of Ajiolhecaries' Hall, he was talcen into partner- ship with liis former master, and commenced a practice in his native town, which he carried on until the year- ISOti. In tlie course of that practice he was eminently successful, especially in cases of midwifery, on which hranch, and especially on the use of the err. jMantell's last scientific efforts ill tliat locality. They remark that 'For a long series of years the lectures delivered by Dr. Mantell iu this place have formed one of the chief ornaments and attractions of successive sessions. No one wlio has enjoyed the ad- vantage of hearing him can ever forget the singular ability, the felicitous illustrations, and the energetic eloquence which characterised all his discourses. He was one of the earliest and most ze.alous members of this Institution, and the originator of that series of gratuitous lectures on scientific subjects which have been so advantageous and creditable to the parisli of Clapham. The members of the Clapham Atheiiffium will not be unmindful that Dr. Mantell's services were always prompted by an earnest desire to promote intellectual enjoyment and good-will throughout the noigli- bourhood; nor will they forget that these admirable lectures were generally delivered by him at the cost of much self- denial, under the pressure of severe bodily piun, and that the last public effort of this pitted man was made in the presence of the Society only a few hours before his lamented decease.' " — Gentlcmun's Maiju2inc. December 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 201 The following is a list of the Horticultural and Poultry Shouis of which we are at present aware. We shall i)c obliged by any of our readers sending lis additions to the list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. HORTIOlTLUmAl. SHOWS. South London (Royai.), Dec. 16. rOULTEY shows. BlEHINOHAII AND MIDLAND COUNTIES, 14th, 15th, Kith, and 17th December. CoKNWALL (Penzanck), .January lOtli, and lltli. {Sees. Eev. W. W. Wingtield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) Honiton, January 12th. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) PINE-CULTURE : THE HAMILTONIAN SYSTEM. {Coiiehidcd frum page IGO). W^E have now the remaining heads — " Piping, Root- culture, Recipes, Ripening, Soil, Structures, Suckers, Syringing, Temperature, Watering, Ventilation," and then a few wind-up remarks ; and we cry mercy of one portion of our readers, to whom this apparent repetition, or rather " summing-up " may be tedious. Piping. — For disposition of this in Hamilton's house, we may refer the reader to page -1 of The Cottage Gardeneu ; and as a "Querist" has desired to know the calibre of pipes in that house, we beg to say that they are of five-inch bore, although Mr. H. observes they might he of four-inch. It will be seen, that there are two five-inch pipes in each bed for bottom-heat, viz., a How and return ; and that they are made to proceed to, and return from, an iron reservoir or tank at tlie farthest end ; this saves tlie expense of elbow joints, we suppose, and is more simple. Two five-inch pipes also proceed along the south, and two along the north, turning round the end opposite the boiler; there also are a flow and return on each side, so that the house is I'airly suiTOunded by piping to warm the air. Now, as in hot weatlier the air-piping is not required on duty, Mr. H. says, on this head — " The pipes which heat the air of the house can bo plugged up at any time, when only bottom-heat is wanted ; this is a mode of my own, and simpler and better than valves." Our advice is, where you have any doubts about amount of piping, either call in an old practitioner, a man who is e.xperienoed in Pines as well as pipes, or else employ his fee in laying down a little of what you conceive to be piping which might be dispensed with ; anything, in fact, but under-heating. Root-culture — But little is requisite — still some is desirable. Mr. H. says in his book, page fiS — " In con- clusion I may state, that only when the roots are to be seen in the axils of the leaves, the operation of earthing- u[) is required ; and it is better to earth-up among the leaves, than to destroy them before they have performed their destined offices for the plant." It will be seen, also, that in pot-culture, when an attempt is made to cultivate the old stool without planting it out, he prefers stem-culture, the old roots perfectly undisturbed, to repotting. He says — "I then commence earthiug-up with the prepared compost, pressing it a little round the trimk of the plant, and allowing it to slope down to the edge of the pot. I am quite convinced of the supe- riority of eartliing-up over that of transplanting into larger pots after the fruit has been cut. I have in- variably found the plants to be from two to four months longer in fruiting, and tlie frint also to be much inferior in size." We have here, as in a few other places, slightly paraphrased our author, but feel assured of pardon, the principles not being perverted, and, more- over, time gained. To conclude this heading, we may repeat Mr. H.'s answer to our query. No. 1'.). Quention. — How long aiter planting belbro thoy require culture, and what kind? Answer. — "All kinds would be better by a little soil on the top once a-year." By this our readers may see that a little np-stcm culture, if not ab- solutely necessary, is particularly desirable ; as soon as our beginners perceive, by observation, the natural habits of the Pine, they will be able to modify their practice to meet, not oppose, its own native bent. Recipes.- — iVlr. H., at page .">S, very properly remarks, on insects — " I have known many persons, and have frequently heard of others, who, after having tried every method they liave known, have at last been obliged to destroy their whole stock of plants in order to get rid of them ; " that is to say, the insects which infest tlie Pine. Happily for beginners in these days, the rule has be- come the exception, and foul plants are so little known or expected, that even the wary may occasionally be caught napping in making purchases. No man in his senses would think of buying a stock infested with insects of any kind. If, however, sucli a case should oeeuv, Mr. H. offers a well-tested recipe, which may be found at page Ti'.t of his interesting work. This is for the cotton bug and white scale, two of the Pines' greatest enemies, and Mr. H. affirms, that " with one appli- cation every insect was destroyed without doing the slightest injury to the plants." Many recipes are to be heard of lor destroying such pests, but we would fain for the present have tlie Hamiltonian system fairly re- presented ; and, moreover, we have not space, and perhaps our readers have not patience, for digression. Ripening. — Little to be observed here. Mr. H., like all other good cultivators, prefers a somewhat drier air, and a previous abstraction of root-moisture, in order to obtain a liigh degree of flavour. Soil. — Let the reader refer to " Composts " in the present papers ; this will save repetition. Structdees, — More will be lu'ged another day as to what modifications of Mr. H.'s plan might be adopted; lor the present, we will just observe, that Mr. H. has so far fallen in with views we have pointed out to him as to the span-roof system, as to admit the ibllowing ; — " I am of your opinion, that span-roofed houses would be better north and south." Now, this has long been with us a favourite opinion ; but as misleading an anxious public is not a light matter, we have, during the last three or four years, sought out opportunities of ob- taining the opinions of those we deem first-rate practical men on this subject, believing that we were all held in a sort of thrall in the matter. Wo may here just point to our old and esteemed friend, Mr. Appleby, who has more than once (during practical chat) expressed liimself as decidedly of this opinion ; and, verily, the ridge and furrow houses all over the country would seem to bear testimony to a desire to seek some relief from the lean-to method; and not only that, but a sort of desire for a morning and evening slope to houses, in preference to a burning mid-day sun, with all the extras of shading, &c. Suckers. — We have before given a detail of the culture of these, with the technical names by which they are known through subsequent culture. It may here be observed, that Mr. H., in strong terms, points to the immense progress they make attached to the old stool, as compared with those deprived of the assistance of the parent plant, by being entirely detached. Steingino. — On this Mr. H. lays much stress. He says, page 42 — "-My motive for supplying the plant with a sufficiency of water, by syringing over the leaves, is twofold. First. I believe the leaves of the Pine to be very porous, and, therefore, capable of absorbing a great quantity of its food by that process. Thus, 1 syringe with tepid water. Secondly. By frequently syringing the plants, the surrounding atmosphere is kept in a humid state, the soil is constantly moist on the surface 202 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 16. of the pot, which causes a constant supply of food to descend to tlie roots from the fresh compost, and although limited, it will prove sufficient for their supply till the fruit is perfected; whereas, by this usual practice of supplying the roots copiously with water, the nu- tritious duids are entirely washed out of the pot, &c." Thus it will be seen how it is that Mr. H. so very seldom waters at tlie root. The frequency of the syringings must in part depeud on the weather, aud the time of year; in summer, morning and evening; but in winter some caution is necessary^-perhaps about three or four times a week. One thing must here be observed. Most good cultivators judge by the axils of the leaves, and make a point not to repeat the syringing until the axils of the leaves are nearly dry. This points at once to the necessity for a lively temperature, as well as motion in the air by ventilation. Tempekatuke. — Although we have briefly observed on air-heat before, we must add a little more under this head. Mr. H. says — " The temperature required for succession plants in the winter, is from 50° to 00"^ at night, and O-O" to lb' during the day. In autumn, winter, and spring, if fruit arc to be swelled, they will require 00° to 70° at night, and 70° to S0° during the | day. In the summer, the maximum, under the eflect of strong simshine, may rise to 90°, and may be allowed to drop as low as 70° by the morning. In very bright sunny weather, the plants in fitiit had better be shaded than admit too much air at any time of the day. In order to swell this fruit to a large size no air ought to be given until the thermometer reaches 80° to 8.j°, which will generally be by nine or half-past in the morning. To keep it down to this, give it the benefit of air . until half-past ten, then close the house, — shade tlie plants, and water them over the leaves; then let theur remain until half-past two or three in the afternoon ; tlien unshade, and let them have all the benefit of light and sun, giving a little air, which must remain until half-past four, then close the house, and i syringe again over the leaves of the plants, which will keep them moist during the wliole of the night." Watering. — This is so seldom requisite under the Hamiltonian system that we merely refer to it in its order to keep the eye fixed on the fact. Of course, we mean watering at root by the ordiuaiy water-pot. Ventilation. — Although Mr. H. seems to care less about this than most cultivators, it is his diurnal practice, more or less. Nevertheless, we do think that although for profit his plan is superior to any, yet those who aim at the very highest amount of flavour, .and a small crown, would do well to go much beyond him in ventilating points. Of the close treatment, it may be safely affirmed, that it has a tendency to produce big crowns, and these certainly detract from the appear- ance of the fruit on the table. Mr. H. advocates shading occasionally. Now, the question is, whether east and west roofs would not obviate the necessity of this, and thereby save expense and trouble ? We recom- mend those about to enter on Pine-culture to give this a thought, and, in doing so, to bear in mind Sir. J. Paxton's ridge-and-furrow roofs. We beg again to quote our good friend Hamilton in support of this — " I am of your opinion, that span-roofed houses ought to lie built with the ends north and south ; if they are not, there must be a good deal of shading, otherwise their leaves will be completely drained of their moisture. I speak from experience ; they will have holes burned in them occasionally." It has been generally under- stood that tlie Pine requires a winter's rest, or, in other words, should be compelled to cease growing for some eight or ton weeks by a low temperature and a dry atmosphere. Mr. H., like most of the good people in the tall-chimney districts, is all for quick return for capital ; aud although he does not deny that the elabo- rations at that period are less complete, yet lie will not hear of loss of time, believing it — yea, knowing it — possible, by good management, to still ]jush on (although by more tardy steps) the plants to the desired end. We here think, with all deference, that he carries the idea a little too far ; but our readers will judge lor themselves. And now for a correction of errors into which we may have fallen. At page :U, an inadvertency occurs which will surely be pardoned, when it is considered that we have had to wade our way through, at least, half-a-score letters, and, in addition, to watch every idea set forth in Mr. H.'s book. One misleading point, which is a kind of ambiguit}', stands thus — " The flow and return in each bed are totally unconnected with each other, or with the flow and return round the exterior, &c., &c." Now-, what we really meant to express was this — that each bed had a flow and return of its own to provide the bottom or root warmth ; and that each side of the house, north and south, was also, in like manner, fitted up for atmospheric heat. It was also stated, at the same page, that " there must be a great preponderance of heat at the boiler end ;" this, however, it appears is not the case. We wrote to Mr. H. once more, after his repeated kindnesses, to invite criticisms as to mistakes, and he has at once set the m.atter right; for it would appear by his description, that bis house is entirely surrounded by piping for the atmosphere, and to use his own words, "there is not halfa-dcgree difference between the ends." Thus : llie boiler, we wfll say A, has a flow and return into the iron pan (which Mr. H. calls his cesspool), B. prom this "cesspool," or, rather, iron-pau (which forms the medium of communication between the boiler aud the pipes), proceeds along the south cavity, or alley, a flow, aud, of course, return-pipe to and from a similar irou-])an, g, in the south-west corner; be it understood, that in this case the boiler is at the east end of the house. In like manner, a flow and return proceeds along the north cavity, or alley, to the same iron-pan ; but this ])iping has to traverse the west end, of course, before it can reach the iron-pan, B. This will, we hope, render all plain ; if not, we will try again. To conclude, let us, on our own part, and also that of our readers, heartily thank Mr. H. for his very great civility in furnishing information. We owe it to a long acquaintance, doubtless ; but, knowing the man well, there was a secret assurance that we might pre- sume on his help. To be sure, it would have been much easier to have skimmed his book, and to have sketched an "article" out of it, which, indeed, could not have erred muili ; it appeared better, however, to have, if not new matter, at least a confirmation of the old, from the fountain head, and this a good feeling of long standing enabled us to obtain. But those who would fain know the minutiii3 of Pine-growing by his system, must lay by a (ev/ pence and buy his little book. An expositor, after all, is not an author; the public lie at the mercy of his views. In that original work, though small, though dressed in rude attire, and, we may add, not enriched by a higli style of composition, may be found by the considerate a host of ideas, or the germs of them, carrying every mark of originality, and of a mind determined to test every previous practice by nature's own standard. We need scarcely observe, that in dissi- pating the idea of a chamber being a necessary adjunct to Pine-culture, be has done the gardening world no small service, for these chambers are expensive things. We do not say that he has been the first to got rid of this superUuity ; he may, or may not be so ; but if he is not, who is the man'? We have to acknowledge assistance from Mr. D. Davis, also, of Heaton-Lane Foundry, Stockport, who has been in the habit of fitting up Pineries on Hnmil- Deoembek 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 203 ton's plan. He has, it appears, a foundry of liis own, and easts all his own pipes, guaranteeing any desirable amount of heat during the most severe weather. Mr. H. tells us, that he is highly qualified to give practical instructions in the way of erecting stoves, having had much experience tills way. We have no personal knowledge of Mr. Davis,.but Mr. H. points to him as one peculiarly eligible to those within his reach. Another hint : —Thomson, Esq., Greenraount Hall, Harpurhuy, near Manchester, has some true Jamaica Pine plants to dispose of ; or those that are by some called Mont- serrats ; whicli are, at all events, the best kind for winter, and by no means tlie worst in summer ; added to which they are not, by any means, second as to culti- vation on the Hamiltonian system. R. Errington. BULBS. (Conl'imied from pmjc 1C3.) Antholyz.v. — The species of Anizanthits are now re- ferred to Anthohjza by common consent, but there is no feature by which they can be distinguished from Oladi- oliis, e.Kcept the fore-sliortening of the front or lower petals, that part being, as the botanist says, abbreviated. Antliobjza being almost united to OlaiUolus, tlu'ongh this section having the lip abbreviated, it is immaterial whether we join Sweet's Anizanths to Oladiolus — -their true position — or to Anthohjza, whose flowers are more Auizanthus-like than like Gladiolus flowers. I never heard if these two forms of Antholyza, or even the Anizanths, could be crossed with some of the nearest Oladioli, such as Waisonins tristis, and concolor. The whole order of Irids, to which these plants belong, stands much in want of a thorough revision. Meantime, gardeners and amateurs might greatly assist in this reformation by instituting experiments, pei'haps not so much for the purpose of increasing popular varieties, as to determine how far they will stand the test with the pollen. Try if Anthohjza JElhioiiica, cunonia, or splmdens, will cross with any wild UladioUis, or with any cross Oladiolus, that may have the flov\fers less regular than usual. Is it possible to cross An- tholyza with Watsonia ? Should these experiments fail, try them differently ; let the species of Anthohjza be first crossed with each other; Walsonia the same ; and then see whether the crosses, or any of them, will unite the two genera, or fall back to Gladiolus through some one of its numerous crosses. Anthohjza JEthioplca, cunonia, and splendens, are the best three in tliis genus for the flower border, and they hardly ever refuse to grow in any kind of soil that is not too stiff. In pure, fresh peat they will luxuriate and produce abundance of fresh offset bulbs ; the same in a deep, light, rich border of sandy loam and very rotten leaf mould ; and they are more accommodating than the Ixlas, for they may be planted any time from the end of September to the end of April At the Ca|)e, they would seem to be stifled in the hard brown coats and remains of the old bulbs, but tliat is the best condition for them to drain and throw oft' tlie wet from them, and with such natural guards they may remain for many years in a border without being disturbed. I have seen splendid examples of them in pots, in very rich, light soil, but not so good as I have seen them in an open border, being planted six inches deep, and supplied largely with water from the time the flower-stalks appeared. Antholyza prccalta. — This is the next best after the three scarlet ones, and, like them, it grows from two to throe feet high. The flowers are orange with a tinge of red. Anthohjza montana. — This is comparatively a small plant for an Antholyza, and is much more like one of those curious species of Gladiolus one often sees from the Cape; and when we remember that it was through Gladiolus tristis, the oddest thing you ever saw, that Dr. Herbert laid the foundation ot the beautiful races of them which we now so much admire, dare we assert what is " looming in the future " of this montana? Anthohjza quadranijularis is another anomaly in its ] way — indeed, it would take a clever botanist to say 1 what it is; and after that a few touches of the pollen I might prove that it was no such thing. The flowers ! are narrower and less shortened in front than those of i cunonia or splendens, and the colour is that faintish 5 yellow which few admire; but the plant is as strong 1 and as easily managed as cunonia, or any of the more i fashionable Oladioli. i BABh\NA. — A common observer could not tell aBabiana from a Sparaxis, nor some of the latter from Ixias, and some species of Ixia run so close to Tritonia that, with- out knowing the "private mark," no man could know tlie one from the other. The colour, size, or texture of the seeds is no criterion of generic diiferences among these L\ia-like plants. The insertion of the stamens, here or there, in the flower would carry the same weight with a pollen master. Versatile anthers, smooth or jagged spathes, and other marks of distinction, have been useful enough hitherto as "private marks" for telling present arrangement ; but sooner or later the whole must be laid aside, and a reconstruction of Ixias be made ; theretbre, cross all the species as if they were in one genus already, — if they do not mix, that is no sign of a natural difference, and if they do, it will prove useful in two ways — an improvement in the garden varieties, and a check on the labours of the systematist. All the Babianus are quite dwarf plants, and more fitted for pot-culture than out-of-doors. They prefei" sandy peat when confined in pots, but out in a border they will do without a particle of peat, if the soil is very light. Four inches is deep enough for the bulbs, and if a handful of clean sand is put round half-a-dozen of the little bulbs in a patch, they may remain undisturbed for several years. Whether in pots or in a border, they ought to be planted early in October, and not to receive more than the first watering at potting time until the leaves are well up above the ground ; and there is not a plant in the whole order (Irids) tliat likes to be without a free admission of air during every period of its growth. There is about a score of species in this genus, but their culture being so uniform, I shall not waste space with sejiarate accounts of thcni. Under Sparaxis I shall show a good way of growing a coUection of such bulbs in the open air. Barnardi.a. sciLLomEs. — This is a small, half-hardy bulb from China, with purplish small flowei-s. I think it was introduced by the Horticultural Society ; at any rate, I recollect it as among the earliest plants that Dr. Lindley named on his own account. A figure of j it first appeared in the Botanical Register in December, just twenty-six years ago, when I was at Altyre, and the late Lady Gordon Gumming sent for it at once. It did not seem to like pot-culture, and I have not seen or I heard much about it these twenty years ; but if it is in I cultivation it is well worth having, as few bulbs of its I small size flower at the same time — the height of summer. A light, sandy soil will suit it best ; and if grown in a pot, the bulb ought to be freed from the soil as soon as it rests, and be kept in sand in a dry place ; it might be so kept all the winter, and planted early in February. Beatonia atrata, curvata, and purpurea. — These are small Rloxican bulbs, that are very nearly hardy. Pur- purea, on which the genus was founded by Dr. Herbert, was discovered in Mexico, by Galeoti, growing along with the Jacobaia Lily, Sprehelia formosissima. All three refuse to grow in peat, and prefer a good, loamy soil, made light with sand; they grow and bloom during 204 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Deckubeb l(i. the summer, aud require to Vie kept dry from October till March. I believe the wliolo stock of tlicm in the country were in Dr. Herbert's collection when it was dispersed, and that they arc now very scarce. Naturally they are intermediate between Tit/ridia and Ci/jiellu, among the Irids. There is another hne Tigridia-looking bulb, growing on the top of the mountain San Felipe, in Oasaca, in i\Ie.\ico, whicli is not yet introduced, 1 believe ; but it would repay a diligent search, and tlio range is not i'ar out of the route from \'era Cruz to the city of Mexico. Besseiia elegans, fiilulosa, and Herherdi. — These are also small Mexican bulbs, very pretty, and all but hardy. Fistulosuiii was figured in the Botanical Ite- gister, some twenty years since, from a plant flowered by Dr. Herbert, who called the genus Phaiium; but it was preoccupied by Schultes, and Pharium is now cancelled. Herhertii is among the newest of our Mexi- can bidbs. Elegans is the best of the three ; the flowers are drooping from the top of the stalk, of a rich orange-crimson, aud red staraeiis. They require exactly the same treatment as the Beatonins; but their affinity is with the Barnardia mentioned above, being Lilyworts, of the Squill section. Blandfobuia. — \i Anlhericums were as gay and varied as AlstriJmerkiti, Bland/onlias, and Boinareas, they would be equally entitled to a place in our series, ibr, properly speaking, none of them are bulbs, or corms either ; but strangers and nil who care little about looking under the surface of things, need not mind the roots when the flowers are gay, and look as if they were produced from real bulbs. Blamlfordias, with all tiie aspect of bidbs, are, in reality, only herbaceous i)lants ; their constitution is much stronger and hardier than their outward looks would indicate; indeed, no one who can flower a good Hyacinth three seasons running, need fear trying any of the Blandfordias without having more convenience for pot-bulbs than would serve to grow Hyacinths well. Blandfordias are from Australia: they belong to the order of l.ilies, and to the section of ]")ay Lilies in that order; and the nearest plants to them in that section are the Trilomas, from the Cape of Good Hope. Almost all who like to grow the most showy herba- ceous plants know Triloma uvaria and media. A young plant of Tritoma media would look much like an old- established plant of Blandfordia ; orange, crimson, and scarlet, mix in the flowers of both ; both are increased from side suckers taken ofl' in the spring, and some of the Bhuidfnrdius seed freely, but Tritomas do not seed. I am not aware of any family of plants that have been yet tried by the cross-breeder, from which better plants for the mixed choice border could be expected than this and Triloma; and, notwithstanding the difference in their llowers, 1 can see nothing in them to debar their union ; get a cross between the old Blandfordia noliilia and Tritoma. uvaria, and if it comes intermediate be- tween the two parents, raising iiohilis higher in the world, and reducing ucrtrw to the dimensions of an or- dinary border-flower, where, among all the herbaceous plants, can such another gem be looked for? There is one thing, and one only, which is proved by cross- breeding, and that is, that if the pollen of a hardy plant, like Triloma uvaria, is dusted on a less hardy one, as Blandfordia, the ott'spring would take after the hardier parent in constitution, therefore Triloma should be the pollen parent. I shall never beUevo that these may not be crossed together, till all we know of the means of eflccting a difficult cross are exhausted. Blandfordia nobilis. — It was on this species that the genus was founded in )hu:). A strong plant of it will throw up a central flower-scape two feet high, bearing a cluster of drooping flowers on the top, the coloiu' being a rich orange-red. It seeds freely, and the seeds ought to be sown the same day they arc gathered ; but they will keep for mouths. Ciooil yellow loam, two- parts, and one-part of turfy-pcat, with a lillle leaf mould aud sand, is the right compost for lull-grown plants; for younger stages, reverse the proiiortions of loam and peat, and leave out the leaf mould. Hut to sec this plant in perfection, it ought to be grown out in the open air, in a deep rich border, three suuimers running, and to be taken up in October, and kejit half-dry through the winter, or, what woidd be far better, to be left in the border, keeping frost and heavy rains from it in wiuter. All the other species have much of tlie family appearance; and after you know one of them, you would find little difficulty in recognising any of liie genus — orange, crimson, and flamc-coloiu', being the ]irevailing colours. There is a new and tall species that was little known at the time the genus was printed for The Cottage Gardeners' DicTmxAitY. It was introduced by Mr. Low, of Clapton, with whom I saw it last October, and others of the same genus ; the name is Flanu-a, or tiamc-colour, and they say it grows i'rom three to four feet high, and is easily kept and increased. I linger for opportunity to try a crossing in this beau- tiful genus. D. Be.\ton. {To hi: coiiliiittfii.) ALLOTMENTS. When duly attending to the higher matters con- nected with gardening and rural allairs, the interest of tho labouring cottager should not be lost sight of. His condition and prospects have secured no little attention from the philanthropist. If schemes failed, the result was not the consequence of a lack of kind wishes. To improve any part of the masses of society there must be, combined with willingness, a thorough acquaintance with the condition, the intelligence, the modes of acting aud thinking, of the parties to bo benefited ; without this the kindest wishes may not unfi-cquently cidianee the very ills they are intended to lessen. Charity itself may be, and often has been, so administered as to militate against sclf-resj)cct and in- dependence of character. Without a trace of presump- tion, I have often thought that a committee of mode- rately intelligent gardeners, with their hearts in tho right place, would be able to point out a better redress for many social ills than a more learned conelavo of parlour-bred philanthropists, aud just because most of us, though at times wo take a jicn between our horny fingers, have companioned and roughed it with tho humblest classes of society in various parts of tho country. With the double flux that is now going on — the influx of gold, and the oH^flux of emigration — the question of allotmenls is not likely to occupy the prominent position it did several years ago, when, from several causes, there was a siqierabundanco of labour. Still, as in rural districts good gardens exercise a great influence upon social comfort and moral woith, aud as in suburban districts thoro will be joined, generally, to these advan- tages, tho jdeasures of change of scene aud of occu- pation; while in both cases, as numy a happy wife could tell, the patch of ground became one of the chief anta- gonists to the charms of the drink shop— our earnest iiope is that these allotments nuiy be vastly increased. Still, when a thing is so good in itself, we ought the more carelully to prevent its being turned into an evil ; and having thought and observed much on tlio working of the system, years ago, I have taken the liberty of alluding to the matter here, to exjucss how thoroughly I agree in the ideas expressed by Mr. I'hriugton in the commencement of his article, page UO, and to hope that those opulent and benevolent individuals who nobly December 1G. THK COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 205 i conteniplato extending the allotment system will pre- viously think these matters over. Wishing, however, humljly to support Mr. E.'s opinion, I hope I shall bo ! excused I'or stating the following docluctions : — 1. it is always an advantage that the ground bo con- tiguous to the cottage ; next, that it be in a field as near as possible; and il' at some distance, that it bo ap- proaebed by a good road. 2. The rent charged, after making allowance for any extras, should bo similar to wbat the farmer pays for the adjoining land. o. Whatever terms be agreed upon ; whatever the conditions as res])ects regularity ol' payment ; proper and industrious cultivation, and propriety of conduct, necessary to tho holding of the allotment; no consider- ations of previous character, unless there was something very flagrant, should operate as a barrier to obtaining one ; for to allow of such a barrier would be tantamount to denying our faith in gardening as an improving influence. 4. It is to the advantage of every labourer to be in regular, constant employment. The allotment or garden should be no decoy from his regular occupation. The extent of his holding should be regulated by what he and his family can accomplish during their own time. Vew employers would refuse a man a day at any par- ticular emergency, but this must not be calculated upon as a matter of course. 1 have mot with few who will pay a man regularly and cheerfully iu bad weather, wlio bolts otl' to his own ground without leave or warning when it is fine. 5. When a surplus of labour abounds in a district, the dividing the laud into largish allotments, sufficient to give work for several weeks or months, has been con- sidered a remedy. I am convinced it is merely a tem- porary palliative. It is based on the supposition, that when not working for the farmer the allotment holder can labour for himself; but unfortiniately the farmer and the allotment want that holder's chief services at the same time. Need I speak of the tendency to grumbling, idleness, squatting, and the mutual heart- burnings thus produced ? 6. If in rural districts such a superabundance of labour should again exist — as we have painfully wit- nessed in times gone by — two views as respects allot- ments present themselves. 1st. If it be conceded that the labom'or is remunerated for his work on the allot- ment— and this, I believe, is generally granted — would not the same labour be worth somewhere about as much to the tenant or the landlord? and if so, might not the labourer be freed from a nondescript position, always an unpleasant one to be in? But, 2ndly. If capital is de- ficient to pay the labour seeking employment; and yet tho superior cultivation of the land would remunerate the labour so employed, why should those able to support themselves for a short time from previous savings, and are willing to labour, not have an allotment that would give them work, not for a few weeks, but during the greater part of the year; a system which in such cir- cumstances would ease the labour market, and prove a barrier to idleness and pauperism? I am aware that such an allottee would imperceptibly become a market- gardener, or a small farmer, thus opening up a great social question. I am, however, merely treating of allotments of land ; and my object in addressing these words, not to the enemies of allotments, but to their advocates, and as such, the friends of the working classes, is to incite them calmly to investigate, whether between such a small farming allotment, and one that can be cultivated in the over -time of the family, there be, except in special and j)articular exceptions, any middle course, which, if continuously followed, will benefit, ultimately, either the individual or the com- munity. 7. Some of those special exceptions may consist of jobbers, mechanics, and artisans, who do not expect constant employment at their avocations. The mere change of employment is to them a great advantage. J'jven here, however, some judgment must be exercised. J have seen men in sucii circumstances, attending thoroughly to their business, and yet producing speci- mens of cultivation that few blue aprons could equal. I have seen others trifling on their allotment, neglecting alike their business, and the interests of their fauiily. A smaller or a much larger allotment would to them have been an advantage, just because many men, when niucli employed on the ground, lose all relish for other work. I have witiicssed scores of cases of industrious tradesmen and mechanics, iu villages, not more tlian half employed, their work having graduafly lessened through no fault of their own, and yet, from a strong development of t!ie bump of locality, they cannot think of going beyond tho sound of the church bell to which they listened in better days. A large allotment to such men would be alike a soiu'ce of pleasiu'o, comfort, and prosperity. K. I'lsn. GESNEllA ZEBRINA. The roots of this, after the tops decay, must be kept dry and free from frost. I have often kept them in the pots in which they bloomed, turned over on their sides in the warm end of a common airy green- house. A great lover of these plants has directed my attention to a passing notice of their culture lately, for greenhouse decoration in early autumn, by my friend Mr. Beaton, and has put a couple of queries respecting them, which may be generally inter- esting. 1st, Have you yourself found a similar system to answer? Yes, perfectly so. To obtain large masses of bloom early, cither for vases or large pots, it is best to grow single tubers in small pots. Whether checked by being moved to a more cool, airy position, or not, they will show bloom much earlier than when supplied witli more feeding room, and may then be turned out of their pots and be packed in the larger vessel. 1 have thus had tine masses in the beginning of August in a glass- covered veranda. 2nd, Is there not a discrepancy between Mr. Beaton's very easy method, and the great care detailed by you as necessary, some two years ago? I do not think tliere is. Mr. B. glanced at a system, without going into the minutia;. These little matters, I consider as important as ever, just because fine foliage, with a deep shade of purple, is more admired than even the flower spikes. Hence, care will be saved, when these plants can be started and grown in a hot-house, or forcing-house, where they can either have a slight shade, or be placed from two to three feet from the glass. A frame or pit will enable admirers to have these plants early, though assisted only with fermenting inaterial; but my experience would direct attention to the follow- ing points : I'irst, The heating material must be sweet. Second, Even then no steam or vapour should collect around the foliage previously to the sun shining on them. Third, Air should therefore be given night and day. Fourth, The plants should stand at a distance from the glass, or be slightly shaded from bright sun- shine. Fifth, The drier the leaves are kept the better. Neglect in these matters will cause you to run the risk of pale, bleached, curled, and blotched foliage ; and thus expose you to the loss of at least half the beauty of the plant. R. Fjsh. PEKPETUAL CAPvNATIONS. Some of these were exhibited lately at Regent Street. I have understood they were first introduced from the continent by Messrs. Knight and Perry. I do not know how many varieties there are, nor am I certain of the right name of one of them. A friend pre- aoG THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decembeb 10. sented me with cuttings duly labelled, but the man who planted them out managed to confound them as efl'ectually as if lie had shaken the tallies in a lottery bag. Tliese matters some of our friends may give us information upon. Few that I have seen would suit a florist ; but they are fine things for the lovei-s of flowers and sweet scents. They are well named Perpetual ; but their great charm is that they bloom most adundantly, in autumn, out-of-doors, and in windows and greenhouses in winter, without wanting any forcing. I have seen them grown continuously in pots, with various degrees of success. I wish here merely to detail an outline of the system I adopted, with the results of which I am for the present satisfied. The cuttings were struck in a mild heat in the end of summer ; when rooted they were docked to furnish more cuttings, whicli were struck by the end of autumn. Some of the first- struck were planted out in a border in autumn, and defended with evergreen boughs in winter. The rest, and the second-struck plants, had rough treatment in the pots in winter. All of them, the younger ones being previously stopped, were planted out, about si.^L inches from each other, at the end of March, pro- tected a little by evergreen branches. In j\Jay, as 1 wanted something to fill up a row of Cloves, I took the first-struck ones to do so. In August, September, and October they were noticed by every visitor, as many plants had a dozen of open blooms, with scores of buds to open. In August, the second-struck ones were care- fully raised with balls, and potted, some singly in six and eight-inch pots, and others three in a twelve-inch pot. ilauy of those have been in bloom for some time, 1 and others are in bud. Those in the line of the border, notwithstanding the wet, were still so full of bud and bloom, that I raised and placed a number singly in twelve-inch pots, a fortnight ago, and set them in a cold pit. _ They seem to feel the change but little. The obtainiug such quantities of bloom from young plants, I attribute, first, to the stopping of the growth wheh young ; secondly, to the planting out early in ricn mellow soil ; and, thirdly, to repeated manure waterings. R. Fisii. CONIFERiE. {Coiiliiit{cd from page 105.) JuNTPEnus spHCERicA (Rouud-lieaded J.).— A species ' from the north of China aud the Altai Mountains. Dr. i Lindley has named it, and describes it as very beautiful. I I have never seen it. | JuNiPKRus SQUAJUTA (Scaly J., or Creeping Cedar).— ! A low growing, trailing shrub, seldom exceeding three ; feet high; a native of Nepaul and the Bhotau Alps. I-Iardy only in the southern partsof Britain and Ireland. JuNiPEHus TETH.iOONA (Four-auglcd J.).— Of this species very little is known. It is a native of Mexico, growing on the road-side from Real del Monte to Chico. JoN'iPEKus THuniFER/E (Fraukincouse bearing J.). — A native of Spain; a iumdsome, upright species, thirty to forty feet high. JuxiPERus ViRGixiANA (Virginian Juniper, or Red Cedar).— Native of America, in the States of Maine and Georgia, where it grows to a considerable size, rising to the altitude of from forty to fifty feet. It is very com- mon in the niu-series in tliis country ; and there are some noble specimens at Dropmore, the seat of Lady Grenville, and indeed in most gardens fine plants may be seen of it. Tlie name Red Cedar is given to it because of the beautiful red colour of the iuncr wood. It is used as a case for black lead, but is not so much esteemed as tlie Bermuda Cedar for that purpose, The habit is pyramidal, the branches spreading partially horizontally when the tree is old, but in its young state they are upright, but oven then not so close as the J. communis sue'ica. As it is so plentiful in the nurseries the price is very moderate, even more so than any other .Juniper, except the common one. The cause of its abundance arises from the fact that it ripens its seed in this country. The wood being of such a beautiful colour, and so valuable in other respects, combined with the cheapness of young plants, renders it a tree desii-- able to plant in quantities for the timber. It requires a deep, dry, sandy soil, such as prevails in Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire. It is perfectly hardy. There are several handsome varieties, though none of them surpass the species in beauty. Tliey are J. V. humiUs, J. )'. (/lauca, J. V. penduhi, J. V. aurea varie- I giita, J. V. Beilfordiana, which is beautiful, aud J. V. Ohamherlainii. All these are desirable, and are orna- [ mental objects for the lawn and the Pinetura, I Larix (The Larch). — -To the greater part of our I readers this tree is well known, both on account of its ! good ijualities as a timber-tree, and its having been planted in immense quantities in almost every part of England, Ireland, and especially Scotland, Though a native of the Alps of the south of Europe it was almost unknown to our ancestors. The country is indebted to a Duke of Athol for bringing it first into notice. He received two plants, cultivated them in pots, and kept them in a greenhouse till they were too large for the place; they were then planted out in two beds in front of the building, where they grew till they attained the height of seventy or eighty feet. Their pefect hardihood being thus established, seed was saved, and the produce planted out as forest-trees, aud tliis led to their general cultivation as timber-trees. Millions of plants were put in on the Highlands of Scotland, which, on account of their quick growth, soon turned to profit; — this encou- raged our landed proprietors to extend its cultivation still further; and it was soon found that the ground on which the Larch grew was greatly improved by the fall- ing ofi' and decomposition of its foliage, the Lai-ch being a deciduous tree, that is, it sheds its leaves annually, which very few of the Pine tribe do. A drawback has come upon the culture of the Larch, arising from the fact that a disease has attacked them within the last twelve or fourteen years. The tops begin to wither and die, then the side branches, and in four ur five years the trees die. This has been par- ticularly observed to have occurred to young trees of four or five years standiug, but it is spreading to trees of older and larger growth. How far it will sjiread is of course unknown, but some measures should be taken to arrest its progress. I should advise every tree the least diseased to be instantly removed, root aud branch, and burnt. I would also propose a query to all foresters and owners of Larch plantations, to this effect. What is the cause aud probable cure of this serious disease of the Larch in Britain ? It would not bo amiss to procure seed from the xVlps, as it is more than probable that seeds from diseased trees woidd produce a diseased progeny, or even tlio same eft'ect would happen if the seeds were gathered from healthy trees growing amongst sickly ones. Then, again, the situation in which to plant this handsome tree should be attended to. If the land does not suit it, it will grow too fast, aud become hollow in the centre. This is the case in low, rich land. The proper situation is on the sides of lofty hills, in thin gravelly soils. Though for the first throe or four years its progress may be slow, yet it will make rapid progress after that time, aud by the annual fall of its foliage enrich the soil under it : thus, feeding itself, as it were, by that moans. Another important poiut is close attention to thinning in time, selecting the most healthy and ])romisiug trees to remain. These thinnings make excellent stalks for such flowers as Dahlias and Hollyhocks. The wood of this tree is very durable, hence these stalks will last longer than any Deoembbu IC. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 207 otlier kind, not even excepting tlie oak. The genus Larix is a small one; the following are the species: — Larix EuropoM (European, or Common Larob), L. Sihirioa (Siberian L.), L. Daliunoun (Daburian L.), L. Americana, and L, Americana jjendtda (Weeping Larob), L. leptolejns (Slender Scaled L.), from Japan; not quite hardy in the north of Britain, Amongst those the Weeping Larch is a great curiosity, and worthy of a conspicuous situation in the Pmetum, but none of tlie rest are handsomer in growth, habit, and foliage, than the common Larch. T. Appleby. {To be continued.) PANSIES raised and grown in ENGLAND. This list, in addition to the one sent mo from Berwick, by the Secretary of the Eastern Border Horticultural Society, will form as complete a list as any amateur or dealer need desire. I am sorry to have to report, tliat this autumn this favourite flower is suffering much Irom a disease, some- thing in the same way as the potato. Many collections have almost entirely perished. In particular, I saw that both Mr. Turner and Mr. Bragg, of Slough, had nearly lost all theirs, not one in ten had escaped in the open beds ; and that veteran in Pausey culture, Mr. Thomson, of Iver, in Buckingliamshire, informed me, a few days ago, that his stock out-of-doors were quite as bad. If these eminent growers fail, who can expect to escape '? The cause and cure of this disease are almost as mys- terious as the formidable potato murrain. I would advise every amateur that has a collection to preserve duplicates of his stock in pots, under cold frames, in order to ensure keeping them alive till spring. No doubt this very wet season has aggravated, if not caused tliis disease, and we may hope, if the anticipated dry frosty weather sets in this month, the complaint may be checked in its progress. SELrS. — FLOWERS WITH THE PETALS OF ONE COLOtin, WITH THE EYE DAEK IN LIGHT FLOWEBS, AND LIGHT IN DAIiK FLOWERS. Adela (Turner) ; gold-yellow ; fine form, and sub- stance extra. Oowper (Hunt's) ; canary-yellow, with a dense eye ; a late variety. It was shown in fine condition at the Slough Pansey Show last year. Cri/stal Palace (Thomson) ; a clear white, dark centre ; fine form. Commodore (Turner) ; a large, dark, mulberry-coloured flower, with a rich golden eye ; large, fine, and constant. Fair Maid (Byne's) ; the best white out ; extra size and constant. Flora Superb (Hooper). Another fine yellow variety, with a dark eye ; fine form, and constant. OoUah (Bragg) ; very large; dark maroon, yellow eye ; fine form. Hercules (Treacher's) ; rich mulberry ; fine form and substance ; size immense. I!>rahim Pacha (Edmond) ; extra fine ; dark mul- berry. Indian Queen (Thomson) ; fine dark purple. King (Jennings) ; very dark; large and good. Negro (Sobofield) ; dark maroon; firm substance, fine form . Nox (Hooper) ; dark crimson, almost black ; good form. Ondine (Oswald) ; fine white, with golden eye ; a good old variety. Ophir (Widnall) ; 'rich yellow, with dark centre ; fine and large; if well grown, very few surpass this. Pompeij (Hale's) ; very dark maroon ; rich texture.; fine form and substance, and very smooth on the edges. Pride of leer (Thomson) ; extra fine form ; very dark. Polyphemus (Thomson) ; fine yellow, dark eye. Pluto (Thomson) ; very dark, nearly black ; good form. Royal Purple (Thomson) ; extra large ; fine form. Royal White (Thomson) ; medium size ; good shape and substance. Swansdown (Turner) ; pure white ; fine form ; eye dark. Sultan (Lorton) ; rich dark purple ; substance ex- cellent. Smut (Hooper) ; shaded bronze, like Satirist, but larger; very distinct. Viola (Thomson) ; violet-blue, black eye ; very attrac- tive, and a quite new colour; very distinct. YELLOW GROUNDS, WITH ILAHGINS OF MAROON, CHOOO- L.VrE, RED, ERONZE, PUCE, &C. Addison (Turner) ; yellow, with red margin ; novel ; constant and fine. Antler (Hooper) ; yellow, with a broad margin of purple. Alexis (Gossett) ; yellow, with bronzy-purple margin ; curious and fine ; very distinct. Amelia (Bragg); cream margin, with pale blue; very distinct and beautiful. Ariel (Youell) ; yellow, with bronze-red margin. Brilliant (Byne) ; yellow, with broad purple belt ; fine. Gicsar (Marsh) ; yellow, with dark rich maroon margin ; fine and constant. Comet {Thomson) ; tine show flower; golden-yellow, with crimson-maroon belting. Crown-all (Thomson) ; yellow, with purple margin ; the finest eye of all Pansies ; form good. Candidate (Thomson) ; cream, with broad purple margin ; a good old variety. Canopsis (Hooper) ; gold-yellow, with rich maroon edging. Clio (Bragg) ; yellow, with narrow purple edging ; very pretty. Chieftain (Turner) ; yellow, with bronzy-red margin ; very fine shape and substance. Commander-in-Chief (Hooper); yellow, with red margin. Diadem (Fellows) ; golden-yellow, dark maroon top petals, lower petals margined with the same ; rich, and fine form. Dr. Marsh (Marsh) ; golden-yellow top petals, and belting rich red ; unique, and extra fine. Eleganlissima (Thomson) ; yellow, and bronze-red belting ; much superior to Elegant. Euphemia (Turner) ; straw ground, purple top jietals and belting ; very fine in early season. Favourite (Hooper) ; yellow, and dark maroon belt- ing; extra. Fearless (Schofield) ; yellow, and dark maroon margin; fine form, smooth, and groat substance; eye very dense. Oreat Britain (Parker) ; yellow, margined with purple; extra fine shape and substance. Great Western (Hooper) ; yellow and maroon ; large and fine. Hengist (Turner) ; yellow and bright red ; novel. Hero (Turner); yellow, and bronze-red; very stout substance. Joe Bliller ; yellow top petals, and belting bronze-red; new and fine ; very distinct. Laertes (Hunt) ; rich yellow, margined with dark maroon. Lucidmn (Parker) ; yellow and purple ; fine form and substance. Lord Walsingham (Thomson) ; yellow and purple margin. Lord Dei-hy (Thomson) ; yellow and dark maroon ; fine, large, show flower. ilOS THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 16. Mrs. Brai/g (Bragg) ; golden-yellow, rich mulberry- inirple margin : ii good old variety. Momirck (Hale); yellow, with purple margin; extra fine. Pandora (Hunt) ; yellow, margined broadly with rich, glossy purple; fine form and te.xture; and veiy constant. Renown (Thomson) ; fine and largo; c.\tra shape and substance ; iirst-rate ; yellow and purple. Rising San (Turner) ; bright yellow top petals, briglit brouzo-red lower ditto, margined with the same ; fine. Sir John tialhcart (Turner) ; deep gold-yellow top petals, liery-hronze lower petals, margined with the same ; extra line substance and ibrm. Sir Joseiih Paxton (Betteredge) ; yellow top petals, and belting rich dark maroon ; fine shape. Thishe (Hnopci') ; yellow and novel, bronze margin. Timour (Bragg) ; bronze-yoUow ground, willi purple margin; distinct. wnrrE grounds, with margins of vakious colours. Albion (Thomson) ; white, margined with purple ; darli eye ; large and fine. Bine Bonier (Boyd) ; white, belted with fine blue. Blue Fringe (Major) ; white, deep blue edge ; rayed ; very beautiful. Bcaulij (Thomson) ; white and purple ; very line and unique. Climax (Bell) ; white, with broad purple margin ; a good old variety. Criterion (Hooper) ; white, with deep blue margin. Era (Tliorason) ; straw, and rich dark purple margin ; surpasses France Cycole. Lady Carrimjton (Hunt); white, margined with light blue ; novel and beautiful. Ladg Fair (Boyd) ; white, margined with inice. il/(,vs Caroline (Bouverio, Archer) ; white, with light blue margin ; good. Marchioness of Bath (Wheeler) ; white, belted with blue ; bold, dense eye; fine form and substance; a good show flower. Xaliunal (Turner) ; wliite, with a broad, light purple margin; well defined; very smooth, constant, and line form. Queen of England (Fellows); white, with blue-purple belt ; extra. Rotunda (Hunt) ; white, margined with jiurple ; fine form, and eotistant. Roi/al Vr'hile (Thomson) ; white, with dark margin ; extra fine form and substance. Sir Robert Peel (Hale); white, with fine purple margin. Sijloia (Griffin); white, with a delicate, light blue edge ; elegantly beautiful. Venus (Bynej; white, with fine blue margin. T. AlTLEBY. EORCING rOTATOES. WHATiiVER be the peculiar fancy of the epicure (and have we not all our fancies?), a disli of young potatoes is sure to find admirers at a season wlien tlie old ones (however good) have been sent to table until the appe- tite seems to long for a change. We all know liow delightful it is to see tlio dish-cover unfold a progeny of young potatoes, instead of tlie old ones "sorved-up" in every variety of way tliat the ingenuity of the kitchen- department could suggest. Young potatoes create a sort of a. furor for tlic moment; and tlic young, aged, and inhrm, must all lia,ve a taste of the first produce of tlie season ; but it belongs to a higlier genius tlian mine to describe the feelings wliich tliis and otlier productions create on their first introduction; my duties are more in the back ground, where the operations are at work whicli furnishes the article at the time wanted. Now, whatever may bo the wants or peculiar fancies of certain individuals, we may take it for granted tliat every one is glad of young potatoes at the earliest possible time ; and to accomplish this no time must bo lost. 'The amateur whose means are limited, must look round and see if any vacant space in any of the heated structures is so far at liberty as to allow a few potatoes to be spread thinly over its surface. To exemplify this matter more, we will suppose that plenty of the earliest kinds of potatoes exist in the root-cellar, or other store. Now, in order to accelerate those intended for ibrcing as an early crop, a few must be put in heat as soon as pos- sible, and afterwards they must be planted out into the liotbed, or other heated apparatus, where they are expected to jiroduce their crop. Now, this preliminary progress on tlie part of the potato may be of a more homely or economical kind than that which furnishes tliem the means of sujiporting a progeny. We all know that a potato placed in a warm situation soon begins to shoot and grow, and we also know, that if these shoots are broken off, others succeed them in, perhaps, greater uuml.iers, but much weaker. This second crop is not always sufficient to exhaust a strong vigorous tuber ; but the successive clibrts of the parent show too plainly that it must at last yield to such an exhausting ])rocess. A potato placed in a warm atmo- sphere will quickly show signs of life ; the vital powers wliich Nature had intended to remain toiqiid until she called them forth in spring, are now put in motion by an agent, certainly not equally genial, but quite as warm. Now a tuber or a bulb dillbrs in many respects from a seed; the latter has stored away in itself the germ of a new plant, which it has likewise the power of )ireserving for a considerable period, or until it be placed in such a situation as to call its vital powers into action. On the other band, a tuber, or bulb, is only I he accumu- lated energies of a plant stored away for a limited period, which cannot be prolonged to any great extent, while it may be shortened by the forcing process very consider- ably ; at the same time, some sacrifice, either more or less, must bo made in securing this early produce. Now, though there arc few things committed to tlie ground in the shape of seed, or roots, that present a more robust bulky appearance than a good sound jiotato, yet many eminent horticulturists afiirm that it is not always sufficiently strong and well set to be able to sujiport its offspring against the attacks of that disease of which we have seen so much, and know so little: whether this bo the case or not, it is not necessary liere to inquire; suffice it to say, that the stronger and more vigorous the set, the more likely it is to produce a healthy, good crop, other things being also favoiu'able ; it is, therefore, important that those reijuired for forcing purposes be ])lunip, heavy, sound tubers, and not by any means too small; tlio thoughllul economy whicli reserves those for seed which arc too small li>r table must be susjiended here, and sound, good, useful tubers of a tolerable size employed instead. This is the more necessary in the instance of Ibrcing, because the nourisliuieut and support which the jnirent set allbrds to its ofi'spring is more required when in this artificial condition tlian when the young plant is luxuriating in all the advantages of the sjiring and early summer atmosphere ; this latter dill'ers considerably lioiii any- thing wliich we attempt to imitate it in, conseijueiitly, a more liberal course must be adopted when anything like success is expected. To the enthusiastic amateur, we thererore say, select at once a few good useful tubers of fair average size, which place in heat, — if in the light, so murli the better ; if not, it is not absolutely necessary ; lay them Pecejider 1(i. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 209 some four or five iuclios apart each way, on leafy mould, not too much decayed, and cover them up with the same, '['his covering is required only to prevent that loss the potato is suhjeeted to il' the surrounding atmos])here he dry ; if moist, it is of less moment. Other suhstances might do as well as leaf mould, hut none lift so well, or rather, nothing adheres so firmly to the roots of plants when it hecomes necessary to remove them to another place ; and this is important for this preliminary part of the process. Occasional waterings may he necessary, hut this will depend on the state ol' the medium they are placed in, and other things. While this is going on, preparations must be made for their final transplanting into some con- genial hotbed or other struetme; in a usual way, a bed of leaves, tan, or dung, is appropriated to this cro]) ; and though the early part of the process might as well be performed there as the after part, yet, as it woidd bo difficult to ensure the bed retaining its heat so long as would be wanted for both, f have advised the prepara- tion of the seed tubers to be carried on elsewhere, in order to husband the resources of the principal bed, or ratiier to delay the making of it until the potatoes are advanced as far as they can, witli safety to their removal. We will, therefore, suppose that the potatoes spoken of have sprouted and emitted roots in all directions, through the body of leaf mould in which they are placed ; it is then necessary to prepare the future bed, which, if of fermenting matters, must be tested before the roots are trusted upon it. This is easily done by the means advised so often in the formation of hotbeds ; and if the heat seems all right, and the frame and lights put on, a certain amount of good, light, and rather dry mould should be put on. This may remain a day or two until it gets properly warmed, when the potatoes may be removed from their nursery-bed, with as much of the leafy mould adhering to them as will do. These may be planted in rows, about fifteen inches apart for Ash- leaved, and similar short-topped kinds, and proportion- ably more for the larger-growing kinds; about a foot, or it may be less, between set and set in the rows. There is usually a tendency to crowd plants in a frame. The object of a litter for seed seems not of much con- sequence ; but it is questionable whether this over- crowding be attended with the required benefit or not. The soil in the frame being warm, and the lumps of leafy matter adhering to each tuber, the check cannot he much if due care be taken in the planting, and other things favourable to their growth be attended to. It is almost needless to observe, that a full south exposure must he had for the frame, which must not in any way he shaded by trees or buildings on the sides on which the sun shines ; the reverse sides may be as much sheltered as can be, always bearing in mind that the shelter of over-hanging trees is shelter with a vengeance, even should it be on the north side of the object pro- tected by it; but more of this aaon. J. Bobson. THE VILLAGE FEAST. By the Authoress of '■^My Flowers," dr. The ^Yord of the Lord declares that he is " blessed" who " staudeth not in the way of sinners." Eveiy day we see the truth of this inspired assurance, either in the quiet and Ijrosperous condition of those who keep out of the way of tlie wicked, or in tlie punishments and troubles that come down upon those who set at nought the righteous com- mandments of God. Many a man has kept company with those whose ways were crooked and evil, while his own were decent and respectable; but he has either been obliged to break with them at last, or he has suffered in his own body, or his precious soul, for " walking in the way of sinners," and seen, when it was too late, that the only way of peace and safety is in obeying the commands of the Lord. The young are especially inclined to be careless about the character of then companions. They are quite content to know and be seen with idle, wortldess, young people, if they are not themselves guilty of the follies and vices they walk beside ; but, alas ! evil, bitter, eternal, are the conse- quences of sucli careless indifference to sin and sinners ; and it behoves all, high and low, old and young, to " stand not in the way of sinners," for a worse end than " sitting in the seat of the scornful" may be their portion — an end that admits of no repentance, and no hope of eternal lii'e. Let my younger readers read, ponder, and lay to heart, the trae and terrible story of George Griliiths. He was a young man of very quiet, inoffensive habits, by no means one of the idle, profligate youths that infest the village, and the jiersons who employed him spoke well of him. His mother had not been what a mother ought to be in some respects, but she was fondly attached to liim. She was the wife of a second luisband ; but the son of her youth was good to her, and a comfort in tlie declining years of her life. Slie had been strucl;with paralysis also, and had been for some months confined to her cottage in consequence. There is, in some parishes of England, an annual abomi- nation, called a " Feast." What it takes its rise from I do not know ; but it would be a parochial and social blessing if such seasons of riot and drunkenness were discountenanced, and wholly put down ; for the only effect of them that is \isible is the diinliing, disorder, and confusion of the village, and the interruption of work, and squandering of money that invariably takes place at that time. There is generally dancing, jjenny shows, and such snares laid for the young and giddy; the beer-houses are all as busy as bee-hives; and drinking, finery, and idleness, is the order of the day. Fathers and husbands will spend in one day the week's food of their wretched families, and give up worl; for that day, and often the next to it, to revel and drink away their senses. At the last Feast of the ijarisb in which George Griffiths lived, the awful scene took place which I am going to relate. George had been amusing himself with the rest of the com- munity, but in a far more harmless way than many. The beer-houses were full of intoxication, but he was not a drinking character; and although he was amongst the ungodly throng, his head was cleai-; he bad had beer, but was quite sober, and only excited by his high spirits, and the scenes of vain and shock-ing mirth around him. One of his companions became so totaUy intoxicated, that George undertook to see him safely home, as their way was, for some distance, the same. It was late, but the brother of the young drunkard rose and let them in. Instead of going immediately and steadily home, Griffiths was induced to take a glass of spirits at this house, and, in spite of Ids pre\'ious caution, he swallowed a large draught of gin. Then he quitted the house on his way to his mother's cottage. The next morning, wdien these two young men got up to go to their work, they found the body of a man lying not far from their door, with his head resting upon some brick- work. It was the almost lifeless body of George Griffiths. Stupitled with the gin, he had slipped or stumbled, and his head had come \ioIently down upou a row of bricks or stones, which had caused concussion of the brain, in which helpless state he was found by the very youth whom be had taken home, the evening before, in a state of frightful in- toxication. The poor mother's anguish may be imagined, but can scarcely be described, when her son was brought home to her. He lingered through the day and night, and then his soul " retimied to God who gave it." Thus ended the short life of a quiet young man, who stood " in the way of sinners." It is a solemn warning — more solemn than the death of an open sinner, because all see and confess the guilt of open and undisguised sin, and thank God in their hearts that they are not as open sinners are ; but they do not see the guilt and peril of quiet lives, when there is no work of grace hi the heart. This awful death has set before a wliole parish, and all who bear and read it, the startling truth, that they who " stand in the way of sinners " are in peril of everlasting destruction. No man is quiet hi the sight of God, but he that has sought and found the "Idngdom of God and his righteousness;" for " the work of righteousness " only " shall be peace ; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assm-ance for ever." Quiet hves before men are only hoUowness and 210 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decembee ] 0. deceit ; they deceive oui'selves as well as others ; we say to ourselves "peace, and there is no peace." We are on the road to ruin. Did George Griffiths suspect, when he undertook to lead his reeling companion safely home, that he was himself to die in a state of intoxication within an hour? Had any one whispered such a thing to him, lie would have said, with Hazael, " Is thy servant a dog, that he should do this ?" He would have tui'ned away in anger and unbelief. But he was " standing in the way of sinners ;" he was in the com- pany of vmgodly men ; he had no friend by his side to lead liim safely on. Satan was at his right hand. Tlie bottom- less-pit was open before his feet ! Past finding out ai'e tlie ways of a wise and righteous God ! Tlie open sinner still lives, to fill up the measure of wrath, or to " turn from his wickedness and live ;" while the quiet sinner was cut off and struck down in a moment ; a loud and solemn lesson to all who are leading rjiiiet hves, but have, in their hearts, departed from the Lord. A season of great and glorious rejoicing is at hand. It is a time set ajmrl for sj)iritual thankfulness and praise ; but it is made a time of feasting and vanity, of revelling and drunkenness, of idle and worldly merriment. Let the young be warned to flee from the evil to come ! Let them remember the quiet life and dreadful death of poor George Griffiths. Let them not seelv amusement in places where God is not acknowledged, and among persons who regard Him not. Let them remember, that though Jesus Clirist died for our sins. Lie lived as our example, that we might walk in His steps ; and, that they who lead quiet lives, and say at stated times " Lord, Lord," are not entered into the Idngdom of heaven. Oh, let them beware of tliose false hopes and bitter delusions ! Let them rest in nothing short of conversion of the heart to God, and acceptance of the righteousness of Clnist, as our only justification. Let them flee from the company and ways of sinners, as they would from pestilence and roaring lions, and let them A-ec;: the commandments of God. Had George Griffiths lived a holy as well as a quiet life, had he known Jesus Christ and Him crucified, he woulil not have dared or wisbed to company witli those who defied God's law. Then it would liave been well with him. But he stood in the way of sinners, and rushed with a brain on fire into the presence of his Slalcer ! Let the young man lay this lesson to his heart; let him serve and worship God, and take warning by the death of poor George Griffiths ! There is no repentance in the grave. VISITS TO SOME 01' THE CHIEF POULTRY YARDS OF ENGLAND.— No. 4. (Penzance.) {Continued from page 130.) We did injustice to Mr. Blee's poultry, at page 120, in not explaining that the weights there referred to were taken on the 22nd of September. The cockerel No. 1, in the table we publislied, weiglied, at the beginning of November, lllbs. Uoz. At Eosevale, in the immediate vicinity of the town, Mr. Bowman, who, with some few others, laid the foundation stone of the "Cornwall Poultry Society," by exhibiting, iu the field of the Penzance Agricultural Show, in Isjl, certain pens of poultry, which, even then, attracted great attention, has brought together a most valuable collection. But before we enumerate tlie many beautiful specimens of which he is the owner, it would neither do iiini justice to pass over the admirable design and arrangement of his fowl-houses ; nor would it be fair to tliose who may be an.xious to avail them- selves of the i^ractical knowledge which he is at all times ready to communicate. Built of brick, slated, witli floors of the same material, they defy the incursions of rats and mice, formidable foes when once they effect a lodgement in such places, Each division has a separate yard, witli curiously devised little latticed passages, by which, in some cases, the sleeping-rooms are reached when a direct communication is not attainable. The roosting-places for Cochin-Cbiuas should always be low, say 20 inches ; but many of these birds prefer a board to a perch. But let us now go carefully through his list. Two Punchard hens, which, with the cock, won a prize at i Birmingham, in 18.j0, first meet our view ; the scales being I at hand, the weight of one proved nearly 81bs., heavy for the tune of year (September), when the laying season ends, and the moulting draws so lieavily on the constitution. Exceeded as this race now often is in point botli of colour and size, they will always be valuable for crossing with other Cochin-Chinas, where substance and short legs are desired. In an adjoining court are the elder white Cochin-Chinas, bred from the stock of the Dean of Worcester; the cock now weighs OJlbs., and his symmetry and breadth of limb are so striking as induced us to ask Mr. Bowman for his measurements. Below will be found the weight of a son of his, of glossy plumage, and, we think, most perfect form. He is here measured and weighed side by side with his parent. Cockerel Hatched Cock or 1851. Feb. 12th, 1852. inch. inch. Length of bill f f Length of neck 7 8 Length from neck to i-uuip. . .. 14i 12 Length of thigh 8 O.J Length of shank 4 4j Gu'th over wing, before legs . . 24 S.'IJ Girth over wing, behind legs . . 24 2U Girth of neck, lowest part .... 12 l:i Girth of neck, by head 7 7 Girth, the back part of thigh . . 7 J 7 Girth of shank 2i 2i Breadth across wings !) 7't lbs. lbs. Weight OJ 8} Such weights speak for themselves. Mr. Bowman inforais us that he has already disposed of a considerable number of the white chickens of this year, and as several of the pullets were in proportion equal to then- brother, no wonder the demand sliould be great. Two that were weighed before us, though much younger than the cock, weighed respectively 5 Jibs, and fijlbs. An extensive range of ground under some young trees, and smTounded by net, affords a capital run for his pullets. A few evenings since 5Ir. Bowman was somewhat later than usual in shutting them up for the night, and the passage leading from this enclosure to their home being narrow, they had crowded one on another at its extremity, where the door was shut against them, till they were tier upon tier — three of the lowest were insensible, and one dead ; whether any fright, or mere desire of retiring to then- nights repose caused the "black hole" catasti'ophe does not, however, appeal'. Mr. Bowman possesses a remark- ably fine, light-coloured cock of last year, which formed one of the pen. No. 212, at Birmingham, in 1851, purchased by himself and Mr. Blee, and which carried oft' the 2nd prize for chickens. His carriage is exceedingly upright, the back hackles like golden spangles, drooping richly over the wing, also the ai'ched neck, in our opinion, distinguishes this breed in a remarkable degree. We also saw some golden Polands — birds, if we mistake not, from the stock of Mr. A'ivian, of Swansea, a Birmingham \rinner. The full globular tuft of the pullets, while that of the cockerel falls backwards on the neck, like the crest of an old helmet, with the clear- ground colour of their bodies will, we think, ensure then' registration as, A.I. Nor must we forget among all these treasures some coal black Cochin-China chickens, hardly old enough as yet to display the rich tints assumed by these birds in a mature state, but indicating even at this early age so many good points in figure and proportion, that we doubt not, but that in due time they will realize most fully all tliat is now hoped of them. This coloiu', we should remind our readers, is infinitely more rare tlian either white, buff' or partridge. Some of the birds showed a little gold on the hackle but several were coal black. Many of our readers will bo surprised, we imagine, when they are informed of the extent to which the amateur in poultry often extends bis transactions. Jlr. linwrnan, who for four years has devoted so iiiucli time to this his favourite pursuit, has most kindly permitted us to mention the foUnwing facts, which illustrate very fully the observation just made. Deoembeb 16. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 211 Dm-ing the present year the amount stands thus : — Number of eggs sold 374 Ditto hatched at home 049 Chickens sold to this time 138 Present stock 117 The eggs were sold at prices varying from 21s. to 80s. per dozen. The chickens at from 21s. to 42s. each, excepting some few objectionable birds which realized from 10s. to 15s. each. But let it not be supposed that such returns are attainable by every one, who, seeing the prices here realized, rushes into poultry-keeping mthout that practical knowledge of its vaiious details which has occupied Mr. Bowman's attention for so long a period. If, however, in defiance of our warnings, he is rash enough to do so, the chances of failure and disappointment are indeed great. Many are of opinion that eggs are greatly injured for sitting by having to travel any considerable distance, and doubtless it would be better to set them without incurring the least risk from being shaken ; but the result of the chickens produced from 374 eggs sent away this year by Mr. Bowman, has been highly satisfactory to those who obtained them from him. One curious instance, bearing on this point, was mentioned by him. " Six eggs, of buii Cochin-Chinas, were sent by omnibus to Hayle, thence by steamer to Bristol, on by rail to Oxford, and there forwarded about 2.5 miles by coach ; after so long and so v-aried a journey as this, six chickens were, nevertheless, produced from the six eggs." No less than 14 English counties, as well as various places in Scotland and Wales, have received eggs and chickens from Mr. Bowman during the present season. AVhile speaking of eggs, he remarked, that much had been said about their not hatching well this year, hut that, in his own case, he considered himself to have been very fortunate with his very early broods — eight nests, of 11 eggs each, having produced 80 chickens, all of which, but two, which were crushed by the hen when a day or two old, lived and did well ; but, he added, " 1 did not do so well later in the season." Besides what has gone into other parts of England from Mr. Bowman's stock, Mr. Blee has also sent away as far north as Halifax, and beyond London in an eastward cUreotion, more than f 30 worth of Cochin-Ghina eggs, beside many young birds averaging from 21s. to 30s. each. His correspondents having given him in most instances an account of the chickens hatched from their eggs — he places the average at 8 eggs out of 1 ! . — AV. {To be continued.) POTATO GROWING. Peejiit us to offer, for the j>Mic good, the extract from our Treatise on Potato Culture, liereafter described, which we trust needs but the thirteenth word, early, to be strength- ened by an additional syllable, est, to make it complete. On the former, much stress should be laid, and a still greater emphasis on the latter, on which all success depends, whether they are cultivated, or planted by our method therein explained, or not. By a strict adherence to this part of our treatise, and especially the identical word above alluded to, no one need fear diseased Potatoes, and we vouch for good results, believing that Potato disease, by the Divine interposition of Almighty God, will yet prove a blessing rather than a curse, inasmuch as the main crops of wheat or barley in double rows, at wide distances, five feet apart, may be combined with Potatoes with perfect success, and after-crops of many descriptions may also be introduced amongst them with equal profit, such as mangold wurtzel, turnips, and most other garden productions, or, where neces- sary, whole clean fallows may be made ; whereas, formerly it was often with difficulty that land, after potatoes, could be got ready, except in a bad condition, and late in the season, for sowing wheat upon. We cultivate several varieties of the enrliEST dwarf se- lected kinds, and have none diseased, simply for two reasons, namely, jilanting early, and planting the carliEST varieties, which ripen their tubers about the time of the summer equinox, or at the end of June, before which time but few fears need be entertained of disease in the Potato, as it has not hitherto manifested itself before this time, except in a small degree. We have no objection to other kinds of manure being applied besides what is recommended in our pamphlet, nor do wo see any reason why eaely Potatoes should not be highly manured, in order to forward their growth before and after they appear above ground, and when devoid of moisture, so often experienced in the month of June, as well as in providing for after-crops. The evil of using manure is confined to late planting, wliich practice (without aiTogance to ourselves) it is found necessary, under present circum- stances, to denounce altogether, for, whatever the lands may be, all are thus attended with bad results. Some part of our treatise, not hereafter inserted, not being adapted to the present seasons, as we find from experience, requires revising, and is under oiu' immediate attention and correction. The use of small Potatoes for planting is only recom- mendable in cases of emergency like the present time, and for those who cannot afford to buy larger ones, and the guidance of tlie public yooil, we freely subjoin the following communication : — -To plant one acre of land with large earliEsn Potatoes, 4 ozs. each, at one yard apart, requii-es 21i bushels of per 50 lbs. ; present value about £S). To plant it with sets half the size, at the same distance, of course requires 10} bushels ; value about ^63. And to plant it with sets 1 oz. each, of the common size, now in use, at half the distance, viz., half-a-yard apart (ample space), takes about 10 bushels per acre, equal to a quarter-of-a-peck per rod ; present value, say .£1 10s., of early selected varieties. Experience has taught us, repeatedly, that large sets pro- duce the most lucrative crops ; but it is to be regretted that so few persons can now avail themselves of this oppor- tunity.— Abkahah Hardy and Son, Seedyrowers and Sceds- men^ Maldon, J^ssex. An Extract from " Culture of the Potato." " The first point of importance is the selecting or procur- ing the best early dwarf kinds, and such as have escaped disease ; and, secondly, the time and manner of planting, so as to improve their early habits. " Any time from September to the end of April may be chosen for planting any kind of Potatoes, provided the weather is mild and dry, the latter being most essential. The land, too, should be in a dry and pulverized state previous to planting, which object should be efiected and persisted in, by forking it over and over, as may appear necessary, in dry weather. " If it is desired to plant previous to March (which we highly recommend), the land being brought into proper tilth, as above prescribed, should he marked into drills fom- or five inches deep, and twenty-seven inches apart, and the sets or whole potatoes of a middling size, say as large as walnuts, should be planted nine inches distant, with about a teacupful of coal-ashes and soot heaped over each set, to prevent the attacks of intruding insects and frost. Then, with a hoe, cover them with the light dry mould, forming a slight ridge ; and lastly, let the whole be completed with the spade or plough, raising the said ridge as high as possible, so that the drill forms exactly the centre. The sets thus secured from wet, frost, and insects, no further care is necessary till the end of March, when the whole may be forked down level, and treated in the ordiuaiy way." GROWTH OF SHANGHAE FOWLS. As you have considered the facts contained in my last worthy of insertion in your journal, I beg to continue to report progress. The increase in weight during the fourteen days has been from 94 oz. to 22 oz. each bird; a greater average than on the previous occasion; but it will be per- ceived, by the annexed table, tliat some of the pullets have increased far more than others. None had laid before last week; three tlien commenced, and laid twelve eggs; which were the three, I am not sure, but think them to have been Nos. 2, 4, and 5. I should add, that three of them were, during six days out of the fourteen, either travelling or shut up and in a pen at the Hitchin poultry show ; and I have no doubt they lost v.'eiglit during those six days, otlierwise the total average would have been greater. We will suppose 212 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 10. these pullets to have cost in food :!tl. encli iior iveel;, the total would he for tlie fortnight. Is. The total increase in weight is 7.1 Uis., which at say od. per Ih., is :is. l.Ul. ; and 12 eggs, at l.Vl. eaeli, Is. (id.; makes a total of is. 7}d. I do not consider tlie cost of the food should be set down at more than id. fer n-eek, hut supposing it to he ^td., does not the abj\'e aecoimt spealc in favoiu' of the Cochiu-China hreed ? I think the result of the present controversy will show that Gacliin-Cliina ('//ic/cwfs cost to rear more than other breeds, just in proportion to their superior value on account oi' weight ; and tliat Cochin-Cliina fowls cost less to keep in the proportion of tlie lesser weight of their eggs. We liave, tlien, in favour of the Cochin-China breed, the size for table rise, the beauty and docility of the birds, the richness of the eggs (and if l;ept on a large scale, the superior value of the feather). In time, I think, a general ]:referenc6 will be shown for the llavoirr of the Hesh of the Cochin-China, and then tlie slight objection to the colour will vanish. In breeding, it will be desirable to keep the legs as short as possilile ; and on this score, in a short time, we shall no doubt lie perfect. In my above calculations, I have, of course, not considered the present liigh prices of good Ijirds, on account of their scarcity; hrst rate birds will, no doubt, be always of much value. But our aim should be to show that, for general pur- poses, the Cochin-China hreed decidedly deserves to be the favourite ; to show tliat the cost of their keep is certainly not proportionately greater than that of other breeds ; and that in every other respect they excel aU other kinds of domestic poultry I beg to annex the list r eferred to at th commencement. Pullets ^^'eight Nov. 13. Weigllt Nov. 27. Increase Hjltclicrl. lt)S. ozs Ills, ozs I. May 15 6 13 7 63 93 2. May 2,5 5 131 Ij 13i 16 :{. Way 25 5 10 0 12.1 1S.+ 4. .lune 13 5 51 6 11 ■i\i r>, .Tune 13 5 2S 0 8J 22 6. .tune 13 5 U 5 H 12.i 7. .Iuly27 4 ! 4 ll.i 10.+ 8. Aug. 2(1 3 2t 3 !2 9h — Wm. .Tno. Beeey, Chiihlon, nciir Coiihdcii, Sifrrcif, LONDON FLOWER MARKETS. How are we to account for the very remarkable fact, that whilst Paris h&n fn-n markets, exclusively devoted to the sale of Howers, London has not one ! It is true that dowers are sold at Covent Garden, bnt then they are of secondary con- sideration, and are so mixed up with fruit and vegetables, that a proper display of them, or sititahle accommodation for purchasers, is out of the question. Those who cultivate Howers for sale may justly complain of the want of a proper site for the exhibition of their productions ; and the citizens of London may fairly urge their need of a better supi^Iy. The love of Howers may be said to be universal ; it is an inherent part of our nature, and it is not too much to expect that if a suitable market was established, and placed on a right footing, the sale of flowers would be increased ten-fold. When in London, a short time since, I noticed upon the parlour table of the boarding-house at which I was staying, a vase of flowers, looking very withered and pitiful. On my remarking their appearance to the landlady, " All," said she, "we cannot get flowers in London as you do in the country ; that nosegay cost me one shilling, and then I had to pay sixpence more by omnibus for going and returning from Covent-Gai'den to buy it, but it shall be replaced with another to-morrow. I love flowers, and would have a nose- gay every other day if I could afford it; as it is, 1 am obliged to be content with one in a week." Now this good lady represents a numerous class who experience the same want; and there is still a larger, mth whom this difficulty of obtaining flowers amounts to a prohibition of their enjoy- ment ; even the opulent would like a better supply. Tlien we shall soon have the Crystal I'alace, with its extensive flower-gardens, which cannot fail to give an additional stimulus to the love of flowers, and an increased desire to possess them. Why should not London, then, have a good flower-market, seeing that there is a demanil on the one hand, and an ability to supply it on the other;' — S. V., Bushmcre. DORKINGS versus STLVNGHAES. 1 a:ii certain no man can give fowls a fairer trial than I have done for the last ten months with the Dorlungs, I having reared nearly one hundred of each sort, and have no other motive in view than to (ind out which is the best sort to keep. Now the resitlt of my trial is quite different to the account of " Shanghae Mandarin," as I am able to point out. l\Iy Dorkings were an old breed I have had for years ; my CocLin-Chinas were from the very best breeds, which I purchased for a very long price, wishuig lo begin with the best. My first hatch was on the I'Jth of Marcli, having seven Cochin-China eggs and six Horking eggs under one hen; the produce was five Cochins and four Dorkings, which were all reared under the same hen. At ten weeks tlie Dorkings were veiy nice fowls for the market, hut the Cochins had not a feather on them. At fourteen weeks I killed a cockerel of each sort, and weighed them very carefully, the Cochin-China was four ounces the heaviest, but I am certain one Cochin eats iiuite as much as two Dorldngs ; then they were both cooked together, and served up on one dish ; the Dorking was a fine plump fowl as could be, but the Cochin was ugly, and looked as if the cook had given him a coat of yellow paint before she sent him in — the Dorking was of rich white flesh, and the Cocliin very little but bone, and although the Cochin was four ounces more weight, tlie Dorldng was worth two of him as a table fowl. The only point where the Cochin- China can have any preference is their laying ; they certainly are better layers, but in no other point can they equal the Dorking ; and I am convinced, from my trial of the Cochin- Chinas. that they are not the fowls for a cottager, who must have something that will come sooner to profit than the Cochin-Chinas, if he has no other way to dispose of them but in the mai'ket. I am certain he can rear Dorkings for very little more than half the cost he can Cochin-Chinas, and he can take his Dorkings to market at three months old, when he must keep his Cochins five months, unless he takes them without feathers on, when they would look more like young owls than jioultry going to a market, for they do certamly look cui'ious things hi that downy state in which they remain so long; and any cottager commencing with Cochin-Chinas will very soon find out his mistake, for they are not like other fowls, straying off and finding food for them- selves, but standing moping together all day, entirely depend- ing upon what you give them, and that never comes too often, nor in too large a quantify. Now I am not writing what my man has told me, nor what my poultry-woman has told me, but from practice, as no other person has given my fowls one handful of food but myself, and after ten months fair and impartial trial, I have perfectly satisfied myself that the Dorking beats the Cochin-Chinas ten to one. I would ask " Shanghae Mandarin" what ^^'ill become of his Cochin-Chinas two years hence, when there is no other way to dispose of them but in the mai'ket. AMiat sort of a figure will they cut in a mai'ket beside a lot of nice Dorkings at three months old each ? they will be laughed at, whilst tlie Dorkings will find a quick sale, and then will be the time when the cottager will find out which is the best to keep. I am certain my Dorkings are in better condition with what they can find in a farm-yard and a grass-field to stray in, than the Cochin-Chinas ai'e with as good a walk and a very great deal of ai'tificial feed- ing, and will surpass them in weight; to he certain of which I have just weighed them before 1 write, making choice of the best of each, and of these I give you the list: — Dorking cockerel, hatched April 1st, Hlbs. iSozs.; pullet, sister toliini, lilbs. I'Jozs. ; hen, eighteen months old, Xlbs. ; Cochin- China cockerel, liatched March ■J.'ifh, 81bs. ; pullet, sister to hint, 71bs. ; hen, twenty months old, 71bs. liozs. Tlie Dorkings tu'e of my own breed, and the Cochins from a Sturgeon's hen. What will " Shanghae M.andarin" say to fills'? 1 have no doubt but some of the Cochin-China breeders will say that they can beat this in weight, and so they may; but not without a very great deal of artificial feeding, rerhaps.too, they may say it is a great weight for the Dorking, and so it is ; but they must be of a pure breed, not like some that a well-known exhibitor brought out last year at Bu'iningham, crossed with the grey game fowl lo get the rich colour. He got the colour, but lost the size, which did Decembek 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 218 not escape the judges' eyes, and satisfied them that they were mongrels. I tliinii I have said enough to show that the Cochin-Chinas cannot have much preference over the Dorkings, whatever they may have over other fowls ; hut I hope some of my black Spanish friends mil lot us hoar something of their merits, and not let the Cochin-Chinas carry tlie laurels which they really do not deserve ; and I am certain the time is not far hence when the good old Dorking will again assume the same place as she has done for so many years, viz., second to no fowl as yet known. — FAmn.-w. [Our correspondent certainly had not pure sliortdegged Shanghao's, and he forgets all their good qualities so fre- quently pointed out in our columns. — i''.D. C. C] HONEY HARVEST IN SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE. I TAicE much interest in reading the remarlcs in The Cottage Gardener Ijy Bee-keepers, and if you think well, I will add my share to the information that has already appeai'cd in your columns, on the past season. The year has been a very peculiar one with us, in the south of Lincolnshire, and the adjoining county of Rutland ; and from tliirty apiaries with which I am acquainted, there has been, Avith one or two exceptions, hut little produce. In some of the villages in Rutland the swarming began early. I heard of several swarms on the 0th of May. In one village, which is well wooded, and where the clover was very good, the harvest was considered an average one. The cottager who commenced the year with eight stocks, had nineteen swarms and casts, and obtained 1801bs. of clear honey, after leaving the same number of hives that he began with, well provided for the winter. I have, however, lieard of no success equal to this. My first swarm was on the 5th of June, and this I was obliged to feeil considerably. It had 181hs. .'ioz. of contents on the 1st of October. Tlie others did not issue till a fortnight after this ; and one, a large one, was hived on the (ith of July, which collected quite as much as that which came off a month earlier. In many instances, I have understood, that the late swarms did better than the early ones ; and this, no doubt, was owing to the unfavourable weather in .June, at the end of wliicli month many hives were lighter than at the beginning. My hives gained in weight about the middle of May ; for I find that the hive that swarmed iirst collected lib. -loz. on the 17th of that month. There was no real working weather after tliis till the oviX of .luly, when they began to gain immensely. A hive, belonging to a friend of mine, collected (Jibs. !Joz. on that day. I put one swarm in the place of the parent stock, accord- ing to the " Country Curate's " directions. This weighed nibs. 7oz. in the evening. I was, however, surprised to find, that scarcely a bee left the parent-hive until the third day after removal ; and I should be glad if he would inform me, and one or two others, who take in The Cottage Oar- denet., and have tried the experiment with a similar result, if this is always the case ; as, if so, the swarm is not likely to he much strengthened when it issues late in the day. In one of my hives which did not swarm, I found, at the enil of the season, two queens, and a large quantity of brood. I knew the queen to be three years old ; and this, therefore, is a proof that they renew their queens when necessary; in which case the natural animosity that e.-cists is suppressed. I saw a more striking instance of this in an observatory hive, where two queens lived amicably together for three or four months, both being fruitful during part of the time ; and the old queen expired early in the year. I should be glad to know if the " Country Curate " has an observatory hive ; and, if so, how he contrives to keep it during the winter. I have one in my sitting-room (where 1 have a fire daily), which is now in a very healthy condition, and well-populated. I helped to swell the popu- lation by placing a quantity of brood on the top of the hive in September, which the bees gladly nursed, and as they removed honey which I gave them into the box and added fresh comb, I have allowed it to remain, and it will, no no doubt, greatly add to their comfort and prosperity, — Oeseever. DISEASES OF POULTRY. INFI.AJIMATION OF THE EGG PASSAGE. [Although the following case terminated fatally, yet, if the judicious treatment had been adopted earlier, the result, probably, would have been different. At all events, even failures act as wai-nings.] Hawng at the present time a favourite Cochin hen affected with inllammation of the egg passage (at least as far as I can judge from the symptoms), and being desirous of restoring her, I shall he pleased to know if any better mode of treatment could be recommended than the following. In the first place I will state, perceiving the hen unusually dull on Saturday morning, led me to examine her with a view of ascertaining the cause, when I found the egg bag much distended ; so juuch so, that I was led to suppose at first she could not pass the egg. I at once put her into a warm hath, immersing lier for about ten minutes up to the mider part of tlie wings ; after which I made another exami- I nation, and findhig that instead of the liag containing the egg as I at first supposed, it had become distended and very hard. I then gave her a dose of castor oil, which cleared the bowels freely. At night I administered one grain of calomel, and one-eighth grain of tartar emetic, made into a pill with linseed powder, which, with the warm bath, has been repeated every niglit. This evening I find the part much softer, and the hen appears rather more cheerful. I intend repeating the pill and w.arm bath. In your next, I will report again as to my success, or otherwise ; in the mean time, I shall he pleased to have some person's opinion who has had more experience in such matters ; should the treat- ment mentioned prove serviceable to others, I shall not regret having communicated it. — A Subscriber. [I do not think that any raucli better mode of treatment could be adopted than that above indicated ; it would, how- ever, have been more in accordance with ordinai-y treatment, if the dose of castor oil liad been given after, instead of before the calomel and antimony, as in that case the increased secretions caused by these medicines would have been carried off by the aiierient. I should think the warm hath advantageous if given without exciting I he hen, and care afterwards taken to keep her very warm, — W. T. Tegetineib.] As the Cochin hen died this afternoon, I considered it would be as well to furnish you with a few more particulars for the guidance of your friend. On Thursday I omitted the bath, and as the bowels were irritated, and secretions less healthy, gave calomel one grain, antim. tart, one- twelfth grain, confection of opium sufficient to foi-m a pill. Yesterday the bowels were less irritated ; gave hydr. cum creta three grains, rhubarb three grains, compound powder of cinnamon two grains, formed into a pill with crumbs of bread. This morning perceived that the hen was sinking, and a few more hours would close the scene. A few hours after the hen died. I made a careful examination of her ; found the oviduct ]nuch inflamed and thickened, and of cartilaginous appearance ; the whole of the viscera with that exception was quite healthy. I will add, there was plenty of gravel and a manure heap in the yard, to which the fowl have free access. — A Subsceider. [I do not think that anything could have been better than the treatment adopted throughout this case ; and had the disease been one of acute recent inflammation, there would have been every probability of a successful termination. The cartilaginous thickening of the oviduct appears to have arisen from long-continued chronic inflammation, which, in an advanced state, I shoidd regard as incurable. It A\ould be interesting to know how long the hen had ceased to lay, as that might afford some clue to the period at which the disease commenced, and also whether she was a great layer. ■ ' As a hen had been lost previously from the same cause, one might almost imagine that there must he peculiar reason for the disease. May it have been over-stimulating food ? or the over production of eggs? or want of rest for the oviduct, from the hen's not being allowed to sit? — W. P. T.] 2U THE COTTAGE GAHDENER. Decemdek 1G. PROFIT FROM WILD FLOWERS. A PF.iEND of mine, Avhilst staying for the benefit of his health in the Isle of ^Vi,!;l"it, met with a poor ami thriftless family, consisting of a man, his wife, and three childreii. Judging that the best way of helping tlieni was to teacli thi'in to help themselves, he selected one of the little girls, and instructed her by means of two or three lessons in a superior mode of preparijig and exhibiting sea-weeds. Tlie project took; sales oi' them were easily made, and tliis new employment soon raised the family from a state of indigence to one of comparative comfort. Now, what can be etfeeted with sea-weeds may be accomplished with wild tlowers. There are many i^oor families who, if they could be put into a method of selecting and arranging bouquets tastefully, might find a ready sale for them. Wlietlier as botanical specimens, or for sinijile nosegays, wild flowers are not turned to tlie account they might be ; tliey merit greater notice, and a more e.^-tended aiipropriation. — S. P., linsluiicrc TO CORRESPOWDEfJTS. *#* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of Thb Cottage Gaedener. It gives them unju.stifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Editor nj ihe Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.** To PaEVENT A Hen Sitting.— /■ ^^ says — " In reply to *K.' No. 217, the plan I have adopted latelj', has been to confine the fowls wanting to sit under a riji for six or seven days, and feeding theii\ .sn/i'/i/ with the commonest boiled rice (l.^d. per pound I -rrivc), with plenty uf clean water. Tliis I have invariably found to purge the fowls, and prevent wanting to sit. I named this plan, several months ago, to J. H. Payne, Esq. ; perhaps be would tell you how it has answered with his fowls, if he has tried it." Ice (J. Tr.).— Thank you; the promise was overlooked altogether. "All the details of tlie same (ice), up to placing iced things on the table," was volunteered ; and when people make hasty promises, tboy must cither fulfil them, or repent at their leisure. If you get up a strong opposition to tlie introduction of foreign ice, by collecting all our home stock into stacks or icebergs, and thatch them well, we shall tell how the "things" are to be iced and sent to tabic when the weather turns warmer. The ice keeps well in the Lowestoft and Yarmoutha depots ; but no plan is so economical as the icestacks, alias icebergs. North GRF.EMioi^E (.J Dahljler). — The recess between the buildings will do capitally to keep tlowcr-trarden plants in during the winter, if you can enclose it with glass, and provide against damp and frost. The north-east aspect is as good as any other for plants at rest, if they have RUlficient light, dry atmosphere, and exemption from frost. DIanyof the showy summer plants would do very well in such a place, all the time tliey would be in bloom ; but it could not be made a house for gruwin^ plants in. A work is preparing relative to "the points" of which you enquire. Flower Baskets {M. Ferni. Ji. I'reviously to that period, the garden-men had been told of the place they wei-e to occupy at work during tlie afternoon; so posted, they coidd see the principal parts, and so as j to answer any inquiry that might be put. At tlio named j time, the doors were opened, and people were free to ' come and free to go: some staying an hour; others several; and others, again, tlie whole time ; there being no jiorter to admit, and no toll-gate man to let them out. Has it answered ? Last summer, on one of these days, I stood by the side of a great gardener from a large establishment. "lam glad I have come to-day; what a company you have got — the majority are working classes, aint they ? How happy they seem! how clean and nicely dressed they are I They seem to go where they please ; have you no attendants? " "No." "Don't yon find great mischief done ?" " None at all." " Well, even with attendants, we found ornaments missing from temples aud grottoes, &c. ; bow is it? You don't seem to have even such a thing as an admonitory ticket." " Can't say ; only there is something in treating people so as to show you trusted in their honesty and honour." Has it given universal satisfaction? No! it would be a wonder if it did. Many, who used to come often when they coidd have the place to themselves, now seldom appear. They are the betterer ranks of people — the would- he-aristocracy of the middle classes^ — the very first to notice, if not to rail at, every other exchisiveness except their own. Some have told me it was apity the privilege was made so common. Otliers have sent nice little notes, hoping that they, their friends, or families, might come at some other hours and times dili'erent from that set apart for the use of the public. Ah ! many will talk nicely, and even do a little towards improving tho public, provided tliey are not brought into close personal contact with it. II', however, the test of numbers when the novelty was gone, and J'aces that s])oke of pleasure, be any sure guide, then I uu\y safely say the satisfaction was genend : and surely the diffusion of rational happiness, even for a few hours, with the after-thoughts aud resolves linked and blended with it, is a something worth aiming aud trying for. Keeping in view tho ideas with wliich I commenced, I should like to have something practical, however simple, for a conclusion. Ideas broached ou cottage December 33. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 223 and window-gardening liave brouglit me statements from various parts of tlie country. The other day, I had a most interesting letter from tlie north of Scotland, a few extracts of which i will now give, as bearing upon the " beaiUifiil," leaving others to another time. " J. — , came quite out in window-gardening. Fine plants of scarlet Geraniums, Kentish Hero Calceo- larias, and Fuclisias, graced the window-cell, with Nas- turtiums, and Canary plants trained up the side, a little amongst the ivy. People stood and hiohed as the;/ passed ; it seemed quite a new dodge to the natives. Altogether, it gave the house a very gay and cheerful appearance. Some Hyacinth-glasses, tilled with beau- tiful grasses, which stand on the chimney-piece, looli very nice at this season of the year. Could you not launch into The Cottaoh Gardener an article on Grasses, if so be dead flowers were not foreign to your proscribed bounds. I am sure a very interesting gra- minaceous group might be formed for a few pence. The pots or receptacles, ornamental, if come-at-able, could bo lilled with moss, with some of the best on tho top, and the grasses stuck into it ; tufted-growing sorts could be put in so as to appear as tufts ; and tlie looser growing ones could be ranged according to their habits. A few branches of Everlastings might bo put in amongst them, by way of variety and embellishment. To cottagers of liuiited means, a group of this sort, even on the window-sill, might be a great soiu'ce of enjoyment, at once cheap, pleasing, and interesting." I can contirm the above statement. Knotted grass, Feathery grass, and Shaking grass, &c., have been coming into vogue in this neighbourhood for two years, and that solely owing to the example of a young lady, a trades- man's wife, who ranged the hedge-sides for them about the time they were in bloom. She lived in a pretty cottage by the highway-side. In ordinary cases, it would have presented nothing «a;i)v«or(ZtHar(/ ; imder her tending care it became a miniature Paradise for neat- ness and beauty. At a pinch, she has freqviently been known to clip and clean her grass-plot in a morning ; but her next to ubiquitous movements were not con- fined to garden and house. The love of the beautiful was no dreamy inoperative principle with her. It acted itself out in kindness and sympathy. Hear of an accident, a heavy misfortune, a severe case of affliction, and you hear of that woman having been there, to cheer, to console, to help by word and deed. She has removed to another part of the country, amid the regrets and the warm sympathies of a neighbourhood. But the influence of her little garden and her large heart have not gone. Every bunch of feathery grass keeps her in remembrance. A few bunches of Everlasting Flowers between the bunches of grass are a great improvement in such groups. The other day I saw a bunch of the flowers of Aphelexis so used. The whole of that genus, and also Phainocoma, Hdlclinjsunt, (! nuphalium, and Xeranthemum, may be so employed. Onajihalium arcnariam, grareolens, and candidissimum, are low-grow- ing, hardy, herbaceous plants that any cottager may grow by the side of a pathway. They are now gene- rally grouped under Helichri/sum. The tirst-named has beautiful yellow flowers, which will retain their beauty for years, though I cannot say where it is to be had, as this bedding-system is making sad havoc with fine old plants. Then, there are the X eranthemums, free-growing annuals, which require to bo sown in April, in common soil, and though they grow generally three feet in height, yet the flowers, when well dried, will keep their colour lor years. Such low-growing, hardy annual Onaplia- limns, as obtusifolitim, sangidneum, and undalatum, may be so used, and all present a very pretty effect. 11. Fish. THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. A ooEREsi'ONiiENT (Cuto) has written requesting in- formation respecting the cultivation of this very fine autumnal flower, so as to produce such blooms as Jlr. Taylor exhibited at the Stoke Newiugton Show on the 2-")rdof last month, and also a list of the best varieties, to enable liim to select a collection from. I did write u short paper or two on the culture of the Chrysanthemum some two years back, and the lieads of those papers are in the Dictionary also. Since tliose jjapers were written there has been a great improvement both in culture and in the varieties, so that f tiiink a few additional in- structions, and a list of the best varieties, will be accept- able not only to " Cato, " but also to oiu' readers generally, esiiecially such as do not possess the entire CoTT.\GE G.vRDFNER, or Thc Ciiltiige Gardeners' Bic- tionarij, though 1 may venture to say the latter work ought to be in thc hands of every cultivator of plants, fruits, or vegetables, in Great Britain. There is one recommendation to the Ghri/santhcnium that no other florists' flower possesses, and that is, it is so easily kept through tho winter. All tlie rest, if I except the Hose, and perhaps tlie Fuchsia, have a dilH- culty about them which renders their preservation un- scathed through that dreary season a matter of care and uncertainty ; but the Chrysanthenwm may be pre- served with the least care imaginable, either in a pit or cold frame, or even out-of-doors, if the pots are plunged over head in coal-ashes, placed on the south side of a wall, or low evergreen hedge. The only protection they require is a light covering, in very severe frost, of dried { bracken or common fern. In addition to this extreme hardihood, this plant is 1 as easy to propagate as a willow, every cutting will ' grow, and it can be propagated also by layers and seeds. J will briefly describe these three modes. Bij Cuttings. — The best are the young tops, taken off' when four or five inches high ; reduce them to three inches in length, cut oft' the extreme top, and about an inch of the bottom ; trim off thelower leaves, and put the ' cuttings round tho edge of a five-inch pot, tilled with light rich earth, and a thin layer of pure sand on the surface; then give a gentle watering, and place them on a heated surface of sand, or plunge them in a gentle tan-bod, placing a large hand-glass over them, 'i'his should be I doue as soon as the shoots can he got, in order to have I them in a forward state early in tlie year. They will, with moderate care as to shading and watering, soon I make roots, and should be immetiiately potted oti' into small pots ; let the tops be cut off again, and subject I them to this treatment every time they are potted, in order to cause side-shoots to break out, and thus ibrm low, bushy plants early in the season. 'L'his is a desirable point to accomplish as soon as possible ; lor if they once get legs, long as a greyhound, their beauty is spoiled for that season : no cutting down afterwarils will eti'ect a reformation in their appearance. By Layers. — The branches, when simply brought down to the soil, emit roots plentifully. 'This facility of rooting is taken advantage of to obtain low busby plants. 'To efi'ect this, plant out in an open situation a lot of old plants. If the plants are laid sideways when planted, the shoots can be pegged down into small pots more easily. These make low, bushy plants, well furnished with flower-buds, with very little ti'ouble. Cut the layers ofl' as soon as the pots are filled with roots, repot them into si.x-inch pots, and shade for a few days until they are fairly established, then ti'eat them as you would the plants raised from cuttings. By Seed.- — 'This is not very plentifully produced in our dark, foggy climate, but it is produced in green- houses sparingly. Save and dry, and keep it dry till February or March. 'Then sow it in shallow pots, in ■zu THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 23. light, rich soil ; sow shallow, and oovev sliglitly with very fine sifted soil, giving very gentle waterings when the soil is dry. The young seedlings are very succnleiit, and soon damp off if too freely watered, or in too damp heat. The best place for them is on a shelf close to the glass of a good greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings, as soon as tliey can be taken hold of, into the same sort of shallow pot, and when they have made a still further growtli, pot them singly into three-inch pots, and after- wards treat them as you v/ould cuttings. Some may flower the hrst year, but they will all certainly bloom the second. Tliis is the only way to procure new and improved varieties. To cultivate the Ohrijsanthemum with a view to exhibit it, some extra care must be devoted to it. During the time of growth, the plants should be fully exposed to sun, light, and air. They should by no means be crowded together, or amongst other plants. The best situation I ever found for them was in a single row, on the side of an open walk. In this situation, from May to August, they will grow bushy, be furnished with broad, healthy foliage to tlie pot edge — that is, if rightly managed in three particulars, namely, repotting in very rich soil; freely watering at the root (occasionally with liquid manure), and frequently syringing over the leaves and branches ; and, lastly, frequently stopping. At tlie end of August they sliould be in nine-inch pots, and then should be stout, bushy plants, with the flower buds in abeyance, or dormant. The buds should just make their appearance in September, and grow on slowly till October. The plants will then be really handsome objects, independent of bloom, and will i-equire no sticks, nor any kind of support. In order to have a greater show of bloom, some growers place three or four plants in a pot, but 1 cannot commend tliat practice. A greater number of flowers is obtained, it is true; but it is at the cost of a sacrifice in the size. The largest and finest flowers are always produced on single plants, and no censor will give a plant a prize in preference because it has a greater number of inferior blooms upon it. If not intended for exhibition, the placing a number of plants in a pot or tub may be a praisevvortliy practice. I saw, very lately, in the conservatory in the Royal Botanical Society's Garden, in Regent's Park, a box, more than two feet across, closely filled with many plants of a tasselled-flowered Chrysanthemum, and a fine object as a mass ol' bloom it certainly was ; but when the flowers were examined individually they were very common-place indeed. I have, in my greenhouse, several pots, with three or four plants in eacli, which, viewed at a distance, are very passable — nay, even showy ; but tliey are not fit for an exhibition. " Cato," and every grower for exhibition, then, will be wise if they adopt the single- plant-in-a-pot system, if they wish to have really large, good flowers, either to be exhibited in pots or cut blooms. T. ArPLEBY. {To he voiiiiniicd.) CONSERVATIVE WALLS. {CoiUiiiited from pnge 184.) What is the use of a Coiiservatlue Wall? Previously to putting up any building, the first consideration is, of what use is it '? That is the question. To the strict utilitarian, whose ideas are confined to the profit and loss on any undertaking, the conservative wall will appear a perfectly useless building ; the objects to be grown against it arc useful neither for food nor clotliing. 'J'o a mind so narrowed, I cannot produce any argument to prove th.at a wall to be covered witli ornamcut.al and flowering slirubs is of any use. Ito could easily under- stand that a pinery, a vinery, or a peach-house would be of some use. The fruit would be fit to eat! and would be a pleasing enjoyment after dinner, accom- panied by a glass of good wine. 1 do not deny this, by any means; and, in addition to tlie mere eating of such delicious fruit, there is, to a more elevated mind, quite as much enjoyment in seeing such fruits bloom, grow, and come to perfection. To a mind still more refined, there is a stfll biglier enjoyment in cultivating and bringing to a higli state of perfection jdants cultivated only lor their fine foliage, or highly-perfumed beautiful flowers, the gems of the earth. Shakspere says, " the man that delights not in music is not to be trusted;" and I may venture to say, that the mind that delights not in flowers cannot be very amiable ! Now, the use of a conservative wall is to grow plants against it to a higher state of perfection than they can be grown in pots, more especially such plants as will not quite bear the vicissitudes of our climate. For such purposes it is admirably adapted ; and this is no theory only, it has been borne out in practice in various places — private gardens. I mentioned some in my last paper on this subject, and now I need only refer to the conservative walls at Kew and Chiswick, as in- stances of public gardens, where they may be seen clothed with beautiful specimens of plants in the greatest lu.xuriance. But there is another use of plants grown in this manner, and that is, the proving their capability of bearing our climate. jMauy plants are imported from wanner climates, of whose power to resist or bear our frosts we have no knowledge. 1 remember the day when the Aiicuha Japonica was cultivated in the greenhouse only, and now every tyro in gardening knows that it has proved one of the hardiest of our evergreens. Had conservative walls been in existence then, this plant would have been planted against it, and its perfect hardihood proved at once. Again; if there is any truth in the doctrine of acclimatation, or the art of hardening, this wall is a proper school for the plants; and it would be a very interesting pursuit to endeavour to acclimatize plants by placing them first against and under the sheltering influence of such a wall previously to planting them out in the open border, when they had acquired a woody texture; for it is a well-known fact, that old hard woody plants will bear a greater degree of cold than the same plants when young and soft-wooded. And, thirdly, plants against such a wall are more certain to hear seed than such as are grown in pots, or even in the borders of a con- servatory, for this reason — in such a situation they are more likely, nay, certain, to produce seeds, from the fact that they liave more of the stimulants (air and light, combined with protection) to cause such a natural eftect. The production of seed is a step gained in the art of hardening jilants, because it is supposed that plants raised from seed saved in a colder climate than their native habitat will have a more robust constitution, and thus, by a natural process from generation to generation, the great grand-children of plants brought originally from Japan or JNIexico will be as hardy as our oak or hazel. 1 do not say positively this will be so, because I do not forget that the Dahlia, the Potato, the Cucumber, and the Melon, arc probably as tender now as they were the first year of their intro- duction ; but it is plants with a more woody texture that would probably be acclimatised, if the art of hardening by a conservative-wall were systematically and judi- ciously carried on for several generations. Such is my answer to the question. What is the use of a conservative wall ? and 1 think the reasons given are quite sufficient to bear out the idea, that it is a useful as well as a beautiful object; and then follows the second query. How is it to be built? The answer to this will include the asjieot, material, and the mode. The aspect of that model of a conservative wall at December 23. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 225 Chatswoi'tli is nearly due west, and tbougb, in tliat in- stance, the aspect is of little consequence, because of its being beated, yet, in tbe case of a wall not beated, tbat aspect is, 1 conceive, tbe very best, and for tbis reason, should a frost happen any night, tho plants may be slightly touched with it, but will have lime to be gra- dually thawed before tbe sun reaches them, and so be less injured than they would be if the wall had an east or a south aspect. For the suddeii extremes of beat and cold, or vice versa, are tbe circumstances so destructive to half-hardy plants. E van a north is better than a south aspect, though not to be preferred ibr many plants ; yet the Camellia thrives best on a north aspect if planted out-of-doors. Several instances of this may be seen at Chiswiok. They are planted there close to a wall on tbe north side, and grow well, and frequently flower well too, if there is a seasoii without late spring frosts. The reason of tbis is easily understood ; they are not subject to such sudden and violent changes of temperature as they would be if planted against a wall with a south aspect, and so are not stimulated into growth so early in the season as to be nipt by tbe frost. The west, then, is the best aspect for the generality of plants suitable for a conservative wall, and the material 1 consider the best is a dark - coloured brick : dark colour retains the heat, light colour repels it; hence it is, tbat a black coat is warmer than a white one on a sunshiny day. If tbe dark wall has had tbe sun shining upon it the whole of the afternoon, it will retain the beat much longer than a light-coloured one. This is a fact I need not jn-ove. Then a dark brick should be the material, if tbe wall is not beated artificially. The way or mode by which this wall should be built, is first to lay a good foundation, broader than ordinary, in order to allow space to have a hollow space in it, whether it is to be beated or not, for that is a fact now well under- stood, that a hollow wall is warmer than a solid one. Indeed, all garden-walls, whether for the purpose of growing plants or fruits, should be constructed in tbis manner. T. Appleby. {To he continued.) THE BIRMINGHAM POULTRY SHOW. Sevekal attempts have lieeir made, of late yeai's, with more or less success, to trace the history and origin of our different varieties of domestic poultry. There is, however, no difficulty either in ascertaining the commencement of those exhibitions which have done so much to improve the quality, and to extend the taste for the purer and better breeds of poultry, or in tracing the steps by which they have, ui a wonderfully short space of time, obtained gra- dually, and almost imperceptibly, then- present bigli position. To tbe Yorkshiremeu, we are undoubtedly indebted for having originated and brought to a considerable degree of maturity these interesting gatherings ; and we remember the time when it was thought almost a reproacli upon the proverbial shrewdness of our Yorkshire friends, that they bad given themselves so much trouble upon what had been long considered so trifling a subject. They, however, per- severed, and soon estabhshed, within the cu-cumference of a few miles, poultry shows at Leeds, Bradford, Hu-ddersfield, Halifax, Keighley, Otley, Weatherby, Holmfirth, Stanewood, and Bretton, each of which, in its locality, is well supported. But it remained for the Birmingham and Midland Counties Society to make the attempt on a large scale. They soon succeeded in establishing an exhibition which has not yet been approached either in point of numbers or of excellence ; and they are fairly entitled to divide with their more northern brethren the credit of having re- vived and brought to its present state of advancement tills interesting and profitable branch of rural economy. Poultry, which had been looked upon by the farmer as beneath his notice, has now, by their exertions, become a source at once of profit and of pleasure ; and, in proportion to the food it consumes (much of which would otherwise be wasted), and to tbe capital and labour employed, is, we undertake to say, as renmnerative as any stock upon his fanu. To the country gentleman, tbe amateur, and the fancier, what so ornamental, and at the same time so useful, as a nice, uniform lot of pme-bred fowls ? Tbe ladies, too, may pai'ticipate both in the amusement and the benefit derived from their feathered favourites, from the stately Shanghae, and the briUiant Spaniard, down to the little dapper Golden or Silver Sebright Bantam, rivalbng the pheasant in beauty. And — last, not least — can a cottager keep anything about his premises from which he and his family may derive more of mingled pileasure and profit than a few heads of good poultry '! For the gratification, and, we trust, for the benefit, of all classes of our readers, it is to a description — impartial, we hope, and not unprofitable to the poultry-keeping world — of the fourth exhibition at Birmingham, that we purpose to-day to devote a greater proportion of our paper than is usually given to one subject. This exhibition commenced on Tuesday, the 14th of December, in the capacious and well-lighted building known as Bingley Hall. Considerable improvements have been made in the hall itself since the last show took place within its walls, and the "visitors are indebted to the proprietors and the committee for a corresponding increase in the comfort they enjoy, and tlie facUities aflbrded to them in viewing the specimens. Indeed, the arrangements in these respects appeared to us to be quite imexceptionable. In point of numbers, the exhibition of lH5iJ exceeded that of 18.51 in every class, as the following table (which may be interesting for purposes of reference) will show : — PENS ENTEKED. Classes. 1851. 1852 Spanish. &:! . 04 Doririug 117 . . 142 Slianghaes 154 . . 275 Malays 35 . 10 Game 127 . . 164 Golden-penciUed Hambm-ghs 20 . 13 Golden-spangled Hamburgbs 21 . . 28 Silver-pencilled Hambm-ghs 48 . 58 Silver-spangled Hamburgbs 44 . 00 Poland 41 . . 68 Cuckoo 5 . 0 Eumpless 6 . 4 White-crested Golden Hamburgbs o — Andalusian 5 . 2 Ancona fl . '. 1 Frizzled 4 . 4 Norfolk or Surrey 2 2 Bantams, Gold-laced 2(1 . '. 35 „ Silver-laced . . 11 . 0 White 10 . 12 „ Black 10 . 13 „ other varieties (i . 5 Pigeons 120 . 85 Geese 17 . 18 Ducks 71 . 73 Turkeys 25 . 23 Guinea-fowl . . 14 . 0 Extra Class . . 30 . — The managers of the show have this year' omitted some of the varieties, or sub varieties, included in the list of last year. With all due deference, we question the pro- priety of this alteration. Although principally got up ! for the benefit of tlie fanner and the amatem', these exhibitions are interesting to the scientific naturalist, and have derived, in their time, much benefit from his investi- gations and researches. To him, independently of then- beauty, and tbe pleasing variety they made, the specimens entered last year as " Ornamental Poultry," and several cmious sub-varieties besides, were of pecuUar interest, while they were objects of attraction to others also. We hope to see room afforded, upon future occasions, for specimens of this description. We should also strongly recommend a reconsideration of the rule which permits old and young fowl to be shown in competition in the same classes. Where there are classes :i:26 THE COTTAGE GABDENER. December 23. for chickens exclusively, all chickens should, in our opinion, be shown in them. In many varieties, especially of what are known among fanciers as "feathered fowl," old Viirds are shown to a great disadvantage against chickens, whose feathers are necessarily more c/cnH n«rf^i(rf in colour ; and in every class this practice admits of a sort of speculation on the part of tlie judges, wliether or not the chickens will some day be better than the old fowls arc now; instead of their being confined, as, we submit, they ought to he, to a simple, because certain, decision which of the two or more pens is the best at the time of the show. Before we proceed to notice the different classes, we will mention the only other drawback — and in our opinion it is a serious one — to the Birmingham Show. It is tlie very objectionable practice of employing a dealer as one of the judges. To it may undoubtedly be traced the dissatis- faction, " not loud, but deep," expressed by many good judges, both at the last and the present sliow, with some of the awards made. AVe have no personal feeling in the matter; it is to the principle^ and not to the individual, that we object. It is not in the nati.ure of things that the confidence of tlie public should be placed, or expected, in any man wlio may be the seller of the very birds of which he is called upon to judge. It is to inspire confidence on the part of the exhihitors^not to attach suspicion to the judges — that we thus contend that dealers should not be eligible as judges. The task of finding fault is always an invidious one, but as public journalists, and having the public good exclusively within oiu- view, we cannot be silent upon a point which is operating much to the disadvantage of exhibitions, which we are convinced, although yet, as it were, in their infancy, have done, and are doing, much good ; the more especially when loe lainw the opinions of many of the owners of the best stock, and that gentlemen of the highest cha- racter and honour, and who are as good judges of poultry as England can produce, have repeatedly refused to act in the capacity of judges at our shows, on the ground alone, tliat they will not, by becoming their col- leagues, countenance the engagement of dealers as judges. Hence it is clear that more is lost than can be gained by employing the latter. We are by no means sure that the Birmingham committee themselves have not met with sucli refusals this very year ; but we know that in the recent case of the Hitchin show, Birmingham itself, York, Leeds, and Hull, were ransacked up to the very day before the show took place for a judge, and tliat there was no other difficulty in the way. For tliese reasons, we very sincerely trust that this manifest evil will be remedied another year, before its consequences are more severely felt ; that confidence, lost in some, and waning in many amateurs, may be restored ; and that, all cause of suspicion being thus removed, the decisions of the judges will be acquiesced in with that respect which confidence can alone inspire. We now turn, with pleasure, from the ungracious office of fault-finding, to the details of what has been altogether — in spite of the drawbacks arising from the causes to which w^e have just referred — one of the best shows of poultry (if not the very best) upon record. We need scarcely say that the classes, wdiere there were so many, were unequal in point of merit. Following the orders of the catalogue, we commence oui" ohserv.ations with the Spanish. Until the Coclnns became, within the last year or two, dispersed throughout the country, no race of fowl were greater favourites tlnin the Spaniards. The brilliant lustre of their sable plumes, contrasted with the white face and red comb — their size, their stately and up- right carriage, combine to make the male bird one of the most beautiful of oiu' domestic fowl ; while the glossy and uniform ajipearance of the hens render a nice flock of Spanish most agreeable to the eye. So much so, indeed, that they are often styled " the gentleman's fowl." In point of quality, the birds e.N-hibited appeared to tis to be much superior to those of last year. In our recent account of a visit to his poultry-yards at Knowsley, we took occasion to say, that ho who shoidd beat Captain Hornby in the Spanish classes, at Birmingham, must show good birds in their best form. We were not far wrong, for the (japtain has certainly made a tolerably clean sweep of it in these classes, having carried off the first and second prizes (the latter, in our opinion, being the better pen). In the Spanish chicken class, the first prize was awarded to Mr. J. 0. Smith, of Skelton CI range, near York; and we think his birds well desen'ed the honour. The next classes comprise the different varieties of the Dorkinij family ; and we think the committee have taken a mistaken step in ottering separate prizes for Horkings with double or rose combs. Such, in our opinion, and in that of most of the best judges, so far as we have been able to collect them, are of questionable purity as Dorking fowls, and, at all events, are quite unworthy of separate premiums at such a show as that of Birmingham. 'J'he grey and sober plumage of the Dorkings presents an agreeable con- trast to the more gay feathering of some of their com- petitors ; and their peculiarly neat and " squat " build points them out, as in trutli they are, as the very fowi for the table. The advantage of the Dorkings is, that their meat is packed into a small compass, and, for the puiqioses of the cook alone, we are not sure that the Dorking does not bear away the palm from all competitors. But, taking all points togetlier (and we may as well repeat that, in giving an opinion of the relative merits of diilerent varieties, we have always in view the question — whicli of them combines the most good qualities with the fewest defects), we are of opinion that the Shanghaes and Spanish are superior to the Dorkings. In these, as in the Spanish classes, the number of pens was greater this year than last, and we think their contents at least equal in quality. The first prize in tlie principal class was awarded to T. T. I'arker, Esq., of Sutton (irange, for a splendid pen of birds ; the second falling to the lot of Captain Hornby, for one scarcely inferior to it. We have already said that the general vercUet of the poultry-keeping world has, in our opinion, in spite of the hue raised against them by the dealers, indisputably been pronounced in favour of the Shanghaes ; and we think, taking all points into consideration, correctly so. In point of beauty, opinions may tUffer; but their great bulk, added to neat and compact appearance, their fecundity, and the ease with wiiich they may be kept within any enclosure, however slight, renders them, ivithout regard to other considerations, a most desirable fowl. Their very singularities — the stumpy tail and feathered leg — are not unpleasing by way of variety, and they are, moreover, quiet and gentle in habits and disposition to a degree. Hut, whether we be right or wrong in awarding to them, as we are at present disposed to do, the jialm over all other varieties known in this country, certain it is that^ — for the present, at all events — they are the reigning favourites. The prices for wiiich they have been, and are, sold ; the length of time during which those enormous prices have been kept up ; the interest concentrated upon them at every show we go to ; prove, beyond cavil, that the fact is as we have stated. To this observation, their position at the Birmingham show was no exception. From day to day, and from hour to hour, the thickest of the crowd suiTounded the pens containing the dittereut sub-varieties of these beautiful birds. Since the last exhibition the Shanghaes have been divided into three classes — the whites, the cinnamons and bull's, and the browns and partridge-feathered. Why the greys and blacks have been excluded we are not aware. Taking the sub- divisions in the order we have given, the wiiite first claim our notice. Inferior in size to some of their relatives, yet upon a lawn, or in a clean country place, what can look prettier than a neat uniform lot of these beautiful birds '.' They have ab'eady become prime favourites, especially among the ladies, and, we think-, are lil;ely to continue so. In this sub division, wiiich was superior, both in number and quaUty, to those shown in the same classes in L'^.''>1, the first prizes, both for old fowl and for chickens, were awarded to jMrs. Herbert, of Towick. The second prize for the old birds was given to Mr. G. C. I'eters, of Moseloy ; and the third to Mr. George Graham, of Y''ardley, whose pen appeared to us, and to many others, to be at least equal to the other two. Of the numerous shades of colour prevailing among the Shanghae fowl, none has become so popular us the neat and pretty buff; and certainly there is something peculiarly pleasing in its (juiet uniformity. A\hethor from this or other causes wo know not, but the bufl's have certainly commanded higher prices than those of any other colour. It is, therefore, not surprising that in this class the greatest Decembeb 23. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 227 interest appeared to te centred — so much so, that it was really dilHcult to obtain time and space sufficient to get a good view of tliem. In every sliow the " observed of all observers," here, where the best of each sort are congre- gated together, we have a right to expect the best of these also. Hence the interest they excited, which was certainly by no means disappointed. In one word, we can say nothing for the bntt' class which has not been said and proved by the preference everywhere accorded to them, although we really do not think this class was so good, as a whole, as the corresponding class of last year. With regard to the dark varieties, we are not of those who, on the one hand, decry them ; nor do we, on the other, think them, as some do, either more hardy or supe- rior in weight to their light-coloured relatives. In truth, we think there are equally fine kinds of the buff, the cinna- mon, and the dai-k varieties ; and we know that it is difficult to find chickens, of any breed, more easy to be reared than are the butf Shanghaes. For those who reside near large towns we might recommend the darker birds, on the ground that it is better to keep good bhds of a colour which is not so easily soiled, than to have birds of better quality, yet of a shade so light that they cannot be kept, iu that locality, iu perfect purity of iilumage. Reverting to the prize list, we find that in the huff class of older birds Mr. Sturgeon maintains his old position — a higher he cannot attain. Mr. Cattell, of Moseley Wake Green, obtained the second prize ; and Mr. Steggall, of Weymouth, the third. In the corresponding class of young fowls of 1H5'2, the first prize was awarded to Mr. Cattell ; the second to Thomas Roscoe (Captain Hornby's servant) ; and the third to Mr. Punchard. It was to the awards in this latter class that the greatest exception was taken ; and, after much examination, we are bound to declare our opinion in favour of the malcontents. Prizes were also given for the best pair of buff, cinnamon, or brown : the first to Dr. Gwynne, of Sandbach ; the second to Mr. I'nnchard ; and the third to BIr. H. G. Smith. Mr. I'unchard also obtained a commendation for what was thought by many the best pen of the four; and this opinion was partly borne out by the fact, that the pair of birds were sold for k'ib. We wish Jlr. Punchard as good a sale on the 4th of Januai-y as that which Mr. Sturgeon was fortunate enough to secure. The next class, in order, are the Malays. These have hitherto been a favourite fowl ; and certamly there is a stateliness and an appearance of high-breeding about a true JIalay which is particularly commanding. AVe cannot but regret that so handsome and pure a breed of fowls should, all at once, have become nearly extinct ; although we must admit, that in point of utility they are not equal to the Cochins, the Spanish, or the Dorkings. Next in order, come the type of courage — the old English Game. The days of cock-fighting are happily at an end in this country, but we can still admire the martial appearance and bearing of the diS'erent sub-varieties of those truly " game " birds which were wont, in old times, to contend in the cock- pit. For beauty and variety of plumage, closeness of feathers, and purposes of utility combined, there is, we really believe, no one of the smaller varieties of om' domestic poulti-y pre- ferable to the Game. In the northern counties, the pitmen and cottagers prefer them to all other sorts within their reach ; and the degree of perfection to which they are brought, if not so great as in the times when fortunes and estates depended upon the result of their encounters, is still considerable. To us they ai'e interesting, as one of the " poor man's fowls ; " and sure we are that a cottager can keep none upon less food, or to greater advantage, while they will never shame the poultry-yard of a gentleman. For the numerous prizes awarded, we refer to the list which we subjoin; and we think we may say, without fear of contradiction, that the Game classes were the best in the exhibition. The PeiidUcd Hamburgh nest claim our attention. These, like the Game, are, though in ditferent localities, the favour- ites of the cottagers. In the West Fading of Yorkshire and jiarts of Lancashire, there is scarcely a cottage which cannot boast of its few " Chittaprats," as they are there called. As they may not be known to many of our readers, we may add that there is not a prettier race of fowls extant than the Pencilled Hamburghs, whether golden or silver,— nor one, j which, in proportion to its size, is of more real use to the ; farmer or the cottager. We cannot, however, say we think the collection of these pretty fowls was first rate. The golden were better than the silver ones— the latter, indeed, would not bear comparison with those exhibited at the small shows in the Yorkshire towns. j Following naturally in order come the SjiaiKjhd Hum- hitrrjhs, called in Yorkshire, where they also are principally cultivated, " gold and silver pheasants." These, agaui, are beautifully feathered kinds ; and, like the Pencilled vari- eties, capital layers ; and, therefore, most useful to the poor man. Our Shanghae and Spanish fanciers would scarcely suppose that their poorer brethren in Y'orkshire will discuss the merits and demerits of their Chittaprats, or gold or i silver pheasants, and point out, to a feather, the difference between them, witli all the zest and interest which they themselves bestow upon their own more costly and gorgeous favourites. .\nd woe betide the judge, who, at one of the Y'orkshire shows, should make a mistake in deciding between the pens of rivals, each as competent, or more so, to exer- cise a judgment as himself. Of the Polish fowls, which are next in rotation, so much has been said of late, that, without meaning at all to dis- parage them, we shall not be at all surprised to find that some of our friends, who have purchased them of the dealers, may discover, before long, that they have got con- siderably less than their " pennyworth for their penny." Yet tlie Polands, of which there are several tolerably distinct varieties, are exceedingly pretty, and are, moreover, for their size, useful fowl. The plumage of the blacks, which almost equals that of the Spanish in brilliancy, is contrasted to advantage with the pretty white crest which is common to both sexes. The Golden and Silver Polands have the latter characteristic in the same perfection ; and although the contrast between the black plumage and white crest does not hold good, it is more than made up for by the beautiful markings of the vai-ieties now under notice. The Polands are, by tlie efi'orts of the dealers, rising in favour ; and although we are not prepared to say that it is not deservedly so, yet we are sure that the prices which have been given for them are perfectly ridiculous, and such as never can be maintained. F"or the several pnzes awarded, we refer to the Ust, only adding that tlie Polands, as a whole, are decidedly an improvement upon the last year's show, and added con- siderably to the interest of the exhibition. Of the Bantams, generally one of the prettiest featm-es of a large gathering like this, we shall only say that they were decidedly inferior in quality to those shown at many of tlie minor exhibitions. We do not think that either the Geese or Turkeys were so good as those exhibited on former occasions. Of Dudes, some good specimens were exhibited ; and the Aylesburys shown by Lord Hill were well worthy of the first prize awarded to them, as were the Uouens of Mr. Charles I'unchard, which, in their class, obtained a Uke premium. Upon the whole, we do not hesitate to say that the Show of 18.53 was not, in point of general merit, at all superior to its predecessor. We doubt if so many good birds were shown ; and we are sure there were more of a decidedly inferior character. There are several reasons, combining probably, to produce this result. We have already adverted, not without pain, to some of them ; and we submit, in con- clusion, to the managers of future anniversaries, that the time for which the birds are kept is really too long. If one day was given up, so that the birds need not be brought in until the Blonday evening, two days would be gained to them ; and we hope and believe nothing would he lost to the exhibition or to the public. Sure we are that exhibitors would be better satisfied ; and we are strongly inclined to think that the owners of many good birds, who now keep them at home, would, if this and the other objections to wdiich we have, in no unfriendly spirit, thought it our duty to advert, were obviated, no longer object to send them to Birmingham. If the Show is to be kept up at all upon the scale it has ah-eady attained, to say nothing of improvement, most of these points must necessaiily force themselves upon the attention of those in office. This is our only object in putting them forward ; and we very sincerely trust that all 228 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 23. causes of jealousy and suspicion being removed, the sub- scribers will work harmoniously together ; and that we may for many years look upon the EsJiibition at Biimingham as a standai"d Poultry Show. We publish the full prize-hst, as follows : — Class 1.— SPANISH. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 5. First prize, 2t. 2s., Mrs. Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. 3. Second ditto, II. Is., Captuin Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. * Class 2.— SPANISH. tFor the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 2.'5. First prize, W. Is., Mr. John Hill Smith, Skelton Grunge, York. 33. Second ditto, 105., Mr. Richard Taylor, Ward End Mills. 2/. Third ditto, 5s., Captain Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage) Prescot. The whole of this class highly meritorious. Class 3.— SPANISH. (For the best Cock and one Hen of any age.) 58. First prize, ^5s., Mr. John Henry Peck, Wigan. 5(j. Second ditto, lUs., Mr. John Taylor, juu., Cressy House, Shepherd's Bush, London. Class 4.— DORKING (Single-combed). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 95. First prize, 2/. 2a-., Thomas Townley Parker, Esq., Sutton Grange, St. Helen's, Lancashire. 72. Second ditto, ll. Is., Captain Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. Class 5.— DORKING (Single-combed). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1352.) log. First prize, 1/. Is., Captain Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. 113. Second ditto, 105., Mr. James Drcwry, Ncwtou Mount, Burton- upon-Trent. 119. Third ditto, 5s,, Mr. Edward Lister, Cassia Lodge, near Over, Cheshire. The whole class highly commendable. Class 6,— DORKING (Double or Rose-combed). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) isg. First prize, 21. 2s., Miss Elizabeth Steele Perkins, Sutton Coldfield. HI. Second ditto, 1/. Is., Mr. John Huskins, Wilnecote, near Fazeley, Staffordshire. 138. Third ditto, 15s., The Reverend John Robinson, Widmerpool, near Notttingham. Class ;.— DORKING (Double or Rose-combed). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickena of 1852.) 143. First prize, 1/. Is., Mrs. Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. Ut). Second ditto, 10s., Sir John Cathcart, Bart., Cooper'sHill, Chertsey, Surrey. 150. Third ditto, Ss., Mr. James Drewry, Newton Mount, Burton-upon- Trent. Class 8.— DORKING (Double or Single-combed). (For the best Cock and one Pullet, Chickens of 1852.) 163. First prize, I5s., Mrs. Windham Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot. 175. Second ditto. IDs., The Reverend M. W. F. Thursby, Abington Rectory, near Northampton. Class 9.— DORKING (White). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 188. First prize, 2i. 25., The Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth, San dwell. 19i. Second ditto, il. Is., Mr. Joseph Jennens, Moseley, Birmingham. Third prize withheld. Class 10.— DORKING (White). (For the beat Cock and three Pullets, Chickena of 1852.) 205. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. John Brearlcy Payn, Vicarage Road, Edg- baston. 200. Second ditto, 10s., The Right Honourable the Earl of Dartmouth, Sandwell. 202. Third ditto, 5s., The Reverend Edward Elmhirst, Shawell Rectory, Leicestershire Class U.— COCHIN-CHINA (Cinnamon and Buff). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 225. First prize, 2^ 2s,, Mr. Thomas Sturgeon, Manor House, Grays, Essex. 21^. Second ditto, U. Is., Mr. James Cattell, Moseley Wake Green, near Birmingham. 224. Third ditto, I5s.,Mr.F. C. Steggall, Weymouth, Dorsetshire. Class 12.— COCHIN-CHINA (Cinnamon and Buff). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 294. First prize, U. l.v., Mr. James Cattell, Moseley Wake Green, near Birmingham. 272. Second ditto, lOs., Mr. Thomas Roscoe, Knowsley, near Prescot. 275. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt'a Hall, Haverhill, Class 13.— COCHIN-CHINA (Brown, and Partridge-feathered). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 335. First prize 2/. 2s., Mr. Edward Farmer, Greet, Sparkbrook, near }}iriuinghaui. 333. Stcond ditto, \l. Is., Mr. Thomas Atkins, Uur&ley, Gloucestershire, and Babbicomljc, Torquay, Devonshire. 332. Third ditto, 15s., Mr. Thomas Smith, Cheapside, Birmingham. Class 14. COCHIN-CHINA (Brown, and Partridge-feathered). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) :j(jl. First prize, il Is., Mr. Thomas Atkins, Dursley, Gloucestershire, and Babbicombe, Torquay, Devonshire. 355. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt's Hall, HaverhUI, Suffolk. 349. Third ditto, Ss., George Toilet, Esq , Betley Hall, Staffordshire. Class 15.— COCHIN-CHINA (Cinnamon and Buff, or Brown). (For the best Cock and one Pullet, Chickens of 1852.) 406. First prize, I5s., William Cust Gwynne, Esq., M.D., Sandbach, Cheshire. 408. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt's Hall, Haverhill, Suffolk. Class 16.— COCHIN-CHINA (White). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 452. First prize, 21. 2s., Mrs. Herbert, Powick, Worcestershire. 458. Second ditto, ll. Is-, Mr. George Charlton Peters. Moseley, near Birmingham. 455. Third ditto, 15s., Mr. George Graham, Yardley, Worcestershire. Class 17.— COCHIN-CHINA (White). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 465. First prize, 1/. Is., flirs. Herbert, Powick, Worcestershire. 470. Second ditto, lUs., Mr. George Graham, Vardley, Worcestershire. 479. Third prize, 5s., Mr. James Cattell, Moseley Wake Green, near Bir- mingham. The Judges cannot too strongly impress on the exhibitors of Cocbin- China fowls the danger they incur ot losing prizes, to which they would otherwise be entitled, by exhibiting specimens with imperfect tails. Class 18.— MALAY. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 482. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. Charles Ballance, 5, MountTerrace, Taunton, Somersetshire. Second and third prizes withheld. Class 19.— MALAY. (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickena of 1852.) 489. First prize, 155., Mr. Gervase Oldham, Nether Whitacre, War- wickshire. 488. Second ditto, IO5., Mr. Charles Ballance, 5, Blount Terrace, Taunton, Somersetshire. Third prize withheld. Class 20.— GABIE FOWL (White, and Piles). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 495. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. Henry Felthousc, Tamworth. 510. Second ditto, I5s., Mr. Theodore Bullock, Hawthorn House, Hands- worth. 502. Third ditto, IO5., Mr. J. T. Wilson, Redditch, Worcestershire. Class 21.— GAME FOWL (White, and Piles). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1352.) 527. First prize, I5s., Mr. James Hand, juu., Amington Old Hall, near Tamwortli. 523. Second ditto, IO5., Mrs. G. A. Wilson, Redditch, Worcestershire. 518. Tliirdditto, 5s.,Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford Mill, near Tamworth. Class 22.— GAME FOWL (Black-breaatcd, and other Reds). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 544. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford Mill, near Tamworth. 548. Second ditto, 15s., Mr. Edward Glover, Olton Green, near Solihull. 5b'0. Third ditto, 10s., Mr. Benjamin Williams, Lozclls, Handsworth. The whole class commended. Class 23.— GAME FOWL (Black-breasted, and other Ucds). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of IS52.) 588. First prize, 15s., Mr. Theodore Bullock, Hawthorn House, Hands- worth. 591. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Henry Sewell, Upton-upon-Severn, Wor- cestershire. 596. Third ditto, 55., Mr. Thomas Roacoc, Knowsley, near Prescot. Class 24.— GAME FOWL (Blacks, and Braasy-winged, except Greys). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 622. First prize, ll. is., Mr. J. T. Wilson, Redditch. Worcestershire. 628. Second ditto, I5s., The Reverend Charles D. Blyth, Sutton Rectory, Biggleswade. 620. Third ditto, lOs., iMr. J. T. Wilson, Redditch, Worcestershire. Class 25.— GAME FOWL (Blacks, and Brassy-winged, except Greys). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1352.) 631. First prize, 155., Mr. William Dcstcr, Seckington. Second and third prizes withheld. Class 20, GAME FOWL (Duckwings, and other Grcy.s, and Blues). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 633. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. William H. Austin, Norton, near Shiffoal, Shropshire. December 93. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. S29 642. Second ditto, 15s., Mr. Edward Lowe, Comberford Mill, near Tam- worth. G46. Third ditto, 10s., Mr. John Hadwcn, Kelroyd Bridge, Halifax. Class 27.— GAME FOWL (Duckwings, and other Greys, and Blui^K (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chiekens of 1852.) 648. First prize, 15s., Isaac Averv, King's Norton. Worcestershire. 650. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Francis Bullock, Hawthorn House, Hands- worth. 655. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. William Smith, Kent House, Hahfux. Class 28.— GOLDEN-PENCILLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 662 First prize, U- ls.,]Mr. John Royston Pearson, Chilwell, ncai- Not- tingham. . ... 661. Second ditto, Ifis., Mr. John Lowe, 6, Bull King, Birmingham. 659. Third ditto, 5s., Mr.W. B. Mapplebeck,6, Bull Ring, Birmingham. Class 29.-GOLDEN-PENCILLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 668. First prize, 15s., Mr. James Oldham, Long Eaton, Derbyshire. 66(j. Second ditto, 10s., Blr. John Lowe, 6, Bull Ring, Birmingham. C65. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. Charles Brown, 4/, Edgbaston Street, Bir- mingham. Class 30.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 677. First prize, 1/. is-, Mr. Henry Clapham, Aireworth, near Keighley, Yorkshire. ir , 680, Second ditto, 15s., Mr. James Dixon, Westhrook Place, Bradford, yorkshire. 671. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. Thomas Smith, Brineton, near Shiffnal. Class 31.— GOLDEN-SPANGLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 692. First prize, 15s., Mr. Henry Clapham, Aireworth, near Keighley, Yorkshire. 63G, Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Thomas Smith, Brineton, near Shiffnal. Third prize withheld. Class 32.— SILVER-PENCILLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 697. First prize, 1/. Is., Tiie Honourable Mrs. Astley, Swanton House, Thetford, Norfolk. 709. Second ditto, 15s., Blr. Benjamin Dain, Slade House, Aston, Bir- mingham. 698. Third ditto, 5s., The Right Honourable Viscount Hill, Hawkestone, Salop. Class 33 —SILVER-PENCILLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 743. First prize, 15s., Mr. Benjamin Dain, Slade House, Aston, Bir- rainghaui. 748. SL'Cond ditto, 10s,, Mr. Thomas Lowe, Whateley, near Fazeley, Staffordshire. 740. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. David Groom, Burlish, Stourport, Worcester- shire. Class 34.— SILVER-SPANGLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 783. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. T. B. Weight, Great Barr, Staffordshire. 780. Second ditto. 15s., Mr. A, F. Sparkes, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. 767. Third ditto, 10s., Mr. William Beach, Vine Inn, Monument Lane, Birmingham. Class 35,— SILVER-SPANGLED HAMBURGH. (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 804. First prize, 15s., Mr. James Whilock, 15. High-street, Birmingham. 787. Second ditto, lUs., Charles Robert Colvile, Esq., M.P., Lullington, near Borton-upon-Trent. 816. Third ditto, 5s., BIr. Henry Clapham, Aireworth, near Keighley, Yorkshire. Class 36.— POLAND FOWL (Black, with White Crests). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 828. First prize, 1/. Is., Mr. Edward Bird Guest, Ivy House, Broadwas, Worcestershire. 825. Second ditto, I5s., Mr. Edward Hewitt, Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. 823. Third ditto, 10s., Mr. Edward Hewitt, Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. Class 37.— POLAND FOWL (Black, with White Crests). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 831. First prize, 15s., Bliss Martha Hewitt, Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. 842. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. Edward Collins, 114, Moland-street, Bir- mingham. 837. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. Henry Child, jun., Sherbourne Bead, Balsall Heath, Birmingham. Class 38.— POLAND FOWL (Golden, with Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 843. First prize, ll. Is., Mr. John Edwards Mapplebeck, Highgate, Birmingham. 847. Second ditto, 15s., W. G. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. 348. Third ditto, 10s., John Ault, Brailsford, near Derby. Class 39.— POLAND FOWL (Golden, with Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 850. First prize, 15s., Mr. Daniel J. Fleetwood, 53, Ann-street, Bir- mingham, 851. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. John Edward.s Mapplebeck, Highgate, Bir- mingham. 857- Third ditto, 5s., Master Godfrey Horner, Charlotte-street, Hull. Class 40.— POLAND FOWL (Golden, without Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and tliree Hens of any age.) Sfil. First prize, U. Is., Mr. William Cox, Brailsford Hall, near Derby. 862. Second ditto, 15s., James Winter, Brailsford, Derbyshire. 853. Third ditto, 10s., Mr. William Cox, Brailsford Hall, near Derby. Class 41.— POLAND FOWL (Golden, without Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.)' 863. First prize, 15s,, Mr. Edward Farmer, Greet, Sparkbrook, near Bir- mingham. 8G7. Second ditto, 10s., BIr. Edward Farmer, Greet, Sparkbrook, near Birmingham. No third prize. Class 42.- POLAND FOWL (Silver, with Huffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 86s. First prize, 1/. Is., W. G. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. 871. Second ditto, 15s., John Ault, Brailsford, near Derby. No third prize. Class 43.-POLAND FOWL (Silver, with Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chiekens of 1852.) S72. First prize, 15s., BIr. Daniel J. Fleetwood, 53, Ann-street, Birmingham. 874. Second ditto, 10s., Blaster Godfrey Horner, Charlotte-street, Hull. 873. Third ditto, 5s., John Ault, Brailsford, near Derby. Class 44.— POLAND FOWL (Silver, without Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Hens of any age.) 87s. First prize, 1/. Is., BIr. Theodore Bullock, Hawthorn House, Handsworth. 8/6. Second ditto, 15s., BIr. Thomas Robson, Heath Hall, near Halifax. S84. Third ditto, 10s., Blaster Godfrey Horner, Charlotte-street, Hull. Class 45.— POLAND FOWL (Silver, without Ruffs or Beards). (For the best Cock and three Pullets, Chickens of 1852.) 887. First prize, I5s., BIr. Thomas Robson, Heath Hall, near Halifax. 886. Second ditto, 10s., BIr. George Parker, Perry Barr, Staffordshire. No third prize. Class 46.— FOR ANY OTHER DISTINCT BREED. CUCKOO. 891. Prize, \L Is., The Right Honourable Lady Guernsey, The Bury, near Leamington. POLAND. 902. Prize, 15s., "W. G. Vivian, Esq., Singleton, Glamorganshire. RUMPLESS. 905. Prize, 15s., BIr. Thomas Beetenson, Vauxhall Grove, Birmingham. COCHIN-CHINA. 917. Prize, 15s., John Fairlie, Esq., Cheveley Park, near Newmarket, Cambridgeshire . 923. Prize, lOs,, BIr. T. B. Wright, Great Barr, Staffordshire. [frizzled. 924. Prize, 15s., BIr. Thedore Bullock, Hawthorn House, Handsworth. NEGRO, OR SILKY. 930. Prize, \l. Is., BIr. Jonathan Harlow, Bloseley, near Birmingham. ANDALUSIAN. 935. Prize, 15s., BIr. John Taylor, jun., Cressy House, Shepherd's Bush, London. Class 47.— BANTABIS. (For the best Cock and two Hens.) GOLD-LACED. 957. First prize, 15s., Captain Clement Delves Hill, Summerhill, New- port, Shropshire. 95:1. Second ditto, 10s., BIrs. Hosier Williams, Eaton Blascott, near Shrewsbury. SILVER-LACED. 983, First prize, 15s., BIr. Thomas Roscoe, Knowsley, near Prescot. 985. Second ditto, 10s., BIr. Edward Hewitt, Eden Cottage, Sparkbrook, near Birmingham. WHITE. 996. First prize, 15s., BIr. Benjamin Dain, Slade House, Ashton, Bir- mingham. 994. Second ditto, Hts., BIr. Richard Bratton Baddeley, Wellington, Shropshire. BLACK. 1005. First prize, 15s., BIr. John Dain, Henley-in-Ajrden. 1003. Second ditto, 10s., BIr. Blatthew Ridgway, Dewsbury. ANY OTHER VARIETY. 1017. First prize, 15s., BIr. C. Amsden, Lichfield. No second prize. Class 48.— PIGEONS. Carrier.— lOig. First prize, 7s. 6d., BIr. Edward Barber, Blonk's Path, Shirley Street, near Birmingham. 1024. Second ditto, 5s., BIr. Samuel Ridley, jun., Brighton. "1O26. Commended, BIr. Edward Barber, Blonk's Path, Shirley Street, near Birmingham. Almond Tumbler.— 1033. First prize, 7s. Gd., BIr. George Parker, Perry Barr, Staffordshire. J035. Second ditto, 5s., BIr. William Curtis, High Street, West Bromwich. 230 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 2'^. Otiiee TuMiiLEBS.— 1039. First prize, 7s. Gd., Mr. John Percivall, 1, Belgrave Place, Bristol Road, Birmingham. Owl. — 1044. First prize, 7s. Gd., Rliss Sarah Mary Beetenson, Vauxhall Grove, Birmingham. 1043. Second ditto, 5a-., Miss Sarah Mary Beetenson, Vauxhall tirove, Birmingham. Nun. — 1046. First prize, 7s. 6d., Mr. Charles Tovey, Waterloo Place, Bloomsbury, Birmingham. 1048. Second ditto, 5s., Mr, Josiah Chune, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire. TuRBiT.— 1051. First prize, "s, Gd., Mr. .Toshua Hopkins, 39, Dale End, Birmingham. Jacobine. — 1039. First i)rize, T"-'- Gd., Mr. John Amphlet, ■\^'^a!sall. 1057. Second ditto, S^., Mr. John Dugard, Finch Street, Handsworth. Fantail. — 1067. First prize, "A-. 6f/., I\Ir. Thomas Beetenson, Vauxhall Grove, Birmingham. I068. Second ditto, 5s., Mr. James Stecn Harvey, 34, Aston Street, Birmingham. Trumpeter, — 1076. First prize, 7.1. Gd., Mr. Joshua Hopkins, 39. Dale End, Birmingham. 107-1. Second ditto, 58., Mr. W. H. Goddard, Hagley Koad, Edgbastun. PouTEB, OE Croppee, — 1079. First prizc, /S. 6(/., Mr. WiUiam Curtis, High Street, West Bromwich. Barbe.— 1083. First prize, 7s. Gd., Mr. Joshua Hopkins, 39, Dale End, Birmingham. Runt.— 1089. First prize, "s. Gd., Mr. George C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 10S6. Second ditto, 5s., Mr. John Hill, Vincent Street, Balsall Heath. Dragoon. — 1097. First prize, 7^. Gd., Mr. Samuel Ridley, jun.. Brighton. 1095. Second ditto, 5s., Mr. Edward Barber, Monk's Path, bhirley Street. Other Varieties.— No prizes awarded. Class 49.— GEESE. 1120. First prize, 1/. Is., Mrs. H. Hill, New House, Stretton Grandison, Herefordshire. II07. Second ditto, IC-f., Mr. John Taylor, jun., Cressy House, Shepherd's Bush, London. IU9. Third ditto 5s., Thomas Townley Parker, Esq., Sutton Grange, St. Helen's, Lan- cashire. Class 50.— DUCKS. Aylesbury.- 1127. First prize, 1/. Is., The Right Honourable Viscount Hill, Hawkstone, Salop. 1137- Second ditto, lOs., Miss Rachel Walker, Clipston Rectory, Northamptonshire. 1148. Third ditto, 5s., Mr. Joseph Jennens, Moseley, near Birmingham. The class generally commended. KODEN.— 1167. First prize, ll. \s., Mr. Charles Punchard, Blunt's Hall, Haverhill, Suffolk. 1164. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. H. Worrall, Knotty Ash House, near Liverpool. No third prize. Any othee Varieties. — 11 72. First prize, 1/. Is., I\Iiss Clifton, Whittington, near Worcester. 11~3. Second ditto, lOs., Sir John Cathcart, Bart., Cooper's Hill, Chertsey, Surrey. 1 175. Third ditto, 5s., BIr. John Shackel, Blenheim House, Small Heath, near Birmingham. Muscovy.— 1134. Prize, lOs., Mr. Thomas Snape Tunaley, MilfieUl, near Tamworth. Class 51. -TURKEYS. 1217. First prize, 1/. Is., John Fairlie, Est]., Cheveley Park, near New- market, Cambridgeshire. 1211. Second ditto, 10s., Mr. William Udal, Green Lanes, near Birmingham. II96. Tbird ditto, 7^- Gd., The Right Honourable tlie Countess Howe, Gopaall Hall. The class generally good. Class 52.— GUINEA FOWL. 1220. First prize, ll. Is., Mr. William Masfen, Norton Caines, near Cannock. No second prize. Judges 0/ Poultrr/. — The Hon. and Rev. Stephen Willoughby Lawley, Escriek Rectory, near York; G. R. Andrews, Esq. Dorchester; The Rev. Robert Pulleine, the Rectory, Kirby Wiske, near Thirsk ; I\Ir. John Baily, Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, London. Judges of Pigeons, — Mr. T. L. Parker, Birmingham; BIr, Hale, Hands worth. DISEASES OF rOULTRY.— No. 2 buoken U3IES. In accorclance with your desire, I shall be happy to investigate, as far as my opportunities will allow, the various diseases of poultry. I believe that this can only be advan- tageously done by a close observance of symptoms during life, and an attentive examination after death. Situated as I am, with but a small number of fowls, and those in cir- cumstances calculated to promote health, I am not liliely to have, from my own stock, many subjects for investigation ; I should, therefore, feel obliged to any of your readers who would supply me with patients as soon as I can make the reciuisite arrangements for opening my poultry hospital. I must beg of thorn, however, to follow the usual course in such cases, viz., to send me a letter of introduction pre- viously, otherwise their proteges might ai'rive when the wards were overilowing, and aU the beds in tlie hospital occupied. This would be more especially reijuisite, as, in any contagious diseases, it would be important, in the highest degree, to keep the birds separate. Should the patients die, I should make jiosi moilimi examination in everj' case. On tlie contrai'}', should they recover under the treatment pursued, I should be most happy to retm-u them to tlieir owners. In the meantime, I may say a few words respecting the treatment of broken bones. Fractures of the bones of the body are less likely to occur in birds than in other animals, inasmuch as the frameworl; of the body is more completely united together, and is protected from injury by the feathers. In cases where fracture of the ribs, or other bones, may be suspected, there would be great dilEculty in detemiining the nature of the injury, and I do not think anything more could be done than keeping the bird quiet until recovery. In cases of broken wings, the quill feathers would prevent any recourse being had to ordinary bandaging. Tlie plan I should pursue, would be to tie carefully the ends of some of the quills together in their niilnnil position, with the wing closed ; this would prevent motion of the broken ends of the bones ; and to keep the bird in an empty place, where there could be no perch, or other substance, for it to attempt to fly upon. Fractm'e of the fleshy pai't of the leg would be less ma- nageable, and I can hardly recommend any bandaging that would be readily applied. The most common fracture in fowls is tliat of the naked part of the leg. This is usually treated by wrapping a slip of rag round the injiu'ed limb, and tying it with thread — a very imperfect plan, as motion of the broken bones is not prevented, and which is, there- fore, frequently unsuccessful in its results. I should recom- mend a modification of what is known to surgeons as a gum spliut. Let the white of an egg be well-beaten up with a fork, and spread upon a strip of thick, soft, brown paper, as wide as can be conveniently wrapped around the broken limb. The fowl should be held by an assistant; the leg shglitly stretched, so as to bring the ends of the bones in a straight line ; the moistened paper should be wrapped smoothly round several times, and secured by two or three turns of thread; and, lastly, to prevent the parts being moved before the paper has become dry and stiif, a thin spliut of wood, such as is used for lighting pipes, may be bound witli thread on each side ; the wood might be removed the follow- ing day, as it then would add only to the weight, without increasing the advantage of the contrivance, whicli acts by preventing all motion, and so places tlie limb in the best possible condition for a union to take place. Splints of this kind are of great value in human surgery, and several modifications of them exist; they are some- times formed of gutta percha, softened by heat, or by leather, softened by hot water, or by tow and gum, lint and starch, &c.; but 1 do not think any so apphcable to poultry as I have recommended, as the materials are always at hand, and, what is a matter of great importance, can be applied immediately after the accident, — W. B. Iexetmeier, ToUi'iiham, Middksex. HARDIHOOD OF PLANTS AT CLOYNE, IN IRELAND. jMAm' thanks for your information relative to Tirouim speciosa. My plant of it is hut a rooted cutting of .July lasl ; but, a fortnight since, I saw the parent plant in full luxuri- ance, in front of a south wall, in a garden near Kilmal- lock, in the county Limerick, and without any protection whatever. Is Tvronica Jncjiiinii dcliciita similarly hardy, as I liave a small plant out? [IV.s] ilevit&^nta I know is not. It may interest you to know what plants arc still (Dec. (ith) standing in good health out-of-doors here, at least, in my small garden — Salvia J'uUjfna and Grahamii, Tlie PatfUis, also, has not yet died down, £scalluiiia riilira, Lophnspn- niiim, and Caliimliilis scalira (the latter lias borne so much seed that I would gladly exclinnge it witli any om^ wlio wished for it) ; a mixed bed of Tcrlii'nas, principally scarlet (Dijiaiicc), also seem in great strengtli ; iiud near them some Alonsous and Cifplwas. The Ixias and srarlrt Gladioli are all springing up. The Calla ^I'Uhiopim is in great luxuriance, from the recent rains. — Ukv. 1!. JI. E. Deoembeb S3. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 231 VISITS TO SOME OF THE CHIEF POULTEY YAEDS IN ENGLAND.— No. 5. (ME. PUNCHAnn'S.) " Br.i'NT's H.U.I,," the hospitable residence of Jlr. Pun- chard, is situated at the extreme western part of the county of Suffolk, about a mile from the little marlcet town of Haverhill, once famed for its manufactory of checks, cottons, and fustians. For ins poultry, Jlr. Punchard has two establishments, one at Elunt's Hall, and another at an off-farm, at about half-a-mile distant. The accommodation afforded the poultry in each place is much the same. Mr. Tunchard confines himself entirely to two kinds, namely, Cochin-Chinas, and IJucks of the Piouen and Aylesbury breed. Of the Cochins, or Shanghaes, by which name, I suppose, we shall soon be obliged to distinguish them, he has from about five to six hundred, all of the purest breed, bred by himself, and chiefly, \ believe, from imported birds. In a corner, I observed a few pairs, very recently from Shanghae, which he has not yet had time to breed from. In respect to colour, tlie different sliades of buff very much preponderate over the brown and partridge ; but, in my opinion, breeders have dwelt too much on colour, the brown and partiidge being less esteemed, but, as far as my experience has led me, they are the largest birds, and produce the greatest weight of eggs. The accompanying sketch will serve to give a pretty correct idea of the accommodation afforded by Mr. I'unchard to his fowls, and may be interesting to many of the readers of The Cottage Gakdener. THE CARDEM GRAVEL FOWL WALK CRASS FOHL IMALK CRAVEL FOWL WALK CCACfi FDSVL NAUK PASTURE 3 ACRES. SCALE OF FEET a Tills copper heats the chicken houses by hot-water pipes during the winter, which can be extended to the roost and nest houses. A Wall four feet high. c Wire fence three feet liigh. d Perches arranged in a sloping form. e Windows running on cast-iron rollers, the openings being wired inside to admit air at pleasure. / Ventilators with moveable louvre boarding. A perforated zinc tube from each end of the building communicates with the ventilator and gives any degree of coolness. In winter they are closed. The roof of this building is slate nailed on boarding. ff Space pale fencing. As regards feeding, I obseiwed that the fowls are never without a supply of food, which consists of a mixture of wheat, crushed barley, and peas. The feeding-troughs are upon the same principle as the hopper of a mill. The trough itself is five feet long, and three or four inches deep, and, as the fowls take the food from the trough, it is supplied from a reservoir above, which holds two or three bushels, the supply being alike on both sides, making together a length of ten feet m each feeder. Fresh water is supplied to them every morning in Bailey's registered fountains. An air of the most perfect cleanliness pervades every part of the above ; the sleeping-places being cleaned out every morning, and fresh dry gravel or sand strewed upon the floors. Considering the very great attention given by Mr. Punchard in selecting his fowls for breeding, I need hardly say, that their progeny is first-rate, and that amongst the brown and partridge, as well as the buffs, there are a number of birds of exquisite symmetry and form. And in this I am borne out by the opinion of a gentleman from the west of England, who is one of cm' greatest amateur breeders, whom I consider myself most fortunate in meeting at Plunt's Hall. The birds, about two hundred in number, selected by Mr. Pimchard for his forthcoming auction, which I hear Avill take place on Tuesday, the 4th of .January, at Mr. Stevens's Great- room, lung-street, Covent-garden, are, as a whole, a selec- tion of a very choice and superior kind. — .J. H. 1'. [Another excellent judge of poultry has also favom-ed us with the following notes upon 3Ir. I'unchard's poultry establishment.] Many, in Mr. Punchard's situation, would have been content with the lam-els won at Birmingham in 1850, and thought but little of acquiring other Shanghae stock beyond what had been so triumphant on that occasion. Not so with him, however; for, carrying out the ti-ue principles on which alone excellence in poultry, or any other stock, can be maintained, several importations of fresh birds from tlie northern parts of China have been selected for him by intelligent cori'espondents, and been added to his collection at Blunt's Hall. "An imported bird" is now a common term, especially in advertisements, to denote some specimen of new and great excellence, and of increased value. The accuracy of this we greatly doubt ; for, hitherto, no recently-imported spe- cimen has come before us equal to the occupants of many a pen at any of our recent exhibitions. J\Ir. Sturgeon's observations led to the same conclusions as we have our- selves formed, from what has happened in Mr. Punchard's, and some other cases. It is precisely the same with other fowls, and with Spanish, perhaps, partiularly ; for we know of more than one instance wherein poultry -keepers, desiring to shine with especial lustre in that beautiful class, have had large consigments from Spain, at considei'able cost, witliout in the remotest degree increasing their chances of success. Whether Europe or Asia be their locality, the habits of poultry are identical, and mongrelism is found predominant. How zealously do we guard against it in our own well-wu'ed yards ; and how needful is our watch- fulness. Thus, wherever similar precautions are altogether neglected, we must always have a large number to select from, where purity of race, and excellence in colour and form, are the objects of our ambition : and not even then must we calculate on success. Mr. Piuichard, therefore, deserves our best thanks for continuing what becomes a very expensive, however necessary a practice; for, if one bird in twelve possesses points of sufficient merit to warrant its introduction into our yard, the cost of the other eleven must be added, and this is, probably, a favourable estimate. We can only hope, therefore, that the now rapidly-increasing numbers of poultry-keepers will have the sound sense and discretion to select stocks from such a source as Mr. Puuchai'd's, and of those other breeders who, like him, disregard cost, that the most perfect specimens of the Shanghae breed, from their native country, may gradually effect improvement in those few points, where the best English-bred birds may be 232 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. December 23. thought capaUe of it. If any be bold enough to say, We can have nothing better than some of those bu-tls that have been sliown in tlie course of the present year, we will not argue with hiui on what must be, as yet, an open question : but only add, that we must, for a time at least, import, th.1t what we now have may be maintained at its present pituli of excellence, and suffer no deterioration. Some chicks of a week old had been hatched from those last imported ; tlieir downy covering varied in every tint from brown to white; and if, in spite of Mr. Punciiard's care, a Suifolk -winter checks their growth, they will be a useful guide for the matrimonial projects of next spring. A cock and hen were here of dark \"andyl;e bro«n, almost a self-colom', so far, at least, as we could .judge, the birds being in severe moult ; iu lighter birds, the imported spe- cimens, both here and elsewhere, have generally soniewluit more of mottling tlian is commonly liked. A bamboo coop, in the corner of the yard, was their residence during the voyage ; it must have been a n.arrow residence, and far from convenient. Imjiorters would do well to insist on coops of suflicient height to allow the birds full room to stand upright ; and the bars on which they stand should always be parallel to the front. How otherwise they escape deformity in the feet is a matter of wonder. In one of Mr. Punchard's yards, eighty-five cockerels, in another sixty-five, produced a perfect blaze of colour, from which every tint might be selected. The buds were in ad- miraljle condition, and did full justice to the liberality that had awarded them so comfortable an abode, and so liberal a diet ; but our eye searches in vain for the beautiful bird that was shown at ^Vinchester ; for his rich golden hackle, and glowing buft' body colour, no less than his form and carriage, however closely imitated, is not fully attained by any of his relations now before us. ^Ve must find him, however, and Mr. Tunchard kindly takes us where he appears in company with sundry brothers and cousins, each in a separate basket. Uo you ask why ? We will tell you. They are undergoing the penance for having appeared in public; for, however peaceable and contented their eighty-five relations may live together, whenever any of them are separated, tirongh only for a few days, their retiun does not seem anyways pleasing to those who have not enjoyed the same excm-sion, and the admiration of the public ; and this dissatisfaction is some- times forcibly illustrated. Mr. Punchard's name is often exclusively associated with the partridge-coloured birds that he has brought to such excellence; but, desiring to have the SJianghae race fully represented in every branch, his yard now numbers specimens of the fawn and buff birds that would do credit to the most skilful breeding. As regards the former, we might search in vain for better than those shown by Mr. Punchard at "Winchester, and destined, we hope, for a similar victory at Birmingham. Mr. Piuichard's arrange- ment of the yards and poultry is on a large scale, and most complete in all its detail ; for, besides the gravelled court, each lot has the run of a young shrubbery and an acre or so of pasture. Fowls, indeed, were never better housed and cared for in all their wants- Were we lucky enough to have the same conveniences for our birds, we should make but one alteration, and that would be doing away with brick floors, which retain moisture, and consequently lower the temperature, and substitute the chalk, which is abun- dant in the neighbourhood. The advantage of grinding a large portion of the corn used foi' the fowls is here evidenced in a striking manner; and Mr. Punchard having a mill attaclied to his farm is, doubtless, enabled to practice such judicious economy in respect of feeding as the posses- sion of a dock of upwards of six hundred birds nuist render necessary. The aspect of the site of Mr. Punchard's different poultry yards and houses was against him ; but admirably has he remedied this objection : and a Newmarket racing-stable can hardly Ijoast of more considerations for the wants, and more caution for the health of its inmates, than are evinced in the plan and execution of his poulti-y buildings at Blunt's Hall. The kindness of !\Ir. Punchard, in aflbrding the fullest information on every point to all inquirers, must have led many to profit by his hospitality and experience. And as a large portion of his present stock are destined for the auctioneer's hammer, not only those who have already seen for themselves, but poultry-keepers of every degree, will do well to take Uiat opporluuity of ascertaining how far their own favoimtes may be benefited by the introduction of his stock. — W. THE BRISTOL J'OULTEY SHOW. TnEr.E are too many proofs to admit of a doubt that the public interest in Poultry is extending and increasing, and not the least of them is that the Exhibitions, hitherto con- fined to the north of England, almost exclusively, are now becoming general. The Bi-istol Agricultural Society, like many others, this year added a Poultry Show to their annual Exhibition of other Stock. The show was held on the Cth, Ttli, and iSth of December, in a large and commodious zoom in Partwall Lane, pai-t of the agricultural imjilement manu- factory of Messrs. Fowder and Fry. The number of pens entered for competition was '395 ; and when the excellence of many of the specimens, and the short notice given of the show, together with the iact that it precedes that at Bu'mingham by only one week, are taken into account, we are sure tliat the Committee and their excellent Secretary, Mr. Marmont, liave no reason to regret the conclusion to which they came, to add tliis new feature to their annual exhibition. Tlu^ number and respectability of the company, also, showed that they had not been mistaken in supposing that such an addition would prove atti-active, and we hope it will tmn out r e munerative to the funds of the Society. Oiu' notice of each class must, of course, be short. Taking them iu the order of the prize list (we hope the Committee will venture upon printing a catalogue next year), the Spanish first claim our attention, but with the exception of the pen for wiiieh the prize was adjudged to .Joseph Eake, Esq., there was nothing particular to notice in this class. The Doiiiings were abetter class, and the pen for which the first prize was awarded to Sliss Anne Wilcox were very good birds. The Cochins were the next, and decidedly tlie Uest class in the exhibition ; the butf preponderating, botli in number and (juality, although there were two or three pens of very fine white lireeds. Of this variety lifty-five pens were entered in class 3, and if we may judge from them of what is likely to be shown in the corresponding classes at Birmingham, the judges there will have no sinecure. Here, at all events, they had no easy task, and there can be no doubt that Cochins are the favourite fowl in the West of England. Tiie first prize was awarded, after much consi- deration, to Mr. .Tames Pond, of Bath, and the second and thu'd to T. H. Potts, Esq., of Ivingswood House. Several other pens were highly commended by the judges. We were sorry again to see the Jlalays wanting — one pen only being shown, and these not sufficiently good, in tlie opinion of the judges, to merit a prize. There were fourteen pens of Game Fowl, nearly all good, the principal prize being carried oft' by P. ^V. S. MUes, Esq. The Haniburghs were not particularly good as a class, but a few fair specimens were shown, and there was a good pen of Golden-headed Polands. Of the cross-breeds we will only say that we hope they will be excluded from all future shows, both of this and every other Society. The little Golden Bantams mustered strong, but we have seen better birds ; while of the Silver variety not a single pen appeai-ed. Some good white ones were exhibited, but the blacks were very poor. The Cochin- China Chickens were equally as good as the adult class, and out of eighteen pens, Mr. Punchard carried oft' the first and second prizes, the tliird falling to the share of Mr. Pond. We should ourselves be glad to see the different Societies adopt uniformly a rule, that ejiickens only should be shown • against chickens, and old birds against old birds, and we are very sure such an ai'rangement would save nnieh troubki to the judges, and render their decisions more satisfactory to themselves and to the public. There was a class here for "any breed," in which Mr. Potts was again successful in winning a first prize for a nice uniforiu pen of young Cocliin Chickens. The Geese were but middling. Tlie Turkies better ; and the Ducks, in which latter class iMiss Wilcox was again the winner, good. Tlie Pigeons, also, were choice, but few ; and a pair of fowl marked " Ceylon Jungle," were quite new to us, and very pretty, as well as very distinct. December 33. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 233 We ai-e not aware that the other classes reqiiire any special notice, but we cannot conclude without adding a hope that the success of the Exhibition, as a wliole, and ihe interest wliicli it evidently excited, will induce the Committee to repeat it in suhsei;iuent years, and that they will ( as, indeed, they begun this year by doingi tal;e care to avoid the very objectionable practice of appointing dealers to be judges. Upon this occasion, that not very enviable office was filled by Mr. Bissell, of Birmingham, and Mr. Bond, of Leeds. The prize list was as follows : — Class I.— SPANISH. First Prize to Joseph Rake, Esq. No otlier prize awarded. Class 2.— DORKINGS. First Prize to Mrs. Anne Wilcox. Second, Mrs. Neville. Class 3.— COCHINS. First Prize, Mr. James Pond. Second and Third, T. H, Potts, Esq. The judges highly commended pens belonging to Joseph Rake, Esq.; John R. Rodhard, Esq. ; William Plummcr, Esq. ; Mr. C. Punchard, and John Abraham, Esq. ; and commended pens shown hy Henry L. Bean Esq. i T. 11. Potts, Esq., and Mr. James Pond. Class 5.— GAME. First Prize, P. W. S. Miles, Esq. Second, Mr. Thomas Smith. Class 6,— PENCILLED HAMBURGH. We omitted to note the prizes in this class. Class 7.— SPANGLED HAMBURGH. First Prize, Charles Greig, Esq. Second, Mr. Charles Edwards. Class 8.— ROLANDS. First Prize, R. L. Bush, Esq. Second, Mr. C. J. Kenning. Class 9.— CROSS BREED. First Prize, Mr. James Pond. Second, Mr. John Erackenridge. Third, Mr. Henry S. Pigott. Class 10.— CUCKOO. No First Prize, Second, John Bumble. Class 11.— GOLD AND SILVER BANTAMS. First Prize, Mr. John R. Rodband. Second, Mr. Thomas Canning. Class 12.— WHITE BANTAMS. First Prize, Mr. G. T. Hodson. Second, Mr. Henry L. Bean. Highly commended, Mr. G, T. Hodson. Commended, Mr. John R. Rodband. Class 14.— COCHIN CHICKENS. First and Second Prizes, Mr. Charles Punchard. Third, Mr. James Pond. Commended, Brooke Smith, Esq. (two pens). Highly com- mended, G. C. Atkins, Esq. Class 15.— ANY BREED. First Prize, Mr. Thomas Potts. Second. Mr. Joseph Rake. Class 15.— TIIRKEYS. First Prize, Mr. John Hill. Second, J. R. Rodbard, Esq. Third, Dr. Wasbrough . Class I?.— GEESE. First Prize, Henry Orum. Class 18.— DUCKS. First Prize, Miss Wilcox, (Aylesbury). Second, John Wiles, Esq., (Aylesbury). Third, Mr. C. Punchard (Rouen). Class ig.-GUINEA FOWL. First Prize, John R. Rodbard, Esq. Second, Daniel Burgess, jun., Esq. Class 20.— PIGEONS. Carriers, Mr. William Martin (the whole class commended). Classes, 2i,Antwerps; 22, Barbs; 23, Croppers; 24, Runts; 25, Fantails; 26, Jacobins; 27, Turbets ; 28, Nuns; 29, Archangels; 30, Trum- peters; 31, Almond Tumblers, all to G. C. Atkins, Esq., whose birds were beautiful, and shown in excellent condition. TO CORRESPONDENTS. HiTCniN Poultry Snow. — When we first glanced over a letter addressed to us by One of the Committee of the Hitchin Ponltry Show, replying to our conriment on such shows being held for the benefit of inn-keepers, we did not observe this postscript — " Is it possible you are a disappointed exhibitor?'* We pass over the impertinence of this to reply, though scarcely necessary, that we did not exhibit directly or indi- rectly at Hitchin. Let us add. for the improvement of our correspond- ent's self-knowledge, that he who is hasty in attributing an ill-motive to another, should examine closely whether he himself would he actuated by the evil he suspects. The other portions of the letter, written tem- perately enough, leave our opinion unaltered — that no Poultry Show, should, if avoidable, be held in connection with an inn. The reasons against it are too numerous, and too apparent, to need detailing; and we are too anxious for the success of all Poultry Shows not to point out whatever we consider prejudicial to them. Preventing a Hen Sitting.— "As a breeder of Cochin-Chinas, 1 have been plagued by their propensity to sit ; and I have found the following very good plans for breaking them of that propensity, which, as at this time of the year parties do not want sitting-hens, may be useful to some of your readers. The first way is, when you notice them at all getting broody, which is easily told by their staying longer than usual on the neat when laying, and the quarrelsome disposition they acquire just at that time, to remove them to another walk, or put them in a coop, and, if possible, let them be removed before they have laid their last egg, or got fond of the nest, and in a few days they will have settled down, and the incli- nation to sit have gone off. The other plan is, instead of letting them sit on an empty nest for three weeks, and in two cases out of three finding them as bad to break of sitting as they were the first day, if not worse, let them have two or three good eggs to sit upon; they then hatch a chick or two, and they will naturally, in a day or two after hatching, leave the nest with the chickens ; let them have them a day or two to roam about with, then take them away. The hen, in a few hours, will forget her offspring, and with them her inclination to sit. The chickens, if three or four lots, may be given to one hen, or disposed of in any other way parties may think proper." — T. B. Stead. Orchid-culture (VK. S.). —All orchids should go to rest when they have completed their growth. Your Oncidiinn pupilio may continue blooming. Do not, at any time, cut down the flowering-stem till it dies naturally. Your Aerides odorata, a foot high, will most likely bloom next year ; it is evergreen. Zygopetulum Mnckayi, just blooming, must have a little water, and be kept growing. It is a winter-blooming species. Dendrobium nohile, two feet high, if the shoots are strong and well- ripened, should flower next year; let it now go to rest. It partially loses its leaves; let it remain in the present pot till it begins to grow. The Aerides would do best in a rough basket, filled with spliagnum moss only, and hung up to the rafter, about three feet from the glass. The heat you give them is quite right. Your Cuttleya mossio! is evergreen, and should be grown at the coldest end of your house ; let it remain in its present pot till spring. Orchids will do in a mixed plant stove, but should be placed at one end, where they can have the proper treatment. See The Cottage Gardener for 1850 and 1S51, for full information on Orchid-culture. SpEcniEN Plants for a Green Bank {Mrs, (7.).— We think we have seen the very banks you mention, and the waters also, but it was " long, long ago." Blore recently, we had some delightful rambles along these rivers with the late Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, in bis last efforts at painting the beautiful scenery in those parts. On the highest part of the banks we would plant a group of three or four Venetian Sumachs {Rhzts cotinus), about four feet apart each way ; and in four years they will look as one, and " make one grand specimen," as the gardener says. The flowers are charming, and they hold on a long time ; but this is not an evergreen. The trees you mention — Pinus irisignis, Abies Douglassii, and Cupressus fiinebj'is, or Chinese Cypress, as you call it — you will, probably, have to send to Edinburgh for. For such sized plants as would suit you, about 53. each would be a fair price. The Sumachs at Is. would do. If you have room enough, you ought to have a Dtodar at ,5s. ; an Auracaria imbricata, about the same; and Cupressus mitcrocarjiu and C. Gov€]na?ia, for 5s. or 6s. the two ; and see you allow thera as much room as you can spare, and do not plant them too near to the house. Wheat Dibbler. — We have been favoured with the following re- plies :— "In answer to 'T. R. N.,' the best dibbles for making the holes and delivering the seed at the sowing-time is Newberry's (Newington's?). The construction of this machine is perfectly beautiful, and wonderfully effective. It may be had for one, two, three, four, or five rows, and will sow a proportionate number of acres in the day. It delivers from one to three, and sometimes five, grains in each hole, at the rate, tlie abundant rate, of one bushel to the acre. The crop looks in RIarch like a field of green shaving-brushes : such beautiful tufts of plants so equally distri- buted. Upon land well-drained, fallowed, and enriched, six quarters per acre may be calculated upon. The sowing should take place on the furrow-slice, just mellow, but not too free, or at all harrowed, lest the holes be stopped by the adhesion of the soil. We speak of that we know ; for we have not only heard of, or .leen, but possessed, used, and felt the benefit of this dibble. The seed time should be rather early, as this deep depository does not admit of the plant coming up so rapidly as in shallow sowing. The pressed nidus for the seed gives admirable ground-hold to the plants. It has been objected, that the seed-hole forms a dan- gerous cup for the detention of water. We can only hope that land will be generally drained, when this objection will not lie, or be men- tioned. It is a wonderful invention which can render undrained land worse than it is, especially for wheat.— T. Beta." A Florist says :— " I see your correspondent, ' J. R. N.,' wishes to know which is the best 'wheat-dibbling machine.' I believe the one invented hy Mr. Gillam, of the Bear Hotel, Woodstock, Oxon, is the best. You will find it in the Exhibition catalogue; and I believe it is there recommended, and I know it to be used by many persons around here (Oxford) ; but by writing to Mr. Gillam, I have no doubt he will send him every information." Geape-growing.— Jl/r. W. Poison says :—" I have frequently been asked where the best forced grapes grew, that is, within three or four miles of any large town in England ? I have been at most of the places round the largest towns in England, Rly opinion is, that the best grapes are near the town of Leeds, in Yorkshire, where I am staying at the present time. The best near Leeds, last autumn, were in the follow- ing gentlemen's gardens, which, I think, could not be beaten near any other town— Sir G. Goodman, fli P., Mrs. Benyon, G. O. March, Esq., — Donesthorp, Esq., John Wilkinson, Esq. These are all near Leeds, and nearly all single-handed places, but far too much work for one man. If Mr. March's gardener would send you a few lines stating liow he manages to grow both Peaches and Grapes together, it would be useful to the readers of The Cottage Gardener, for those fruits are managed in a first-rate manner." It is very difficult to grow Grapes and Peaches in the same house ; and if Mr. March's gardener will favour us with his mode of treatment, he will oblige us and many of our readers. Works on Peach and Strawberry (C. Jones).~Yo\i will find these in "The Gardeners' Blonthly Volume," and they may be had of Mr. Bohn, Bookseller, London. Whose Shanghae Fowls are Unrelated ? (H.). — You are quite right in being anxious to breed from birds not of the same strain; and you are equally correct in saying it is difficult to know which are not so. All that you can do is to inquire of the sellers what is the parentage of their birds, and regulate your purchases accordingly. It is quite true, as you state, that Bir. Punchard had his stock originally from Mr. Stur- geon, but they are quite a distinct strain, and both of them have added 234- THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decemdeu 23. imported birds to their stock, so as to have quite distinct blood. The same observation applies to our own, and many other breeders of Shanghae Fowls ; their stocks originally came from some well-known yards, but have been mingled with imported birds, so as to have chickens of a strain that might be coupled, unobjectionably, with chickens from the original stock. Vinery (An old Subscriber).— Hv^nders's Treatise on the Culture of ■ the Vine will, perhaps, suit you. WooDLABK {Dctiticl{).—A warm greenhouse would not suit this bird. Dorking Cock iCuralon/uch).—\Ve cannot give you the information, ' Put in a short advertisement, and you will have abundance of answers. Damp-wali.s (M. S.).— To prevent damp penetrating, if the smell be not objectionable, paint them over thickly with coal-tar, and dust quick- lime thickly upon it. It will form an asphaltc covering. Rosii-TREE Labels (Zero). — Mr. Ivison obligingly informs ua, that , the labeh you admired at Syon House (Jardens, were made by Messrs. Morrells, 149, Fleet-street. London. i Hardenbergia monopiivlla {Everg^reen).—As. the young growth is i preen and liealthy you have no reason to be alarmed, though numbers of the old leaves turn pale and fall olF. This is just the method that nature j takes to relieve herself froai useless appendages in the case of evergreen , and semi-evergreen plants. When this, in the case of the Hnrdenberi^Ui, ' takes place to an undue excess, it is generally attributable to dryness at I the roots, a sour soil, owing to want of drainage, or a low, loggy tempe- | rature. The weather has not been so cold as to demand much fire on . that account ; but it has been so dull and misty, that a sharp fire in the \ morning would do great good by creating a rapid circulation of air. j Our impression is, that you will find your plant all right, and very beau- | tiful a few months after this. WisTEniNG Plants.— ^rt Amateur Geranium-grower, having a deep wooden frame, surrounded by a wall of turves, with wood platform to keep the plants near the glass, asks — " Can I keep Geraniums, Fuchsias, Calceolarias. Verbenas, and Auriculas, over the winter, by throwing a strong, double mat over the glass at night, and giving air at back in line days? will extra heat be necessary, or will that of oil lamps do ^" See Mr. Fish's article of last week, and somewhat similar ohl-s of last year. Your platform for the plants, and a turf wall round the boards, are capital: could you not make the latter waterproof? Your double mats will be quite sutficient for moderate frosts ; but if your plants have been growing, or there is likely to be a frost above 7"^ or 8^, you would require to place some non-conducting matciial, such as hay or straw, between them. If you would study neatness, and your own personal comfort, have a waterproofed covering. A few large earthenware bottles, tilled with hot water, would be the simplest mode of communicating heat ; but if your object is merely to preserve the plants during the winter, the bottles will not be so useful for communicating heat as in causing a cir- culation of air in muggy weather. In such a pitas yours, it is always advisable to have a bundle of dry litter ready to throw over the glass in ' any budden emergency. We think we have. previously told how a nur- seryman, with a small supply of litter, saved his pits of Mignonette, while most of his neighbours lost their stock. During the whole night, i he moved, and shook, and turned the scanty Utter. He knew all about the radiation of heat. Flower-gardens (S. S.). — Your own planting will be noticed when the plan is engraved. {Caen).—yow mistook the thing altogether, and broke the rules throughout, We plant, or, rather, suggest the planting of such plans as we publish monthly ; hut we only criticise, or give opinions on the plantmg of such other plans as are sent to us. The same repiv applies to 0. J, 77. , and we must keep to our rales. Melon Seed {rer«.r).— Any age above /ohj- years does not improve Melon seeds, and might be injurious to some varieties; but there have been no direct experiments we know of to prove this. Cutting- DOWN Laurels (///j(/).— Whoever said that Laurels cut between November and May would get their young shoots destroyed by frost must have been dreaming. Such Laurels do not make young shoots so early, by some weeks, as Laurels not touched. Laurels cut hard-in in March have not tlie slighest advantage over Laurels cut any day from the end of September to the 1st of May. \Vc have done it, or helped to do it, all these months for many years ; and if we were to begin life to-morrow as a Laurel-planter or grower, we would cut down our Laurels any time during the rest season that suited our convenience. The Laurastiaus is not a Laurel, but a Viburnum, and, on account of its (lowering, is seldom cut till late in May; but it, also, and all our hardy evergreens, may be cut any day during the winter. There has been more than philosophy about theai for ages, which wants recon- sidering. Banks of a River (il. J. L.). — W'ere it not for the overflowing of the river, all the herbaceous plants that would grow in your garden, or in your neighbouring wood, would do on these banks, notwithstanding water docs stand at eighteen inches from the surface, EpHnbiums, Lythrums, Caltha palustris. Single and Double TroUius, i'a'onies, most of the hardy Lilies, and such things will answer. Tlicn, as to shrubs, Cut -\ea.vei\ Aiders, almost all the Willows and Poplars, with the whole breed of Maffy/oUas, and most lihododendroiis, deciduous Cf/press, Snow- dron-trt^e, Bo.r-tree, Aucuba, and common Laurel, will do. Unpruned Geraniums {Fiddtestir/c). — Your Geraniums were neg- lected to be cut down at the proper time, and are now offering to make bottom shoots. Let them be as they are to the end of January, then cut them down to their bottom eyes, and about the middle or end of February shake one half nf the ball from the roots, no more, and put thera in the same pots, with a little rich soil all round; a month after that give them a good shift, and you never had better bloom or finer plants than you will have next summer; that is, because you never had a good bloom of them before : those who neglect to cut them at the right time never do. Mvs II ROOMS (E. S.). — We have never seen nor heard of raising Mush- rooms artificially on lawns, or grass fields, but we have seen fine crops of Mushrooms come up between row a of potatoes, from using old dung from spent mushroom beds to enrich the ground. We have also seen similar crops from spawning at the time of planting the potatoes. You might easily, and at very httle expense, innoculate your lawn with sume be.st spawn, and be the first to prove the experiment. Spawn your grass next May ; and in August, if the weather is dry, give them a. heavy watering once a week, and let us know the result. If you have access to old mushroom beds, you might dress your lawn next February, March, or April, with half spent dung and half coal-ashes, and that might impreg- nate the turf with spawn. But you probably know as mucli about the subject as any one else. Shaded Border {It. .4.).— Trench it three feet deep, and to within one foot of the stems of the Laurels ; then plant a row of White Lilies {Lilium candidum) at thirty inches from the hedge ; then a row of all the kinds of herbaceous Pwonics you can get, and here and there in the row, a patch of Crown Imperials in variety, in front of that, all the Narrissiis, and there arc upwards of 200 kinds of them — Snowflakes, Leurojums, a iew Ornithiigalums, and, indeed, any hardy buHis that will prow to a foot or two feet high ; and next the edge. Crocuses ■ nine inches from it, and in front of them, a row of Snowdrops, or Winter Aconite. Then each season cut down behind the White Lilies as deep as you trenched, to get rid of the Laurel roots. PvRETHRUMS A^D Raspuerries [M. F.).— You do not say which of the Pi/rethrams your Fever-few is. We suppose of the old double- white. If so, cut it nearly down, and do not disturb yourself farther abt.ut it, unless it be a tender kind. These things will go on for years. For your Raspberries, throw up beds above the level, and introduce both decayed vegetable matter, of any kind, and sand liberally, securing them that deptli above ground that ought not to be obtained below. Rasp- berries detest slow-acting mediums. As to your Aprirots, " the know- ledge of disease being half the cure." we cannot divine anything, as we do not know what may be the conditions. Diseased Ai'ricot (Topiarius). — Your Apricot, with one branch shrivelled, is probably rooted deep in an ungenial soil. We would take it up, make a platform, and replant it in sound turfy-loam. Legs or SuANGnAE Fowls (A. W. C, Norwood). — The colour of the legs of these birds is a pale yellow; a little pink down the sides of the legs, and where the scales of the legs and feet are thinnest, is not objectionable. Rape and Linseed Dust (t'e^o), — If we had this "at command," we should boil it in water, and try it with the meal we give our fowls. We should not bit?/ it for such a purpose, because we do not know what its cH'ect upon poultry may be. Planting Fruit-trees {A Subscriber from t/te First). — As your trees are either on a hill, or on the side of a steep slope, let them remain, but have your soil well-drained. Potato and Carrot Failure (Edmund). — It is very probable that the cause of the two failures was an over-rich soil and a bad season. Trench your ground: plant in February the earliest ripening potato you can obtain, and sow in April Short Horn Carrots, and you will, probably, have better success. A four-gallon stone bottle, filled with boiling water as often as it becomes nearly cold, will keep the frost out of your little greenhouse. KspALiER Rail (W, Sw/rojnJe).— Having a bar along the top is not at all a novel suggestion. They are made so very commonly both in iron and wood. The suggestion that insecis are the cause of the Potalo Murrain was made by i\Ir. Smee, in 18i0, and tlie suggestion has been repeatedly shewn to be erroneous. F. \V. S. — Your plant is Diplancs glutinosus, or Clammy Diplacus. Decay of Celery (Ibid). — The cause of the decay is not from being planted in beds, or so close to each other, but from ripeness, or being too much earthed-up at the last time performing this work ; and the soil being heavy, witfi too much wet. Rijaeness, we should say, for certain is the very cause of decay. If you will read I\Ir. Robson's explanations upon this matter, at page ISri, you will find all you desire upon this point. Clianthus poniceus, Brugmansia, Veronica speciosa u^ Two Yearns Subscnber). — Neither of the three plants we should call good plants for a warm sitting-room ; the fine green foliage of the Veronica speciosa makes it the best of them, as this can be placed out-of-doors on a showery day, should its leaves be dusty, and it can be taken in .-jgain in the evening as clean as ever; besides which, it will endure for years to be pinched up in a small pot, and kept alive with a little water occa- sionally. The Clianthus pumceus, of which you have enclosed a leaf, appears to be eaten up with the red-spider, which this plant is very subject to. It is a half-hardy, rampant-growing plant, where it has room, light, and air to go a-head. In your sitting-room it must be a prisoner for want of /(:,'/ji and utj". It does best when planted out in some large conservatory, either for training up a pillar or rafter. There it is at home, but it will almost do out under a warm wall with a little winter protection. The Brugmansia, or, as it is called, Datura, is an odd clumsy-looking plant for a viose warm sitting-room. It is true that this is not the season for this to be looking gaily. \\''e should be careful not to over-water it. Like the preceding, it needs more light and air. CucuMiJER Forcing [G. B. C). — Cucumbers in the middle of March, or sooner, may be had where a well-regulated heating apjiaratus exists. I and your pit seems very well adapted for that, provided you can command I the necessary amount of heat, both bottom and top. The latter, being I easiest attained, must not be allowed to range above "O*^ for cucumbers, ; and a certain amount of humidity given to it by placing vessels of water \ in such a way as to intercept the currents of dry heated air on its way i into the pit or house ; or, if the pipes be open and exposed, vessels ! standing on them will easily eflfect that object. In raising cucumber or I melon plants, a rather brisk bottom-heat is required, and that not too drying nor yet too humid: at the early period required for the fruit- 1 plants you had better plunge your pots containing the seeds in some i fermenting heap, and, just as the cotyledons are breaking throuph the j soil, remove them to your pit, where the atmosphere is more pure ; a ! Utile contrivance « ill enable you to give them all the available liottom- ' heat, about 80^ or S.'i^ not being too much— even iJU'' will do no harm, , provided other things are favourable. Melon jilants, to plant in your pit in May, may be reared in a dung frame prior to that time very easily; or they may be brought forward with the cucumbers, as at that period ! the seed vegetates, and the plants grow with less trouble than earlier. London : Printed by Habbt Wooldeidcb, WinchcBter High-otreet, in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Puhlished by William SoMBRViLLR Orb, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— December 23rd, 18&2. December 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 235 M W D V 11) To fl F IS 2 Sun 8 11 4Tn 5 W DEC. 30, 1352.— JAN, 5, 1833. WeATHBK NEA.B LONDON IN 1851. Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In, Snowdrop flowers. Winter Tortoise fliotll found. Circumcision. 2 sunoay after christmas, Agonum vaporariorum. Spliodrus planus ; cellars. Dromius rufescens ; bark. ■ I I '30.4as — 30.398 40—21 .S.W. — 30.262 — 30. OH 36—28 S.W. ' — 29. g.iO — 29.789 35—21 W. I — 29.694- 29.637 41— 2G S.W. ; — 29.746—29.512 49—38 S.W.I 02 30,122 — 29.539 44-20 N.W. 01 30.098 — 30.064 45— 29 ' S.W. , — Sun Rises. Sun Sets. 9 a. 8 , 57 a. 3 9 58 « IV Moon Moon's Clock K.&3. Age, aft. Sun. 8 IQ 19 3 I 9 37 20 3 30 10 a 56 21 3 69 morn. (ff 4 37 0 16 23 4 54 1 36 24 5 22 3 0 25 5 49 Day of Year, 365 366 1 2 3 4 5 DiHTEOROLOGY OF THE Webk. — At Chiswiclc, from observations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 42.5° and 31.4° respectively. The greatest heat, 56°, occurred on the 30th in 1833 ; and the lowest cold, 12°, on the 3rd in 1827. During the period 107 days were fine, and on 68 rain fell. THE IMPERIAL PAULOWNIA. {Paiilowiiia hiipcrialls.) This large-leaved tree is now well known in our gardens, and is hardy in the southern districts of England. It was first discovered by Thunberg, in .Tapan, where it rises to thirty or forty feet ; he named it B'ujnonia tomentosa, but it does not belong to Bignoniads, as is currently believed, and as we shall presently show. Dr. Siebold was the next European traveller who found it, and brought home speci- mens of it, from which it was described by him and I'ro- fessor Zuccarini, in their " Flora Jiiponica," and the name they gave, and which it retains, is in honour of tlie name of the Hereditary Princess of the Netherlands, who was daughter to the Emperor of Russia. It was first raised from seeds, in the Garden of Plants, in Paris, in 1834, by 51. Neuman, who received them " from a person to whom they had been sent from .lapan in little porcelain pots." Out of this consignment only one seed vegetated, and the plant received greenhouse treatment at first, as did the first Larch-trees that were introduced into Scotland, by the Duke of Athol. As late as 1840, M. Neuman could not deter- mine whether or not his seedling from the porcelain pot was the same as the j)lant represented in the " Flora Japonica," and there was not a second plant of it then known to be in Europe. So that Dr. Siebold was not he who first introduced Panlniimia, as is generally supposed. Wiien the tree seeded at IParis, in 184'2-3, it was dis- covered, from the nature and formation of the seed, that the tree belongs to the Figworts (ScrophulariaceiB), and not to Bignoniads, to which it is still referred by some writers. The error is easily accounted for, from the fact, that there is nothing to distinguish the one from the other in the form- ation of the flowers. The real difi'erence in the kindred orders being found in the seeds. Thus, the popular English name of Foxijlove-tree is botanically correct, in addition to the good idea it gives of the flowers which ai'e produced from the end of the branches in close panicles or thyrses. They are as wide in the mouth, but not quite so long as those of the Foxglove, and of a greyish-violet colour, with an agreeable fragrance. The nearest affinity of Paidownia is with the WUjlilia of Dr. Wallich, in the same section of Figworts as the Pentstemon. The PauJuwnia was first figured in this country, in 1841, in Mrs. Loudon's Ladies' MiKjazine of Gardening. It was well represented in Paxlon's Magazine of Botany, in 1842, but the first from English- born flowers is in the Botanical Magazine, t. 4606. In 184.3, it flowered for the first time in England, in the greenhouse of Mrs. Wray, of Cheltenham, who sent specimens of them to the writer. But it was at Claremont, we believe, that it first flowered in the opien air. In the system of Linnaeus it belongs to the second order of the fourteenth class, Didynumia Angiospermia. The Bishop of Exeter, in whose grounds at Bishopstowe, near Torquay, it has bloomed, describes the fragrance as " violet-like," but that the tree, as in the Glycine, loses much of its beauty by producing its flowers before its leaves. B. J. Propagation and Culture. — This fine tree is just as easily increased as are jiotatoes ; and something in the same way, by thick slices, or short pieces of tlie roots, without the trouble of looking for eyes; and they will grow in any kind of earth, from stiff hard clay to the poorest sandy soil. "While it is in a young, small state it is very liable to be much cut by frost : hence the reason why we see so few of them grown as fine standards, with ten feet or more of clear, straight stem ; although it may be made to make a growth of ten feet in one season. An English gentleman, writing from Paris, in 1841, said that he had seen a growth of it made that season to the extent of fourteen feet; and from him I had the first plant of it. If any one wishes to have this tree as a low spreading bush, he has only to plant a small specimen in good rich soil and let it take its chance. It is naturally of a very spreading habit, and will extend a long way, carrying immense leaves ; and I fear that is all tliat it is good for in most parts of this country. At any rate, give it the same treatment as Pihubarb, planting it in low sheltered situations, and cut it down to the ground the first two years, and it will produce leaves quite as large as an ordinary rhubarb leaf. That is just how I would manage it for a small garden. But for a standard, I would endeavour to get a good clean stem as long as possible before I would allow it to spread. The quickest way to get such a tree would be to begin with a strong plant from a nursery, to plant it late in April, in a sheltered, warm place, near a wall or building, and in a pit filled with the richest stuff or com- post about a garden ; to let it grow there three years, but for the first two years to cut it down clean to the ground before the frost, and in the third season to confine the growth to one stem, and not to let that stem branch ; then, before the frost, to tie this growth up to a strong pole, and to thatch it with straw for that winter. Next spiing, remove it to a dry, poor soil, and open situation. D. Beaton. No, CCXXIL, Vol, IX. 236 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decembeh 30. Should it be proved, by furtber and more accurate experiments, that if tlie leaves of root-crops are cut oil' before those roots have arrived at maturity, and that, notwithstanding such removal of the leaves, the roots will go on increasing in size and nutritious constituents equally with other roots of the same crop from which the leaves have not been cut off, thou will a heavy blow have fallen upon some of tlie opinions hitherto main- tained by vegetable physiologists. It will be a heavier blow to those opinions than to the botanist, this dis- covery of the transmutation of JEgilops into Wheat, for it comes upon us like a thunder-clap, and is in direct opposition to laws which we have been compelled to j live under now nearly fifty years ; whereas, every schedule and clause of the law of sports and crossings have been critically canvassed over and over again, and even pushed much farther than M. Fabre has done, but without actual proofs, like his. Two specimens of the Swedish Turnip were on the table at the Horticultural Soeiety's last meeting, not quite so purple, perhaps, as Mr. Skirving's variety, but as fine specimens of size and te.\ture as ever. Mr. Skirving exhibited in London. The whole tops of them were cut ofi' down to the quick last Septem- ber, and the wounds were now healed over ; these turnips, therefore, could never push another leaf from the crown ; but several eyes below the crown pushed and made a few leaves. They were not of a size, however, to give any support to the bulb ; they were rather sprouts, sucking from, rather than adding substance to the bulb, according to our present ideas. That part of the lecture which referred to this fact was listened to with intense interest. It began by telling us that the Eev. Mr. Smith, author of " A Word in Season," was a scientific fai'mer ; that his laud was stiff, and not well-suited for experiments; hut that by striking at the roots of popular notions, and following out notions of his own, results were obtained as far beyond present opinions as his plans were different from common practice; that his turnips, last year, after cutting the tops off as early as the tops of the two before us were cut, the yield was twenty- seven tons to the acre; that he could not got on the land this autumn to ascertain, by actual weighing, the posi- tive weight of the present crop, but that he guessed it run from twenty to twenty-four tons per acre ; that these turnips are in drills five feet apart, and a crop of early potatoes was got from the intermediate spaces before the leaves of the turnips spread out to cover the ground ; that after lifting the potatoes, the middle spaces were deeply trenched, but only taldng a small quantity of the now-broken ground to the surface; and, lastly, that before the leaves met and got crowded over the trenched parts they were cut for a green crop, and that the cutting of them did not hinder the turnip from swelling and getting heavier. After the meeting, the philosophy of all this was canvassed, and tlie question was asked— Why should the skin of a turnip, exposed to the full influence of the sun and air, at a certain age, not be able to assist and finish the growth, seeing that an apple. or a gourd, has to do as much? Why not, indeed! > You seldom read or hear of an experiment or invention without its suggesting another. And wliy should we not have undei--ground turnips, like carrots and par- snips, to get rid of the " strong, turnipy ilavour" pecu- liar to the garden turnip ? Tho " disposition" to sport in this direction has often cost the farmer more than his share of the "burden" of this heavj' country: we allude to the "hunch of keys," the " fingers and toes," and the " forks and taUs," into which the turnip " runs" every year. We must declare our opinion, however, that, at present, the experiments of the Rev. Mr. Smith, and of others, do not prove that turnip bulbs will increase in size and nutritious constituents after their leaves have been cut off. They prove no more than that the leaves may be so cut ofl' at the concluding time of their growth, and that the bulbs remain well-pi'eserved in the soil. Now, did we not know all this before ? Have not gardeners, for years past, cut tlieir carrots and parsnips down into the quick, and found that they were jireserved better than by any other mode '? It is quite true that fruits will improve in colour and flavour after they have been gathered, but they must have attained their full growth previously; and cer- tainly, after being so gathered, they never increase in weight, nor even if left on the parent plant after this is denuded of leaves. Again, if a Peach, or other fruit, is on a branch from which all the leaves fall oft' beyond it, that fruit remains stunted and deficient in flavour, or perishes entirely. In conclusion, we advise our readers to suspend their judgments until experiments more numerous and much more accurate have been tried. Let us have rows with their tops cut off alternating with rows from which the tops are not cut off. Let us have some of the tops cut otr at the end of August, and some early in September, he/ore the bulbs have completed their growth in size. If in such oases the bulbs go on not only to increase in size, but to increase in nutritious constituents also, as much as do those on which the usual amount of leaves have been left, then will it have been proved that leaves are not essential lor bulbs in the coucluding stage of their growth ; and gardeners, in future, grati- fying their praiseworthy love of neatness, probably may cut off the leaves of Crocuses, Tulips, and the like, when their bloom is over, without heeding the warnings of physiologists and " such small kine." COVENT GARDEN. On tho morning of Tuesday, the 21st iust, at an hour i when half the population of this northern hemisphere were comfortably wrapt in the arms of sleep, wo were wcuding our way to Covent Garden Market. It was an early hour; such an one as, fortunately, we have little experience of in this dark, humid season : but, being anxious to furnish our readers with some acooiuit of this great mart during Christmas week, wo encountered the difficulties of the imdertaking, and after a walk of Deormbeb 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 237 some three miles, we reached the place ahout half-past fom- or five o'clock. It is curious to traverse the roads and streets of London at this early hour. Where, twelve hoiu's before, nil was life and bustle, din and noise, now a calm, still, sepulchral gloom pervades the whole. But as we draw nearer our object of attraction, we hear and see approaching signs of life and activity, which gradually increase till we find ourselves iu a per- fect bee-hive of hum and industry. Every approach to the market is literally stemmed with waggons, carts, vans, donkey trucks, wheelbarrows, and every descrip- tion of wheeled vehicle it is possible to think of. These are being laden with the market produce, to be again conveyed to the shops of town and suburbs. For many miles some of these vehicles have travelled to be there at the marliet hour ; some even far in the country, where the very vegetables were grown they have come to purchase ; for, as the gardeners never sell anything elsewhere than in the public market, a neighbouring greengrocer may have to repair some miles to Covent Garden to purchase the cabbages he has watched grow- ing from the windows of his own house. Having now made our way right into the centre of the throng, the sound that met our ears was " Misle, Misle, Misle-to-o-o-oe!" "Holly, Holly, Holly-o-o-o !" shouted in a noisy bawl, which terminated something in the way of what musicians would call a soprano part, but cer- tainly far from musical. There were many waggon- loads of both. The former chiefly from Gloucestershire and Bucks, and the latter from Surrey, and the suburbs of London. As regarded the Misletoe, we had no doubt the former proprietors of it were right glad to get rid of it; but the Holly called up other thoughts and recollections, and carried us back to sis years ago, when spending a few days in the country during the Christ- mas week, we looked out one morning and saw two handsome hollies, each twenty-five feet high, completely bare, with no vestige of leaf or berry, except a sort of mop which had been left on the top. The evening before, when we last saw them, they were the handsomest pair in all the country for many miles round, feathered to the very ground, and rising straight as an arrow, as if they would shoot far away up into the blue sky; they were covered with a perfect shower of bright coral berries, and therein lay the temptation. Great was our grief, and great and numer- ous were the invectives we poured out on the villanous depredators, but they were miles away by this time, and very likely enjoying the fi-uits of their ill-gotten prey. How many shrubberies have been damaged and demo- lished during the past week it would be difficult to reckon ; but we feel assured some of our readers could tell of a few, and of many a handsome holly shorn of its beauties. These wanton Vandals do not restrict them- selves to cropping and trimming, but in many instances entire trees are borne away. We observed many speci- mens of handsome well-grown jjyramidal trees, from eight to ten feet high, which had been cut off close by the ground, sold for half-a-crowu and three shillings, which it must have taken many years to grow. Besides the Misletoe and Holly, there was a considerable quan- tity of Laurustinus, common Laurel, and Yew. Spiaice Firs, for German trees, were also in great abundance, and exhibited a perfect forest of little sombre moun" taineers. Vegetables. — The supply of vegetables has been unusually great, which is attributable chiefly to the mildness of the weather bringing evei-y thing in at once; the consequence is, prices have been rather dull, and sales hea^j. Savoys were making Is. per dozen. Greens, that is Coleworts, which are getting unusually large and coarse ir-om the state of the weather, realised 2s. per dozen bunches, and when a quantity was taken, such as ten or twelve dozen, they were done at 1 s. 9d. Broooli was very plentiful, more so than it has been for some time. One grower alone had as many as seventy dozen bundles. Now each of these bundles consists of from six to eight heads, according to the size, but taking the average at seven, this would give .5880 heads of Pm-ple Brocoli supplied by one man. These made 6s. per dozen bundles, or 7d. for a single one. Celery was also very plentiful, and made from Cd. to 9d. per bundle. Onions very fine, 3s. per bushel. Parsley, 3d. per bunch. Potatoes continue plentiful, and realise from ^65 to ^67 per ton. There have been a few parcels of Sea-Kale offered during the week, which were sold at from Is. 6d. to 2s. Od. per punnet, according to the quality, some of it being very weak and small. We observed also one or two bundles of Rhubarb. These last articles were, of course, both forced, and were of home growth, not im- ported, as a correspondent says his gardener would have him believe. We thank our correspondent for that communication, which shall form the subject of a few remarks on a futuie occasion. Fruit. — There has been a good supply, but not a very brisk demand for Apples ; that is, not such a demand as the salesmen had made up their minds to expect. Baking sorts made from 4s. to 7s. per bushel; and des- sert, from 6s. to 10s. 6d. We observed some fine hand- some parcels of the old Royal Russet, which realised the latter price. Blenheims and Wellingtons made 7s. 6d. to 8s., and small Golden Winter Pecmnains, 3s. There still continues a good supply of Newtoum Pippins and Lady Apples, and there have been several arrivals of the old French dessert apple, Reinette Oris. In Pears, we have only the sorts which have been enumerated in former reports. Plants and Flowers. — There has been a great show in this department. The Cut Flowers have been par- ticularly line and choice. They consist of Camellias, Scarlet Geraniums, Epiipliyllum truncatum. Azalea indiaa alba. Begonia coccinea, Ghorozemas, Cypripedium renus- tum, Roses, Christmas Roses, Violets, Chrysanthemums, Euphorbia splendens, Chinese Primroses, Polyanthus^ Narcissus, and Lily of the Valley ; the two last being forced. Flowers in Pots, were Erica gracilis. Mig- nonette, Chinese Primroses, Van Thol Tulips, and Cine- rarias.— H. ;238 THE COTTAGE GARDENER December 30. GOSSIP. It happens to those of moderate income, ahnost as fre- quently as to the -n-oallhy, that they are Jesirous to irans- plant a lanje tree to some more desired position. The plan of Brown, and its improvement by Sir Henry Steuart, are well-known, and equally so for the difficul- ties it involves. A more efficient and easy mode, it is said, has recently been invented by Mr. Stewart Mc Glashen, Sculptor, of Edinburgh; and the following report of its success has been sent to us. The experi- ment was conducted in the presence of a great number of gentlemen and practical gardeners. " The tree first experimented upon was a slender syca- more ti-ee, of fifty-three feet in height, and five feet fom- inches in circumference at the thickest part of the stem. The soil was esceethngly damp, from the hea^y rain of the previous night. " The first process of Mr. M'Glashen is to lay down a frame of T iron— in this case ten feet squai-e. He then takes cutters made of malleahle iron, one foot hroad, and three feet deep, or, with the head and neck.four and a-half feet. These cutters are chiven, by a wooden mallet, into the soil to the depth of three feet all around, and, being inserted sloping inwards, they give to the enclosed mass the form of a square blunted wedge. A rod of iron is then, laid along the top of the fom- rows of cutters, and extension rods going across the frame force the heads of the cutters apart as far as possible, and, consequently, cause the points to converge at the bottom. A clasp or gland is then put around the trunk of the tree, mth a mat under it to preserve tiie bark. Two parallel beams ai-e then laid across the frame and fastened to it witli chains. The above constitutes the frame to be raised. The means of raising the mass is a carriage (which also serves the purpose of ti'ausportation) consisting of two strong common carts, one at either end, with bolsters raised above the axletree of both, and on which bolsters rest two massive parallel beams secured to them with strong bolts. The height of the beams from the ground is about six feet. Tliey, of course, enclose the tree. The process of lifting is exceeduigly simple — the whole being accomplished by screw power. The screws are four in number, and so arranged as to make the lift equal. They are made fast to the beams of the frame, and are worked by men standing on planks across the beams of the carriage. The frame and enclosed mass are slowly raised, and the U-ee, mtli gentle oscillation, moves erectly upwards. The tree may, it is evident, be raised with- out the use of guy ropes — the soUd mass of earth efiectuaUy balancing the trunk and branches — but they were used on this occasion as an extra precaution. After about twenty minutes working of the screws, the tree was completely raised from the pit, the operation having been effected in an easy and gradual manner, and amidst tributes of admiration from all around. It was not the intention to remove the tree experimented upon, but the means of removal being exhibited and explained, all seem satisfied -nitli the feasi- bihty of the apparatus for the purpose. A strong case was shown for the enclosure of the ball of earth, when the tree is to be conveyed to any distance. In moving, the tree still maintains its erect position. The propelling power is, when horses cannot be used, by a_ winch in front of the foremost cart, and block and tackle'; but when the way is clear, and the road good, horses will do tlie work safely and more expeditiously. The tree is lowered into the pit pre- pared for it on the same principle. " The cutters, which are diiven in around the root, may sometimes sever the more expanding fibres; but this, we understand, will rather insure now ramifications in its adopted soil than at all affect the health of the plant. In fruit-trees, in fact, this is a device resorted to for the exten- sion of the roots, thus giving new \ igour to the plant. I'rom the excessive moisture of the soil on Saturday, the ball of earth was not removed in so complete a mass as might otherwise have been expected — the weiglit of the water drag- ging the moidd not adhering to the root back into the pit, hut still there was more than enough of the native soil of the tree raised nith it to insm-e its preseiwation ; and the circumstances of the experiment were, in this respect, ex- ceptional. " It is calculated that, in this instance, the weight lifted was thirteen or fourteen tons ; hut the inventor and patentee confidently states that, by an enlargement of the apparatus on the same principle, he could lift almost any tree. The principal experiment being accomplished, the company were directed to another part of the policies of Cramond House, where a holly-tree, aljout fifteen feet high, was lifted by fom- large and broad spades, forming a case to inclose the root. A similar experiment, by smaller implements, was made on a gooseberry bush, while some smaller plants were expertly lifted out by two semi-cylindrical spades. In each case the plant was extracted with its native ball of earth. All this was done, and the party afterwards wall;ed to Cramond House, within the short space of an hour and a quarter." We think that there is no probability of the price of good Shanglme fouls declining. We think so, because such birds combine more good qualities than are pos- sessed by any other variety. At present there is an increased demand for such birds of high quality. At Birmingham, Mr. Punchard sold a cock and hen for .£25, and Captain Hornby sold a cockerel and three pid- lets for i'30. The taste for them is not confined to this country; they are most highly prized at Constantinople; and a very few days since, at Southampton, a large peu of about thirty of these birds were shipped for Jersey, and another pen, containing a still larger number, for New York. The taste for Shangbaes rests upon a much firmer foundation than some fancied combination of colour, which yet would obtain an enormous price. For instance, it was reported that there would be shown at Birmingham some White Polamls with hlach crests, and we know that a gentleman was commissioned to give ,£100 for the pen if they had been there. No such variety was exhibited ; and the last specimens known to have been in existence, we are told, were in the pos- session of the Duchess of Cleveland. The following is a list of the PoiiUnj Shous of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to the list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. CornWjUx (Penzance), January 10th, and 11th. {Sees. Eev. W. AV. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and E. H. Rodd, Esq.) DoNCASTEK, .January 'ilst. (Sec. H. Moore, Esq.) Great MF.Tr.oror.iTAN, January 1st, :Jrd, ith, and .Ith. {Sec. W. Houghton.) HoNiTON, January I'ith. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) ToKQUAY, January 1-ith and l.Oth. {Sees. A. Paul, and J. C. Stack. SOME NOTES ON FORCING. Wishing to make our remarks suitable, as far as possible, to the period at which they first see the light, we will now touch on those tilings in the order tluU will best suit tlie requirements of our readers ; and siuco this popular periodical has enlarged its sphere of utility, there is little doubt of a considerable accession of readers who are in alUueut circumstances, and who possess a miniature forcing-garden, wherein tbey desire to produce those garden delicacies wliich are every day becoming more accessible to society at large. In assisting this DEOEJrDEB 30. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 2.39 object, it will be found that The Cottage Gabuenek has had no mean share, whether it be as to eatables or decorative matters: it has removed in its day no small amount of ambiguity, and, by tracing mattei's as I'ar as possible up to first principles, so highly simiilified every gardening process, that the owners of gardens may see at a glance whether things are progressing safely or not. It need scarcely be observed, that such adds much to the delights of a garden, and gives a con- fidence for increased exertions, and the outlay of more capital in garden structures, &a. KiDNEy Beans. — Although these may be obtained almost every month in the year, it is not expedient, in ordinary establishments, to attempt to obtain them before February, which may be accomplished by plant- ing immediately. In order to direct the reader's atten- tion to a due economy in the choice of objects for his glass houses, let us consider what conditions are requisite for the forcing and culture of this delicate vegetable. They are as follows : — ]st. All the light it is possible to obtain. 2nd. A temperature of air of 60° for the lowest. 3rd. A liberal amount of atmospheric moisture ever present. 4th. A position within a yard or so of the glass. In addition to these conditions, let us add, that a slight bottom-warmth of 70° to 80° is a very desirable thing if obtainable, although they are very successfully cultivated in pots without it; when they are planted ill the soil it becomes highly desirable. In considering, for a moment, the matter of light, it may be observed, that kidney-beans are very generally placed by gardeners in rows, on the kerb-stones of pits or houses, or on the back shelves of pine stoves or early forcing houses. Where such places are already occupied they may be forced very successfully in frames or pits, especially if fire-heat is applied, and a slight bottom- warmth can be obtained. If fermenting materials alone are used, the forcer must not begin until Christmas has passed, or the probability is his exertions will be rendered futile by excess of damp in the atmosphere. The tem- perature of air quoted previously must be well secured — Kidney Beans are almost as tender as Cucumbers ; they may endure more cold, but under such circum- stances they cannot be rendered profitable. And now for culture. Soil. — They love a soil rich in decayed vegetable matters, but, like a great many other subjects con- nected with both in-doors culture and the open ground, this is only a part of the question. A steady permanency of moisture at the roots of plants sub- jected to the capricious fluctuations of forcing houses during dull periods in December and January, is a thing of greater import than even that of manures. However, Kidney Beans must have a generous soil; and the stability to which we have adverted must be sus- tained by some sound loam in the compost. Again, as the season advances, and heat and light increases, so in like manner does an increase in degree of a sound staple become requisite. For eai-ly forcing, then, let there be — a compost of loam, leaf soil, and old manure, equal parts; and, for an advanced period, equal parts loam, and the other two conjointly. Now, this is the gardener's soil generally, but let not our readers be daunted as to soils — almost any generous garden soil will answer very well, esi^e- oially if somewhat dark in colour. One thing may be observed, and that is — kidney-beans love not raw soils full of fresh organic matter, and this points at once to the eligibility of any sound soils of a generous character, where loamy matters cannot be had. Pots. — We think it the best plan to use five-inch pots for the first, and when the beans are become sturdy plants to shift them into seven or nine-inch pots ; the latter, although best, require much room, but then the plants are moi'e productive. It is well to put five beans in each pot, and, when they are up, to thin to three ; thus, by striking out any two alternate ones, tlie remainder will be a triangle ; and the beans in triangles will — the pots properly placed — serve to economise space. They require but little water until the pots become filled with roots; indeed, they should not receive a drop from the sowing until fairly up, or they may rot; the soil, there- fore, at sowing, must be moist, in order to avert the necessity of watering. In all the stronger kinds the central shoot may be pinched, as in Cucumber plants ; this makes them more bushy, and less inchned to ramble ; but we doubt the practice with such kinds as the Newington Wonder, and it certainly causes the crop to be a little later. When the plants are in blossom the use of liquid-manure may commence, and, if ajjplied very weak, may be used constantly. We prefer this practice to strong doses, alternating with clear water, which latter plan is fitful in operation, forcing the plant into an expanse of foliage which is an overmatch for the root when the hour of trial arrives. The chief culture henceforth is to see that they receive regular attention as to watering ; to sufl'er them to go long dry is at once to check their bearing, if not to stop it. They must not, however, be kept wet by any means ; a medium must be observed. Eably Cucumhehs — The dung bed. — It is now an excellent time for the majority of our readers to com- mence; by the time this goes to press wo shall have reached the shortest day, a subject of rejoicing with most, excepting those who cannot pay their Christmas accounts. It is of no use people commencing the cul- ture of this esteemed vegetable earlier, unless they can see their way as to plenty of warm manure. January, in the main, is a light month ; and if the plants can be got above ground by about the second week, capital chances may he secured of cutting by the early part of March, which is pretty fair for ordinary cases. To this end, a body of fresh dung, equal to the bulk of the intended frame, must be immediately thrown together ; shaking much of the droppings-out, as they make it too fiery and hasten its decay : the object being to preserve the tex- ture of the bed as long as possible. But here a ques- tion arises: Do you make what is termed a seed bed? This is by far the best plan ; and a little two-light frame, about forty inches wide, by seven feet long, is a most capital thing for rearing young plants in, both for early Cucumbers and Melons. A frame like this, made up in January, is admirably adapted for sundry pro- pagation or rearing purposes for many weeks afterwards; and it will also serve to rear successive crops of both Melons and Cucumbers. By the use of a " seed bed," the permanent, or ridging-out bed, of course, need not be built so soon by three weeks, and it thus retains its power longer. And here we may point once more to the necessity of a thoi'ough working of the dung; without this the difficulty of culture will be much increased, as also the uncertainty in the issue. About four turnings must be resorted to, taking care that at each turning plenty of water is used, for this purifies as much as the air. Thus, a heap thrown together to-day, fresh from the stable door, may lie one week at first, then be turned, changing the interior to the exterior, and watering liberally. It may then lie about five days, and receive a similar turning ; then another five — at this another copious watering ; and again another four or five, and so on ; and at the last turning, if tree or shrubbery leaves are available, by all means add equal parts with the dung ; this makes the best fer- menting material imaginable, and it will endure twice as long as the dung alone ; besides that, the heat is so much milder, that with ordinary care it can scarcely f>AO THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 30. burn the roots of plants forced on it. Care must be taken to blend the two materials thorougbly. In building the ridging-out bed, which should be five feet high at back, and four feet at front, we never fill the interior ; but mere!}' keep building the out- sides, and what is termed tyiug-in the corners — that is, adding extra there, in order to bind the whole securely. In doing this, a good deal will of necessity tall into the interior ; and by the time the bed is finished, the middle is sometimes more than half-full. Thus there is plenty of room for soil, &c., and it is almost impossible for the plants to burn. We have found it a capital plan, in add- ing hillocks of soil, thus to proceed : — Place a very large fifleen-inch garden pot, or other vessel, on its bottom, under the centre of each light, the top or rim about fifteen inches from the glass; place it firmly, and fill it with brickbats, and throw a little straw or moss over the surface to keep the drainage secure. On these, and around them, the hillocks are placed, and we have found it impossible to hurn the roots ; good linings must, however, be sustained for very early forcing. Melons -sown about the first week of January will be ripe about the second week in May; and for that purpose either the green-fleshed Egyptian, Beachwood, Bvom- bara Hall, or Snow's, may be chosen. One of the best kinds in the kingdom is a sort grown by our old and esteemed friend, Mr, Collinson, gardener to the Marquis of Westminster, at Exton Hall; he calls it a green- fleshed Egyptian. We tiiink, for very early forcing, a compost of equal parts turfy loam, leaf soil, and mellow bog soil, excel- lent ; and if the old leaf soil has some Httle rotten manure in it so much the better, and a little of the charred materials of the rubbish yard may be added. Eor Melons, it is probable nothing will ever excel a sound loam ot a turfy character, and a twelvemonth old at least — that is to say, such as has been more than a year piled in the compost yard. Depth is the great thing with the Melon : the soil should average at least afoot to have them fine; indeed, on this, and on per- sisting in keeping down all insects by timely perse- verance, and by keeping the vine thin from the very first, depends, in the main, successful culture. To say that they delight in a generous heat is a mere truism ; but it may be observed, that pains must be taken to sustain a lively bottom-heat to the last, even with summer ISIelous. Cucumbers may be suffered to part with most of their artificial bottom-warmth in summer, but this scarcely suits the Melon. liBt us advise the early forcer to give bis frames a good stoving with sulphur before use, and on the heels of that to apply a clay paint, well charged with fi-esh lime. R. Eurington. BULBS. ( Continued from jmge 204. ) Anojiathecv crdenta (Blood-coloured).' — Of all the small bulbs from the Cape of Good Hope this is the easiest to manage and to increase, and it holds in bloom longer than any other bulb belonging to the Irids with which we are acquainted, b'rom November to March or April, it may be laid by in a drawer in a paper bag, and if it is then potted in peat, or any light sandy soil, it will soon sprout and be ready to turn out into a south border, in patches, or as an edging, in May, where it will soon be in flower; and if the seed pods are de- stroyed as fast as they are formed, the roots will keep on flowering till the frost puts a stop to them. It seeds as freely as oats or barley. February is the best time to sow them in peat — you may sow them " as thick as hail," and in May turn out the ball and divide it into four or six pieces, planting each piece separately in the open border, and by the end of July they are in bloom. I have seen it come up iu the borders, from selfsown seeds, as thick as grass. No frost will hurt the seeds, but 1 am not sure how much frost the bulbs will endure. If there was a good demand for it. there is no reason why it should not be increased so that it could be sold as cheaply as snow drops. AxoM.vrnEc.v jONCE.v (Piush-leaved). — This is not a very desirable species ; and I question very much whether it is an Anomatheca at all. I have known so many mistakes about bulbs, that I have very little faith in the characters on which they establish genera ; yet the genus was founded on this very plant, which is quite a dwarf, with a rather delicate bulb and small lilac-coloured flowers. It must be grown in a pot and in good turfy peat with a sixth part of sand. Boj[.\RE.\. — Beautiful as most of the Alstrumerias certainly are, we know none of them, either in cultiva- tion, or by dried specimens, that can at all vie in beauty and stateliuess with some of the Bomareas, of which about fifty species, and many wild varieties, have been figured and described, although we have hardly half-a- dozen of them yet in cultivation, and none of these even second-rate, except AciitifoUu, from Mexico. About a dozen years back, Mr. Pentlaud brought over three sorts of them from dill'erent situations near Cusco ; but that seems to be too far south for much beauty iu this genus : the best sorts being in a belt of couutry iu Peru, a few degrees on either side of the line. I never heard the history of the large collection which Hartweg sent to the Horticultural Society, and which were lost at Carthagena ; but, from the point where he crossed the Andes, and from the higher sources of the Magdalena, he must have met with some of them. Mr. Veitch has others gathered by Mr. Lobb ; but hitherto they have flowered in winter, and not to Mr. Veitch's miud : and no doubt, as his name is up for the best new tilings, he will not risk the chance of giving disappointment, so he proves his things before be lets them out of his hands. If his Bomareas are really winter- flowering plants by nature, they will not do here, as they, all of them, ought to flower in the open air, and in dry weather, else their delicate tints are gone. After describing what few of them wc have in cultivation, I shall give the names and localities of some of the best and most desirable to procure, in the hope that some one will lay a train by which to get them down from the mountains to some ports in Peru, and thence home by the Panama route. In Chili they call the whole tribe, Flos Martini, " St. Jlartin's Flower." Perhaps the same in Peru, and if so, that would be u hint to any of the natives for looking after them. Boji.\RE.\ AcuiiFoi,i.\. — This is the best of those wo have in cultivation. In good, rich soil it twines up ten to twelve or fifteen feet, and flowers in drooping clusters from the ends of the shoots. When the young shoots are about six inches long, in the spring, if the tops are broken off, they will branch better, rise loss high, and flower more abundantly. The flowers are nearly scarlet. It ripens seeds treely when trained against a wall, but the plants do not always come true from seeds ; all the variations that I have seen are inferior to tho species. The simplest way to train all of them is to drive a nail at the bottom of a wall, and to fasten a siring or wire to it, fastening it again at the height of eight or ten feet, and if it gets but one turn round the bottom of this it will train itself for the rest of the journey; and if it is a mild season it will keep green to Christmas. It will not cross with any Alstriimeria. Bo.MAiiKA hdu'lis. — Tlic acccut is on the u, but half the world ]>ut the stress on e. This is a West Indian stove plant, a native of St. Domingo. In tho Bo- tanical Jfaga/ine, and some other works, it is called Alstrlimeria salsiUa, a very dill'eront plant IVoni Chili. Deoembeb 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 241 The flowers are middle-sized, cliielly red, and the leaves lire quite smooth. It is a scarce plant now. BoiT.\REA uuiTjiLLA. — TIlis is tlio socoud best species in cultivation, a native of iMo.\ico. The sepals are red, and the petals greenish, dotted all over with red dots ; it does not run so much as Ac nil folia, but it is more hardy, growing up to a stake in the common shrubbery, as 1 saw it last (October, and in flower, near Oxlbrd, in the beautiful garden of the Kev. .1. Lys. It seeds against a wall, but will not cross with. Acutifulia, from the same country. It was lirst named by Sweet, and figured in his British Flower Garden. After that it was called Ovatii in the Botanical Magazine ; but Ovala is a nonentity, and must be expunged from our Dictionary. It goes to rest earlioi', and rises later in the spring than Acuti folia ; these are the two that would twine round for an edging to a bed of Alstromeria. BoMAREA SALSILI.A.— This Is a Chilian species, and one of the oldest, being the third species which l''euillet brought to ]<'rance, Peregrina and Ligta being the others : but, by a strange oversight in the Botanical Magazine, Liytti and Sahilla, out-door plants, were confounded with Edidis and AUtriJmeria caryophylloides, which are stove plants, and the error is handed down to this day in some collections. Sahilla is a very scarce plant; the flowers are purplish-red, the two back petals having a black spot at the bottom, and the lower petal a light spot. Like Acutifolla, it does not always come true from seeds. BoMAREA SIMPLEX, — There are three varieties of this with reddish-pink flowers. They are Mr. Bentland's plants from Cusco, and they flowered out-of-doors, against a greenhouse, with Dr. Herbert, at Spoflbrth, in Yorkshire, but what became of them when his collec- tion was dispersed 1 never ascertained. These are all the Bomareas that i know of in cultivation. Matthews, Tweedie, and Col. Hall, are our chief authorities for the best not yet introduced, of wliich the following are the chief : — B. sujierba. Flowers large, orange and red, twelve in a head, and each flower nearly two inclies long. Peru. B. orinita. Flowers orange and red, on footstalks as long as those of Gobcea scandens, setting the flowers widely apart; they are longer and larger than tliose of superba, and ten in a head. It must be a magnificent thing. Peru. B. crocca. This is figured in the Flora Peruviana, from "ChumpuUa in the Peruvian province of Panama." It is saffron-coloured, and grows eighteen feet high. B. pardina. Twenty large flowers on short stalks, making a superb head of yellow or orange flowers, spotted like a leopard, found by Col. Hall at a place called Patacocha, " on the western declivities of the Andes, at an elevation of 6000 feet." A splendid thing. B. Pataeoeensis. " Another magnificent plant," from the same locality as the last; flowers reddish-yellow, and thirty or more of them in a crowded head. B. lalea. Flowers bright yellow (Col. Hall), by the road to Mindo, at an elevation of 0000 feet, " on the western declivity." B.fonnosissima. Figured in the Flora Peruviana ; flowers large, purplish-red and yellow, the petals riclily spotted, and as many as eighty flowers have been counted in one head! It grows from ten to twelve feet high, "in woods near Munna." B. Hoolceriana. Petals deep orange ; sepals red ; one hundred flowers in one head! and leaves six inches long. From the province of Chacapozas, in Peru. B. densijiora. In habit and colour like AeiUifolia, and with nearly as many flowers as Hookeriana, and from the same locality. Now, to say nothing of some most beautiful Alstrij- merias and Oullanias that might bo met with, and fifty more plants etj^ually beautiful,. that wo know of only i'rom dried specimens, those Bomareas themselves would pay a spirited nurseryman to send out a clover man on purpose for them. Every one of them would outlive the winter with slight protection, or, what is just as likely, without any protection whatever. 'L'heir very names are circulated to-day for the lirst time among British, or even European gardeners, and how can we push for things we know nothing about. Bravoa gesiiniflora (Flowenng-at-the-jointsj. This is a small bulb, and in looks is the nearest to au Ixia of all the Amaryllids. 'The bulbils solid like that of a crocus, and about the same size. From among its Ixia- like leaves, it throws up a jointed ilower-scape, nine or ten inches long, flowering all the way up, two flowers at every joint, of the same shape and colour as the flower of Watsonia meriana, a dull red-tubed flower, but not more than a sixth part of the size. It is a native of Mexico, where it takes a wide range. Galeottu ibund it growing with Sprehelia fonnosissima. I had it from him, and I flowered and seeded it in an open border. It goes to rest all the winter, and will grow iu any light soil. It does not appear to do well iu a pot. I never see this plant without its remiuding me of an item in the invoice sent with it — JCiS for a stupid mule, which made a false step, pulled a huge Cactus out of a gorge, tum- bled over a precipice, aud broke his neck, yet the brute may be alive to this day for ought that I know. The British Consul in Mexico at the time could tell the tale better than I can. Broui.ea Calitornica. — This is a true Lihjwort, and is hexaudrous, or six-stamend, notwithstanding the views of DecandoUe, which are followed in our Dictionary; the old genus has been split many years, and the species with three barren stameus are now called Leiwocorijne. The present species is the newest of thetu. It was sent to the Florticultural Society, iu 184H, by Mr. Hartweg, from " the mountains and plains of the Sacramento, where it is scarce." It is a very desirable hardy bulb, with pale-blue flowers, having a dark line up the centre of each petal and sepal. It propagates itself readily by offset bulbs from the old one, and it flowers iu any good garden soil from July to October ; but the great value of this plant is for improving the other species, on the supposition that it will cross with any of them. The Chilian section, called Lcucucori/ne, are the most difScult to keep, to flower, or to increase, of all the haliUiardy bulbs. One of them, which I shall mention in its proper place, is so like this one in flower, and both are so like yrandijlora, except iu the relative size of the parts, that one can hardly believe they would refuse to cross. The constitution of this plant must be very similar to that of the Chilian species, judging from the nature of the two localities. Broiu/Ea congesta. — This is a North American species from the southern states, and may require, like yrandi- jlora, some protection in hard frost, as does the Ata- niasco lily, from the same parts. This has a light blue flower, but is more dwarfish, and smaller in all its parts than yrandijlora. The three are not vs'ell adapted for pot culture, owing to their way of growth, like the Ixiolirlons of Syria, and our own Squills These, their allies from America, look better in borders, and are less liable to mishaps there than in pots. For a man to be able to grow a good collection of bulbs in pots, he would require to find out a part of the world where no one could get at him from one year's end to another. Brodi.ea grandii'lora. — Notwithstanding the name, this flower is not quite so large, nor of such strong substance as B. Californica. In other respects it is much like it, and it is equally hardy, and flowers in summer. They all rest in ihe winter, aud prefer a light, deep sandy-soil, if it is fresh, and if not, leaf mould is the dressing for them, in very hard weather the border should be covered with saw-dust, tan, or coal ashes, and, 242 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 30. what is of muoli move cousequence, means should he at liand to throw off the wet. Much wet is more injurious to halT-hardy bulbs than cold and frost when the soil is dry, and placing clean sand about tliem is the best preventive. Brcnsvigia. — All the true Brunsvigias form a vei-y natural section of Amaryllis, with which they are now known to interbreed, establishing identity of kind. Tliey have all very large oval bulbs with a short neck ; their leaves are very broad and recumbent, or lying flat. 1'hey all flower in the autumn, after resting three or four months, and before tlie leaves come, and all of them grow with us from October till May. Amocharis falcala, the Bninsvirjia falcata of our Dictionary, and of others, differs essentially from the true Bninsrigias — iu resting four or live months in winter, and in not flower- ing until the leaves are full-grown. Our Brunsvigia ciliaris, distwha, and toxicaria, belong to a very different section, if not a true genus, called Biqihane; aud Bruns- rigia coninica of our Dictionary is an Amocharis, and cannot be determined from A. falcata, unless the two were in flower together. Coranica is figured in the Botanical Register, and called an Amarijllis, whicb is very probable ; but tlie fact has not been yet proved; at least not to our satisfaction. Biiphane can hardl)' be an Amaryllis ; yet we have seen so many barriers of generic distinctions broken down in these plants, that the wisest cannot say with certainty which is, and which is not, a proper limit to the genus, iu the absence of natural e.xperiments in crossing them. Therefore, in treating on all the species under Brunsvigia, as they stand in the Dictionary, I shall notice their sections within brackets, and explain their cultivation separately under each species. D. Be.\ton. {To he conlinued.) SOFT-WOODED, WINTER-BLOOMING, GREEN- HOUSE TWINERS. TnopffioLUM LoiiniANUM. — Most of our readers are well acquainted with the Indian Cress family, from the hardy annuals, commonly, though improperly, named Kastwtiimis, with their large showy flowers, and large round, pellate leaves ; to those more tender, tuberous kinds, such as tricolorum, in which the flowers are beautiful and well seen, though small, and more or less hand or flngerdike divided. The species I have named above was introduced, some eight years ago, by Mr. Lobb, from Columbia, and may be said to hold a middle | place in the group , the plant, when vigorous, having large pellate foliage, and, comparatively speaking, small flowers. What should be aimed at, therefore, is to make its reddish-orange flowers as numerous, and the foliage as small as possible. I'or real usefulness this jdant is second to none of the family, while, if a few simple matters are kept in view, it will stand roughish treat- ment, and thank you for it too. As an ornament for the greenhouse, in winter, few things will beat it. I was delighted with it several years ; and thougli, like many other good things, it has been set aside for a time, I intend to give it a niche next season. To save annoy- ance, I may mention, I never could please myself with it, unless for winter and spring blooming, tbougli I have tried it many ways out-of doors during the summer; planting it out in the open ground, so tiiat it might run up a post, or along a chain ; potting it in poor, saudy soil, and even cutting the roots to prevent luxuriauce, and cutting oif whole masses of the larger loliiigc; but do what I would, the inw flowers that showed them- selves, long-stalked as they were, were too much hid by tlie luxuriant foliage. Under such treatment, however, it showed itself to be a hardy annual, as the seeds that were self-sown came up as vigorously the following season as the common I'ropceohim major generally does. I might say, therefore, that the plant is truly valuable only for winter-flowering, "How must I treat it best for that purpose?" — It is easily propagated. Seeds sown in a slight heat in April or the beginning of May, will vegetate freely. Cuttings taken ofl' about the same period will answer equally well, or rather better; but, how- ever raised, the plants will soon become vigorous enough. If raised from cuttings, place the cuttings in sandy soil, round the sides of the pot ; and place it in a shady place, under glass, and in a little extra heat, if previous to June. You may cover with a bell-glass, but take it ofl' partially, or wholly, at night, or the succulent shoots will damp. As soon as rooted and growing, whether plants or cuttings, let them be potted ofl' in four-inch pots, kept close and warm, to encourage growtli, and shifted into a size larger pot, as soon as the first is filled with roots, and keep close again, until growth is freely progressing ; and then give air, gradually at first, and then freely; until by the beginning of August, at farthest, the ])lants may stand in the open air, fully exposed to all the sunshine they can get. Previously to tliat, however, they should have received their last shift. A pot eight inches in diameter will be large enough to fill a globe trellis three feet high and two feet in diameter. To mount a column, and span a wide arch in a conservatory, a pot nearly double the size would he necessary ; for inter- mediate sizes act accordingly. The soil during the whole growiug period should be light sandy loam, with a dusting of leaf mould and charcoal. When the lux- uriauce is gone, and the ]jlant is showing profusion of bloom, manure-waterings, or a good top-dressing of old cow-dung and charcoal will be gratefully received. Whether grown for an arch or a trellis, one shoot vpill always be better than many. If for an arch, it should be taken up a stake, and then on a cord fastened to the top of a wall or pole, and then moved and fastened to the arch in September, and the shoot stopped when it has nearly filled the allotted length. Manure-waterings, and removing by degrees the larger leaves, will cause the side-shoots to grow freely; and then these dangling a yard iu length, and covered with bloom, the leaves being little larger than a sixpence, few things are more beau- til'ul. One of the finest things I ever saw in this way was produced from the Maurandya Barclayana, but then, so grown in a house, its beauty was gone by August, when it, and sucli other things, might well be succeeded for three or four months by this Lolibianum. As a trellis-plant, however, it will be chiefly used. By the time its one shoot iias reached two feet in length, begin to train it round, each turn being about six inches from another, having the point of the shoot looking upward to encourage growth. When thus it reaches tlie toji of the trellis, let it bo trained a little back again, and then stop it. Ere long, not only from the base, but all over from the axils of the leaves, young shoots will peep ; plenty of water must then bo given, and full ex- posure. At short intervals, a number of the larger leaves should be removed. Do not be afraid in the matter, as we are not thinking of getting larger roots, but a profusion of bloom, with smaller foliage, and with proper watering, tliere is enough of succulence iu the stems to prevent all danger if you do not go to great extremes in thinning. The plants should be housed by the end of September. During winter you will see tlie propriety of removing at the right time the larger leaves, as lor several months you will scarcely see a green part, owing to the dense thicket of blooms. The flowers are u.seful for nosegays, owing to the groat lengtli of their flower-stulks. I have deemed it right to ehroniclo these little matters, as though the plant is of little pecuniary Deoeimbee yo. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 24.'i value, few tilings will beat it in winter when, thus managed. As 1 have got upon this genus, I may just allude to two more. TRor/EOLUM PENTAi'HYLLUM is one of the hardiest of the tuberous-rooted kinds; a native, I believe, of Monte Video. It blooms freely out-ofdoors from June to November. On this, the 2Uth of December, it is still in fair condition, running along a wire between two posts. Like most of the tuberous kinds, you cannot predicate with certainty on the time of its growth. In- stead of starting in spring, you will find that they sometimes begin to shew themselves in July, and later ; and by keeping them cool and dry, the period of start- ing will always be retarded, and in course of time get into a habit. Now, I mention this, because all late- starting bulbs of this species will bloom nicely during the winter, and profusely in early spring, along the railer of a greenhouse, or round a large trellis, if it has plenty of light and air. The soil, however, must be open and rather rich if in a medium-sized pot. I have seen them thus treated keep beautiful for the most part of a twelve month. TnopiEOLusi TUBEHosuM. — ■ A Correspondent, lately speaking of the pretty 7iii;e tubers he had so success- fully obtained, but which our English epicures a,re very careless about, added, that he would like much to know how to bloom it. Now I question if ever it could be made to rival Lohhianum ; but there is no saying what it might do, if it had house-room, and plenty of it, in winter. Even wlien I have started the tubers early, 1 never could get the shoots to show bloom until lale in the autumn. I recollect, that when first introduced, it was mentioned as a plant that grew three feet in height ; but three yards, or even three to that would be nearer the mark in our moist autumn climate. I have been rewarded with a fair portion of bloom twice, in both cases late in autumn, in such a mild season as this ; once, in a greenhouse where there was no heat, and once against a wall. In both cases the blooming was arrested by frost in November. The plant against the wall, as well as that iu the glass ease, was confined in a pot, and the soil was a little peculiar, nearly one half sandy loam, the rest roughislt gravel. Manettia BicoLOR. — Thls, with its red and yellow tubular flowers, is a gem of the first water. It generally ; blooms from November to April. A warm greenhouse ' is the place for it in winter, such as will suit progi'essing j Cinerarias and Geraniums. A cool, airy greenhouse, ' such as would suit Heaths and Azaleas that you did | not wish to hurry into bloom, would be too cold for it: a common plant-stove, far too hot. The same remarks apply to most of the family, especially during their blooming periods. This is, therefore, best when trained I round a trellis, so as to bo moveable; one, two-and-a-half feet in height, will give you means for a nice little plant. It is also one of those things for whicli a flat trellis, I mean an upright one-sided one, may be tolerated; as the blooms look very nice when thickly studded on such a sm'- face. The soil it likes is formed of equal portions of heath mould and loam, both fibry, with sand and charcoal to keep it open. JManure-watering3,ifweak, may be given with advantage during the summer, when the plant is making its growth. When standing in the greenhouse in winter, a double pot will be useful, to save the roots from being at any time suddenly chilled. Tlie water used should, for that period, be always warmer than the atmosjihere of the house. If there is no other convenience, when the plant has done flowering, it should be pruned consi- derably, and be kept in the closest and warmest end of the house, until gi-owth is freely progressing, when it must be gradually exposed to full light and air. But, where there are hotbeds, or forcing-houses, the neatest plants for winter use are obtainable from cuttings struck about March. The following is the routine for such plants. Choose firmish side-shoots, about three inches in length ; and, as second best, the points of other shoots that are getting rather firm ; insert them in sandy soil, with silver sand on the surface ; water, and when the leaves are dry, place a bell-glass over them, and set the pot in a mild hotbed ; shade from sun; iu a week, plunge the pot, if bottom-heat is not above 75°; ease tlie bell-glass at night with a ])cbble, to give a little air, making it close in the morning ; pot as soon as they root, and as soon as the small pot is filled, pot again, and keep in the hotbed ; top the shoots, that you may multiply them; an eight-inch pot will grow a nice plant; by the middle of June take them to a cold pit, keep them rather closish until August; expose them freely to sun and air in September ; give less air towards the middle of October : by the end of the month remove them where they can have a dry heat, or, for want of a better, to the warm end of a greenhouse. R. Fish. THE CHRYSANTHEMUM. ( CoHliiuwd from paije 224.) Having given in my last a few hints on cultivating this favourite flower, I now proceed to give a selected list of the best sorts, sucli as will answer " Gate's " ■ purpose, as well as of any other grower who wishes to make addition to his stock. The list includes good old kinds, as well as more recently raised ones. I went purposely, at the time they were in bloom, to see a large collection, in order to be sure of selecting good varieties. I.AEGE-FLOWERED CnEYSA^'TnEMajIS. Annie Salter, dee-p yellow; fine form, very double; the best of all yellows. Barbette, rosy-pink ; neat flower and good form. Beaut:/, a lovely blush colour; finest form, large flower ; one of the best. Bivio, violet-carmine; good form, and rich colour. California, golden-yellow ; very fine. Chancellor, clear sulphur; fine form. <7Ari6't(?!«, light rose ; very double, fine form; a good show flower. Clustered yellow, very double ; a tasselled flower of a fine colour. Cloth of Gold, golden-yellow ; extra largo ; a fine show flower. Comte Eantzan, dark bright crimson ; excellent shape; a good show flower. Cyclops, fawn and buff centre ; good. Defiance, clear white; extra form, large and very double; fine show flower; has probably won more prizes as a white than anj' other variety. Dupont de I'Eure, light carmine, shaded with orange. This is a fine variety. Duke, a pleasing blush colour, and a fine show flower, with good properties. Etoile de Versailles, blush - white, tubidar florets ; very double, and one of tlie latest bloomers. Formosa, clear white ; tine form ; a good show flower. Fleur de Marie, beautiful clear white, anemone- flowered ; fine form ; one of the very best of its class. General Bochamheau, light claret; good form. General Mareeau, light blush ; a fine sliow flower. Gluck, bright golden-yellow, anemone-flowered; very double, largo, and a good show flower. Goliah, a, lai'gc white flower ; well adapted for ex- hibition. Hengist, rich dark orange ; fine form. Hecuba, salmon, shaded with orange. Jenny Lind, pure white, incurved and very double; extra good. 244 THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. December 30. King, light rose ; a beautiful colour, very double, and a fine show flower. Linhj Talfoard, \mxe white; very large. Lavinia, a large flower, of a rosy-blush colour. Lucidum, gooci white, incurved ; a fine show flower. Madame Camarson, red-crimson, tipped with gold ; a rich-coloined flower, very double, and iirst-rate form. Madame Oodereau, light bronze, very double ; a fine show flower. Martjarel d'AnjoUyAaxk; a fine show flower; extra. Miss Kaie, a delicate lilac colour; fine form; extra. Nancu Je Scrmet, a clear white, very double anemone- flower, rivalling Fleur de Marie. Ne plus Ultra, large flower, of a pleasing lilac-peach colour. Nonpariel, rosy-Ulac ; large in size, and excellent in form. Peruvian, dark golden ooloin- ; a fine show flower. Pilot, large flower, of a beautiful pink colour ; a good show flower. Pio Nona, orange-red, with golden tip ; a rich, fine flower. Pohjclcte, bronze-orange, a large semi-double flower, long petals ; fine. Phidias (New), very distinct, from the old Phidias; rose shaded with red ; very large. Queen (if Enfjland, blush-white; a splendid large show flower. Queen of Gypsies, deep orange- red; large and fine. Rabelais, carmine and yellow ; extra show flower. Sydenham, light carmine-red ; a good show flower, with e.xcellent properties. Temple of Solomon, fine yellow ; a good show flower. The IVarden, deep orange, with a darker border ; a large, incurved, extra sliow flower. Vesta, clear white ; good form ; fine show flower. ^'ldcan, fine darli crimson. Zoe, rosy-blush ; very large. SMALL-FLOWERED, OR I'OMl'ON OHRYSANTHEMUJIS. Adela Renard, pale purple ; fine form, and very double. Argentine, silvery-white, very double, free flowerer. In my opinion this is the best of all the Pompones. Asmodee, bronze-red ; fine form, but rather flat in the face of the flower. Autumna, bronzy-huff; double and constant ; good. Bouton de Venus, rosy-white ; double, and free- bloomer. Circe, blush-lilac ; neat, double, and good form. Oijhele, golden-yellow ; fine. Elize MielU'Z, deep rose ; fine form ; very double. Fenella, bright orange, ratlier small, but good form. Fritillon, yellow ; good ibrm, medium size ; extra. Harriet le Bois, lilac centre, with purple tops ; good. Jonas, a fine-formed flower, pale lavender. La Sapajou, orange and red, anemone-flowered, witli smooth petals ; double, and good form. Madame de C'ontade, shaded blush; fine Ibrm. Madame le Oomtesse de I'alrij, light purple, broad petals ; fine form, and very double. Nonsuch, light yellow, very double ; excellent form. Nini, bufl', with white centre ; neat, and very double. Perle de Brc::il, white ; fine shape, very double. Pompon d'Or, bright golden -yellow; double, and finely lormed. Renoncule, rosy-carmine ; very distinct and fine. Roi do Liliput, rose, with carmine edge ; double, and of an cxceUcnt sliape. Siwramenlo, dark yellow ; one of the best. iSVt'Wrt, deep yellow ; freo bloomer, very double, much in the form of a ItanuuciLlus. 'i'. Ari'LiiBV. CONIFERiE. {Canlinucd from pa^/c 507. ) Ltbrocedrus. — A genus established by the late Pro- fessor Endlicher out of the Arbor Vitaes ('Thuja). Dr. Liudley tolls us, in the Horticultural Society's Journal, , that the Professor's reasons for so doing are "mainly on i account of the scales of the cones being pressed face to face, instead of overlapping at the edges ; he also relied | upon some diflerence in the seeds, which appears to be i of less importance, and which are not exactly as that ' lamented botanist supposed them." As this botanical distinction in the genus appears to be sufficient to the acumen of the learned doctor, 1 have adopted it in this list of Conifera;, though no common observer could, by its habit alone, see a sulficient diU'erence to separate it from Thuja, 'i'he name, too, is used in the gardens at Ivew, ami in all the nurseries round London, and at Bagshot ; so that we may consider it fairly established. LiBROcEDKus Chilensis (Chilian L.) — A beatiful tree, attaining, in its native habitats, the height of forty feet. It is found in valleys amongst the moimtains of Chili. It has a considerable resemblance to the common American Arbor Vitte, yet is easily distinguished from it by its more silvery green, by branching more i'rora the base, aud often forming a more conical head. Seeds have been imported largely, and, consequently, plants are plentiful in the nurseries, especially in that of Messrs. Low and Co., at Clapton, aud at Mr. Hosea Waterer's, at Knap Hill, near Bagshot. It is perfectly hardy in the south of Britain, and probably will be in the norlli also, if planted in a sheltered situation. As it is a most beautifid tree, it ought to bo in every collection. I;. DoNiANA (Mr. Don's L.). — This species is a native of New Zealand, and therefore requires the protection of the conservatory. Jn its young state it might be easily taken for a dense tree Lycopod. There arc some tine specimens, four to five feet high, in the greenhouse at Kew. Here they are strikingly beautifid, Irom their bright, lively, green foliage and singular habit of growth. As an ornament to the conservatoiy there are few Coni- fcrse that surpass it in beauty. In its native woods it attains the magnificent height of seventy feet, and is useful as a timber tree, the wood being beautifully grained, close, and heavy. L. TE-rr.AGONA (Four-sided L.).— From South America. Dr. Lindlcy observes, that " this species bids fair to be a rival to Arauaaria imbricala, and to be as hardy, for it comes from just below the snow hue of the Andes of Patagonia, where Mr. Lobb found it in the state of a tree from fifty to eighty feet high." It is a nnignilicent evergreen tree, and, being likely to bo hardy, will, when it becomes more common, be planted as largely as its rival the Araucaria. PiiYj.LouLAnus, a name derived from pIu/Hon, a leaf, and Iclados, a branch. This is a small genus of singular trees, s(^arcely hurdy enough to boar the severity of our winters; but they shoiUd have a trial in such counties as i levou and Cornwall, or ))orhaps against a conserva- tive wall for a few years, till they become woody, and inured imrtinlly, aud afterwards planted out in a shel- tered sit'.uition, they might become more able to resist the cold. I have seen one species, the /■'. rhouihoidalis, growing in the open air in the Botanic Garden, at Bel- fast, and was informed it had stood the winter thcn^ with scarcely any jn-otcction ; but then the climate of Ireland is much milder, especially near the sea, than most parts of lOngland. In that locality (H('"'iist) 1 saw i''uchsias twelve and fotirteen feet high, with stems as thick as my leg, and a])parently ten or twelve years old, quite bushy trees. Well may such trees as Phyllo- eladus live through the winter in such a climate. It is true the Fuchsia is hardy here also, but it only exists as December 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 245 a land of berbaceous pereiiuial, dying down to the soil odgo every ordinary winter. PiiYLLocLADus TRicHOMANoiDEs (Maidon-bair-like P.). — Tbis is another remarkable New Zealand tree, bearing some resemblance to the curious-leaved SitUshuria adiaa- tifol'm, only the leaves are more divided at the margin. When young, the foliage is a blue-green ; but as the leaves become old they become of a dark brownish-purple, ] giving the tree a most singular outlandish appearance. As a contrast in colour, as well as a great ciu'iosity, the plant is worthy of a place in a large conservatory. Like most of the New Zealand trees, its hardihood, except in highly-favoured situations, is more tlian doubtful, and it is, therefore, safer to give it a gentle protection. A very interesting collection might bo foi'med of trees and shrubs like this that would live in a glass-house with- out heat, but are not hardy enough to be entirely e.x:- posed. The only expense would bo the cost of the building at first, the keeping them clear of weeds and insects, and a little attention to pruning, and thereby keeping them in form. Some day or another I will draw up a list of plants suitable for such a cold habita- tion. I am quite sure such a building would be useful, for more plants are spoiled by too much heat than many persons are aware of. P. RHOMBoiDAUs (PJiomboid or Celery -topped P.). — This is the P. asplenifoUa of Dr. Hooker the younger. It is a native of Van Diemen's Land. Like its co- species, it has a most singular appearance, and is a beautiful branching tree, found growing close to the sea-shore. It can only be called a half-hardy tree, requiring the protection of a conservatory, or a glass- house without artificial heat. T. Appleby. {To be continued.) HOT-WATER verms POLMAISE. SojiE years ago, a warm controversy was carried on in oiu' then existing gardening periodicals of the relative merits of the two modes of heating noted above. The advocates of the newly-invented system of heating by propelling currents of warmed air to circulate through the interior of the building, insisted that the sluggish warmth imparted by hot-water-pipes or tanks, tainted, rather than improved, the condition of the atmospheric air it acted upon ; and though it supplied the necessary amount of heat, it was said to be more of a mechanical than of a natural kind. Against this imputation, the friends of iron and water pointed to the many instances in which the atmosphere of structures intended to be Polmaise was little more than a compound of smoke and steam, supplied separately or together, as the case might be ; while, in some other cases, where these agents were kept under proper control, the heat supplied was, by certain wayward propensities of its own, all confined to one end, or other place of entrance ; coupled with these evils was the extravagant use of fuel required to furnish heat from so limited a space as that from which it was, in the true Polmaise system, confined; this latter evil led to the apparatus taking the character of a " flue " (either long or short) entering or traversing tho house; where such was done, the Polmaise resolved itself into nothing more than the old-fashioned " smoke- flue," about whose action our grandfathers knew about as much as we do. Various impi-ovements, in the way of amalgamating the flue and Polmaise together, were tried with more or less success, and the latter plan itself became so altered in character, that its original inveutor can hardly recognise it now as having any analogy with the "hole-in-the-wall," and "wet-blanket-" mode by which he first introduced it. However, it must be admitted, that some of those hybrid contrivances, whereby the merits of the Polmaise and the smoke- flue become united, act tolerably well ; and, in some few instances, where good gardening skill is brought to bear in the matter, the production of such Polmaise-heated structures cannot he excelled by that of any other con- trivance whatever ; it is, therefore, only just to infer from such results, that the principle is a good one, but the practical details of workiug it out ratlier difficult. This, I believe, its most sanguine friends admit; since none, that I am aware of, have continued long in working order without something going wrong, or, it might be, an im- provement appear feasible. I believe the most successful cases of Polmaise- heating are to be found amongst the class called amateurs ; nurserymen, and others in trade, having less interest in novelty than proved utility ; while a gentleman's gardener, recommending tho construc- tion of anything difi'ering much from what preceded it, is supposed to place himself in the position of war- ranting its utility, and naturally enough strives to make it fulfil its intended purposes. So that, in cases where the adoption was at liis request, I believe the plan had as fair a trial as could he given to anything where the reputation of the adviser was at stake ; still, there were many cases where it was abandoned, and hot-water, or something else substituted, and this at a time when gardening periodicals were poiu'traying its merits, or decrying its inutility ; in fact, the time chosen was one in which it might be iuUy said to have every advantage ■ of a fair trial, its advocates and accusers being both men of experience, and well qualified, by long practice, to judge of the merits of anything likely to be of ad- vantage to the horticultural world ; but the test still lay with that mighty dispenser of justice, "the British public," vcho, however prone to run away after_ every novel piece of quackery, be that a railway or a universal medicine, is, nevertheless, sooner or later brought to exercise a sound judgment on each individual case ; and in the one regarding Polmaise, it can hardly bo ques- tioned by its best friends, but that the public verdict has been an adverse one; there may be those who doubt the justice of that verdict, the same as others may difier from that of the Lord Chancellor in other matters, but that does not much aft'ect the ease ; for until some strenuous friend of Polmaise show "just cause why its merits have been undervalued, and its defects over- strained, or rather, until he be able to improve the one, and diminish the other, Polmaise must certainly stand second to hot - water as a heating medium." In this view, I believe, I am sustained by the great body of the horticultural world, and certainly by none more so than those who, having given it a i'air trial; have abandoned it as defective. Still, it must be admitted, that there are some instances where it has been found to answer, and admirably to ; and where it does act well, the condition of the products inside tell, in unmistakeable language, how well the plan suits them. The advantages of a circulation of air, which it is said the Polmaise has over that of other plans, is certainly an important adjunct to the well-being of either the animal or vegetable world; but we may yet live to see a greater circulation of air in liot-water-heated structures tlian has yet been done by a more liberal influx and oillux from and to the open air. It may be true, that some expense will attend heating a certain quantity of air allowed to escape, but if it be attended with increased luxuriance to the plants grown there, the matter be- comes one deserving attention ; but this is foreign to the subject of weighing the merits of the two systems as they now stand, so that we must look to the results accomplished in each case ; and, giving due attention to the trouble and expense in each instance, we are certainly led to believe that hot- water is, in nine cases out of ten, preferable to Polmaise, as, even with those who have managed tho latter in the best manner, the 246 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Decembek 30. oonsumptiou of fuel is much greater thau in bot-water- iieated structures. Tliis is certainly an object of con- sequence where Uriug is dear, added to wliicli, is the difficulty of contriving to have the fire to act on a substance that will admit the greatest possible amount of heat through without giving way in any manner. Oast-iron plates have been tried, but the action of the fire on tlie one side expanding that side soon deranges it ; and, the edges curling up or down, tlie smoke escapes into the liouse as well as the heated air. The best apparatus for heating in that way was by using what hop-driers call a " cockle," which is a square cast-iron bo.K, of something like five or si.-;: cubic feet interior dimensions. This bo.x, being cast whole, is without a lid, and an opening (not very large) is made on one side, to which a piece of pipe is attached, conveying the smoke to the chimney. This box, being turned bottom upwards over the fire-place, is thus secured ; but the air to be heated has access to it on the top and all sides as well as the one from whicli the smoke -flue proceeds. This is usually built against the wall, and not nnfre- quently the front wall, because it enables all tlie other sides to act on the hot-air chamber. The admission of cold air to this chamber, and the outlet for the warmer portion, by passing over a vessel of water, &c., are the matters in detail which have long been subjects of con- troversy. Suffice it to say, that in the few instances where it has proved successful, it has been eminently so; while the many oases on record where it has failed, present a sad tale of tlie damage done by smoke, steam, want of beat, and many other evils. These disasters, repeated so often, imply either a defect in the con- struction, or that the plan must be a hazardous one. Taking the latter for our guide, we would at once advise the amateur, wlio is about building or heating a pit or house, to make himself well acquainted with Polmaise before be ventures to adopt it ; and, in the absence of the most perfect confidence of his experience that way, we advise bim to try hot - water in some of the many shapes it is now presented to our use, which, though none of them be so perfect as they may become, are certainly more likely to give satisfaction than the hazardous plan of Polmaise; but more of this anon. J. Ronsox. THE POOR TAILOR. Bi/ the Authoress of "Jl/y Flowers," (C'c. I AM going to introduce my readers to a scene of (luict, unobtrusive want and distress, which very few know anythiiis aliout, and which it would bo very wholesome to many of us to see and understand. Poverty is sometimes clamorous, and most frequently easy to be perceived. ^Ye look for it among the liumblest classes, and for them, what can be done is always set apart; but tliere is a class of sufferers wliich do not come within the limits of what is called charity — they are too respectable, too delicate to beg, and too superior in their little station to be supposed to be in want; so tliat kind liearts pass them by, and never hear tlio sigh of the sorrowful through the closed door. William .lenkins is a tall, thin, pale, rpiiet village tailor. His wife is as tall, and pale, and thin as himself ; and they inhabit so small a cottage, that one expects to see their heads protruding from the roof. Until last summer they j possessed three pale, sickly little children, whose voices were never heard, and whose figures were never seen, imless the door was opened, when .Jenkins and his board seemed to take up full half of the little kitchen, leaving just room enough for tlio wife and children to stand or sit still in the darkness and closeness bchmd bis seat. They are such remarkably quiet keepers at lionie, that no one seems to know anything of them. .Tonkins has a bit of allotment gi-nund, which he manages tolerably well, and to go down whh tlieir father sometimes to this garden has been the only air and exercise the poor little children enjoy; and their large melancholy eyes, and solemn faces, speali volumes about the want of childish play which otlier children have, but which they cannot get at ; having no space behind the liouse, and being stricUy kept from running into evil in the sti'eet. .Jenkins used always to have plenty of work. Eai'ly and late he was sitting before his window, with work piled about him ; and then he made nothing of " stopping " over to the nearest town, about seven miles from the village, besides going about for orders, and looking after his garden-ground too. He is a man who knows " the Truth," and can speak well about it — liis habits are veiy sober, peaceable, and un- otienLliug, and as a tailor he was rather an eminent charac- ter. He was always obhging, punctual, and fair in his charges — made capital shooting-coats, and rough countrj- clothes, and things seemed to promise well for him and his pale family. Alas ! times are changed with poor Jenkins. My riews of political affairs are, of course, of none account ; as a lady, I am supposed to know and understand nothing; but times are, nevertheless, changed, and Jenkins knows it well. There is no work for petty tailors, shoemakers, and artists of that calibre. People have no money, and their wants ai'e narrowing into as small a compass as possible. More than one of the little tradesmen in the \illage are almost in a starving state ; and they look viith trembling upon that which is coming upon them. Last summer Mrs. Jenkins became the mother of twins. It seemed a severe calamity; for her weakness was great, their privations extreme, and the addition of two babies to their other difficulties was almost overwhelming. One of the elder girls had always been afflicted in health; it was a pining, whining little creatm'e, and its poor mother's nights had always been disturbed and broken with its cries and fretting. Two babies, in addition to other ch'awbacks, was almost beyond the strength and spirits of the poor mother, and her recovery was long and tedious. Fatigue, broken rest, no nomdshnient, and live children I Oh, Uttle think the rich wliat sufferings are endured within the cottages that stand thicldy dotted around them. Oh ! if tiiey would but search and look, and give witli their own hand, how much misery would be removed, how much sorrow, and sigliing, and sadness, would be done away, even here, now, amid this world of tears and trouble. One of their neighbours, a kind-hearted, pitying widow, told the tale of poor Jenkins' distresses. She saul she knew tliey were literally in want of food, and that among them- selves their poor neighbours had collected a few halfpence to relieve them. Inquiry was instantly made, and it was found quite true. Jenkins was himself unwell, his wife almost exhausted, and one of the twins had never ceased pining and fretting since its birth ; so that by night and by day it was a burden to them. Some trifling assistance was at once given ; and a kind-hearted farmer did the best thing of all, for he sent them a large can of milk every morning, wliich nourished parents and children ; but it was not pos- sible to do all that was wanted, fiir they had scarcely any- thing of their own. Now and then Jenkins earned a shd- ling, but they could not bear to be in debt, and would rather go without food than take out goods they kuew not liow to pay for. Mrs. Jenkins at last recovered from her long illness, and got about again ; but the door is always closed, the family are always shut quietly in, and no one sees or hears them. One day, a lady was passing through a narrow passage that leads by Jenkins' back door to that of another cottage, and stopped to speak to his wife, who was washing in the small space that they called their pantry. Her eyes were bright, but she was thinner and paler tlinn e\er, and a child or two were standing quietly by her side, in the midst of tlie steam and wet linen. In a calm, low voice, Mrs. Jenkins spoke a few words that led to further iuquu-ies, and revealed the extremity of her weakness and distress. Slie said she has mimy blessings; licr husband never goes into a beer- house, or spends one half-penny from bis wife and child- ren— be is kind and thoughtful. Her nights lue such with her two babies, that when morning conies she has no strength or spirits. " I seem, ma'am, to bo unable to get up — it seems too mighty for me; but then I think to myself, this won't do, T must get on soniehnw, and I do get dressed at last. My husband lights the lire, and puts Deoembek 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENEH. 247 the iettle on, and does what he can, hut somethnes I feel as if I could not live through it." There was a vein of religious trust and faith in tliis poor suli'erers mind. She knew and spoke of God's promises, and she said they upheld her ; hut for them she should be utterly cast down ; and she said she knew that nothing could overwhelm one who acted fully on them. She leaned against the wall, weeping, as she spoke, and said it did lier good, and seemed to relieve her, when she could open her heart to one who felt for her; she thought much of her depression arose from weakness of body, for her heart seemed strong, though her limbs trembled, and tears flowed from lier eyes. Poverty like this, perhaps not so meekly borne, but poverty like this meets us at every turn. Where the purse is full, there is plenty for the hand to do ; even a word of syn)pathy and consolation is as balm to the bruised reed, and that can always be given. Where there is only moderate means, much mUjhl be spared, cut down, or made the most of, to help the suffering, if they were only sought out and cared for. A Christmas, a New Year's dinner, would not do us the less good if it was shared and doled out to the poor, instead of being spread for the affluent. " They cannot re- compense thee," saith our Lord, " for thou shalt he recom- pensed at the resuiTection of the just ;" will not tlds satisfy us ; can we not " call the poor, the lame, the maimed, the blind, "ybr Jesus Christ's sa/ee i The old year is ready to depart, and I would say one word to my readers, for it is a " time to speak." Are we all "considering our latter end?" "An end," " the end" is coming upon us aU. AYho can say he will live to see the close of another year? Are we ivatchbig .' for " the Lord is at hand." Let us keep a solemn fast; not ''to bow down the head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under" us; "wilt thou call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?" No. Let us listen to God's directions how we shall humble ourselves before Him. " Is not this the fast that I have chosen ? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke ? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him ; and that thou hide not thyself from tliine own flesh ? " " Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer ; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, here I am." My dear cottage readers, and all my readers, my pen wiU never stop if I transcribe these blessings. Let me refer you to the "table of stone," written with the finger of God. Turn, amidst your worldly huiTy, to the SOtli chapter of Isaiah, read it, stuclj/ it tvell. Let it be your old year's chapter and your new year's chapter. You are all gardeners; be your- selves " watered gardens ; " " draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul;" be ye followers of Christ, "the Lord is at hand." Every one of us has, I will engage to say, a "poor brother," a needy, or a suffering neighbour; however small our means may be, we may put a " cup of cold water" to the lips of one poorer and sickher still. Let us remember the poor tailor, his weakly mfe, and the cradle with a little head lying at each end. This will quicken our search after other objects of quiet, patient sufl'ering ; and we shall relish our own loaf a hundred times more, when we have popped one in at a poor man's door. " Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, here I am." Can we wish each other a richer heritage for the coming year ? ALLOTMENT FARMING.— Januahy. A Hj\tpy new year to our allotment friends, and our small farmers and cottage gardeners, and let us hope it will be a prosijerous one to its very close; that it may prove so, let them enter the field determined to conquer, for there is a bravery in industry, although not precisely that of the battle- field. Our industrious readers, those who were quite in earnest through the past year in matters of high culture, will now be enjoying their stores, and will occasionally find such things as carrots, parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, savoys, &c., excellent companions to a lump of boiled bacon ; boiled, of course, in the same pot. And here we stop, to recommend every poor man who possesses a family of children to purchase a bushel of whole boiling peas every November, and to make a point of using them twice- a-week. Nothmg is more economical in a house, nothing more nutritious. 'We have reared a family of eleven child- ren, a particularly healthy family, thanks to Almiglily God, and they have been thus dieted during the last twenty-four years, so that we at least claim some experience in the use of peas. We generally boil them in a bag, in the same kettle where reposes a lump of fat bacon, or sometimes a piece of the " bed" of beef, and in the same kettle may be found parsnips, caixots, artichokes, turnips, ifcc. A bushel of good boilers costs about Os. or Us., but they must be good ; as for split peas, we never think of them. Children, in general, are excessively fond of peas, we have seldom known them refused. And then the liciuor ; we always keep a bunch of mint in the kitchen, and this being powdered liberally into the pot-liquor makes capital pea-soup. Whilst on this part of our subject, let us point to boiled leeks as another nice necessary to the poor man's table. Now the leeks must be good, grown specially ; our's are as thiclc as a rolling-pin, and perfectly white ; in length from about eight to ten inches, that is to say, the blanched part ; these, well boiled, require a little butter and plenty of salt, and then greatly resemble first-rate sea-kale, the blanching process reducing all ranliness of flavour. And, now, let us reflect for a moment on the late extraor- dinary weather, and the probable consequences, llain ! Eain ! and an unusually high temperature ever since the early part of November, and that, too, nearly all over our island. It would scarcely be too bold to challenge a well- bleached old gentleman of some four-score years to produce its equal. It is not a matter of wet alone, but of warmth, or, if you will, mildness combined, that gives a special cha- racter to the period we have just passed. And now it is that those who possibly may have thought the advice about thorough drainage, (fee, in our autumn allotment papers, too particular, will be convinced that England has not yet half done its duty in this respect. It is of no use looking cross at such pressing advices ; the truth ought to be told, and will be told, and the pressure of the times we live in will shortly enforce it. Some other consequences may be expected to follow also ; vegetables, of whatever kind, will be so tender as to become a mass of putrefaction on the frosty trial which may await them ; and store-roots, too ; we fear the unusual tempera- ture may have the ett'ect of causing much sprouting, and sprouting is a wasting of the stored up virtues of the roots. To be sure, they may increase in size after cutting their heads oif, at least so they say now-a-days ; but really, this looks too specious to be sound. Let, therefore, a jealous eye be kept on the roots in store ; let them be examined at times in order to be sure that " all's well." These things set in order, the state of the soil should be well looked to as preparatory to the cropping of tlie next year. Doubtless, portions will have become stag- nant through continued wet weatlier, and means should be taken to enable the waters to pass and the frost to enter. Now, we by no means advise the working of the soil by dig- ging or trenching in a wet state, but lodgments of water may be got away by heaving up stagnant soils here and there, and this we have accomphshed lately by using an kon crow-bar, " prising " up the soil, and sometimes by the potato fork. Through the extraordinary wet weather, and the compara- tive absence of frosts, both farmers and gardeners will be in arrears as to carting and wheeling out manures, and what is worse, many thousands of pounds worth of property in the liquid state will have passed down ditches. These ex- treme cases will tend to teach people a better economy in manure heaps than to sufler them to lay abroad with large surfaces exposed to drenching rains. Walks, Boundabies, &c. — The allotment cultivator re- quires but few walks, but what he has should be kept in sound repair. It is annoying to think how much time is lost by rotten walks and alleys ; they are, in fact, a hindrance to business at all times and in every sense. We find nothing equal to coal-ashes for the pui-pose, and have made some of the best walks imaginable by applying the quantity in- tended for a given time, in two coats, one-half laid on and dug in, and the other added without digging, as a casing at 24S THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. December 30. last, taking care to keep the walks full in the middle. Tliis is biisiness which may he at once proceeded with, and any hoimdary fences or divisions of any kind, which require repairing, let it be done as soon as possiWe ; let not any- thing of the kind, by any means, or under any pretence, stand over and interfere with spring or summer culture. Manuees. — Let those plots which require manuring for cropping in February or March be manured as soon as weather permits ; it may be spread at once at this period, as httle loss by evaporation can talve place at this season ; but by all means let the ground be dug before a " JIarcli dust" prevails. Any manure remaining should be dressed carefully up in a conical heap, patting the outside smootii, or casing it over with soil. We beg again to recom- mend the preservation of all soot, and if you can Ijeg your neiglibours sweepings, so much the bettor; add them to your manure-heap, ouly reserving enough in the dry for ch'ill-cropping, or what we terra practically "priming." As before observed, get some guano, the real Peruvian, and mix three-parts soot to one-part guano ; let these bo thoroughly mixed, and to facilitate their mixing, let plenty of really dry dust of any kind be added — we have added wood-ashes. This, wlien well blended, may receive an addition ot ordi- nary soil to increase its bull; three times, if old leaf soil or very old manure, all the better. Such will be found a capital fertiliser, sown in the drills ivitli the seed of sucli things as mangold, swedes, carrots, parsnips, ttc, and will soon sjieed the young plant out of the way of mischief. Potatoes. — As the season has been so mild, folks may expect to ha\e long sprouts on their potatoes at planting time, unless they liave them examined and turned over immediately. If they are advancing too fast, let them be placed thinner ; and, if in ]nts for seed, by all means lot them be taken out before the end of the month, and spread on some floor. Parsnips may be taken entirely up at the end of the month, or they will soon sprout, and lose quality. The ground, too, will be placed at the service of the succeeding crops. Cabbages. — We advise those who have young plants for spring-planting to protect them slightly if severe frost occurs. Vegetables are so very succulent, that we are per- fectly justified in anticipating much destruction in this way, in consequence of their tissue being distended in an un- usual way. A large bundle of new straw, or a little fern, strewed over tlie seed bed, or those priclied out, will, perhaps, ensure the cultivator a crop. The very liest plan is to let them become frozen, about an inch deep, on to the soil, and then to cover in order to prevent them tliawing ; and by no means di'eam of uncovering to admit sunshine : keep them asleep if you can until the end of the frost. Those cab- bage plants planted in autumn for early work may have a little soil drawn to their stems wlien tolerably dry, in order to keep their shallow fibres from severe changes. Lettuces. — Prtjtect precisely on the same principle as the cabbages, only do not lot them endure quite so much frost as the cabbage. Rhubarb. — Those who have a reason for obtaining this early should throw a covering of the strawy portion of the manure over it when in a perfectly thawed state. This, indeed, should have been done in the beginning of Novem- ber: but lietter late tlian never. There are those amongst cottagers who, keeping a cow and a pig or two, have a little reeldng manure ; and such we have known to produce Rhubarb of a somewhat profitable character in the market at the end of .January. All they want is powerful crowns cultivated specially in a nook sheltered from the winds, and a few old tall chimney-pots, a yard in height. Tliose, the crown having been protected in the aforesaid manner to keep frost oilt in November, should have their chimney- pots on as soon as Old Christmas has turned his Ijack ; and, of course, the warm manure piled around ; a whisp of litter tightly crammed in serving for a cover. Of course, sea kale may be served the same ; but we do not advise any but shrewd men of tliis class to attempt it. Shanking. — JMost of our readers know tluit cabbage- plants, lettuces, .tc, are liable to wither up in the stem during the winter months : this may arise from various causes. Every ono interested in good culture should always I keep some really dry dust by him : this furnishes the bulk of a useful compost. Let him add to a gallon of this dust a half.gallon of quick hme, and as much charcoal dust, and stir tliem well: this will bo fomid a mixtm'e at once arrest- ing cankery processes, and an enemy of slugs, snails, ifcc. K. ElUUNGION. THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— Jan uarv. ' The Blc-Kc ct'pfr s Bi/ J, II. PaijiiCj Esq., Autltor of Guide," dr. Tiiii Sim has again entered his upward com-se in the ecliptic, and our little pets will be amongst the first to be affected by his influence, therefore it behoves their owners to look well to their store of food, now that they '«t11 be arousing themselves to life and activity. Feeding. — It wiU be well, on the first mild and dry day, to have a thorough examination of all the stocks, and to clean the floor-boards. Where it can be ascertained that the stock has eight or ten pounds of honey in store, feeding had belter be put ofi' till next month ; but where ouly four or five pounds, it will be safe to commence at once. If lioney or syrup is used, choose a mild, dry evening for supplying it ; but if barley-sugar, it matters not so much wlien it is given. Hives. — It wiU now shortly be time to look over the stock of hives and boxes for the forthcoming season, and I would take this opportunity of saying to the readers of The Cottage Gabdenek, who may wish to bo supplied through me, that if they will malve their apphcatious early, it will save much delay and inconvenience ; for the poor man who makes them suflFers under a painful infirmity, which inca- pacitates him for any other worlc, and hurry, even in this, distresses him much.* Snow. — Be careful to close the entrance of every hive whilst snow lies upon the ground; for when the sun shines upon it the bees are induced to come out, and scai'cely one in a dozen that aliglits upon it ever rises again. Enemies. — The chief, and, indeed, the only enemies at this season, are bu-ds and mice, both of which should be carefully guarded against. MooKS. — The reports generally of bees sent to the moors this year are very good, some having obtained a prodigious quantity of honey, in an unusually short time, and of first- rate quality. To this I can liear testimony ; for through the Idndness of a friend I have been indulged with a bountiful supply of it. VISITS TO SOME OF THE CHIEF POULTRY YARDS OF ENGLAND.— No. i. (Penzance.) {Continued from jinije 211.) Mr. Fo.x, the owner of the nursery grounds, is him- self both a fowl and a pigeon fancier. Of the former he possesses several varieties, but they are mostly young birds, and have not attained the size and beauty which tliey will doubtless exhiliit when the time comes for their appear- ance in the show-pen. These remarks apply especially to some Spanish fowls, as also to a very lu'omising lot of white- crested black I'olands — recent importations from celebrated breeders. The colour of its plumage is a great recom- mendation to the SpanisVi fowl, when kept in close confine- ment in a yard of limited space, but at tlie same time no bird does greater credit to the omier who indulges it with a good run, free from the smoke of towns. The brilliant metallic lustre which is lavished on well-bred S|)ecimens— the coral comb, and white ear-lidie extending over the whole cheek, have deservedly rendered it a favourite with many. In former days Mr. Fox, whom we long remember as a poultry-keeper, possessed what were llicn reckoned first- class birds — MlnofcKs, or, as thoy were sometimes called, .Ineuncx — fowls somewhat more bulky, but ilestituto of the elegance of the pure bred Spanish, although attaining great size, and being capital hiyers. The various appellations assigned to them are googrnphioally correct, for Ihruughout the whole extent of tho Mediterranean cuasts a race of fowls are found allied to the Spanish, though siidly degenerated when compared to the first class birds of the lU'esent day, * DIr. Payne's direction is ".r. H. Paj-nc, Eaii., Uury St. Edmunds." Deoembru 30. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 249 The black Polands belonging to Sir. Fox are still very juvenile, but already display undeniable evidence of a pure origin, 'i'be ivliite crest, slightly stained with a few black feathers in front ; the wing and tail of the cockerel tinged with white ; the comb small and spiked, are the principal marks according to which excellence is now awarded ; but in every coloivr of this race one tiling is essential, a full, compact, globular tuft in the hens, while in tlie male birds it must fall backwards on tlie neck; for any irregularity in the crest is fatal to the pretensions of either sex. A black I'olisli ohicke)i, when first hatched, would invoke the sympathy of the most inveterate antagonist of poultry. Olossy black, with a full development of tuft — they seem to anticipate, in their earliest movements, the ever restless activity that distinguishes their subsequent career. Mr. Fox has long kept a good strain of both gold and silver laced bantams, whose merits he has been careful to maintain by frequent selection from other fanciers. The present season appears to have given liim an undue pro- portion of cockerels to pullets, so fai' as the silver laced are concerned. The clear ground colour pencilled with black at the extremily of the feathers — the tail and flight feathers tipped with a darlc line of the same — short clean legs of pm'plish-grey — a comb " rose " in colour as in form, affoi'd us all the points we wish in this Lilliputian family. The gold and silver differ only in the ground colour, the mark- ings of good birds being exactly alike. Many persons imagine that no gallinaceous bird of any kind is safely to be admitted within the precincts of the garden, but Mr. Cuthill, the great market gardener at Camberwell, confirms the advantage of the practice that Mr. Fox has long been ac- customed to, in giving Bantams the run of his garden — the number of insects, of the most destructive kinds, that they devour, more than compensates any occasional disturbance of the newly raked border. Mr. Fox's dovecote is at some little distance from his poultry houses, which adjoin those of Mr. Bowman, and were built on the same plan. It occupies an admirable position for such a purpose, being sheltered from our pre- vailing north-westerly winds, and having a clear running stream for the bathings that pigeons so freely indulge in. We have carriers here, both pied and black ; the fleshy excrescence around the eye, and extending to the bill, whose length, with the flue head and powerful wing, with its endm-- ing powers of flight, will commend tliem to admirers of the species. Each quarter of the world numbers among its inhabitants many by whom the peculiar chaiacteristics of the carrier-pigeon have been trained to excellence, and made available for the manifold purposes of stratagem, intrigue, or commerce. From the shores of the Nile to the Ganges was the earner iu active operation, long before his sers'ices were employed in European countries. But now his " occupation's gone," anct wherever " immediate " is in- scribed, we should now as soon have recourse to the lum- bering and slumbering stage-waggon of former days, as desert the railway and electric telegraph for this or any other aerial messenger. The amusing author of the Dove- cole and Aviary tells us, in a letter from Mr. J. Galloway to the Matichcsfer Guardian, "that the merchants and manu- facturers of Belgium have done more to test the capabilities of pigeons than any other people. Their annixal pigeon matches produce an excitement almost equal to our horse- races. In 1844: one of the greatest races took place, from San Sebastian, in Spain, to Vervier. The distance would be about ()00 miles. 200 trained pigeons of the best breed in the world were sent to San Sebastian, and only 70 returned." The same authority assures us, that " Carrier pigeons do not fly at uight, they settle down if they cannot reach their home by the dusk of evening, and renew their flight at daylight the next morning; the velocity of a pigeon's flight seems to be greatly overrated, and no doubt your readers will be surprised to learn that a locomotive railway engine can beat a earlier pigeon in a distance of 200 miles." But we must now pass on ; a very beautiful pair of fawn- coloured Jacobins (first prize at the Penzance Show) are side by side with a Nun. The Capuchins, by which name the fonner are also known, are so termed from a frill of inverted feathers extending downwards on each side from the back of the neck ; in proportion to the size and regu- larity of this ruff is their value. Their colouis vary, but the head must always be clear white. Nuns are of smaller size, possessing only a hood ; the distribution of their colours is very striking : — black head, the rest of their body being white, save only the flight feathers, and the extremi- ties of the tail, which are tipped with black. Some white Trumpeters hooded and moustached with densely feathered feet; Barbs, witli the scarlet ring around the eye; Tum- blers, Baldpates, Almonds, and other shades, with a pair of Silver Owls, comprise a collection not often met with in provincial towns. One must wondei', indeed, that, for want of purchasers, even at most moderate prices, Mr. Fox is at times obliged, by increasing numbers, to sacrifice many for the purposes of his kitchen. "We have already stated, that Mr. l''ox fears no injury, but rather the contrary, to his garden from his Bantams, which are at large ; the same good deeds, though perhaps to a greater e.vtent, are wrought, as regards slugs and such like nuisances, by his Aylesbury ducks, imported birds from Buckuighamshire dm-iug the last year. The same stream of water that affords a balli to the pigeons is h.ippily just that depth which those curious in such matters say is best suited for those ducks who hereafter will ajjpear upon our tables. Ilemember, then, this grand injunction, " never let a duck swim, it renders the legs inordinately hard." So say the learned ones, and we believe them to be right. — W. (To be eontinned.) FUCHSIAS. The plants I wish to bloom in June and July are struck in August the previous year, potted in three-inch jiots, and shifted from thence, in October, into six-inch pots, and kept near the glass, in a temperature of 50° or 55° ; they are gently syriuged over head occasionally, and cai'efuUy watered with tepid water until the micldle of January, when they will be good strong plants. They are then shifted at once into twelve-inch pots, with a compost of three-parts good fibry loam, one-part i^eat, and one-part rotten dung, with a good spriukling of silver sand, all well-mixed together, but not sifted. The plants are then accommodated with a gentle bottom-heal, with abundance of air, maintaining the temperature mentioned above, and 5° or 10° higher, with sunshine, as the season advances. The branches are stopped at the fourth joint, and when they have broken and made four joints more, these are also stopped at the fourth joint, and again the third time in like manner, when they have advanced far enough. Then they are allowed to bloom. Thus, by giving abundance of air, maintaining a moist atmosphere, syringing morning and evening, and after the plants are well established, supplying them with weak manure-water at evep.y watering, they will break in aU directions, and will be one mass of bloom, and have beau- tiful shining foliage from the pot to the very summit of the plants. I have had them so treated attain to a height of nearly five feet through at the base, forming a splendid pyramid of bloom and foliage. One plant especially, when on the exhibition-table, was compared by one gentleman to " a mountain of bloom." Plants to bloom in August and September are struck in January, potted and grown the same way until June, wdien they are set out-of-doors on slates, in a sheltered situation, and well attended to with weak manure-water. How I prepare this is as follows : — I put a bushel of sheep or cow- dung, about h.alf-a-peck of lime, and a spadefuU or two of soot into a hogsliead, fill it up with soft water, well stir it several times, and when it has settled down, I put about a quart to a bucket of water, which will make this about the colour of brandy. If bloom-buds appear before I want them I pick them off. The plants are never shaded, except when in bloom. Often stopping, and high feeding, combined with abundance of air at all times, are the grand secrets of getting a mass of bloom and foliage. Generally, Fuschsias are driven into bloom too soon, and that is the cause why they cut such a sorry figure mostly. If a man would excel in the cul- tivation of the Fuchsia, there must be no lagging ; no tritsting the thing to another ; but, the welfare of each 2')0 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. December 30. plant must be enquired after morning and evening. — A Wiltshire Practice, BLvn. [AVe hope to hear from this correspondent often, and we recommend liis excellent Fuclisia-culture to the attention of our readers. — Ed. C. G.] puted to lie ; and I think your readers will agree with me that their intrinsic beauty alone would warrant the high " fashion" they seem destined to .attain to. Soi,. SHANGHAE EOWLS. 0.\E of your correspondents, a short time since, suggested, that in endeavouring to form an estimate of the comparative merits of various breeds of poultry, we should regard tliem as " egg-maldug and meat-making machines." With refer- ence to the first of these conditions, I think the venUct of such of your readers as keep Shanghae Fowls will vary somewhat ; several ha^'ing found that an excessive prone- ness to incubation in thek stock detracts from their other- wise undoubted merit; while the fact of eggs by the bushel appearing to have been collected from the Shanghae pens at a season when fresh laid eggs are scarce, while other breeds seem to have returned a " beggarly account of empty ] boxes" at the various poultry shows, would appear to others \ pretty conclusive evidence of their pre-eminence in this valuable quality. My own experience tends to prove that different families, or "strains" of pure Shanghaes vary as much in these characteristics as do Spanish, Dorking, or Game Fowls ; inasmuch as I have hens that have never gone "broody" the year through ; others that have done so after laying seventy-six eggs in a few more than the same number of consecutive days ; while, again, others have only laid fifteen eggs before wishing to sit. And as I have noticed that each of these qualities has been perpetuated, to a greater or less degree, in such of their descendants as I have kept for stock, we may fairly infer that an " infusion of fresh blood" from stocks which possess the opposite quality to that which we wish to neutralise, will be found quite as efficacious as the , manufacture of a mongrel race, suggested by others of your j correspondents. As to their capacity for " meat-making i machines," I think there can be no question as to^ their j supremacy over all known varieties of poultry ; and if the three following trials are accepted as evidence, they will bo found tolerably conclusive on that head : — I Weighed lbs. oza. Weighed lbs. ozs. I 1. Cockerel Nov. 17 t< 8 . . Nov. io 0 4 t 2. „ Nov. 20 'i i .. Dec. 4 sty or very dry weather. Four times, within our memory, after unusual mild weallier to the middle of .Tanuary, we experienced sinwre frust and rough weather; provide ai^ainst another of these trials in time, and see that everything is ready for securing a supply of ice at the first opportunity. D. Beaton. ORCHARD. Apples, cleanse from blight, moss, &c. ; brine and soft soap are good for such purpose. Bush-fruit, plant, prune. Composts, procure and prepare. Cuerkies, plant, prune. Cuttings, plant of Gooseberries. Currants, &c. Chestnuts, plant. Dress all borders. Figs, protect. Fruit-room, look over weekly; be sparing in gi\'ingair; remove de- caying fruit, and keep the room dark. Filrkrts, plant. Fork, borders. GooSEBERRi Es, plant, prune. Layers, make. Loam, procure for stations. Mulching, perform. Mwlberries, plant. AIedlars, plant. Nails iind Shreds, dress. Nectarines : See Peaches. Plu.ms, plant, prune. Pears, plant; prune ordinary kinds. Peaches, plant, prune, train, and dress. Planting in general proceed with. Stations, make. Tr\ining in general proceed witli. Trenching, carry on. Trees, stake. Vines, prune and train. Walnuts, plant. Wall- trees, in general prune and regulate. Wash, the following, may be applied to walls : two-parts soot, two-parts sulphur, four-])art3 lime, applied with a brush into every crevice ; urine or soap-suds, or both, may he employed to mix with. R. Ehrington. FORCING-HOUSE. Air: Sec Veniilation. Asparagus, get out succession-beds on mild heat. Apricots: See Peach. Botto:\i-heats, sustain and assist, 72° to 7S°. Cucumbers, top, dress, train. Cherries" See Peach. Coverings, use where possible, to save fire-heat, and to protect from extremes. Figs: See Peach. Firp.s, use discreetly. Glass, wash all roofs. Grapes, ripe, use fires and air liberally, re:nove decaying berries. Insects, extirpate ; use fumigation, the sponge, and soft soap. Kidney- BKANs, pot, and provide successions. Nectarines and Peaches, in bloom, air liberally, and shake to disperse the pollen. BJushrooms, protect well, if out doors ; in house, use much water on floors. Pines, continue to sustain proper heat to, cover well in dung-pits, and remove linings. Peaches: See Nectarines. Roots, protect in boxes, tubs, Sec. Strawberries, give air and light, use litiuid-manure where blossoming; introduce successions. Tarragon and other herbs, in- troduce to heat. Ventilate as freely as you dare. Vinery (Early), proceed steadily; keep a moist air; raise the heat at blooming-time; use sulphur against mildew. Water, always use in a tepid state. R. Eruington. GREENHOUSE. Aitt, admit at every favourable opportunity, whenever the temperature outside is above .35°, except in windy or fo'rgy weather, especially among Heaths, Epacriscs, and Azaleas that you do not wish to bloon\ early. In foggy weather, though warm, it will be advisable to put on a little fire, to change the visible to invisible vapour. If the fog was of short eon- tinuancc, and could he kept out of the house, air might be dispensed with, as well as fires, though it should not be forgotten that the motion given to the air by a little firing is a great security for the health of the plants in dull weather. Soft-wooded plants should be kept at one end nf the house. Bulbs and hardy Shrubs, sucii as Lilacs, A/^aleas, and Roses, introduce from the forcing-house, placing them at the closest and warmest end of the Iiouse ; Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Geraniums, and Chinese Primroses, clean, shift, and supply at times with manure-water. Camellias and Cytisuses opening their buds, supply with manure- water. Climbers, prune in, if not already done, those that produce their flowers on the young wood ; others, such as Kennedyas, now flowering and growing, attend to; and especially train, everyday, the Tropwoluma, if you wiah to prevent confusion. No time should be loat in potting such kinds as Tricolorum, Jarrattii, Spedosa, Azurea, &c., if not already done. Fires, light in close, dull weather, to enable you to give a circulation of air. Beware of heating too much when frosty, as, without due precaution, the atmosphere will be too dry ; it is l)eticT to use coverings for the glass. This ia more i)articularly to lie attended to, after the dull moist weather we have had. Fuchsias : the for- wardeat may now be pruned and repotted. Geraniums and Ciner.veias will, in all likelihood, want cleaning and fumigating. The first may now be repotted fcr late Blay and early June blooming, and the latt.-r must be shifted and kept growing, so as to prevent them throv.ing up flower- stalks, if late bloom and large specimens are desired. Where room is limited, a fine display is obtained by successions, and using not larger than six-inch pots. Not a withered leaf, nor an aphis, should stand longer than when seen. When the fly covers a leaf in myriads, smoking with tobacco then, is tantamount to labour and money thrown away. Roses in pots, for April and May and June blooming, in the greenhouse, finish pruning ; wash Mitb a paint of soot, sulphur, and clay; top-dress with rich compost; and plunge, if possible, in a house or pit — sawdust will be a good material—and give at first a temperature of ■10° to '15^ at night, and from 45° to 5.V^ during the day. Succulrnts, unless growing and showing flower, refrain from watering. Trupu-ulum Lubbianum, and Manettia biculur, will be great ornaments now, in a warmish dry green- house. Water plants only when requisite, and perform the operation after breakfast, using water rather higher than the medium temperature of the house. Place a few Achimenes, Gesnera, and Gloxinia roots into heat for early blooming. In a conservatory or greenhouse, where no hard-wooded plants to speaii of are grown, and where a medium heat of 50'^ can he maintained — that is, 46° at night, and 55° during the day — Poinsettia piitcherriinn. Euphorbia Jacquinijiora, Sec, may be in- troduced from tlie stove. For the Poinsettia especially, if a little extra heal can be given in April, a close cold pit in summer, an average night temperature of 5U° in October, and a medium of from 45° to 55°in winter, nothing can surpass the brilliance of the large crimson floral leaves, for a couple of months, at this period, while the brilliancy remains longer in such a house, than in a plant stove. (Sec Calendar uf last month.) R. Fisu. KITCHEN-GARDEN. Artichokes, attend to, shelter, &c. Asparagus, plant in hotbed; attend to that forcing ; temperature about t)5'^, and at night 50°. Beans, plant, 1). ; earth-stir among often; advancing crops protect from frost ; plant in hotbed, if required. BEET(red), plant forseed. Brocoli, protect from frost. Cabbages, plant, e. ; sow, e. ; plant for seed. Cardoons, attend to, shelter, ike. Carrots, sow small crop ; plant for seed ; (early Horn} sow on gentle hotbeds, fill the Irame up well with earth, so as to bring the crop up close to the glass ; attend to early thinning-out, and earth-stirring with a little pointed stick among all frame crops. Cauli- flowers in frames, attend to protection from frost, and give all open air possible in open weather, by taking the lights entirely otF; also, hand- glass crops, clear away all decayed leaves and slugs, and earth-stir often ; if young plants arc re(|uircd, a pinch of seed may be sown in pans, and placed in any heated structure, hut have a gentle hotbed made up ready to prick them out upon, keeping the young crop up close to the glass. Celery, earth up, shelter, &c. Composts, prepare and turn over. Cu- CUMEKRS, sow and prick out; temperature, by day, 7**° to 75°, and at niu'ht (15°. Dung, for hotbeds, prepare in earnest; wheel on to vacant ground. Earth for hotbeds, prepare. Earth-stir, and fasten plants disturbed by frost, &c. Endive, blanch, protect. Frost, protect plants from, by temporary coveriuE- Ground, trench vacant. Horse- radish, plunt at anytime durmg the month in open weather. Hotbeds, make and attend to. .Jerusalem Artichokes, take up and replant in open weather, at any time diiring the month. Kidney-beans, sow in succession in hotbed, &e. Kale (Sea), attend to ; force in succession. Lettuces, in frames, attend; protect from frost; sow on warm, border, e. LiauoRiCE, plant, e., and dig up threc-ycar-old. Melons, sow, for fruiting in i\Iay ; day temperature 75°, night 65°. Mint, force, in hot- bed. Mushroom Beds, make, and attend to those producing; proi^ure horse-droppings for. I\Iustard and Cress, sow in hotbed. Onions, clear from weeds ; examine stored ; sow a small (Top, e. ; plant for seed. Pausley, sow, c.; protect from frost. Parsnips, plant for seed. Peas, protect from birds by straining a single string of worsted along over the row ; attend to the early pea sowing as near the first of the month as possible. It is a good maxim to always have a mouse trap or two set about the pea quarters. Sow; earth-stir; shelter from frost; and prepare sticks. This is a good season for making main sowings of early and second early pens where the soil works well and the weather is open. Potatoes, plant in slight hotbed ; and they may also be ])lanted out in the open border, or quarters, in fine open weather, where the soil works well. Examine those in the store. Radishes, sow, in hotbed ; thin out as soon as the plants can he handled, and Kift a little dry' earth among them ; sow in border, e. Rape (for salading). sow in hotbed; (edible-rooted,) sow. Rhubarb, attend to ; force, either in pots, to be planted in some heated structure, or covered up with pots or tubs and fermenting materials. Salading ^Small), sow. Savoys, plant for seed. Spinach, keep clear from weeds and fallen leaves ; make a small sowing toward the end of the month. Tansy, plant in hotbed. Tarragon, plant in hotbed. Turnips, plantfor seed ; should the weather seem inclined to set in severe, store in a good supply, or hea|) tlieiu and cover them over with coal-ashes. Weeds, continually destroy, and do any work which will lessen that of the following busier months ; in particular, such as planting all the nmin out-door crops of potatoes, wherever the soil will allow of it, and the weather is favourable. \\*odd- LiCE, destroy in the mushroom-house by trapping under dry hay, and scalding it in hot-water ; or by baiting small puts with boiled potatoes, or slices of potatoes under dry moss. T. Weaver. LoTfDOM! Printed by Habst Wooldhidqs, Winchenter HiRh-atTcet, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William SoMERViLLE Orr, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Pariah of Christ Church, City of London,— December 30th, IB62, Jan u Any G. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 256 11 w D| D _! 6Th 7:f 8S S Sun 10 nr 11 To 12 W JANUARY S-12, 1853. Epiphany. Twelfth Day. Acilius sulcatiis ; ponds. Dvticus marginalia ; ponds. 1 'SU^UAY AFTEE EpiPUANV. Dvticus punctulatus ; ponds. Hydrous piceus ; ponds. Sarrotriuni rauticum. Weatbrk nbae London in 1851. Sun ! Sun | Moon Rises. Sets. , R. & S. 1 Moon's Clock Davof Barometer. >Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Age. aft. Sun.! Year, j 29-919 — 29.787 49—35 29.805 — 29.508 49—27 29.663 — 29.181 49-32 29.460 — 29.143 39—26 29.714—29.663' 50—25 29.210—29.022 51 — 43 29.336 — 29.151 54—30 S. — .S.W. 06 S.W. 09 S.W. — W. 08 W. 1 07 S.W. 63 7 a. 8 5 a. 4 ' 4 24 7 1 6 1 5 48 7 i 8175 6 ; 9 : sets. 5 11 ' 5 a 2 5 12 6 IS 4 13 7 34 26 27 28 IS. 1 2 3 6 15 6 42 7 7 7 32 7 57 8 21 8 44 6 I 11 12 llBTBOEOLOGY OP THE Week. — At Chinwiclt, from obaervations during the last twenty-five years, the average highest and lowest tempera^ turesof these days are 40.2° and 30.3" respectively. The greatest heat, 54°, occurred on the 7th in 1845 ; and the lowest cold, 6°, on the 6th in 1S41. JJuring the period 113 days were tine, and on 09 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. POPPY-WOKTS . — PAPAVEEAC E.E . PAPAVEB. POPPY. {Continued frmii pmje 215.) Seciiiin II. — Poppies with smooth ciipsulea. Papaver dubium : Long Smooth-headed Poppy. Description. — This is an annual, and so much resemhling the species which we shall next describe, P. rhceas, as to be frequently mistaken for it. Stem many-flowered, about two feet high, woolly at the lower part, but more bristly towards the top, the bristles on the seed-vessel stalks lying close to them, and whilst young of a beautiful silvery appearance. Leaves doubly pinnatifld, with the edges and mid-ribs hairy. Capsule or seed-vessel smooth, length much greater than the breadth, wider at the top than at the lower part, angular ; rays of the stigma on its summit from six to ten. As the capsule ripens its lower part separates from the lid suffi- ciently to allow the ripe seed to escape without their being exposed to wet in the capsule. Petals broader than they are long, light scarlet, but paler thau those of any other of our red Poppies. Stamens line-like ; pollen yellow. Pluces where found. — In fields where the soil is sandy. Time nf flowering. — June and July. History. — Its name dnbiiim, doubtful, alludes to the un- certainty at first felt whether it differed from P. rhceas, but the doubt no longer is entertained. Jacquin has described a white-flowered variety having a dark purple spot at the bottom of each petal, but this has never been discovered in Britain. About Shanklin Chine, and other parts of the Isle of "Wight, is found a very hairy, or shaggy variety, as re- presented in Christian's Flora Danica, UO'J. The calyx is studded with large transparent globules, with a bristle springing from out of each. The capsule is nearly twice as long as it is broad, being longer than in P. rhceas, but shorter than in the species, P. dubium. ( Wilheriny. Martyn. Smith.) Papaver p.hceas : Corn Poppy ; Red Poppy. Description. — This, the commonest of all the Poppies, is an annual. Stem from one to two feet high, upright, cyHn- drical, branched, purplish at the lower jjart, clothed with spreading tawny-coloured hairs, having bulb-like bottoms. Leaves stalkless, rather sheathing tlie stem, hairy on both sides, pinnatifld, with the segments unequally toothed, eacli tooth rolled back at the edge, horny at the top, and ending in a small spine. Flower-stalks long, cylindrical, upright, single-flowered, clothed with hairs spreading horizontally. The two sepals of the Calyx bristly, and skin -like on the edges. Petals bright scarlet, often black at the bottom. Capsule urn-shaped, smooth, with a convex stigma, purplish, and ten or twelve-rayed. Capsule marked with as many raised lines as there are rays to the stigma. Seeds dark purple. Places where found. — In flelds everywhere, being a trouble- some weed. Time of flowering. — June and July. History. — Sheas is the Greek for a wild Poppy, and of them all this is the most common all over Europe. In this country its universal prevalence has subjected it to various local names, among which are Corn-rose, Cop or Cup- rose, Canker-rose, Pied-weed, Head-wark, Pisd-mailkes, i-c. In Shropshire and Staffordshire it is said to be very rare, its place being taken by P. dubium. Garden culture has raised from it many beautiful varieties, all of which, as well as their parent, are remarkable for their large flowers being packed so compactly as to be contained in a comparatively small flower-bud. From the petals of the wild species the Draper Bee {Apis papaveris) prepares the hangings of her apartment. She dexterously cuts out the petals wiien about half expanded, straitens their folds, shapes them to her purpose, and lines with them the cell that is to be the abode of her oflspriijg. The petals of this Poppy give out, when soaked in water, a beautiful crimson colour, which is named from them Coquelieot — this being the French name for the flower. The petals have a narcotic smell, and a slightly bitter taste. When dried they have a wine red colour. The drying is effected with difficulty, and when dried they must be kejit in a very dry place. They are chiefly used in making Syrup of Red Poppies, which may have a very slight soothing effect ; and foreign medical men prefer to opium an extract from the capsules of this plant. {Martyn. Withering. Smith. Duncan.) In whatever degree, either as regards mere numbers, or their relative merits, the Poultry Exhibitious of the year 1852 may have exceeded those of ISSl, there can be little doubt but that 1853 will witness a still further increase of the public interest that has hitherto been so liberally accorded to them. With this prospect before us, it may be useful to consider how far our present arrangements for these No, CCXXIII., Vol. IX. 256 THE COTTAGE GAEDENEB. Jandary 6. shows may be capable of improvement, so as to vender them still more efleotive, in promotLug the general intro- duction of better breeds of domestic poultry. Apart from all controversy, as to whether Shanghaes, Spanish, or Dorkings, may prove the most economical race for general purposes, it is evident that mere fancy, and the gratification of individual taste, would long ago have failed to support the present ardour for poultry- keeping, had not the further inducement of a good return for money so invested been realized wherever judgment and attention were duly combined. If ten guineas, twenty guineas, and thirty guineas wore readily paid at Birmingham, I'or the choicer pens of Shanghaes, the ticket " Sold," was also appended to a very large majority of the Dorkings, and with an eagerness, too, that showed that the original outlay, though merely for farm-yard stock, was regai-ded as a profitable invest- ment. Thus Game T'owls, the different varieties of Hamburghs, Geese, Turkeys, and Ducks all participated in the general verdict of approbation passed on that occasion, and which stamped that Exhibition wth the character of practical utility. The most economical production of eggs and fat chickens, then, appeared to be no less the calculation of buyers, than symmetry of form and beauty of phnnage. Tlie column of The CoTT.iGE GAUDEjfEn, which may contain the Exhibition days of the Poultry Societies for the present year, 1853, will, therefore, we anticipate, bo greatly extended. But, at the same time, care should be taken not too far to subdivide the districts which are to be included within the area of the several operations. Such subdivision is an error tlie more to be guarded against, since its ill effects have long been visible in the case of many local Agricultural Societies, where they have so multiplied, that towns in the immediate vicinity of each other have each their separate meeting. The objections I'eferable to the one case are equally appli- cable to the other; and not to go through what might be made a long catalogue of errors in such practice, it will be sufficient for our present purpose to observe, that in such cases, stock, whether Oxen, Sheep, Pigs, Horses, or Poultry, labour under the disadvantage, that instead of being placed in comparison with the ])icked birds of adjoining counties, they are, in too many cases, competitors only with their near neighbours. The con- sequence is inevitable, and in Agricultural Societies has been very generally admitted. Exhibitors, if victorious, are too apt to rest satisfied with tlieir local laurels, while, if unsuccessful, they aim at no higher mark than their more fortunate neighbour has already attained to. In either instance, that progressive im- provement, which year after year should bring about, is wanting, and one most important end in the institution of these Associations falls to the ground. Hence tliC great advantage of a meeting such as that which has I just been held at Biruiinghanl. Not one county only, ! not even the Northern, Southern, Midland, Eastern, or Western divisions of England, were there alone re- presented, but from Cornwall to Essex, and from Hamp- shire to Yorkshire, competitors of high caste entered the lists. The victors in such an assemblage may well, therefore, be regarded as models for om' present imi- tation, whatever further development of excellence future years may effect. Every poultry-keeper, therefore, would find it answer his purpose to make a yearly excursion to Birmingham, or some of the other largo exhibitions, and if, hitherto, he has thought sufhciently well of his own or his neighbour's stock, he will probably, on his return from thence, admit that im- provement is at least possible ; however previously un- willing to believe that such could be the case. The conclusion of the present year, we are told, is likely to witness the institution of a Metropolitan Poultry Show at the Baker-street Bazaar, imder the most favourable auspices both as to patronage and exhibitors. No locality can be bettor suited for this purpose, and under good management it can hardly fail of success. But wherever now Societies are, or soon may bo in course of formation, it will bo but prudent on the part of those who are interested in thoni, to consider that one great element of success will depend on the area cliosen for their operations. Now, speaking generally, if each English county had one such annual meeting, the interest and success of poultry-keepers would, we believe, be best advanced. Some, indeed, of the larger counties, such as Yorkshire, Cornwall, and Devonshire, might be divided, but Piutland and the smaller counties might be united with adjoining ones, and the total would thus remain about the same. There would be many advantages from such an arrangement, which would occupy too long a space for the present enquiry ; the one objection, however, to which alone we have now adverted, is at least wortliy of our best con- sideration. Let us now turn to another point. The time of holding these meetings, November and December, will, of course, be the months most to be desired for this purpose, and for " Ciiunty" Shows, if we may use this term as distinguished from the Birmingham and the future Metropolitan, it will be desirable so to arrange both that they may not clash in points of time, as also that just such an interval may intervene between tlieni that birds exhibited at the one, may best be enabled to be presentable at the other. In counties far distant from each other this may not be generally necessary ; but in fixing their days it will be prudent, on the part of the managers, to select such as may not interfere with eitberthat at Baker-street, or Birmingham : for, however little they might themselves care for coming into com- petition with these formidable bodies, they would often find their best birds gone in that direction, and their admission money also fall far short of what otherwise might have been the receipts. Whatever, indeed, we may individually think of these matters, it will be an act of prudence, no less than of courtesy, to give prece- dence in these two instances. Biruiingham, especially, has done much for the poultry- world, .ind wo should not prove ungrateful, even if competition in this respect were not out of the question, as regarded our o«rn finances. January (i. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 257 Exhibitions for Chickens only, to be held in August, or tlie early part of September, are, we believe, in con- templation, and the "Cornwall Society" will probably try the experiment in the course of the year ly5;i. For such young birds distance would be a most serious objection, and the smaller districts, which might be unable to muster a sufficient number of pens for the regular annual contest for birds of all ages, might thus gain an excellent opportunity for comparing the progress of their difl'erent poultry-yards ; the more so, indeed, as the younger members would sutler no depreciation from the presence of their seniors. At any rate, it will be worth consideration how far such a scheme might be carried into effect, since it would certainly aid in a very material degree in adding to our knowledge of the com- parative merits of chickenhood in the different classes. This leads us to notice the recommendation conveyed in the report furnished us of the late Birmingham meet- ing, that " old and young poultry should not be shown in the same classes;" and if, as is there suggested, the question as to which will he the best bird at a subse- quent day is permitted to influence the judges, our vote should unhesitatingly be given for the summary exclu-' siou of all chickens from the classes assigned to the older fowls. Nothing should be more positive than that the prize-pen should be that which is best at the actual time of the show. But, we imagine, there are very few persons of expe- rience, with fowls of any variety, who, on the eve of a show, where they proposed to exhibit, have not looked with dismay on the tattered plumes and evident ill-con- dition of many of their older birds at that season of the year, and many a pen would thus have been necessarily ml occupied had not an early cockerel or pullet been at hand to supply the deficiency. A late moulting season, or a prolonged one from unfavourable weather, is con- stantly productive of these results, and the present popular favourites, Shanghaes and Spanish, are, per- haps, of all others the most subject to this untimely disfigurement. The most hurried glance, indeed, at some of our late exhibitions told this tale most forcibly. While, therefore, we heartily concur with the principle advocated for the separation into distinct classes of the chickens of the year and the older birds, the management of our poultry-yards, must, we fear, be conducted on some more skilful principle than has yet been acted on, if, without a very large flock to select from, creditable specimens, as regards both plumage and other points, will be always forthcoming at that season from among the senior members of our yard. W. COVENT GARDEN. When this department was added to the pages of our Journal, and this heading adopted, it was not intended that the subjects treated of should refer exclusively to the great Metropolitan mart; but rather, taking it for our type, we might from it cull observations which apply to every phasis of horticultural commerce and finance. And whilst it is our intention to continue to furnish, as we have done, a faithful and critical report of what goes on weekly in Covent Gai'den market, we shall also, as opportunity offers, entertain any subject which lias any reference to garden produce. It was in the carrying out of this principle that we commenced the subject of orchard-planting, which has engaged our attention for some weeks past; and the more we think of it, the more we are convinced of the great necessity there is for our suggestions being can-ied out with as little delay as possible. Scarcely a day passes over our heads but we are experiencing prac- tically, that what we have stated is true, and indeed too true. We have been requested by several country fi-iends to procure, for their enjoyment during this fes- tive season, something in the way of choice fruit as a, dessert ; and this we have done after much difficulty, but with much greater reluctance, for it is anything but agreeable to have to pay 3s. and 4s. per dozen for Pears of very ordinary quality ; and that is a low price when compared with some others, which cannot be had under Us. Such subjects we shall continue to refer to as opportunity oiTers. But there is another matter which also comes under this department, which has been sug- gested to us by a correspondent; and we have in our own experience fi-equently met with cases similar to that of which he complains. As there may be many of our readers similarly situated we shall insert his communi- cation in full. "Will you allow me to suggest that now and then (say monthly or fortnightly) a list should be given in your paper of the Flouwrs, Fruits, and Vegetables, in season, in order that a numerous class of your readers may not be so completely at the mercy of their servants as at present? For my own part, I know but little about gardening; but paying two men's wages, and by no means stinting the nurseryman's account, I do not like to have excuses in the stead of produce, which I see in the markets can be produced elsewhere. True, sorne may be of foreign growth ; but I fancy if employers like myself knew more about it, their gardeners would make a much better show. If I saw in The Cottage Gakdener that Mushrooms or Brussels sprouts were plentiful, I would take care they should not be scarce with me. But at present, if I am told that those at market come over from Holland, although I may not believe it, what can I say? Gardeners soon find out whether their masters ai-e 'up' to them or not, and act accordingly." This is written from the suburbs of London, where there is a set of men, falsely called gardeners, continually prowling about — a little time in one situation, and again a short time in another. They never remain long in one place, and they rarely, if ever, entirely leave the j locality. They have pot companions and kindred asso- i ciations, which keep them hovering about as unclean i birds hover about carrion ; and we very much fear the man of whom our correspondent complains is one of these. Of such, we counsel him to beware. It is such men as these who bring disrepute on the profession, and, indeed, on all professions ; and when we entered ar.s THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Januap.y 0. on the pi\blioation of ouv niavkpt reports for tlie informa- \ tiou and Jirection of honest men, we also kept in view the check they would exercise over such unprincipled characters as our correspondent refers to. Last week we gave some account of the appearance of the market during Christmas week. Pretty much of the same aspect still continues to pervade it. Vege- tables are still very plentiful, the open, mild season contributing to keep everything in a forward state. S.4.V0YS realized Is. per dozen, and are of excellent quality. There are some which ai-e not so fine, which were sold at lower prices. Greens sold freely at Is. 9d. to 2s. per dozen bunches. Cabdages, according to quality, made from 9d. to Is. per dozen. BnocoLi, Os. per dozen bundles. Bkcssels Si-rouis were plentiful at from Is. (id. to 2s. per half sieve. Tdbnips were also i plentiful and good at Is. fid. per dozen bunches. Onions 2s. (id. to 3e. per bushel, according to the quality. Leeks, -ad. per bunch. Cakhots, 3s. to 4s. per dozen bunches. Parsley, 2d. per bunch. Horse Radish, Is. fid. to 2s. fid. per bundle. These include the leading articles, besides whicli there were several parcels of forced Sea-kale and Rhubarb. Among Fruit we have Apples plentiful, and rather a dull sale ; but they still maintain firm prices. Good dessert Apples cannot be obtained under Ss. and 10s. per bushel ; some, however, of the small, which have been sorted out, can be had as low as .'is. The baking sorts are much more plentiful than the dessert, and make from 5s. to 7s. Od. Pears are very scarce, and are not to be had in quantity. Passe Colmars, Ne Phis Meuris, and Gliaumontel, make 2s. Gd. to 3s. per dozen of second-rate quality ; but for good specimens they realised (is. per dozen. Grapes are very short. Black Hamhurghs (is. to 8s. per ft. ; Muscat of Alexandria 1 2s. fid. per ft. The same profusion of Evergreens and Flowers continues as v/e reported last week ; and as we did not observe anything remarkable besides what we mentioned in our last, we must refer our readers to our previous report. H. GOSSIP. We know so many of our readers would willingly gratify our coadjutor, Mr. Beaton, if thoy had but the opportunity, that wo venture to depart from our usual course, and ask those who are subscribers to the Wan- stead Infant Orphan Asylum, or who know others who are, to aid him in attaining his object, as detailed in an advertisement to-day. The little orphan for whom he solicits votes is entirely dependent upon him for support. The vine mildew has been so injurious to the Grapes in France, that in the department of Heraidt, where the country wine sold on an average for forty francs per muid of 700 quarts, it is now selling for l.JO francs. The owners of vineyards anticipate that the next vintage will be even more deficient than the last. Stoves to be devoted to the growth of the I'ictoria Bcgia are about to be erected in the Botanic Gardens of Belfast and Glasgow. That at the latter town is the more worthy of notice, because the building-fund has been raised by a penny subscription among the artizans of that city. The Gardeners' Journal states, from the report of the directors of the Garden, that by the lyth of Ijeceraber nearly one hundred thousand pence had been thus collected. > We recommend to our readers Hogg's Edging Tiles for Garden Walls. They resemble the outer moulding of a ]]icture-frame, and combine the three requisites, neatness, durability, and cheapness. The following is jNIr. Hogg's description of the edging, published in the " Horticultural Society's Journal, " and parties requiring further information may obtain it by writing to iSIr. Hogg, 13, Gilston Road, Brompton — " Sly first intention was merely to satisfy my own wants ; but many friends wlio saw my edging, and whose opinions in such matters are wortliy of consideration, advised me to have it introduced for the general good. " With this view I have caused some of the tiles to he sent to the Garden of the Horticultural Society, for the opinion of the Society as to their applicability and use- fulness. " Tlieir great recommendations are durability and orna- ment. They are composed of the same clay and are manu- factured at the same works as the patent hollow bricks, and from what I have seen of them, they appear to become harder on exposm'e to the weather. Cheapness is another great qualification. They can be suppUed in any quantity at 10s. (id. per 100, or about IJd. each, each tile bemg one foot in length. " I would also call the attention of the Society to the mode by wliieli they are secured in tlieir position, although they allow the borders to be cultivated close to them, and any extent of the soil disturbed or removed. The shoe whicli passes under tlie walk being covered with four inches of gravel, when that becomes " bound " the tiles are literally immoveable, and no wheelbarrow or roller can displace them. They also afford ample drainage for the walks, and under no pretence whatever do they ever harbour slugs. I have had experience of them for nearly twelve months, and I have found them answer all the purposes an edging is in- tended to supply, and that too at ]nore than one-half less than dwarf bo.x, and nine-tenths less than many other edgings. " Xole by ike Vice-Secretary. — This kind of edging appears to possess much merit. It is hard, good-looking, a good colour, cheap, and enables the walks to be relieved easily of water. Tlie accompanying figure represents one of the main tiles seen in perspective. It is 4^ inches broad, (i| inches deep, and 12* inches long. In forming ciu'ves very short lengths of the same kind are employed." The following is a list of the Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to the list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. Cornwall (Penzance), January 10th, and llth. {Sees. Rev. W. W. Wingfield, Gulval Vicarage, and K. H. Ptodd, Esq.) PoNiASTEE, .January 21st. [Sec. H. Moore, Esq.) (jiiKAT METEoror.iTAN, January llth, 12th, b'lth, and 14th. (&r. W. Houghton.) HoNiTON, January 12th. {Sec. H. K. Venn.) Heioate, I'cbruary 1st and 2nd. (Sec. J. lUcharilson, Es(i.) TonQUAv, January llth and 10th, (Sees. A. Paul, and J. C. Stacli. January 0. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 359 THE WINTER DESSERT. ■ Most of our readers are aware that many of our fruits, although excellent in summer, or even autumn, nevertheless, are not adapted for winter purposes, ad- mitting that they can be procured at that period. Thus, the Queen Pine, which is everybody's favourite from May to October, is almost worthless iu the dead of winter ; and, indeed, the same may be said of the Provi- dence, the Enville, and various others. To be sure, they are grown — to sell, somebody will say — yes, and to eat; but this does not prove them the most eligible. We are led to offer these remarks from observing in a contemporary paper {The Gardener's Journal) a list of fruit obtained from various quarters, showing, in a tolerably clear way, which are the most general favourites for late autumn and winter use ; and as the subject seems quite apropos as to the season, we must beg to place it before our fruit-growing readers. One thing may be observed in the way of preface, that the majo- rity of tliose who have ;;iven reports are men of no small repute in the gardening world ; we, therefore, refer to their reports with pleasure and with confidence. The subjects reported on are Pines, Grapes, Pears, Apples, Plums, Raspberries, Currants, Strawberries, Guavas, Medlars, the Passijloras Edulis and Quadran- gularis, and tlie shell fruits. As many of the readers of this work may not be acquainted with the particular, kinds, we will point to such as in our judgment deserve a marked attention. In Pines the Quten kinds muster about eleven, whilst the BlacJ: Jamaica, almost always confounded with the Montserrat — perhaps the best wintei- Pine in England — counts seven. Next, we must point to the New Cayennes, which bid fair to become, not only popular, but useful : of these we have two of the smooth-leaved, and three of the prickly varieties. The other Pines we at once pass by, as not deserving, in the same degree, the character of winter Pines. In Grapes, eleven quote Hamhros, seven have the Muscats, and seven the St. Peter's — "a dead heat." There are besides, our new Black Barbarossa, about which much fuss has been made, and we are glad to see not in vain, for Mr. Spencer, of Bowood, Wilts, no mean authority, parenthetically observes, "fine, and keep well." Besides these there are several varieties, but as they are not at present much in the market, and as our business is to point to well-known, profitable kinds, we must even pass them by, although some of their names are tempting. In Pears, the Winter Nelis, Glout Morcenu, Duchesse d' Angoulerne, Beurri- Diel, command a majority; and iu Apples, our old favourite, the Ribston, is " liead-and- shoulders" above all the rest. The King of Pippins seems a great favourite ; and the Downton and Blen- lieim Pippins come in for a good share of patronage. In the Plum way we iiear of nothing but the Coe's Golden Drop. How is this? where are the Goe's Late Red, and the Imperatrioe section, that were so much ; spouted-up whilst new? Of course some late Currants > are to be found, and Alpine Strawberries. j We must now beg to comment on these and other fruits adapted for use from the end of November until the end of January, when the question assumes a new I phase ; others must supply the gap ; of which more on \ another occasion. We will commence with a crowned j bead— the Pine-apple. It is a great pity that the true Black Jamaica of the Horticultural Society should be constantly liable to be confounded with the Montserrat ; but so it is. Even in this country, five out of six call the Jamaica the Montserrat. Now this should be put a stop to ; it points at once to the propriety of referring to some one standard authority, and the great need for the committees of exhibitions so to plan their awards as that all blundering of this kind be disqualified. It is silly enough, in these bookish days, to mispel names ; but to give altogether a false name is deci<3odly unpar- donable by tlie public. Whatever the Cayennis may prove, this has hitherto proved the best winter Pine in cultivation, and peculiarly adapted to the Hamiltonian mode of culture. However, we find that J\Iossrs. Spencer, Tillery, and TurnbuU, cultivate the prickly Cayenne, and Fleming and Spencer the smooth kind. \Vith respect to Grapes, we are glad to find the new black Barbarossa spoken highly of by Mr. Fleming, and grown also by Spencer. The Trebiana, grown by Air. Tillery, is new to us. He calls it an eioellent late white ; we will write to him to beg information. The black Morocco used to be esteemed a good winter Grape, and we are surprised to find it so seldom grown. How- ever, we shall do well to stick close to the West's St. Peter's, Muscat, and Hambros, for the present, for winter use. Wo may now point to some excellent winter Pears and Apples ; and first, the Pears. Marie Louise, as a November Pear, it is well-known cannot be excelled; we have them still in use, but they were retarded by mat-shading applied the moment they were anyways ripe. " Thompson's" is a capital November fruit, and so is Fondant) d'Automne, though the latter is some- what earlier, indeed, may be called an October fruit. Hacon's Incomparable good and hardy ; Duchesse d' Angoulerne, too, is both good and a great bearer, in use from the middle of October to the early part of November. Beurre Diel is a great bearer, and highly spoken of in the south, but it takes a second rank here (Cheshire) whether on a wall or table trellis. Napoleon we have tasted good at times ; Passe Colmar excellent, and a great bearer, but must have a pretty good v/all-aspect in the north ; anywhere north of the Humber, a south aspect. The best of all the Pears is, doubtless, the Nelis d'Hiver, or Winter 'if e]\s; we have never known it equalled ; even the Marie Louise cannot reach this invaluable pear. It is, moreover, a great bearer, and may, by good management, be had in use from the middle of November until the beginning of January. This is a most singular pear in regard of habit. We could never imagine from what kinds it could have been raised, the foliage being so different from all other kinds. The wood is peculiarly slender, and the leaves almost lanceolate ; more like some fine willow than a pear. It is not unlikely that the old Crassanne is the parent on one side. We have grown very fair specimens this summer on an ordinary dwarf standard, as also on fi little trellis; but the remarks applied to the Passe Colmar may be attached to this : it is better deserving a south wall than any Peach in cultivation, its utility is so great ; and we here advise those about to commence its culture to graft it on a strong pear stock, for it seldom becomes luxuriant ; and we should be inclined to doubt the Quince. Beurre hose we can do nothing witli in the north; a great bearer, and of immense size, but nobody will eat them whilst a Marie Louise or a Nelis can be had. One caution, however, is requisite here ; in some seasons neither Marie Louise nor Nelis are to be had, and then these second-rate Pears become useful ; for a middling fruit is better than none. It so happens that such Pears as Capiaumont, Beurre Bosc, Beurre Diel, &c., seldom or never miss a crop, they, therefore, may do to fall back on. We may here observe, that the Glout Morceau, although generally ti'eated as a wall Pear, fruits here every year as an ordinary standard. We have also a Beurni d'Aremberg on a Quince stock, a tree fifteen feet high, and which in bulk covers little more ground than a huge Black Currant bush. This tree is in form an umbrella, and we gathered this autumn nearly si.x peeks from it ; they are amongst our first-class 260 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. jANnARV 0. pears. About eigUtecu years since, being strongly im- ])ressed with the idea that Pears had generally failed on the Quince stock, through ignorance of their peculiar character as to soil, we made a station for this tree, imitating, as near as possible, the soils iu which we had known the Quince to flourish — in fact, a rich alluvium. The experiment answered the expectation so fully, that out of some three score trees here, most of which succeed admirably, this is the most profitable ; therefore the Bi'urre d' Areinhercj and Glout Morceaxi we may cordially recommend to our readers. Easter Beurrc does not appear to have many patrons ; we, however, fiud it a useful pear, and certainly a great bearer : we never knew it fail. Those who like tlie spicy flavour of the old Swan's Egij or Mnirfowl Eij(j will relish this; it has, doubtless, been produced i'rom these old pears on the one side. Why it should be named Easter Beurrc it really is difficult to say, for we never could eat one after January : perhaps it is so called, in a negative sense, as not being good at Easter ! To sum up in the I'ear way, tliere is AUhorpe Orassane, one of the most capricious things in existence : sometimes the most luscious l^ear in the world ; sometimes a mere turnip which has lain drying in some scullery for a few weeks. We have jiroved Beurre Lauijelier (Rivers), and Doyenne iVHiver Llorceaa (Rivers), new pears ; but we dare not recom- mend tbem at present. Nc 2ilus Meuris is a tidy pear, a good bearer — not good enough for a first-class pear here, yet too good to throw away. We must now call attention to Apples ; and first, everybody knows tlie Kini) of the Pippins, or, as our " great unknown," who furnishes the Covent Garden reports, aflirms to be in I'eality the " Qolilen Winter Pearmain." Now this is a useful Apple, but the Wil- liams' Pippin of tlie Horticultural Society of London, one of the same class, is I'ar superior, at least so we fiud it. Tliis WilVmms' Pippin we advise every one of our IViends to get; good bearer, good to eat, and a riglit liealtliy tree; as a great modern authority has said of a Grape, " one that does not know how to shank ;" so say we of this apple : one that does not know bow to fail. Well, there is Hugh's Golden Pippin, a good new ajjple; Adams' Pearmain; Margille, although liable to cankei', is a rich apple; Court of M^iek ; Blenlieim Pippin : and Ingestrie, liighly recomuiended, one of i Mr. Knight's Golden Pippin seedlings, but never hked here. There is one thing strikes us as extraordinary in the returns adverted to, and that is the leanness in regard of novelties. It would appear that sujierior fruit, like superior men, do not spring up every day, In these returns we see the following, which, a very i%'^ years back, were said to be valuable accessories to the modern dessert: — Adams' Pearmain, good, certainly; but only one advocate, Mr. Tillery ; Court Pendii plat, too, one jjatron, Mr. McEwen; again, Maclean's Eavonrite, backed by Mr. Henderson alone. Cornish Oillijlower has Mr. Dawson for a ft-iend. Wylien Pippin, a name which has figured in every list for the last seven years, has the name of Henderson alone appended to it. There are. indeed, several others wliich are of recent origin, and which have nut yet made their way, fllthougli backed by high authorities. R. Errington. SULBS. { Continued from page iii). BnriNSviGi.i (BupHANF.) cii.iauis. — This, with distycha and toxicuria, forms a distinct section of Brunsvigia, and they are mucli more dillicult to fiower and to keep in good liealth than B. Josephines, B. graiidi flora, and B. ■multijlora, the true Candelabra jdants of the Capo. This species was found growing in strong clay, along with species of Mcsemhryanthemum, and a strong yellow rough loam with a little sand suits it best in a pot. Good drainage and small deep pots, in proportion to the bulbs, with the soil pressed close together and to the bidbs, arc all necessary points for this plant iu (particu- lar. The pots called upright :il's, or upright IG's, must be used for most of the imported bulbs of this and of B. distycha. If this bulb is received from the Cape iu the summer, or at any time after the end of February, without any signs of growth iu it, the grand secret is not to pot it until the end of the following August. In the mean time it should lie iu the sun, with free air, and be kept as dry as possible, and bo turned round and and round, and every time the white bugs looked for and destroyed, which come over in myriads witli all large bulbs from tlie Cape. If the bulbs stand half-an-inch from the pot at tlie widest part it is enough ; aud after once any of these large bulbs make healthy roots aud leaves, they should never be distiu'bed again imtil they break the jjot with extended growth. After potting, give one good watering from below by means of a sau-cer, and tlio moment you see the surface of the soil turning damp remove the saucer, aud that watering should last all through September. Early in October the bulb ought to be in leaf; but if it should not come into leaf till Christmas, no heat should be applied, nor any kind of forcing, and from the moment tlie leaf can be seen, tlie bulb should have as much air as if it was out-of- doois ; and if actual frost is kept from it no cold will aflcct it during the winter, aud veiy little water will do for it till the middle of February. Then increase the watering by degrees, and if a sunny month, the bulbs may have water every other day until ueai' tlie end of April, and by tlio end of May it should be at rest, aud receive a dry and hot rest till the end of August or middle of September, when the flower scape ought to give the first indications of life aud motion. The flowers are pinkish, aud come in large heads lil;e those of Agapanlhus; and a strong bulb in Africa will have as many as 230 flowers in one head. Bkcnsvigia (Ajiocharis) coranica. This large bulb must be kept quite dry from October to the end of ilarch ; then to be potted in the same kind of soil aud in the same way as the last. The natural heat of that season is quite enough, for it is in a greenhouse or cold pit until about Midsummer. An old-established bulb might stand constantly iu a saucer of water from the middle of ]\Iay, but to have no more water than would just cover the bottom of the pot. When tlie leaves are full grown in June tlic pot should be pluuged to tlie rim in a brisk bottom-heat of 85", and a strong current of air allowed day and night. Without this it does not throw up the flower scape ; when this ap]iears, and is four or five inches high, bottom-beat should cease, and the constant moisture at the bottom be renewed until tlio flowers begin to oiieu in the greenhouse. After that give 110 more water than will keep the leaves fresh until they begin to change colour, if the bulb should not flower, keep it in the bottom-heat until the leaves die down. r>r,uNsviciiA (BupHANF.) DISTYCHA. — This IS oue of the largest of all the Cape bulbs, and is readily known by its dark skin. It is a darker looking bulb tlian any from the Cape ; but it seldom comes in those boxes the traders make up for speculation, probably because it grows beyond tlie range of their gathering. It requires exactly the same treatment as Ciliaris. BuuiNsvii-iiA (Amocuaris) FAi.cATA. — It doos not matter whether we take this or Goraniea as tlie species, the other is only a little variation irom it. I f a very old bulb of one of them were to flower at the same time with a very young bulb of the otlicr, one might liud a sliglit diil'crcnce iu the shades of the flower, hut tliat is all. Tlie misfortune of these bulbs is, that their ciilti- January 0. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 201 f vatioii was so little understood at first that tew could flower tliem; so that one botanist seldom had an oppor- tunity of examining more than one or two species ; and each "succeeding botanist had a different notion about the points that distinguish one species from another, and the result is, that not the slightest reliance can be placed on all that has been written botanically on Araa- ryllids from the days of Jjinnfeus. BuuNsviGiA GKANDIFLOUA, — This is the next largest bulb, and a true Brunsvigia, flowering before the leaf in September or October, after resting all the summer, and growing with us during the winter and spring like a Hyacinth. The same treatment we give to our best Hyacinths will just suit it. If it were shut up close in a cold frame for' ten days, before the end of .lanuary, it would not recover itself that season : it is much more impatient of want of air than Josepldmc. 1 had a native specimen of the tlowers of this bulb gathered within tido-mark, or, at least, very near ,tlie sea, in Table Bay ; and the naval officer who gathered it was confident that the roots must have been often in salt water. There were forty-two flowers in the umbel, and each flower stalk was a foot long, and probably more before drying. There is not much difference in the flowers of this and of Josephinnc. They are a dull-red colotn- chiefly; and alter all the talk we make about them, they are not very showy or gay, but only curious. MuUiflom is of a much brighter colour ; and that of Amocar'is falcata is gayer than either of them. Brunsvigia Josephin^e. — This is the easiest to flower of them all, and the easiest to keep. A smart frost has no efl'ect on the loaves. I had common pot Geraniums killed, roots and all, within a foot of it in a border, without any bad effects either on its broad, recumbent leaves, or on the neck of the bulb, which was up to the surface. There are two or three varieties of it, unless they arise from the difference in the ago of the bulbs. One of them is certainly more streaked with minute dark lines in the flower. Any attempt at forcing this bulb deranges it for twelve months. The pot cannot be too small for it, if the bulb can bo got inside of it, and a good depth for the roots; the bulb is just as safe if only one-third in the ground ; and it never wants a change till it splits the pot, like a strong Crinum. I have seen it with only fifteen flowers on a scape, but generally there arc from twenty to thirty, and they spread out candelabra- fashion, quite as mucli_as those of i?. grand'ifiora. Brunsvigia luoida. — This name must be expunged from the genus, the plant it is applied to being a true Neniie. It was by a mistake in Dr. Herbert's Appendix that it got into this genus. He, however, made the correction in his AmarijUidacecc. It suflices here, there- fore, to say, that it must bo kept growing all the winter in a low temperature, and witli abundance of air. Strong, friable, yellow loam suits all this race. Brunsvigia marginata. — This bulb is totally lost to us. It was found .by Masson on the west coast on this side of the Cape, and is figured by Jaoquin ; but as it is supposed to be the only link by which Amaryllis can be united to Nerine, through Brunsvigia, 1 shall describe it, in the hope that some one journeying from Cape Town to the Grange River may fall in with it. Any one the least acquainted with plants may know it. The leaves are about three inches wide, and four long, when the flower scape appears ; and there is a red , tinge all round the edges of the leaves, which no other African bulb represents. On squeezing the leaf between I the fingers it lias a disagreeable smell. The flowers are a little waxy, and not quite scarlet. Any one who could get this bulb and carry it to Sidney, would open a sluice which would drown one-half of our bulb botanists, and would very nearly place the beautiful Amaryllis on the same footing which Linnseus gave it. Brunsvigia minor is only a dwarf variety of Jo- sejihincc, if even that. Brunsvigia mumiei.ora. — A true Brunsvigia, and the best of them, but was mismanag:ed for more than twenty years, througli Mr. Sweet saying that it was a stove pfant, in the first number of "The Gardener's Magazine." He said it was like Jlwmnnlhus multijlorus, but they were then (lS2(i) in such confusion that we hardly knew which he meant. But these muUifloras, however, will live out-ofdoors with a very slight pro- tection, and Sweet never could have written tliat from his own practice, for heat soon spoils them It requires exactly the same treatment as B. Jtisepldnce, B. grandi- flora, B. eiiiaris, and is the best of them for crossing with Belladona on one side, or with / 'alotta and Nerine venusta on the other. A triple cross from the three last would make the finest genus of all that we know of in I Amaryllids; but we want the connecting link (B. mar- ginata) before Nerine will breed with any of them. i Brunsvigia hadula. — A small bulb, also from the west coast on this side the Cape, of which we know nothing beyond Jacquin's figure. Like B. marginata, it comes near to Nerine. Thus it would seem that the intermediate link which is wanting to connect Amaryllis to Nerine inhabits a zone on the north-west limits of the genus in Africa, where no botanical collector visited since Masson. Brunsvigia striata. — This is either a variety of B. muUiJiora, with the flowers more streaked, or a nonentity. Brunsvigia (Buphane) toxicaria. — This, like all Buphanes, has the flowers much crowded in the head. They are smaller and more erect than in the true Brunsvigia, but the same kind of culture and soil will j suit them. A strong, friable, yellow loam, pressed hard, and with good drainage, is best. One accustomed to Cape bulbs could pick out B. toxicaria at first sight, from the light brown colour, and the long shape of the bulb. An upright hyacinth-pot is sufficiently long for a full-grown bulb of it. The least touch, or cut, to any part of the living substance will cause it to bleed a thick creamy substance, which is said to be poisonous, and which, I know, will stain linen badly. The best of afl these is Brunsvigia muliiflora and Amocaris falcata, and then B. grandiflora, and the fourth, B. JosepUnie; and except it be for experiments, these four are all that are worth growing of the very large Cape bulbs. B. eiiiaris, if well grown, would look well, or rather interesting, from the great quantity of flowers in one head. None of them are worth crossing in England, except to prove how far the limits of Ama- ryllis extend, because seedling bulbs of them take half a lifetime to flower ; but in Australia, New Zealand, the south of China, Natal, or Valparaiso, and such places of similar climate, they are, of all other bulbs, the most promising. Under Gyrtanthus, which is another section of Ama- ryllis, I shall point out the cause why crosses in many of those sections have failed in Australia. After getting through all the bulbs, I shall point out classes of them which will do to grow together in ditterent ways. Meantime, two corrections have reached me already, for which I am very thankful. 1 said that none of the Gollanias were introduced ; they arc Alstromeria-looking plants, with a growth exactly like the common Fritil- larias of our own meadows, an upright rigid stalk, the top of which bends over, from which a cluster of flowers hangs down. Collania dulcis, flowered at Spoftorth, and was figured in "The Botanical Register" in 184a. I said that the error about pelegrina vras continued by every one save Dr. Herbert ; and am told that Dr. Lindley writes peregrina since the mistake was dis- covered. I am too old now to take offence at anything in this way, and would wish to be criticised severely in 262 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 6. all I advance on these bulbs, to see how fav we can make The Cottage Gardkner a standard authority for them; any facts, however trifling they may appear to others, will assist me materially. D. Beaton. HARD-WOODED GREENHOUSE PLANTS. Westiungia Dampikp>ii. — The chapter to-day will be cliiefly devoted to the inquiries of correspondents. Both the generic and specific name of the above plant are commemorative. We are indebted to New Holland and New South Wales for the group. The present species is a low evergreen shrub, producing small whitish Rose- mary-like flowers in autumn and tlie beginning of win- ter. It is easily jiropagated by short stubby cuttings, inserted in sand, under a bell-glass, in a sliady frame in April, or even, in similar circumstances, under a hand- light in a shady border in .Tune. Sandy fibry loam, enriched with a little rotten leaf mould, or very decom- posed, dried cow-dung, will grow it admirably. It will want a good supply of water in summer, and, of course, less in winter. Little ■pnininrj will be requisite, unless what is wanted to keep the plant in shape, and the re- quired size, and that had best be eflected in spring. A suitable position for the plant would be an open place out-of-doors from the middle of May to the middle of October, and a cool place in a comfortable greenhouse in winter. Though, to meet inquiries, I have stated the above, I must add, that where eitlier show or great interest are objects, and the room not very great, I should never think of recommending the above to an amateur's notice. There is notliing very striking in the whole genus, but the most so are those with bluish flosvers, such as Hiibice- folia, triiJhi/lla, and the older rosmarimfolia. The last, and most of the rest, will stand a sharpish frost, if kept dry in winter at the base of, and trained against a wall. I had noticed this genus, and the allied one of Prostanthera, as being well worthy of a trial against a conservative wall. 1 recollect, many years ago, seeing P. lasianthos against the wall in Chiswick Gar- dens. From some hints, it would be seen, I intended saying my say on this interesting subject, but my friend, Mr. Appleby, has first got possession of the field, and it could not be in better hands. 1 think, however, to avoid confusion, and to prevent mistakes in these progressing days, a few new names and terms will have to be given and defined. A coiiserratice wall, in its original mean- ing, was merely a common wall, furnislied with a coping, capable of being widened in winter, so as to throw olf wet, and prevent the radiation of heat ; and against tliis plants were tried as to their comparative liardiness: or, it was ultimately covered with creepers, twiners, and sucli plants as would bear to be grown witli one side, without impairing their beauty. The ne.\t idea was to have for such a wall a short sloping or hipped roof, with upright glass in front, enclosing a space of some si.\ feet in width, so as to admit of a path inside ; tlius permitting of the enjoyment and the examination of the plants in all weathers. Now, thougli air could be admitted to such a wall nt pleasure, and though keen frost would find its way easily througli the glass in winter, if neither double glass nor other co- vering were resorted to, yet, as even then, from tlie closeness of the sashes, the atmosphere within would bo still, and consequently the stems of the plants would neither be so ruptured nor robbed of their juices as in a frosty wind, on a conservative wall, the same term should not be used, but a new one should be coined, such as "glass-cased nail." Again, the term conservative is still more inaijpropriate wlion applied to sucli narrow structures when lieated. What is there to distinguish them but their narrowness, fi-om any common conserva- tory ? What plant is there that will flourish in a greenhouse or conservatory, that will not also succeed in such a narrow house? The one at Chatsworth is a noble structure, and it will be still more grand when extended to the north, so as to join the Inansion. But such a structure, wliea heated, would be more properly called a " conservatory leall," instead of a conservative one. In fact, such a wall miglit be a plant-stove wall, or a peach-house wall, or a vinery wall, a ripening wall, or a forcing wall, according to the purpose for which it is employed. Mr. Fleming has put up great lengths of such structures at Trentl)am, marked alike by simplicity, economy, and efliciency, for a destined object. He finds that he can have a trellis nearly half-way up the front without shading the back wall. In some of these structures he intends, by sun-heat alone, to accelerate and mature ; while in others, he intends to force and obtain sarly fruit. Now, these facts will show there is a necessity for a new class of terms. Besides, it is necessary to notice, that these heated " conservatory " walls will be very apt to lose in attractive jrower when their novelty is gone, just because, except in the case of twiners, creepers, and one-sided plants, there will be the want of the "natural" as respects other plants placed against it. A plant that grows as a bush, or a low tree, may be cultivated against a wall, and look beautiful too ; but then the looker-on can form no idea of its natural habit. Had I the chance of enclosing such a wall, I would prefer a width of ten or twelve feet to the half of that space ; and then, in addition to the clothing of the back wall, I could have nice bushy specimens in the border in front. "Well, but that would just be a conservatory." Just so; and a heated glass-enclosed conservative wall is nothing else. The wider house would merely require more space, more glass for the roof, and more lieating power, than the smaller one ; the latter nearly, but not quite, in proportion to the greater surface of glass on tlie roof, as the greater body of enclosed air would prevent the place being so suddenly cooled. I have alluded to the matter in passing, and I tliink that some definite terms are not unworthy the consideration of Mr. Appleby, and other coadjutors. EiJTAxiA MVRin-OLiA. — This beautiful New Holland shrub blooms in the autumn, winter, and spring months. Its small orange flowers are produced in great abun- dance along the young shoots. The following will be found a concise and yet full outline of the treatment it requires in pots. . Propagation. — Choose short, stubby shoots, getting firm at their base, in April or May ; cut clean across at a bud, and insert in silver sand, over an inch of sandy peat, the lower part of tlie pot being filled with drainage. When watered, place a bell-glass over them, and set them in a frame, or pit, where they can be kept close, but without artificial heat. They will soon strike, and then should be potted ott' in sandy peat, and placed again in a similar' jdace, preventing Bagging by shading, and dustings from tlic syringe. When taken with the pots, stop the growth, by nipping off the points of the shoots, to make them busby. Selecting Plants — Choose a low-growing bushy fellow, | although it should not be the fourth of the size of a I leggy onc.^ Soil. — For the first few shifts, w'hen the plants are small, use chiefly sandy peat, and a little broken pots and rnbbly charcoal. By the time you get them into four-incli pots use a little sweet fibry loam, and let the loam bo in equal proportions to the peal when the jilant will fill a six or eight-inch jiot, using even then abun- dant clean drainage, and charcoal, broken pots, and silver sand, to keep the soil open, packing it firmly about the roots. Watering. — This will be required liberally in summer, less in autumn, and a fair jiortion in winter, especially January 6. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 263 if in bloom. Syringings over - liead in spring and summer will be of great importance, and tend to keep red spider and scale at a distance. Pruning. — This plant, when young, requires frequent stopping ; when grown to a flowering state it should be pruned back when the blooming period Is over. The greater number of equal-sized young shoots made in summer, and the better they are matured in autumn, the more abundantly will you be supplied with bloom. Position and Temperature. — When jiruned, the plant should be placed in a pot where it can be kept close and warm, or the same advantages given it in the green- house. Little water should be given at the roots until fresh shoots have broken, but the stems and the atmo- sphere must be kept moist by the syringe. As the shoots inorea.se in length, more air must be given, gradually at first, until the tops of the plant are fully exposed in August and September. It will be advisable to house, or shelter, in October; and in winter, if coming into bloom, the temperatui'e at night should not be below -iii". If not in bloom, 5° less will suit it better than a dry heat from fires. In fine, sunny forenoons in winter a dash from the syringe will do it good. In the south of tlie island this plant has been found to stand against a conservative wall ; north of London I have little doubt but it would answer against a glass-cased one, more especially if it was so managed as to flower about the months of April or October. There are other two species — S. pungcns, very similar in habit, having likewise small orange pea-blossonrs, sometimes called Dilbci/nia pungens and Baxterii, having yellow flowers, and more robust in habit. Tliese latter nuiy be treated in a similar manner, but they almost constantly produce their blossoms in early spring and summer. EuoHiLus OBCORDATus. — Thisis another pea-blossomed plant, with small yellow-flowers, produced chiefly towards the points of short young shoots. The yellow in the bloom is contrasted with a purple keel, i'he principal characteristic in the plant is its blunt, curious, reversed heart-shaped leaves, and its upright mode of growth. In the main points of culture, that recommeuded for Kulaxia may be followed. I will merely notice the dif- ference in some little points. It blooms chiefly in early summer. The cuttings may consist of the points of shoots, if side-shoots cannot be got ; and after being inserted, in May or June, for a lew weeks, they will be benefited by a little bottom-heat. I have never heard of it doing much good, unless as a greenhouse pot-plaut. It requires even then considerable attention. The soil should be three parts peat and one loam, well drained, and well opened with pieces of broken brick and cliav- coal, and a fair portion of silver sand. Stagnant mois- ture is its ruin. It should not be dashed with heavy rains even in summer. A pit is, therefore, a better place for it than a position in the open air. The night tem- perature in winter should not be much below 45°. Great (^are must he taken then not to som' or sodden the soil. In dull weatlier it will seldom want a visit from the water-pail. Pruning should take place when the flower- ing is over; but unless it be required to keep the plant small, the pruning should not be severe. It is more safe to grow on a young plant than to lop an old one. 11. I'iSH. THE AURICULA. Tuis most elegant and highly-esteemed spring flower has not progressed so much as most other florists' flowers, either in improved varieties, or in public favour: that is, the number of growers have not increased. The public, indeed, admire the flowers as much, or more, than ever, when they see them exhibited ; but there is not that eagerness about cultivating the Auricula as there is about Pelargoniums, Cinerarias, Carnations, and some other flowers: and why is this? Confessedly the Au- ricula is behind none in beauty of form, elegance of j colo\u', and neatness of habit, besides being sweetly | perfumed. The causes, no doubt, are a kind of fear that they are difficult to grow, slow to increase, easily lost, and rather high in price, especially the very best kinds. Now all these reasons are, I think, unfounded, or, at least, not more applicable to this deservedly-favourite flower than to many other florists' flowers. Carnations, Picotees, Pansies, Ranunculuses, and Tulips, are equally difficult to keep, some of them as slow to increase, and the best quite as high in price. I consider it rather a stigma upon amateur florists that they neglect this spring-blooming, beautiful flower. It is true, though it is a native of the Alps of Europe, it will not bear our j cold, foggy, changeable, damp winters, for it requires j the steady, dry Alpine atmosphere of its native dwel- ' ling; but our persevering florists overcome greater ! difficulties in culture than this of managing the Auri- i cula, so as to imitate the dry, pure air, and covering of j snow, in the Alpine regions. I have been requested, ! by a new correspondent, to give a list of the best Auri- culas, with a few brief hints on their culture, and this request has drawn from me the above preliminary remarks, and I trust many of the readers of The Cot- ' TAGE Gardener will find the following useful; and 1 some that have not hitherto turned their attention to ,: this charming flower, may be induced to try to cultivate, at first, a small collection ; and by way of encouraging ' such to make the attempt, I assure them they may procure four-and-twenty very good old kinds for ;30s.— i no very heart-breaking outlay. The only other article ' that is expensive is a two-light box to grovv them in \ tlirough the winter and through the blooming-season in i spring ; and this two-light frame, after that season is ! over, may be used either for cucumbers, or for propa- j gating various kinds of flowers. The glass is cheap, ' and wood is not very dear, so that this frame will not be excessively expensive, and a new beginner, for a very few pounds, may make a fair start in Auricula culture; and if success attends his efforts, I will ven- I ture to propliecy he will be perfectly satisfied with his ' small outlay— small in comparison to beginning to cul- tivate a decent bed of Carnations or Tulips. To make my instructions easy to remember and understand, I will divide Auricula culture into, 1st, Soil; 2nd, Summer treatment; 3rd, Winter treatment; 4th, Propagation; 5th, Properties of a good Auricula; and lastly, a list of the best in their various classes. 1st. Soil, or rather compost. Simple soils, such as heavy loam, light loam, bog, or peat, would not grow the Auricula to that perfection which is required in order to produce strong blooms finely formed and highly coloured. This every florist of any experience is aware of, and, therefore, he combines three or more kinds, and this mixture is properly enough called a compost. For the Auricula, I am no advocate for a rich, stimulating compost, yet I am quite sure it requires one, in a certain degree, enriched with something that may be described as mildly encouraging, in order to produce strong growth, and, consequently, fine bloom. Such stimu- lating manures as night-soil, blood, sugar-baker's scum, fowl's dung, &c., that some writers recommend, require, in order to temper their highly-stimulating powsrs, so long a time exposing to the air, with frequent turnings, tlial wlien it is safe to use them, the greater part of their enriching powers or qualities have evaporated, and the residue is not much better than common earth, so that all this long preparation is time and expense thrown away. The compost I have used with the greatest success is much more simple, more easily pro- cured, and is sooner ready to use. It consists of loam procured from an upland pasture, or, in some districts, from a pasture near to the banks of a river ; of this, the 364 THE OOTTAGE GARDENER. January 6. top spit, not more tbaii four or five inches thick, is the best. This should he carted home, laid up in a long, rounded heap, and turned oyer (chopping the turf into pieces) three or four times during a year. In that time it wUl be tit for use. This liind of loam may generally be procured from some nurseryman mellowed down ready, if the amateur cannot procure it, or wait till it is prepared. The next article is some well-decomposed manure, such, for instance, as hotbed-manure a year old. Then a portion of vegetable mould, made from decayed leaves of trees, and, lastly, some sand, eitber that called silver, or some from a river-bed finely sifted. The proportions are — four-parts loam, one-part manure, one-part leaf mould, and about one-tenth part of sand. The whole to be thoroughly mixed at the time of using, without sifting, excepting the river sand. While the mixing is going on, any stones, roots of weeds, wire- worms, &o., should be carefully picked out and thrown . away. Use the compost in a state neither wet nor dry. \ This compost, used in a proper state, and of a right age, j will grow Auriculas strong, and bloom them satisfac- torily, all the other points of culture duly and properly attended to. These points must be the subject of my next paper. T. Appleby. (To he continued.) CONSERVATIVE WALLS. ( Continued jyom j^age 225.) Teusiino my former remarks on these walls have at least set our readers thinldng on the subject — and, let me hope, some few will not only think but actually try the experiment of erecting one and putting it to the uses I have hinted at — I now proceed to answer the question' — Should this wall be heated? and this query involves the very natural one — By what means'? In our uncertain climate we have some winters that are so mild that numbers of half-hardy plants pass through that season with very little injury against a wall, even without beat ; but then, every seven or ten years, we have one of our old-fashioned winters, such as that never-to-be-forgotten one of l!^;)7-8, in which the thermometer sinks down to zero ! and then the con- stitution of our plants is tried to the utmost. I need not remind our readers, that in that season the common Laurels, the Laurustinus. Sweet Bays, and many others so-called hardy shrubs or trees, were out down to the earth, and in some cases completely killed. Now, as no one can foretell, or be certain, that such another season will not happen again, I answer the query by saying, emphatically, — most certainly. Yes. Let this conservative wall be provided with the means to be heated. If the season proves mild there will be no necessity to light the fire; but should it be severe, or if there is any likelihood of its being so on any night, or successive nights and days, then the gardener is pro- vided against its injurious. eifeots, and will feel perfectly secure and easy in his miud, that he has the power to preserve his cherished plants, let what weather will come. The owner, too, will feel glad, in the event of a severe frost, that he has been induced to heat his walls, and by that means preserved his rare and beautiful plants that have, perhaps, for years delighted himself and his friends with their beauty and aromatic perfumes. The walls, then, whether for fruit or plants, having been determined to be built, and, furthermore, to be heated, the query next to be answered is, By what means? It has been mentioned that the walls at Osmaston ilanor (see page 18:3) are heated by hot-water pipes, and that, I can aver from oceuhir demonstration, most effectually ; and, inasmuch as those walls heated with hot-water answer admirably, it follows that the best means of heating a conservative or any other kind of garden wall, not even excepting glass ones, is by hot- water pipes. These points beujg settled, the next query in rotation is — Should it be covered with glass? The answer to this query requires some consideration. Though glass is much cheaper tliau it used to be, still, to cover a wall, perhaps a hundred feet long, the cost will be, as a Yankee would say, "tarnation con- siderable ;" and besides, the mode of doing it might be still more expensive. As it is, a wall for oruameutal purj)oses, the covering of glass, to be in character, should be ornamental also. It would not be at all advisable to put up the glass cover in the rough manner of Mr. liiver's orchard house merely for the sake of economy, or, in other words, for the saving of a few pounds to cover it at the least possible expense. No, if it is determined to clothe it with glass, let it be done hand- somely, something iir the style of the often-referred-to- one at Chatsworth, which is a handsome object, independ- ently of the hue specimens of rare plants it contains. The principal considerations in favour of covering this wall with glass is the more certain protection to the plants, and the comfoit of walking under it in wet or stormy weather. It might then be connected with the sitting rooms of the house, and would be a most agree- able promenade in all kinds of weather. All this I must leave to the consideration of the owner. The covering with glass is not absolutely necessary, but it is absolutely advisable to determine, previously to commencing build- iug, all these particulars. 1st. Whether to build it at all. 2ndly. If it is to be built, to have the wall hollow. 3rdly. To heat it with a boiler and hot- water pipes; (these pipes should be placed near the bottom, inside the wall, and tiie inside should be contrived so that the heat will have access quite to the top ; the jiipes are placed near the bottom for the convenience of circula- tion, the heat being sure to rise, from the well-known fact that heat always rises, provided no solid body interrupts it.) 4thly. To cover it with glass carried out so far from the v?all that there will be space for a walk at such a distance from the plants that they can be easUy seen and examined. Supposing it js determined to make a thorough good job of it, and do it well, handsomely, and ell'ectually, so as to an- swer the purpose and he a comfort and pleasant recreation, then procure an estimate from a respect- able builder, with proper specifications, and let it be put up during the spring and summer months, in time to be planted before the cold weather commences. T. Appleby. (To be continued.) THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. Having arrived at the close of a year, the autumn of which has been one of extraordinary wetness, a great deal of out-door work has, in many instances, been de- layed; and we fear that much that has been done, has been accomplished under circumstances which very much impair its utility. Tlio heavy aud almost con- tinuous rain has so soddened the ground, that all operations must have so consolidated it, as to render it almost impervious to the influence of the atmo- sphere. Now, bad as this is, I am far from thinking that a piece of ground, hardened by being trod upon, or otherwise pressed down, is the worst condition that it can bo in at this untoward season, as it must be apparent, the moro solid it becomes, the less water it is likely to hold, as is easily seen by turiiing-up a spade- ful. Now, though at certain times rain water imparts a fertility to soils (apart from the relVcsbiug effects it has on the plants growing there), still, when adminis- tered in too great a quantity, its utility la like that of January 0. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 265 many other valuable things, hurtful when given in excess. The continuous rains wash out of the ground those soluble matters which it is most in want of ; the essence of dung, and other enriching inauures, being so fre- quently soaked in water, necessarily part with their juices, which, being carried below the reach of vege- tation, are lost to the ground. This being so often repeated, has left the ground that abounded in rich animal or vegetable manures robbed very extensively of some of its most important component parts, without the soil deriving any commensurate advantage in re- turn. Now, it is easy to perceive, that grounds throw- ing off the rain, or allowing it rapidly to subside, are less likely to be injured by the extraoi'dinary fall of rain than those retentive and tenacious soils which, having once become saturated, are very tardy in part- ing with it; on such soils, it is not too much to say, that if they cannot be relieved by judicious draining, that a hard-pressed surface, in a wet autumn, is better than a loose, fresh-dug one ; the latter only allowing the soil to hold more water, without that water being enticed away by any of those means which draining is especially provided for; while its remaining so long unchanged in contact with soil not requiring it, a sour- ness arises, which requires some considerable expo- sure to the atmosphere, &c., to remove. This state of things is much aggravated when any one is so indis- creet as to dig or till ground at the time it is so saturated. It is then compressed mechanically into a condition more resembling mortar than anything else; in this state, a long period of favourable weather and treatment is necessary to bring it round again, and it does not always happen that this description of weather follows after a wet season. The long-continued drying winds of last spring were very beneficial that way; but who amongst the many that have undertaken to pro- phecy the forthcoming season, have said anything but "serious forebodings of severe frosts and snows," follow- ing each other with that destructive tendency which made the season of 1837-38 so memorable in a horti- cultural point of view. That the weather of the next two months is destined to be like that veritable season, is not my purpose here to prognosticate, but that it may exceed the severities of the last three winters is very probable, while vegetation is certainly not in the most hardy condition to resist it. The setting-in of the wet season before the growth of many deciduous trees and shrubs had been brought to a close retarded, and at last only imperfectly ripened them ; tender and late-growing evergi-eens were in the same condition ; while herbaceus gi'owth has been stopped by incessant wet, rather than cold; the number of frosty mornings having been few and unimportant; while drying winds have been less plentiful; so that, taking altogether, we may conclude that many things are in a bad condition to withstand the rigours of a winter of more than ordinary severity It therefore be- comes the careful cultivator's duty to see what protection can be given them, or rather what can be done to enable them to stand frost and snow with loss harm to themselves. Brocoli that are fit to cut suffer much if exposed to frost ; it is bettor, therefore, to take up all such, and hang them up in some cool place away from drying winds or withering fires ; observe, they must not be much stripped of their leaves, and the stem must be left pretty long as well. The hardier kinds, which it is not prudent to lift, may be partly laid down, which is done thus : beginning at the west side of a piece of Brocoli, dig a small spit out close to the stem of each plant ; then bend them down all that way which is pointing west, the earth from the bottom of the next row of plants may be laid on the last, and the second one bended over the same as the first, and so on until the whole be done, when they will present a mass of plants, all lying on their sides, and pointing west- wards. This direction I think is best, and likewise better than lifting them entirely and removing them to another place, because the loss the roots sustain by the practice here recommended is not so much as wlien the whole plant is taken up ; in fact, beyond the fractures of a lew fibres, on the side it is bent from, the injury that way is unimportant. Tlie prostrate posi- tion presents a greater number of folds of leaves as covering to the heart than is shown by the ordinary up- riglit position, while the attempts of the plant to regain that posture is equally useful in producing a more eli'ec- tive covering to the central, or more tender part of it. Endive, that has been partly blanched, may be taken up with balls and car)-ied into some dry cool shed, and tliere placed with its roots in sand. A sufficient stock of all Roots which remain in the ground during winter might be taken up and similarly treated; this includes Celerij, Horsertidish, Jerusalem Articliolies, Par- snips, Turnips, and, in fact, all other roots which are left in the ground in ordinary seasons ; a few of each for present consumption may, as I have said, be housed as above, care being taken to prevent their withering. Protection must also be given to Peas that were sown in November, which the absence of cold weather has brought forward to a greater degree than usual. We Iiave found barley-cbafl' laid along the rows, and secured there by drawing a little earth to it, better than anything else that we have tried ; coal-ashes arc also good that way. Beans may be treated the same, while Spinach can only be protected by a covering of mats or other matter of that kind ; thatched hurdles are very good, too, and for crops growing in beds as this and Lettuce, they act very well by leaning against each other in the centre, forming a " span-roof" of no mean capacity. By this kind of shelter, large and forward Lettuce plants may be saved, while the younger ones, being hardier, stand the winter without siich covering. It is almost useless to talk of covering-up frames, &c,, because this is so universal a job as to be known to every one. The puvips, water- pipes, and other contrivances for supplying tliat neces- sary article must also be duly protected, if not already seen to, and all other means adopted that can render things more secure, such as the well-oovering-up of potato-heaps and other stores; and in fact, all those et ceteras which alone constitute good management must be seen after before tliat severe weather sets in which weather-prophets tell us is in store for us still. J. EousoN. ACCOUNT OF A PROVINCIAL HORTICUL- TURAL MEETING IN SCOTLAND. In comparing the present with the past state of horti- culture throughout diflerent districts of Great Britain, one is forcibly struck with the advances which have been made within only a brief period of time ; and there can be little doubt that much of the progress is imputable to the exer-. tions of Horticultural Societies. By means of these useful institutions, a spirit of emulation has been evoked in locali- ties remote from the general intercourse of the world, and among classes to whom a love of plants was hitherto an unknown pleasm'e. No small amount of ordinary procedure in society may be said to be a result of fashion, more than of deliberate principle ; and taking advantage of this con- spicuous tendency, horticultural societies have, wherever established, created a certain fashion in the taste for plant- culture, and thereby fixed and given cmTency to feelings that might otherwise have languished, and been of no practical avail. The fashion being led by parties for whose opinions and habits there is considerable respect, others in their various degrees have followed, till at length tlie most humble and least excitable have been sthred into activity. Having attained this desirable point, it is astonishing how ! 266 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. Jan'uarv 6. the newly-created itower-ciiltm-er expands in liis notions, and becomes possessed ivith a love of plants. He, as it were, has come into a new life. The face of nature, it may be, once blank in liis eyes, is now clothed in beauty; and existence has clianns which were not formerly dreamed of. It is obvious that this love of plants has two important consequences. In the first place, it need not be insisted on that gardening — the treatment of plants according to the enhghtened rules of science and art — is of the highest economic value, and that by all jiroper means it could be carried to its utmost limits. But, independently of this practical view of the subject, there is something in garden- ing, even on the humblest scale, that commends itself to om- favour. And here we would draw an illustration from a contemporary periodical. " It has been very properly obsen'ed," says a writer in Chnmheri^'s Journal^ "that a love of gardening, on however small a scale— be it only the tending of a pet flower-i)ot — has in it something that ex- hilirates and improves. One seldom hears of gardeners misconducting themselves; and we venture to go a step further, and say, that no person whatever, who once imbibes a taste for pansies and hollyhocks, and thinks much of cul- tivating dahUas and anemones, is likely to be an inditferent member of society. It would not be difficult to demonstrate, that the promotion of a taste for flowers and plants gene- rally, leads to an elevation of taste in other things ; and it is remarkable how little is requii'ed to excite a love of hor- ticultural pursuits, even in situations supposed to deaden the higher class of emotions. A story is told of a whole village in the Highlands being stimulated to enter on a course of miprovement, from the simple circumstance of a lady one day expressing her admiration of a single marigold which grew in the neglected gai-deu of one of the cottagers. ' Is it jjossible,' thought the proprietor of this little flower, ' that anything I have in my poor garden is worthy of tlie approval of a lady? If so, I will endeavour to make tilings better — I will try my hand at a few more flowers.' Thus reasoning, the cottager began to occupy himself in his garden ; neighbours followed his example ; a spirit of rivalry was begun ; and, lo ! in a short time the whole village, interior and exterior, assumed quite an improved aspect — cleanly doorways, walls decorated with flowers, and a general advance in all matters of taste. Now, this anec dote, which rests on good authority, affords a pretty fair specimen of what may be done by a little judiciously- administered approbation, acting upon a spirit of honoui'able competition." So much may be said in the way of general observation. Our more special object in the present article is, to describe the rise and progress of a Horticultural Society in one of the rural districts of Scotland ; and at the same time, to offer such hints on the method of getting up institutions of tills kind, as may prove useful to those who are desirous of establishing them. A short account of the society in ques- tion, appeared in the jom'nal above quoted; and a more extended notice for practical purposes being, to all appear- ance, called for, we trust that that which is now to be sub- mitted, will realise all reasonable wishes on the subject. Tlie institution to whicli we allude, is named tlie I'eebles- shire Horticultural Society. It was established in IS'^iO, and consists of a body of individuals of three ditferent classes — professional gardeners, amateurs, and cottagers ; each mem- ber of the two former classes pays a fee of '2s. (id. per annum; and cottagers, whose yeai'ly rent does not exceed .Co, pay a fee of Is. per annum. The members appoint, from their own body, a president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary. Tliese oilicials are, of course, honorary ; the secretary, though having no little correspondence and general management to attend to, acts gratuitously, and for tlie mere sake of advancing the cause of horticultural improvement. .\t present, the president is Anthony Nichol, I'lsq., of Kerfleld, a gentleman of landed property in tlie ncighbourliood ; the vice president is Arthur Burnett, Ksq., resident sheritf of the county ; and the secretary is Mr. .Joliu Stirling, one of the magistrates of Peebles, which is the place of meeting and centre of operations of tlie sociely. Besides these functionaries, there is a comnuttce of manage- ment. The society, we observe, graces its prospectus willi a bst of patrons: these are certain noblemen and gentle- men in the neighbourhood, whose names and influence are believed to be of consequence in giving the thing a respect- able character in public estimation. Some of, perhaps all, the patrons contribute a small annual donation in money to the institution ; but this feature, beyond what may be re- quired at starting, we do not commend. It is most desirable that all such institutions should be self-supporting, and not rely on chaiitable doles. The true and safe plan of opera- tion, is to form a fund from the regular annual fees of membership, and from sums gathered for admission to the public exhibitions. In these latter respects, the Peebles- shire Society is on a healthy footing. AVe observe, from the f ublislied accounts of the society, from September, 1851, to September, 1853, that tlie aniomit of subscription-fees of gai'deners, amateurs, and cottagers was £1:1 '-'s. ; of dona- tions, £9 Is. Cd. ; and of tickets of admission for two exhibi- tions, i.'-24: lis. 'id. Latterly, the amount of tickets of ad- mission has been about jtl.'i each time. The amount of prizes at each exhibition is about .i'14. All the money drawn is deposited in a bank, and from this fund the dis- bursements are made. A respectable individual is appointed to audit the accounts. Thus, the whole financial part of the proceedings is conducted in a methodic and business- like manner. The present number of members on the books is 147 ; and all wlio are members may compete. ' No one can compete or receive a prize, who is not a member. There may possibly be pai'ties in the district who are not members, yet who could shew better flowers than those of regidar members ; but they would not be taken into account in the matter of distributing prizes. And the reason for this is evident. The whole scope of the institution is to excite emulation ; and tliis is best done by each person having an absolute conU-ibutory interest in the concern ; for when a man's own money is at stake, his perceptions are wonderfully sbai'pened — he sees to proper administration of funds ; and, at the very least, makes an efibrt to get back, in the shape of a prize, wliat he paid out in the form of a fee. Ill competing for prizes, members are divided, as above, into three classes — namely, 1. Professional gardeners; a. Amateurs ; and S. Cottagers. Promiscuous competition is not allowed ; nor would it be fair. Each class competes witliin itself. The first-mentioned class consists of the gardeners employed by the landed proprietors in the neigh- bourhood ; and who, besides their professional skill, may be presumed to have means at their disposal for bringuig forward plants. The second class consists of persons above the rank of cottagers ; they are supposed to attend to their own gardens, with jierhaps occasional assistance. The third, or cottager class, are, as stated, persons who occupy houses at a rent of not above ±'5 per annum, and whose means are consequently slender ; and it is mainly for the improvement of this class that the society is instituted. Jlenibers of any class must be resident within the county ; and no vegetable or flower can be brought forward for competition unless it has been a certain length of time in possession of the exhibitor. Besides tlie articles raised for competition, certain other ai'tides are admitted to the shows, merely to exhibit as curiosities, or to evince what can be done in tlio district. Some plants are sent solely for the purpose of embelhshing the exhibition. It was considered desirable to have two exhibitions in Uie year, one in July, the other in September — the latter em- bracing the larger kinds of fruits. Since the commence- ment in ly.'iO, these exhibitions have gone nn increasing in the variety of the articles shown, and the number of visitors. The exhibitions took place in the largest room of the prin- cipal inn. At the exhibition in Seplemlier 18;'il, two iniper- fectious in the arrangements were forced into notice. 'I'lic first was, that the judges were too few in number for the work to be gone through, and they accordingly did not finish their duty of allottiug tlie prizes till an liour-and-n- lialf after the time appointed for opening the doors. Tliis, with the great crowding which ensued, made it apparent that more judges were required, and that tlicrc ought to be a much more spacious place fur exbibilion. Botli these remedies have been applied. The judges for each show lU'o now four in number, and are, as formerly, professional gardeners from a distance, who have no knowledge of the parties exliibiting. All tilings for exhibition rcquue to be lodged by half-past 10 o'clock forenoon of the day of com- petion, and the exhibition opens at '2 r. ii. All kitchen ttANUARY (). THE COTTAGE GAEDENEB. 20r vegetables require to be cloanecl, and free of extraneous leaves, etc. The principal improvement in the arrange- ments has consisted in having tlie exhibition in a temporary canvass tent, of large and commodious dimensions. We invite attention to the manner in wliich this tent was pro- cured, also to its size and appearance ; and for tlie better understanding of its character, we append two slietches, drawn by Mr. .John Bathgate, a gentleman filling the office of procurator-fiscal for I'eebles-sliire, and a warm encourager of all social improvements. Fhj. 1. 1 ■ \ P/tSS4CS Et^lTRAIl'CS TABLES PASSACt- N ^— -<1t^ PASSAGE -^-^t^ TABLES r, o PA SSA c e ^ I. r. n 1 n ..f? '^y^ — ■"" EXIT SCALE OF FEET. _jji 20 Jff ita set fiff ^t^ J)? Fi(,. 2. Figure 1. represents a ground-plan of the tent, with two long tables, on which the articles are laid for exhibition. These table.s are of rough deal, covered with webs of calico, so as to have a clean and neat appearance. The entrance is by a kind of porch at the nortli-east comer ; thence, as indicated by arrows, the visitors walk up the side of one table, and down the other side ; then up the nearest side of the second table, and down the other side of it, to the place of exit, which is a similar porch at the south-east corner. Visitors thus proceed in a slow and continuous stream in one direction, -without break or confusion. Figure 3 is a representation of the tent exteriorly, and in perspective, looking from the south- east, with the houses of the town in the background. It will be observed that the tent is a pavilion in form, being of a length about three times its breadth, with a sloping roof on its two sides. The following are the exact dimen- sions :— Length of the tent, ill feet; breadth of ditto, 3:1 feet; height of roof at centre, 24 feet ; side of span of roof, 2ti feet ; height of walls from the ground, 8 feet. The two porches are exterior projections. The length of the tables is 73 feet; the breadth of each table is Hi feet; and the breadth of the passage is 5,J feet. The substance of the tent is strong canvas, impervious to i-ain ; but so transparent, that there is abundance of light Avithout the aid of windows. The erection is supported on a framework of wood, held together by screw bolts. Besides the side, there are centre, posts. The distance between the side posts is (i.J feet; the distance between the centre posts is 13 feet. All the wood-work has a neat and slender appearance, and is painted. The total expense of this truly commodious erection, including painting, was about £80 ; this amount was raised by subscription in the neigh- bourhood, and kept sepai-ate from the ordinary funds of the society. It may be useful to mention, that the maniifac- turers of the tent were Messrs. R. and D. Ferguson, Sail- makers, Dundee. It was made by them to order, and sent ready to be put up. The wooden framework was consti-ucted by Mr. Dickson, a carpenter in Peebles ; part of it was composed of timber presented by Sir Adam Hay, Baronet; and this somewhat lessened the general expense. When erected, the pavilion has a handsome and rather gay appearance, with the Union Jack ilying at one end, and the Hag of the Society displayed at the other. It was placed in the Town Green, in front of the school-house ; and at about a hundred yards from the Tweed. Even with the vastly extended space in this conveniently disposed tent, there would still undoubtedly be overcrowding, but for an arrangement to be mentioned. This consists in 1 establishing three classes of enti'auce fees — for the first ! hour, one shilling ; second hour, sixpence ; and the third hour, threepence. Tickets are issued corresponding to this plan, which has proved eminently successful, and has j given much satisfaction. All are accommodated, and all are I pleased. It should be added, that the ticket admits only once. Should a visitor go out, he cannot return without ' making a fresh payment. A few police-officers attend to prevent disorder ; and a brass band from a neighbouring j village plays outside dming the exhibition. I The committee of management, which meets once a month, determines on the objects of competition and prizes to be allotted. Prospectuses containing all requisite lists and particulars are issued and distributed gratuitously, from , six to nine months previous to the exhibitions. In these prospectuses there appear not only the lists of prizes of the society, but lists of special prizes ofl'ered by private indivi- ' duals. Such prizes are usually of larger amount than those of the society, and in many instances apply to only one or ] two parishes. We may be allowed to quote two or three from the list of 1 853 : — , " .Vnne Lady Hay, for the best kept Cottage Door, and ornamented with flowers, in the Burgh of Peebles, including i Tweedbridge-end, 7s. — for the second best, os. There must ■ be at least three competitors for this prize. 268 THE COTTAGE GABDENER. January 0. "Lady Carmichael, for the neatest kept Cottage, in the parish of Skirling, 10s. — for tlie second best, 7s.— for the thu-d best, 3s. " W. S. OiT, Esq., Amen Corner, London, for tlie neatest kept Cottage, interior and exterior, witli front ornamented with Howers, also best kept Garden, in the parishes of Teebles and Innerleithen, a copy of the Illustrated Shak- spere ; value. One Guinea. " W. S Orr, Esq., to the occupant of the neatest kept Gate Lodge, interior and exterior, with front ornamented mth tiowers, and well kept Garden, in tlie county of Peebles, 10s. " Lady iMontgomery, for the iinest and purest Honey, tit for the talde, for Cottagers only, 10s. "Lady Montgomery, for the prettiest Flower-Kasket, made by the exhibitor, open to the whole Society, at July Exhibitioir, as. " AV. Chambers, Esq., of Glenormiston, for the most exact and best kept set of Bleteorological Tables, for the year 1803, beginning with 1st of January, and ending witli 31st of December, in tlie parishes of I'eebles and Innerleithen ; open to all classes of members, £l Is. * Copies of blank forms for entering daily observations will be given by the Secretary; and intending competitors must hand in their names to him on or before the 3.5th of December, 180^. This prize will be awarded at the July Exhibition, 1804. " Archibald Craig, Esq., South Bridge, Edinburgh, for the best and neatest kept Cottage Door, and ornamented with tiowers, in tlie parish of Eddlestone, 10s. ; for the second best, 7s. Od. ; for the tliird best, 5s. ; for the foui-th best, •2s. Od. There must be at least eight competitors. It is distinctly understood that no occupant of gentlemen's lodges can compete for this prize." It may be added, that there are likewise a few sweep- stakes ; the competition in such cases being a kind of wager between two neighbours as to the production of certain liowers or vegetables. Such may be accepted as a familiar account of tlie Peebles-shire Horticultm-al Society, wliicli, considering the character of the district, lias succeeded in its praise-worthy aims beyond all expectation. The sphere of operation is a county of small size, composed principally of tlie vaUey of the Tweed, in the upper and more pastoral region of that classic stream. The district is euvkoned with brown lidls, which, though favourable to the production of mutton and grouse, are not altogether friendly to horticultural pursuits. Yet, under certain disadvantages with regaid to chmate, placed aloof from the stimulating movements of an energetic and busy age, and depending entirely on its own resources, this small county, through the agency of a few active- minded individuals, has started forward in the race of horticultural improvement, and its exhibitions, as regards out-door productions, are iironounccd by competent autho- rities to equal any thing of the kind in the most highly- favom-od districts of England. On a future occasion, we hope to be able to make widely known through these pages the names of those competitors whose peculiar success seems deserving of approbation. With so much to be said in commendation, it would be strange if the proceedings of the society in question did not suggest reflections of a somewhat less pleasing character. It deserves notice, that here, as elsewhere, discussions have arisen respecting matters which, for anything that can be foreseen, ah-eady bear withm them the elements of dissolu- tion. We are the more incUned to speak unreservedly on this branch of the subject, from a desiro to oiler a candid and friendly warning before it be too late, not only to the members of the present institution, but to others, in what- ever quarter of the country they may be placed. The first thing to which we would thus admonitorily refer, is tlie system of preparing plants, fruits, or other articles for competition, at an expense of time, trouble, and money, inlinitely beyond tho actual value of the thing, and to all ajipearancc for tlie glory of obtaining a place in the list of succcssfid competitors. Emulation, carried to this undue length, is evidently an evil. The struggle may be said to be in some respects a competition of purse against purse, instead of skill against skill, and as such, is adverse to every sound principle of economics. It can surely serve no good pm-pose, to produce half-a-dozen monster looks at a cost of a load of valuable manure, or a few bunches of grapes at an outlay of A'O for extra fuel, exclusive of trouble and time beyond all reasonable allowance. A jirocedure of this kind is not horticulture at all : it is a vulgar forcing of nature beyond her legitimate bounds, and, if not checked, can terminate only in general disgust and disaster. Among amateurs and cottagers who emidoy their own means in these supernatiu'al forcings, the practice is less objection- able than among genilemen's gardeners ; for, in the latter case, the means belong to another. No doubt, the costly experiments of these horticultmists are in many instances etl'ected with the sanction of their employer ; but this scarcely saves the practice from condemnation. It should be the pride and duty of gardeners to conduct their opera- tion.s on an economical scale, and work more by professional knowledge than the powers of excessive and costly ibrcuig. One thing is certain, that no body of gentlemen will long continue to support any institution that causes an habitual and unreasonable outlay. It may be gratifying for a season to see tlieir servants carrying oil" prizes of half-crowns ; but when employers calculate that for every half-crown so gained by their gardener, they themselves are called on to expenil a pound for manure, or for some special apparatus, their enthusiasm for horticulture may justly be expected to de- cline, and finally expire, leaving notliing but disappoint- ment behind. The question as to how far any class of competitors should go in the matter of forcing, is not susceptible of a cUstinct solution. Common sense ought to regulate the employment of means, keeping a certain end in view. Some persons have objected to the use of glass, but glass, we apprehend, falls within a proper system of cidture ; and, indeed, all expedients that are dictated by science and prac- tical art, are not only permissible, but commendable. We are quite aware that on the subject of means to ends, the society has a delicate part to perform. Yet, it is the duty of a society to adopt some suitable method of placing horticul- tural experiment on a footing that will prove permanent and beneficial. It can never be su[iposed that an institution is to stand by unconcernedly, and see itself destroyed. Something it may do by way of recommendation or address, and all else failing, it may call for a declaration as to the cost of production from competitors. A hint on this subject is enough. Another vmfortunate feature of societies of this kind is the jealousy which is inti'odnced into a neighbourhood. Numbers, of course, care not who overlook their" operations, and watch the progress and quality of their iilants and tiowers. Others are more sensitive. They are afraid to have their gardens intruded upon, while the grand competi- tion cabbage, or the wonderful half-dozen pet anemones, ai"e coming to maturity. Now, this is a very undesirable terror. We like to entertain Idndly ideas of gardening and gardeners of every grade, and feel that a spirit of exclusiveness is qiute at variance with all that is commendable in art. The gentlest possible remonsti'ance on this, as on the foregoing point, is, it may be hoped, suflicient. With these observations, we would beg to draw our account of a provincial horticultural society in Scotlmid to a conclusion. The institution, we are glad to leiun, has already made a visible impression on the taste of the dis- trict. On tho highway between Edinburgh and I'eebles, stands the small village of I'lddlestono, and here the door- ways of the cottagers were for ages in a most untidy con- dition. Now, through the efficacy of small piizes distributed by the horliculturid society, tlie cottages have assumed quite a difterent appearance. Stagnant pools and dimg- lieaps have vanished from tho scene, and pints of garden with roses and honeysuckles rise pleasingly into view. In other quai-ters, similar advances arc perceptible. Hee- husbandry has made a marked progress, and we can con- fidently say, that the finest honey which could be produced was shewn at Peebles last September exhibition. Nor ai'c social habits left untouched. Leisure hours, which formerly were spent in tlio public-house, are now devoted to horticul- ture. The best iiowers of the mind, once lying dnriinint, have been stimulated into activity; and irilli n pnidviit rri/ayri nf vivtina lo cikIs, we anticipate that the society to Miiich wc have taken the Uberty to draw attention, will yet achieve much higher results. — W. Cuajibers. Januaey fl. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 209 COCHINS, DORKINGS, AND SPANISH. I montioned, iii a former communication upon this subject, that I was by no means inclined to tliink that tlie Cochins were the "enormous" eaters whicli "Callus" and his friends asserted them to be, and my opinion has, I see, been shared in by several of your more recent correspondents. It is obvious that this is a question upon whioli a tolerably satis- factory conclusion may he arrived at, and that without much trouble. It is important, however, first to determine what tlie question in dispute really is. If, as " Callus " now con- tends, it be whether fowls averaging, say, seven pounds each, do, or do not, consume more than fowls of another breed averaging four pounds or five pounds each, what is the use of the controversy at all ? But if the question to be decided be, as I and others have always contended, and as is obviously the reason of the thing, which is the most profitable breed of fowls to keep, the solution depends upon which possesses most advantages and exhibits fewest defects. One important advantage imdoubtedly would be, that a par- ticular breed should consume less food than another, having regard to the quantity of food, or rather, perhaps, to the value of the food which it should itself return to them. In this calculation size would be an essential ingredient. If a farmer, for instance, has two breeds of pigs, and one of them will attain thirty stones in weight, and the other only twenty, can he not aftbrd to give the former more food than the latter ? Unless the bacon be very deficient in quality, it is manifest that he can. But if the abstract position for which " Callus " contends be, tenable — viz., that size has nothing to do with the matter — the question of utility is gone, and the Bantam (or, in the ease I last put, the little pig) beats all the other breeds, simply because, being smaller, it consumes less food. From these considerations it is obvious that the true question is, as I have stated, which gives the best return for the outlay, and, in this enquiry, that size is a principal ingredient. And if a few imjiartial experiments be honestly made the question can be solved with little difficulty. 1, therefore, beg to give you, and, through you, to your readers, the result of one such trial, explaining first how it was made, in the hope that others will make similar attempts to give us the benefit of their experience. I have no Dorkings ; but, as I have before stated, I keep Cochins and Spanish. Their roosts are equally good in .all respects, and are situate at opposite ends of the same plantation, into which they both run, but at such a distance that they never mix with each other. Neither has any advan- tage over the other that I am aware of. There are twenty- nine Cochins, and twenty-three Spanish, and to the latter I added three common fowls (bought for killing) to make the numbers more uniform. The proportions of yoimg and old were alike, and in each lot were three cocks. I feed with whole barley, and with meal ; the latter of three sorts — barley, bean-meal, and pollard, or sharps. They have the soft food twice a-day, in cast-iron troughs, as much as they can eat, and if they leave any it is carefully gathered up. The barley, in hoppers, they have to run to when, and as often as they please. I thought I could not make a fairer experiment than this, hut after being absent for three days, I found that two small Turkey poults ( weighing together 17 lbs. ), which had before been fed with the Spanish, had not been removed, according to my orders. I therefore determined to let them remain during the rest of the week, and to ray surprise, I found at the end of seven days that the two lots had just consumed the same quantity, each having eaten 'Jilbs. of meal and SOlbs. of barley. I now removed the Tm'keys, and the death of a Spanish cock reduced the number of Spanish to twenty-five. During the second seven days, the twenty-five Spanish ate 151bs. of meal and illbs. of Barley, and the twenty-nine Cochins, 'J-tlbs. of meal and 301bs. of barley. This, in the latter week, gives an average of 25ozs. for each Spanish fowl, and llOozs. for each Cochin, or a propor- tion of five to six. But the Spanish lot weighed together llllbs., averaging only 41bs. 7ozs., or TIozs. each; and the Cochins weighed together l!)31bs., or tjlbs. lOozs., or lOUozs., each being two to three within loz. I am by no means desirous that any one should consider such a question settled by a single experiment, but I am not aware that a fau'er one than tliis (for the accuracy of which I pledge my honour) could be made, as both the corn and meal were taken from the same sacks. I shall, however, be obliged, for one, to any of your con'espondents who will make similar trials, and favour the poultry-keeping world with the results. I am stUl open to conviction ; but, as at present advised, I am of opinion that the public favours bestowed, as it has unequivocally been of late, upon the Cochins, has gone in tlie right direction, and that, Jbr all vscfiil pin-poses, they are the best breed of fowls yet intro- duced into this country. I took the liberty, in a former paper, to say tli.at I antici- pated that Mr. Sturgeon's sale would afford a strong proof of the general verdict being in their favour. 1 was favom'ed with a malted catalogue of that sale, and 1 subjoin a state- ment of the average prices realised. It is only necessary to a proper understanding of this paper, to remind the reader that the stock sold at the sale (except the few lots desig- nated as "smidries") was the produce of one or other of these cocks, named respectively, Sam, Patriai'oh, and Jerry. The result of the sale was as follows : — Sire. si ^ — Sold for 1 1 < s o s.'S. Sold for Average of Pullets. Average of both Cockerels and Pullets. Sam *Patnarch Jerry 21 23 23 £ s. d. 64 5 0 73 7 6 76 6 6 £ s. d. 3 1 2 3 3 9 3 6 4 36 30 21 £ s. d. 143 13 0 10/ 12 6 82 11 0 £ s. d. 3 19 2 3 119 3 IS 7 £ s. d. 3 10 5 3 7 9 3 13 fl 67 213 IS 0 3 3 8 87 333 16 6 3 16 8 iVo. Sold for Average as above. Cockerels Pullets Sundries % £ s. d. 213 18 0 333 16 6 £ s. d. 3 3 8 3 16 8 154 13 647 14 6 64 17 0 3 9 8 3 12 0 Average of Chickens of 1852. 172 612 11 6 3 11 2 Average of the whole Sale. Can I be wrong in concluding, from the sale by public auction of I7ti birds to 0'2 different buyers, at an average rate of ^£3 lis. '2d. each, that the verdict of the public is in favom' of Cochin. P.S. I have forgotten to mention that from the Cochins I had, on an average, eight eggs per day, hut from the Spanisli only fom- eggs per week. FEEDING BEES.— A CAUTION. On examining, yesterday (Dec. li), one of my best hives of bees, I was surprised to find that tliey had only a few ounces of honey left. This hive swarmed on the 17 th of May, and unfortunately tlirew a maideu-swanii on the 1st of July. This, no doubt, weakened them considerably, but it plainly shows what a wretched honey-season it must have been. 'These bees, which seemed so very active and strong, could not collect, since the 1 st of July, sufiicient food to keep them until Christmas. This extraordinary mild weather will cause a great con- sumption of honey, and bee-keepers will do well to look sharply after their stocks. The thermometer has ranged each day, for the last fort- night, from 48'= to 5.5° in the open air, and in a northern aspect at midday, a week ago, the ivy near my house was crowded by bees. Probably the immense glut of wet weather had retarded the blossoms, as I have seldom noticed them on the ivy after the middle of November. The bees alluded to above were the best I have in my garden, as I thought tb em, previously to yesterday, and certai n of going through the winter without feeding. I calculated that they had from lylbs. to Kilbs. of honey, from tlieir great acti\'ity dm'ing the months of June, July, and August. I am much indebted to Mr. Payne for many useful hints, and I think he will bear me out this time in ray caution, although most likely it may come too late for many unfortu- nate stocks. H. W. Newman, N';w House, Stroud. 270 THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 'LvNfAP.Y 6. POUI.TRY SHOWS. We liave been favoured with the following note from one of the committee of Thf Grt'ut Metropolitan Sftoir. 'We are glad of its removal, not only hecause it i^: now separated from all connection with a tavern, hut because it will be much easier of access, and the poultry will be more com- fortably lodged ; at the same time, we more than regret that the committee persevere in what they know is wrong, by keeping the birds in the pens for so many days. " It is quite true T/tf Great Metropolitan Exhibition is postponed, and the place of eihibition changed to the Baker-street Bazaar, in consequence of the proprietor of tlie Oval having notice from the solicitor to the Ducliy of Cornwall, tliat no exhibitions of any kind would be allowed on his ground. The committee were, therefore, taken quite by surprise, and you may imagine their chagrin and annoy- ance at such information, when a beautiful and most ex- pensive building was aU but finished. The committee, there- fore, immediately waited upon the spirited proprietor of the Baker-street Bazaar, who immediately acquiesced to their terms and application, and we congratulate the public and exliibitors in having secured a more central, more con- venient, and more agreeable locale ; and we are pleased to add, but two of our exliibitors are inconvenienced by the change. The entries close on the -tth of January ; the specimens will be received on Friday and Saturday, the Tth and 8th of January; the birds will be judged ou Monday the 10th, and the Exhibition open to tlie public on Tuesday the 11th, Wednesday the l'2th, Thursday the 13th, and Friday the 11th ; the same days as at Birmingham. "We have upwards of 1,000 entries, not l,(iOO, as erro- neously stated by a-penny-a-liner, who must have mistaken an 0 for a 0." We are indebted to Mr. J. J. Nolan, the well-known poultry-fancier of Dublin, for the following report; — " The Dublin Amateur Poultry Society had their first show in the spacious round room of the llotunda, under the patronage of our Vice-Queen, the excellent Countess of Eglinton, who inspected each pen minutely, and proved lierself a scientific connossieur in her selection of some of the finest specimens, which subsequently, and deservedly, obtained the first prizes in each of their classes. A lot of Black Polish, in pen 118, took her Excellency's particular attention. The Embden Cieese, with other lots, she com- manded to be forwarded to the Yice-Eoyal Lodge, Pha>mx I'^rk. " The arrangements of the room were judicious, much after the manner of the English Exhibitions, and in the evening it was lighted with gas, and formed an excellent promenade, but the music in an adjoining room was a total failure. This was the first attempt here of having a Poultry Show secured from the inclemency of the weather, and was found most agreeable to the visitors, as well as to the birds. What Dublin poultry-fancier does not recollect " the pelting of the pitiless storm," when the lofty elms in the Dublin Society's yard were levelled to the earth, and the i^oultry pens performed their evolutions through the lawn ! We hope to see all future Poultry Shows, as in the present case, comfortably provided for. " Lady Domville added to the Exhibition a splendid col- lection of Water-fowl of great rai'ity and beauty, in which was the Cereopsis and l!ai--headed Geese, with other rare varieties, which would be an acquisition to any Zoological Collection. "The catalogue, though not long, being of only ;!11 lots, consisted of, perhaps, as good specimens as any Great Britain can boast of. Several lots changed hands at higli prices. There were but few inferior birds. The Pigeons were select and in good feather. " I perceive we have a new candidate for poultry fame, in the person of a Miss H. Gardiner, who seems to have spared neither pains nor expense in procuring the best specimens of the most approved vaiieties, and as the prize list shows, her stock was so varied and excellent, they were a real attraction and acquisition to the Society. If report speaks truth, she is determined to promote among her tenants the best procurable fowl, to be distributed to them as one of the industrial resources of the country, and to add to their comfort. I am proud to make a record of the feelings of such a lady proprietress, and liojie it may bo speedily foUowed by our Irish nol>ility and gentry ; and while on the subject, have to regret iJiat some of lliis lady's birds, procured at considerable cost, to meet the wordings of the amateur prospectus, should bt, Ijy either neglect or design, improperly classified, or entirely omitted ; aoid her Aylesbury Ducks, said to be the best in the room, called Labrador I How the managers could mistake the White Aylesbury for the lilack Labrador, is of difficult expl anation. "Our judges, unfortunately, are the relatives or friends of the eichibitors, and whatli-ish judge is so immaciUate as not to feel an erroneous prejudice in favour of his friend, par- ticularly when they walk out with printed catalogues in then' hands, in which is set forth the names and addresses of the exhibitor ; at the same time, I am satisfied, from Sir Edward Borough's high standing and good taste, he does not feel complimented at being awarded a premium for lot 10^, which, undoubtedly, should have been announced no merit. I would advise, as at the English shows, the judges to he brought from a distance. I am glad that the error of awai'ding a premium to Mr. Dombrain for three chickens, in lot 113, instead of fom', has been withdi'awn. [f such errors be pei-mitted it will he the certain dLssolution of the Society ; and being a true fancier, and the oldest and first amateur in Ireland, I should regret it of all tilings. I there- fore beg their strict attention to their own rules. " Now, as to the selection of their oflicers. I should re- commend its being done by a majority of their members, and not by self-appointments. They are more likely to appoint men of intellect, and not persons who have made so many errors in theii' prospectus, their catalogues, and their pre- mium-lists. " While on the subject of poultry, it may not be out of place here to remarii a new nomenclature adojited at the Birmingham Show. The birds usually ];nown through England as Bolton Grays^ Bolton Bays, Dutchevery-day- layers, Pencilled Dutch Fou-l, Chittiprals, Jtc, ai-e denomi- nated Pencilled Hanibunjhs ; and the birds kno\vn and ex- hibited in England at the poulti-y clubs, denominated Spnnyled Pheasant Fowl, from their markings approacliiug to the brown Plieasant, each are called in the Birmingham list, Gnlden-spanylcd Hamburghs. Now, what they ai'e called, appeal's to me of little consecjueiice, so as it is one general name known and understood by all; but when it varies from what has been known and established for the last century, it cannot but cause confusion ; it would, therefore, be well if the principal poultry amateurs would communicate with each other on the subject, and adopt one general nomen- clatm'e." The Judges in Poidtry were— The Hon. Captain Arbuthnot, Thomas Rutherford, and Isaac D'Olicr, jun., Esqrs. In Pigeons— A. H. Darlcy and W. HIason, Esqrs., whose adjudications gave general satisfaction. The following are the awards of the .Tudges : SPANISH. Section 1. (Birds of two-ycars-old and upwards). — No merit. Section 2. [.Birds of 1851J. — John North, Ksq., Clannda-terracc, Kings- town. Section 3. (Chickens).— George Pcrrin, Esq., Sullock, Dalkey. DORKING. Section 1. (Birds of two-years-old and upwards). — Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, Oatlands, Castlelcnoclt. Section 2. — Mrs. Greshain, Bellegrove, Cloutarf. DOKKINGS (White). Honourable C. H. Lindsay, Island House, Island-bridge. MALAY. Section I. — Jlrs. Franklin, Cottager, Cabra. Section 2. (Chickens of lSa2).— Ulrs. Gresham, Bellegrove, Clontorf. COCHIN-CHINA. Section 1. (Birds of 1851).— BIrs. Grebh.ini, Bellegrove, Clonlarf. Sections. (Chickens of 1852). — Mr. William Lcdwich, Mary Villa, Ball's-bridge. DUTCH OR BOLTON GREYS. Section 1. (Birds of two-ycars-old and upwards).— Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, Oatlands, Castlckiiock. Section 3. (Chickens).— Lieutenant-Colonel Hill. GOLDEN HAMBURGH, Section 1. — No merit. Section 2. (Chickens).— Mrs. Cano, St. Wolston's, Cclbridge, January fi. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 27] SILVER HAMBURGH. Section 1. (Birds of two-years-olii and upwards).— Ricliard P. Williams, Esq., Drumcondra Castle. Section 2. (Birds of 1851).— Sir Edward Borough, Bart., Coolock. Section 3. (Chickens).— Richard P. Williams, Esq., Drumcondra Castle. GAME FOWL. Section I. (Birds of two-years-old and upwards).— William Madden, jun., Esq., James's-street West. Section 3. (Chickens).— Charles Watkin Williams, Esq., Richmond. BANTAMS (Sebright). Section I.— Miss H. Gardiner, Reigh's-buildings, Clontarf. Section 2.— Miss Louisa Cane, St. Wolstan's, Celbridge. POLISH. Miss H. Gardiner, Reigh's-buildings, Clontarf. Norfolk Turkeys. (Best Cock and Hen).— Mrs. Booker, The Parsonage, Killuran. P. J. Kearney, Milltown House, Clonmillan. POULTS OF 1852— AMERICAN TURKEYS. Section 1. — Miss H. Gardiner, Eeigh's-buildings. DUCKS. Aylesbury. (Best Drake and two Ducks).- Mrs. Warburton, Kill, county Kildave. PoCKLiNGS OF J 852.— Richard Chaloher, Kingsfort, Moynalty. Rouen: Bikds of 1851.— Richard P. Williams, Esq., Drumcondra Castle. Ducklings. — Richard P. Williams, Esq. GEESE. Miss Gardiner, Reigh's-buildings. GOSLINGS. Rev. Thomas Adderley Stopford, Clongill Rectory, Navan. PIGEONS. Caebiees (Black). — Prize. Mr. A. Le Clerc, Philipsburgh-avenue. (White and Dun).— Mr. Dobbyn, D'Olier-street. Recommended. PODTEES (Blue).— Mr. P. Jones, Araien-street. Recommended. Runts. — Mr. Le Clerc. Recommended. TuRBETS. — Mr. Le Clerc. Recommended. Barbs.— Mr. Dobbyn. Recommended. Jacobins. — Mr. Le Clerc. Prize. Tumblers (Bald-pated). — Prize. Mr. Richard Wildridge, Lower Blount-street. Tumblers (Almond).— Prize. Mr. Dobbyn, D'Olier-street. Trumpeters. — Mr. Le Clerc, Philipsburgh-avenue. Recommended. RABBITS, Mr. Le Clerc. For the following particulars relative to the late Bir- minyham Poultry Show, we are indebted to the Midland Counties Herald, and, therefore, all the statements may he accepted as perfectly correct. " With regard to the attendance, we have to add that it was very large, notwithstanding the unfavoiu'ahle weather, and that the receipts exceeded those of any former occasion. The numbers of visitors, exclusive of subscribers, were as follow : — Tuesday, 1,705 ; Wednesday, 9,3'^C ; Thursday, 13,280 ; Friday, 0,728 ; making an estimated total of more than 37,000. Tlie money taken at the doors amoimted to £1,840, and the sums received for the sale of catalogues to i£379 4s. 6d. Among the visitors were the pupils of the Deaf and Dumb Institution, who were admitted gratuitously on Friday morning, and who appeared highly delighted with all they saw, but more particularly with the Poultry Depart- ment. To the information relative to the sales of Poultry, contained in the Herald of Thursday last, we have to add that they reached to ±'1,030 LOs. Od. in the four days dming which the Exhibition remained open. One object of these shows is to aflford facilities to persons who wish to piu'chase such stock as they may require ; and all contri- butors are required to affix a price to their specimens ; but where no intention of selling exists, parties may, and, as is well-known, frequently do, name a sum which is prohibitory, or intended to be so. Sometimes, however, such calculations prove to be erroneous. The pen (294) of Cochin-Chinas, the property of Mr. James Cattell, of this town, which carried off the first prize in Class 12, found a purchaser at £50 ; and as a proof of the early maturity of the breed, as well as the excellence of the stock from which they sprung, it may be proper to state that the tliree pullets, hatched on the 30th of April, weighed, when sent to the Exhibition, 9jlbs., 91bs., and Sjlbs. respectively. Amateurs may also be interested in knowing that for the buff cock exhibited by the same gentleman, contained in the pen which obtained the second prize in Class 11, the sum of twenty-five guineas was offered by a very eminent dealer, and declined. This is the same bird which is figured in the ' Dlustrations of Domestic Poultry,' recently published, and for Which a similar price was offered at the Yorkshire Poultry Exhi- bition, held at Halifax, at the commencement of the present year, where he received the premium for the best male bird of any variety hi the yard. We may further state that one very eminent cultivator of the Cochin-Chinas, fearful the price of fifty guineas might not preserve to her the pos- session of her birds, which were very admirable ones, bought them in, paying the usual commission of five per cent. Other sales took place at very liberal prizes. For a pen (272) containing a cock and pullets in Class 12, exhibited by BIr. Thomas Eoscoe, of Prescot, thirty guineas were paid; for another pen, (272,) the property of Dr. Gwynne, of Sandbach, £30 ; for another, (419,) belonging to Mr. Punehard, in Class 15, £25; for another (4.52) of White Cochins, belonging to Mrs. Herbert, of Powick, twenty guineas; for a pen of Dorkings, (148,) fifteen guineas; for a pen (475) of the same variety, shown by Mr. Y. Pi. Graham, of Yardley, twelve guineas ; for a pen of Black Polish, (823,) shown by Mr. Edward Hewitt, of Sparkbrook, twelve guineas ; and for a pen (903) of White Polisli, from W. G. Vivian, Esq., of Singleton, Glamorganshire, twelve guineas. A pen of Toulouse geese, exhibited by Mr. John Taylor, jun., of Cressy House, Shepherd's Bush, London, sold for fifteen guineas ; numerous other pens of poultry, of various kinds, being taken at £12, £10 10s., £10, and other smaller sums." AN AMERICAN GARDEN. The accompanying plan is a garden expressly for the cul- tivation of what are commonly denominated American plants. They are beautiful objects as planted in the shrubbery, but, to be seen to perfection, they must have a piece of ground expressly for themselves, where they can be arranged ac- cording to their respective heights, and contrasted in colour. The principal advantages arising from this plan are — that it is very compact ; that it is quite the fashion ; and, lastly, that it is likely to remain so without change. It matters but little what the aspect of the garden is, provided it is placed on a gentle declivity, so as to admit of being properly drained. Having chosen the situation, the next thing will be to clear the surface of tm-f, or what else maybe upon it; then, after marking out the beds, to have the natural soil taken out to the depth of two feet, remembering to let the bottom slope gently towards the centre, where the drains will be placed. On this I lay particular stress, for without good drainage, in all places, and under all circum- stances, the richest soil will very soon become sour and sterile, and the healthiest plants will soon turn yellow, and linger out a miserable existence, to be succeeded by others eqiially unfortunate. Common drain tiles do very well, provided they rest on soles, without which, I believe, they ai-e of vei7 short service. Soil. — As there is a mixture of plants, so there must, necessarily, be a mixture of soil ; good turfy loam, not cut too deep, one-part, sand one-part, and fibry peat (not bog) two-parts. These, if chopped up and well mixed together, will meet the wants of all the plants. Take advantage of a 37*2 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. Jakcary C. shaqi frost to wlieel in the soil, wliich ought to he emptied off planks, remembering to fill the beds six inches higher than the surrounding ground so as to allow for subsiding. Plants. — These will consist of EhododemU'ons, Azaleas, Kalmias, Andromedas, Ledums, Graultherias, Rhodoras, "N'ac- ciniums. Ericas, Epiga'as, Menziesias, Daphxies,Empetrums, Eabianas, ttc. These form the heads of tlie various famihes, but tlie individual members had better be selected by the planter when in bloom. Plantiiui. — The principal things to regulate doing this are colour, distance, and ultimate height. Fu-st of all, let tlje colom's be so arranged that each i^lant forms a contrast to its neighbour ; and to do this effectually it ought to be done on paper first, so tlaat one may have time to give it an hour or two's consideration. By so doing the work will be gone about systematically, and not with that bungling whicli is sure to follow an arrangement tlie mere impulse of the moment. Sufficient distance from plant to plant is very seldom given. We can see this every-day in our plant-houses, wall-trees, flower-garden, ifcc. By giving one plant the space generally allotted to two the result wiU be far more satis- factory. Ultimate height ought to be kept in mind, so as to have the tallest plants in the middle. U'lUks. — If good gravel is to be had nothing will beat that for walks in tliis garden ; but if that is of an indifferent quality, then let them be made of asphalt or concrete, and edged with stone, slate, or neat paving-bricks. Afler-trciiimenl. — The plants will require to be supplied with water for the first sunmier or two after planting, and mulching will be of great serrice to them in long-continued drought. Digging amongst them is a practice which ought never to be tolerated ; for by so doing all the surface-roots (and they are in all cases the best) are cut off, which sends those left down to the hottora in search of food, wliich is generally of an indifferent quality ; hence, disease which is so often met with. — J. Bust. POULTRY DISEASES. WHITE COMB IN SHANGHAES. A connESPONDEXT writes as follows : — " Some months ago I wrote to you for information and advice about a disease that has appeared amongst some Cocliin-Chinal fowl, and which seemed to have been introduced by a cock purchased of IMr. Punchard. After that, other complamts seem to have been made to you about the same disease. A name was given to it, and a remedy jiointed out, v\-/.., to anoint the bu'd v\ith oil and turmeric. That cure seemed to answer, though not entirely, and is apparently of no use after a certain stage of the disease. As I obsei-ve that one or two able remarks have been made througli your publication, on the cure of disease of poultry, I am induced to note fully my observations on the disease in question, with a view to ascertain what it is, and the remedy. "'I'he disease first appeal's on the comb, which appears white and crisp, it gradually extends down the neck, and the feathers fall off. Old birds and chickens seem equally liable' to it. It seems like a sort of scurf, which gradually extends all over the body. The bird seems apparently un- affected in health ; it eats voraciously, but on examination it will be fouiul poor and thin, as if tlie food furnished not its proper nourishment. After a while this scurf appears thick about it, apparently in a moist state; afterwards the feathers, when the bii-d is let out in the morning, seem to be in a matted state, just like the feathers of a drowiied bird; on examination this will be found to be a sort of grease ; during the day the grease evaporates, and the feathers become apparently dry ; at this stage the bu-d begins to show signs of weakness, it afterwards refuses its food and dies. " My full-grown birds all quickly recovered the disease, but not so the chickens. Mr. Punchard's cock had to be destroyed. I do not understand the nature of the disease, nor its cure, but it has often occurred to me, whether feeding birds with grey peas had anything to do with it. I under- stand -Mr. Puncliard gives his some occasionally, but unless accompanied with salt or sometliing else, it seems to me that such a food must have a bad effect on tlie blood. — K." In making a few remarks on the above, I must bog to be understood as offeiing them as suggestions only, having had no opportunity of seeing the ti-hiti: comb. I regard many of the diseases to which I'onltiy are sub- ject as arising from high feeding and stimulating food. Peas and other leguminous seeds, as beans, tares, &(;., contain a very large proportion of a suljstance which in its chemical and nutritive properties closely resembles animal food, the effect of their use in large ([uantity, or if long continued, is very likely to be the production of such a skin disease as that described. AVith regard to the ti'eatment I am equally at a loss ; om' Editor states positively, tliat if cocoa-nut oil and turmeric are applied at intervals of two or three days, as soon as the white comb appears, it is a specific. In our correspondent's! cases the disease is evidently beyond the reach of any local remedy. I should suggest the separation of the sick bird, a plain, unstimulating, wholesome diet — say of oatmeal and water, with a supply of gi'een veget- ables, and the administration of some alterative medicine, as flom- of sulphur, ten grains, and calomel one grain, given every other night ; or a three-grain Plummer's pill might be given instead. I should be glad of an opportunity to investigate the disease in any cases near town. One slight error occurs in our con-espondent's account respecting the moisture on the plumage in the morning. This cannot, as he suggests, be grease, as in that case it would not become dry by exposm'e to the air during the day. W. E. Tegetmeier. EARLY PART OF THE LIFE OF THE POOR MAN'S WELL-WISHER. I WAS born of very poor parents; in fact, they were so poor that when I was two years old we were all in the work- house together, where we remained about one year; my father then obtained employment at the iron works in Staffordshire, where we all went to Uve ; and I will now tell you the reason that I say all of us. My mother was the mother of fifteen children, and there are eleven of us living now ; so we are not a very few. In about six years time the iron works failed, and we again came to the workhouse ; and, as I was then nine years old, I was drawn apprentice to a farmer, but as I was very small the farmer gave an old aunt of mine £'i to take me off his hands, where I remained, by going to drive the plough, tend to bird scaling, to stock turnips, and so on, till I was fourteen. I was then off to service, and I do not think that ever I cost any of my re- lations twopence since ; and it now remains for me to tell you how I have got on since that time. The first thing that ever I tried to get hold of was learning. Now, I must inform you, that wlien I was a boy schooling was very deal' ; and, as I said before, my parents were very poor, so it was but a very little schooling that came to my share. But do you think tliat I was going to be a dunce because I could not go to scliool'? Not I, indeed; — the greatest desu'e of my heart was to bo a good scholar, and there was nothing going to be left untried that was likely to help me in gaining my object. The first thing tliat I had to do was to learn to read, and I will now tell you how I did tills. I had a Utile Common Prayer Book by some chauce, but who gaxe me that book 1 cannot tell, and our minister was so kind as to give me a little New Testa- ment. Now, these two books were what I learned to read in. I had learned a little before, for my old aunt had taught me my ABC, and « — b — ub, and so on. Now, witli these two books under my arm, you may depend upon my having gone to church as soon as ever Sunday came. If I did not, it was not my fault. Now, when I was al church, I was at scliool, and the minister was luy schoolmaster. I always read on a little before the minister, and when I came to a word that I could not tell, I spelled it over, and when he came to it, his reading told me what it was, and I was then sharply ofl'to another sentence, and so on. So this is the way that I learned to read. In my next, I will tell you how I learned to write. January 6. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 273 NORMANDY. (Oontinued from page 171.) The way in which the Englisli are regai'ded by the more retired inhabitants of Normandy is somewhat curious ; there is a theoretical hatred, and a practical goodwill and kind- ness between the jiarties. The memory of the ravages committed by our nation dming times of warfai-e still exists. Norman mothers, to the present day, quiet their turbulent infants by the threat that the English are coming, and will carry them away. Not that we have been more brutal enemies than any other set of men who carry iire and sword into a foreign country ; but all warfare is dreadful, and we Enghshmen, so long as we remain in England, have no conception wliat a horrible thing it is to be tlie seat of war. A Norman gentleman told me that when he was a little boy, he had heard from his nurses such frightful stories of these invasions, that he used to long to meet with an English boy, to beat and persecute him in revenge. But the remembrance of this traditional enmity in childhood did not in-event the display of much civility, and even kind- ness, to a representative of the once liostile nation. An Englishman who Icnows how to conduct himself properly will have little to complain of during his sojourn in any part of Normandy. Tlie Normans have the credit of driving hard bargains ; but this talent is exercised quite as much at one another's expense as at that of "the stranger." I witnessed one or two pretty little instances of Norman cut Norman, with well-acted auger, followed by genuine reconcihation, and a strong contest after gross absurdities on both sides. It sliould be mentioned, that those U'avellers who land at Havre-de-Grace, and proceed by railway to Paris and back again, are not to suppose that they thereby know Normandy. Le Havre, as we ought to call it, has no character at all, unless we allow its own motley and Babel-like qualities to distinguish it from otlier towns in general ; and it has the very disagreeable peculiarity of being, for France, excessively dear. But however grasping the Normans may be, tho inns in the western departments are not exorbitant. A franc a day and night for a chamber, in which, if the floor is not all that could be wished, the bedding is always beautifully clean ; a franc-and-a-half, or two francs for a mountainous breakfast ; two francs, or two-and-a-half for a dinner to match, mth a bucket of boisson each time if you like ; and a franc a day, or less, for all sorts of attendance, ought not to be grumbled at. It is perfectly true, though scarcely credible, that in Calvados and La Manche you may travel half-a-day by the diligence, and when you get out, and give your carpet-bag to a porter, the coiulucleur will politely wish you good day, and not ask you to remember him — to my mind a memorable fact. Last year, throughout Normandy, there were more apples than they knew what to do witli ; it was not easy, on the spur of the moment, to find casks enough to contain the overflowing supply of cidre and boisson. This year, people say that there are none, and that they shall have to drink old and dry cider, without much sweet or new by way of a change. The truth is, that the apple crop is very par- tial; in Calvados there are few, but about Avranches (a most lich and lovely district,) there are plenty; and the innumerable ungrafted pear-trees which line the roadside, ai'e laden with their small, dark-green fruit, which will all help to replenish the cider-vats : so the lovers of boisson need not quite yet fear being compelled to take refuge in wine and water. {To be continued.) TO CORRESPONDENTS. Characteristics of a Black Bantam. — A good specimen of the black Bantam copIi should not exceed fifteen ounces in weight ; his characteristics would be a well-developed but regular and firm rose comb, terminating in a point behind, with face and wattles of the same bright carmine ; plumage wholly black, with a metallic tint thrown over it of a rich purple hue, close-feathered ; the flight feathers of the wing rounded at the extremities, and carried low ; head fine, with a clear prominent eye; neck erect, and, when the bird is excited, so throxvn back as almost to meet the tall, which latter should be full, and free from any stain in colour ; its sickle feathers are seldom prominent till the end of the second year; back short, not more than two inches intervening between the termination of the neck hackle and the root of the tail feathers ; breast wide and deep ; thigh short and sinewy ; shank clean, and of a dusky- grey tint. The hen is of duller colour, and less striking appearance throughout. Her comb very diminutive, and in colour dirty purple ; the shank of the leg is also darker than in the male ; but in both cases a generally well-proportioned figure and erect carriage should at once arrest our attention. The cock possesses most indomitable courage, and the hens arc excellent mothers ; but our own ]>uUctB seldom laid before their eighth or ninth month. Dealers' prices, for good specimenu, would range from one to two guineas each. — W. Guernsey Lily {Inquisitor). — "How should this Lily be treated after flowering ?" By casting the bulbs over the garden wall, and thinking no more about them ; for they are of no more use in this country. If you keep them in the pots all winter, and give them plenty of air and water till the leaves are ripe, they would do for an emigrant to Australia. Any nurseryman will understand Fairy Rose, and send you a score for as many shillings. They are Miniature Chinas. Polyanthus Narcissus {Old Hall).— Let your "very large " Grand Monarque Polyanthus Narcissus alone ; it is doing very well indeed in putting forth its shoots. Give it abundance of water, and of air, but not much heat after the flower-stalks appear. After flowering, water it welj, and turn it out of the pot, planting it in a very sheltered place ; and if the weather is dry next April and May, water it once a-week, and nest year you will have three large roots instead of one. No one can tell now iit' the three divisions will flower this year, but probably not. Commander-in-Chief Geranium {Yorkshire Gardener). — Plant it out in the flower-beds, by all means, at the proper time ; but why not make cuttings of the tops of the shoots early next March, and so have six or seven plants instead of one ? The colour is most beautiful, and nearly scarlet. It is one of the best pot-plants of all the Horse-shoe tribe, and perhaps it would be as well for you to keep it in the pot all the summer, by plunging pot and all, and not neglecting to water it now and then, particularly at first. Experiments with Poultry. — In No. 217, for November 25th, your correspondent, " Shanghae Mandarin," has given my opinion respecting the Gallic experiments ; and, in addition to his statements, I have only to say, that 1 think fowls for such trials sliould be in the same condition; for it appears to me, from what "Gallus" says, that in all pro- bability his Spanish fowls had finished moulting, and were in a state of rest, while one of the Shangliaes he admits was laying, and the others were most likely moulting ; and while making new coats must require more food.— B. P. B. Peoneness to Sitting. — A correspondent, in the same number, complains of the pertinaceous desire to sit displayed by the Shanghaes, My plan is to shut up such hens that are broody, whicli I do not wish to sit, for a few days, giving them plenty of fond and water; and they generally begin to lay again in about a fortnight. With respect to my Shanghae hens, if they persist in sitting in their confinement I move them, or coop them out in the yard, which has always overcome the hatching fever in three or four days. Allow them plenty of water, and do not starve them, as some recommend, as tlie better the hen's condi- tion the sooner will she recommence laying. — B. P. B. Sickle Feathers in Shanghae Cocks.— In the number for Decem- ber 2nd, I see, in answer to "Brixton," respecting the tails of Shanghaes, the following — " but we are quite sure that cocks of the pure breed have no sickle feathers." Allow me to inform you that that "we," whether Editorial or Departmental, is in error. It is true the sickle feathers are small and dwarfish, but, nevertheless, arC present in birds of full plumage, though I greatly suspect fashion causes some of them to be minus. My breed was kindly sent me by Captain , the same from whom Mr. Sturgeon received his first stock ; and he assures rae they are pure. I i have a cock from Anster Bonn, and two large dark red cocks, all of which have real sickle feathers, though small, not standing so high as they do in other fowls, and not readily distinguishable from the side- sickles. The sickle and side-sickle feathers are the primary tail coverts, the centre pair being the longest.— B. P. B. [We quite agree in this : what we understand by " sickle feathers" are those large curved ones in the tail of the Dorking cock. — Ed. C. G.] Feeding Poultry. — The best way to feed fowls, or other poultry, in confinement, is to let them have food always at hand {if it can be kept from vermin). The reason is this, that after the first few days they become accustomed to find the food always before them, and only take a small quantity at a time, consequently, do not eat so much ; therefore, it is cheaper than feeding at stated times, when they fill their crops as full as possible ; and not to feed sutticiently is no economy, at least, if any return is looked to.— B. P. B. Peat Charcoal foe Camellias, &c. (/. B, J.). — We have not used Irish peat charcoal as you propose, but there can be no serious objection to a little in the compost. Our nuraerymen, however, do not dabble much in those things ; give them a good fibrous peat, silver sand, and a sound mellow loam, and they can grow anything. I\Ir. Errington pro- ceeds just the same for the tying-down system of pear-shoots as formerly ; form is immaterial, distance the main thing. The leading shoots should be about ten inches apart ; if parallel, all tlie better. Indeed, there does need caution in using sulphur on hot surfaces. You may smear it liberally on any pipe which never can become too warm to be held fast by the hand — say about six ounces to a thirty-feet long house, and of the ordinary width and height of a full-sized vinery. Lucuiia gratissima will he found to answer y.'ell in an intermediate house. Soot {Orchard). — I am glad that you have put the inquiry, and know- ing that such was used on the strong clays of Derbyshire, I immediately wrote to my brother-in-law, who farms about three hundred acres there. The following is bis reply, and I am sure it will interest hundreds. R. Errington. — "I have never used soot as a top-dressing for beans, but have done so with advantage on strong clayey wheat land, to wheat, oats, vetches, and grass, at the rate of three to four imperial quarters per acre. I find the best time for sowing is in March or April, in calm moist weather; it ought on no account to be sown in dry windy weather, or part of the dressing will be carried ofi" to the adjoining land. The price paid by me is four shillings per quarter, and the sweep, at that price, comes to sow it when required, I roll as soon as the land is sufficiently dry. There is no danger of its being washed off, except by a heavy land- flood. I have not heard of any implement to sov? it mth. I should 374 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. JaNUAUY ti. advise those who have room to stow away soot, to take it in all tlie year round as the sweeps bring it (which they are glad to do even at a less price). You can measure it with your own strike, and prevent the im- [)OBitions one is subject to on fetching it at tlie time it is wanted. I may here mention the tricks they adopt. In sending for soot, your man, however careful, is almost sure to be cheated. The sweep often carries the soot out in Backs, your man (or yourself, if you like it better) sees the first sack or two filled with proper measure, but such a dust is kicked up that it is inipossil>le to breathe in the place; you then stand outside to see the number of sacks emptied into the cart or waggon, and the moment your back is turned, tlie sack is clianged for a less one, and so you are defrauded. And if you insist on its being carried out in the strike, or bushel, some of the soot is trodden down in the bottom of the bushel, and there remains — only a part is emptied into the waggon. One scarcely ever thinks of measuring soot, as it is generally taken to the field and sown forthwith ; but on one occasion, strongly suspecting there was not the quantity stated, I took the trouble to have it measured, and found I was attempted to be robbed of exactly 66,^ per cent." Vine Grafting {\V. Aigburth). — We do not think it would he well to graft your vine now, at least, we never thus performed it. The general practice is to suffer the stock to be a little in advance of the scion. Perhaps you may venture towards the middle of the month. You do not say whether the head of the stock is to be cut entirely away, or whether you are only adding a graft to the side of an existing shoot. Vines take so readily by grafting, that it is almost impossible to fail. To avoid bleeding, rub white lead on the wounds, and cover the junction part with moss, to be occasionally damped. Unfruitkdl Wall Trers {An Old Subscriber).— HaM the fruit- trees in the kingdom are ruined by border-cropping, or^ in other words, annually dentroying their surf.ice-tibres. We allow no digging or forking for seven feet next the wall in full grown trees. Deep roots produce late growths, late growths ripen badly, and badly ripened wood sets badly. It could not be otherwise with tender trees. Y'ou must not allow what is vulgarly termed blight. Any crop, if you must crop it, for whicli six inches of digging will suffice, you must make up for want of depth by extra manuring. Sulphur Paint (G. R.). — With such a dressing you may safely paint both walls and wood all over in the end of the month. You may double the amount of sulphur with benefit, and if the colour is too glaring, you may subdue it with soot; this is our practice. You may apply it to any tree about which a fear of insects exists. Hrating Pits {Willinm Bird). — We really cannot answer for your modified plan. These compromises sometimes have an awkward termi- nation. It is our duty to point to principles, your's to carry them out. As to training Cucumbers and Melons, let us repeat they must enjoy plenty of light ; the mode of training matters little, only do not let them grow at random. It will probably be necessary to give a paper some day on these minuti:e. If William Bird was at our elbow, we would take him round the garden and point to matters at once, but really our columns are scarcely broad enough to follow that course which good- nature itself would point to. Poland and HA:\iuuRGn Fowls {A Poultrij Fancier), — There is no doubt about the distinctness of these, but you do not enumerate all the sub-varieties. If, as you say, the taste for Shanghaes is ill-grounded, the mistake will soon be found out by the natural good sense of our countrymen ; but we differ with you entirely. When you have any/ac/s to record we shall willingly publish them. Books [B. H.). — You had better wait for the new edition of Rlackin- tosh ; and instead of the other, buy The Pine-apple, one of the works published in the series called "The Gardener's Monthly Volume." It is to be had of Mr. Bohn. PouLTRY-nousE {/itJSH). — Y'ou wiU have seen the plan of Mr. Pun- chard's ; others of the cheapest construction will be published in the forthcoming work on Poultry, and we shall borrow a plan from it. Gal- vanized iron net-work is the best, and cheapest in the end, of all the materials usable for Poultry enclosures. Three feet high for Shanghaes, and sii feet high for other varieties is required. PoTTiNG Sand (J. D. P., Dublin), — The Killwing sand will answer excellently for potting purposes. Tbtrathrca Pruning {Ibid). — This will want no pruning, unless forced to grow in heat. The stopping of a shoot, by pinching out its point, will be sufficient. When grown in an airy house, that will seldom ne required when the plant is established, as it is truly a continuous bloomer, and will throw out side-shoots as it extends in height. When a plant becomes straggling, you may prune it back with safety, provided you do not cut back into wood above two years old; but after the opera- tion, you must keep the plant closer and warmer than usual before it breaks, and then expose it to plenty of air by degrees. For Eiifaiiu, Westringiu, !kc., see Mr. Fish's paper of to-day. Strawberry Forcing. — Amateur writes thus: — "I have at this time several strawberry plants (out-of-doors) in bloom, and just coming into bloom (Myatt's Prolific Hautbois} ; would it answer to take up some and pot them in 32's or 2-1's, and put them in a forcing-pit ?" There is not the slightest chance of doing any good with them. They are in bloom all over the country. Vines, in pots, from eyes (An Amateur, Dublin). — Your seven questions involve such long answers that we must be excused for answering only one of them in each week ; and we begin with vines in pots, for which you modestly ask a treatise, to include " all particulars," from the " striking of the cuttings to bearing." With good gardeners this takes about two years or thirty months. Get plump eyes from well- ripened shoots in readiness by the end of next February, then have a gentle hot-bed ready with a steady bottom heat of 80° ; take sixty-sized pots, and fill them with rich light compost of one half loam and the other half of leaf mould and a little sand ; plant a single eye in each, plunge them in the bed, keep the soil a little moist, and do not let the air in the bed get hotter than 65° until you have the eyes in leaf. Black Shanghaes {E. Batcman). — We cannot inform you who has any for sale. Those who have must advertise them. The foUowiog letter, just received, however, may be of use to you: — " I must beg to differ from your correspondent 'T. A.,' who states that ' there are no Black or pure White thoroughbred Shangbac Fowls in England.* I am now in poBsession of bothy bred from birds imported twelve months since ; and a friend of mine, residing in this neighbourhood, has a pair of pure white, thoroughbred Shanghaes, Should ' T. A.* persist in his opinion, I shall be happy to do all in my power to convince him of his error; and, doubtless, my neighbour would do the same. — W. Loht, \^'a^d End. Birmingham." Disease in Pigeons. — J. T. save: — "I should be greatly obliged if you, or any of the correspondents in your paper, could inform me the sause, and cure (if any), of a lump or cure which conies in the throats of come pigeons, generally at from a week to three weeks old, and in most cases IS fatal, by preventing them swallowing or breathing. During the last season I have had quite half my young ones die from the above disease. Has the water, which is hard and chalky about here, anything to do with it ? But I have occasinnnlly had them die when I kept them in London, of the same disorder; but then it could not be the water ; and as some of my birds are verv valuable it is a great loss." For information relative to White Comb in Shanghaes, see a case in another page of this num'oer. Fairplay. — We have a letter sent to us for our correspondent who wrote to us under this signature, at page 212 of the present volume. Errata. — At pag'e 110, col. 2, line 21), for end, read one. Line 4S, for limited, read united. Line 70, read Gelicu. Page 111, line 7. for auspicious, read .suspicious. Characteristics of the Silver-spangled Hamburghs (.4 Con- stunt Subscribe}']. — The cock should have a full, but firm and erect rose- comb, terminating in a point behind, large wattles, and a wliite earlobc ; ground-colour clear white; the extremity of each feather of the body being tipped witli black, hence their synonym, il/ooniVs; wings regularly barred.— a point now much insisted on; tail full, with but a small admix- ture of white in its sickle feathers ; bill short; body neat and compact; legs clean, and in colour pale blue. The hen's markings should be even more distinct than those of the male bird, the outer edge of each of the fiight feathers being delicately margined with a dark line instead of barred, and the tail tipped only with black. In both sexes the colours should be clear, and in no way blended, or run one into another. We did not observe the faults enumerated by our correspondent in the prize birds of this class at Birmingham, for an imperfect comb alone, such as he describes, would at once bar all chance of success ; but the class there was not one of peculiar merit. — W. Golden-3pangled HA:\inuRGHS {Omega). — The feathers enclosed are those of well-coloured Golden-Spangled Hamburgha ; their provincial appellation of " Bolton Bays" will, in this case, be readily understood from the brilliant ground-colour. The " DuU-blnck and ochrey-brown " alluded to would betoken a very inferior strain of this variety, which was well represented at the last Birmingham Show, and from the winneis on which occasion fresh blood might be advantageously introduced. Though the birds may have been sold to you as " Copper Moon Pheasants," they are true Golden-Spangled Hamburgbs. — W. Fecundated Eggs {Argus). — We certainly should have no faith in any one's directions for dteiding whether eggs are impregnated from their specific gravity. The test, therefore, of ''putting them in a bowl of water, and rejecting such as do not sink to the bottom," we believe valueless. Our own opmion is, that in the fresh egg, whether impreg- nated or unimpregnated, no difference is found till after incubation has begun ; then, when broken, the membrane of the fertilised egg is found opaque, the cieatricula, or punctum, well-marked, and the surrounding zone brilliant. Other points of difference might be mentioned, but they would require microscopic aid. The mark, or appearance, in the egg to which you allude, is probably its condition when placed between the eye and a strong light after it has undergone a week's incubation ; the embryo in the fertilised egg will by that time have assumed a distinct form, easily discernible from the state of a clear egg. — W. Furnishing a Conservative AVall (.4 Brighton Subscriber). — You have put up a conservative wall on the north side of your stove- house, and you wish to have some plants placed against it that will furnish your lady "with cut flowers plentifully at Christmas," and they are to be very useful, very beautiful, aod very uncommon. It is no easy task to inform you of any plants that will do all this for you. Camellias, you say, will thrive in it you know ; and if lo, what can you have belter to cover your forty feet long wall. However, if you wish for variety, add one or two of the following; — Azalea indina alba., Escallonia mncruntha. Daphne ht/bridit, Daphne indica rubra, Coronilla glaura, Chimonanthes fragraus and t^randiftora, Deutzia gracilis, an Orange-tree, and a sprinkling of China and Perpetual Roses. If you were to cover your wall with glass, you might extend the list greatly, as there arc many plants now grown in greenhouses that would live and fiower well under glass against a conservative wall; a list will be published shortly. There are some other shrubs that would live and flower against your wall, hut as you wish for winter-flowering ones, the list here given will answer the purpose from December to April. Plants fob a Ward's Case {Ignoramjts).-^You have a Wnrdian case, 2 ft. Gin. long, by 1 ft. 3 in. wide, and 1 ft. Sin. high, with a box 6in. deep for soil. You wish to know what sort of soil to put in this box, and what kind of plants will grow in the case. You would wish to have some flowering plants as well as Ferns. Now, «e can assure you, from dear-bought experience, that no other plants excepting Ferns and Lycopod-ums will live for any time in such a case. They will live and fiower, if already in bud, for a few weeks, but then they invariably damp off, even with plenty of air on favourable occasions. Be content with whiit we recommend, and you will succeed. Ji^/juHr-u/uars would damp- off in a fortnight. Hi/nrinths might last a little longer; and Carfus truncatu.^, if provided with bvids would expand them, but would never produce any more. The soil you should use is the sittings of heath mould or peat, «ith a small admixture of very turfy, fibrous loam, and a small portion of silver-sand mixed through the whole. It is ailvisable to have a thin layer of broken crocks spread over the bottom of the box for drainage. London: Printed by Harrt Wooldkidob, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and PubliHhed by William SoMERviLi.B Oru, at the OfBce, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— January 6th, 1853. January 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 275 M w 1); D 13 Th 14 F 15 S i6 Son 17 M 18 To 19 W JANUARY 13-19, 185.1, Salpingus roboris ; bark. Salpingus rufiroatris ; bark. Apiou Ulicis; furze. 2 Sunday after Epiphany. fllonotoma juglandis. Rhagiura vulgare. Notonecta furcata ; ponds. Weathbr nrar London IN 1851. Sun Rises, Sun Sets. Moon R.&S. Moon's Age. Clock aft. Sun. Day of Barometer. , Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Year. 29.538—29.413 50—39 29,739 — 29.701 51—39 29.0112 — 29,455 56—44 129.840-29.703 52—37 30.241 —29.951, 47—21 ,30.326-30.276 44—22 130.141—29.980 47—23 E. S.W. S.W. S.W. W. S.W. s. ; 24 '[ 26 07 j "" 3 a. 8 3 2 1 0 VII 58 15 a. 4 16 18 20 21 23 24 8 49 9 58 11 7 morn. 0 15 1 23 2 30 4 5 6 7 ) 9 lu 9 7 9 29 9 50 10 11 111 31 10 50 11 8 13 14 15 16 17 13 19 Meteoeology OF TQE Wbbk. — At Chiswick, from observations during. the last twenty-six years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 4 1 .7° and 3 1 .2° respectively. The greatest heat, 60'^, occurred on the 1 9th in 1 823 ; and the lowest cold, 4°, on the 1 4th in 1838, During the period 103 days were fine, and on 79 rain fell. THE STIFF CEANOTH. {Oeunothiis riijidus.) This is one of the gener.i included in the order of Eham- nads {Ehumnaceie), wliich ajjpear to be confined to parti- cular countries ; all the true Ceanoths are natives of Nortli America and Mexico. PhyUcas are found only at the Cape, and Pomaden-ls, with Cryplandra, in a wild state, ai'e not met with out of New Holland. The genus was first named by Linuasus, and subsequently Piaflnesque called it Forrcstia, a name which obtained currency among authors. It belongs to Peutandria Monogynia, class and order of the Linnfcan system. It is figured in the Botanical Mac/aziiw, t. 4(i(j4. Ccniiolhus riijidus was discovered in 1818, by Jlr. Hartweg, in open woods, near Montery, in California, by whom seeds of it were sent to the London Horticultural Society, who distributed plants of it freely among the Fellows. It was originally discovered, however, by Nuttall, who named and described it in Torry and Gray's Flora of North America, vol. i. page UCS. It is an upright, stiff, branching ever- green bush, growing from four to six feet high ; the young branches are downy ; the leaves small and dark green, smooth and shining on the upper surface, and spiny-toothed on the edges ; on the under side they are pale green, and strongly netted. The flowers are produced in dense small clusters at the end of stifl", short spurs. Tliey are deep purplish-violet, very rich when viewed closely, or under a bright sun, but not very conspicuous at a distance. In this country the plant flowers in the spring, and is perfectly hardy in the climate of London, and in the chmate of Devonshire would equal in vigour the other North-west American Ceanothnscs as thus described by the Bishop of Exeter, when writing to Sir W. Hooker, in May of 1802. "The Ceiiiiothus divarlcalus is now in its liighest beauty; the largest plant is eighteen feet high, eighteen feet wide, twelve feet thick, covered with thousands of the beautiful thyrsoid (bunch-of-grape-shaped) flowers, so that the leaves are scarcely visible. C. riijidus blossomed about six weeks ago ; C dciitidus is now in full flower ; C. papillosus is just coming into flower ; O. azureus will not blossom until August." B. ,T. Propai/atioii aud Culture. — No plants can be more readily increased from cuttings of the small side- shoots than the " New Ceanothuses," as they are called, of which this is one. These cuttings will stand as much top and bottom-heat as Fuchsia cuttings ; that is, teu or fifteen degrees more than is safe for a rine-apj)le, or a Cucumber plant. They will also root freely in any degree lower than that, till you come to the common liand-glass on a shady border, or even with- out the aid of glasses, behind a north wall, if they are put in from August to October. I am not aware that this species has ripened seeds in this country yet. No soil can be too rich for this plant, nor too shallow, nor too dry at the bottom; I mean not too shallow within reason — say nine inches deep. AVhen the soil happens to be deep, deeper than twenty inches, with a moist bottom, it cannot be too poor for any of the true Ceanoths ; and here is the reason for both sides of the question. This species, as the name implies, is a stiff-growing plant, the greatest part of the side -branches being merely fruit-spurs, as Mr. Emngton would say. Now, a very rich border, twenty inches or two feet deep, such as a good old-fashioned vine-border, would force this stifiish gentleman to give up its CaUfornian habit, and come out moi'e freely in all its parts ; but then, on the other hand, this high feeding would be certain to cause the plant to continue its forced growth too late in the autumn, when the chances are, that a sharp winter would kill it in the north, and in.im-e it more or less everywhere. As far as I know, this is the only species of the genus that could be improved in this country by a judicious course of high feeding with liquid-manure, early in the season, provided that the border was shallow, aud the situation favourable. All the other species of Ceanothuses grow so freely in any good garden soil, that it would be injurious to them to enrich it artificially, and so prolong their growing season in the autumn. Since I began this article, it occurred to me that a review of the whole genus miglit be useful and in- teresting, and I wlU prepare my notes accordingly. D. Beaton. The extraordinary high price now giving for the best varieties of Dessert Pears is rousing attention to their growth, and we have before us numerous inquiries ask- ing whether they are more difficult of cultivation than the Apple ? Whether they are less hardy ? Whether they are shyer bearers than Apples ? with other ques- tions, all demonstrative that a movement is making, or intended, to their more extensive cultivation. This is as it should be ; for there is no reason whatever against such au increase in their numbers. In fact, the reasons No. CCXXIV., Vol. IX. 270 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Januaey 13. are all in favour of such increase. We have already given lists of those superior varieties which are to be preferred for standards, and other lists will follow of those kinds which are to he selected for wall-culture. Let us add, that on walls they are a much more certain crop than either Peaches, Nectarines, or Apricots, whilst they fetch prices quite as remunerative. Instead of struggling against adverse circumstances, and wasting labour and years in the endeavour to steal a scanty crop now and then of those natives of warmer climes, in spite of our ungenial seasons, we advise all those who covet either a more certain or a better compensating crop, to devote their walls to the best varieties of French Pears. It is more than strange that neither here, nor in any other country than France and Belgium, has a careful culture and a firm pursuit of the improvement of this delicious fruit been attempted ; for it is a fruit native of every district of Europe, and has been cultivated ft'om a period very remote. The Hebrews knew it only in its wild state {Agas), but Homer places it among tlie fruits of the garden of Alcinous : — " The branch here bends heneath the weifihty pear, And verdant olives flourisli round the year. The balmy spirit of tlie western gale. Eternal breathes on fruits untaupht to fail : Kach droppins pear a followinp: pear supplies. On apples, apples, figs on fi;;s arise : The same mild season gives the blooms to blow, Tlie buds to harden, and the fruits to grow." Beyond the i'iict of the ancient Greeks having this fruit in cultivation we know nothing; but when we descend a little lower in the order of tiuie, we find among the early Piomans not only a very accurate knowledge of its cultivation, hut that they had many varieties, distin- guished by names which told of their quality, their place of birth, or their first owners. Thus Cato, who lived half a century before the birth of oiu' Saviour, enume- rates, as the most excellent of Pears, the Voleman, Anicianan, and Sementivan ; at tlie same time charac- terising the time when winter had quite departed, as being " when the Pear begins to blossom." Cohmiella, Pliny, and others, are still more copious in their lists of Pears; and some modern fruitists have endeavoured to identify these with varieties at present known to orchardists. Without expressing any assent to these identifications, yet we think they are not with- out interest; and we would not have the man for our friend who does not care to know that he is partaking of fruit descended from trees of which Pliny, Cicero, Varro, Columella, and Virgil, may have enjoyed the produce. To aid our readers in the enjoyment of this pleasant possibility, we will trace out some particulars which Dalecamp and others have suggested upon this subject. Columella says ; "We must bo careful to plant our orchards with the most excellent and fruitful Pears. They are these ;" Grusiumina. This was so called from Crustuminum, in Hetruria, where it was most cultivated. Pliny says it was of most grateful flavour ; and Servius says it was small and partly red. Supposed to be our Petit Blanquet, or Little Blanket. Begia, or Royal. Pliny says its stalk was so short that it grew close to the branch, was oblong in form and green in colour. Dalecamp considers it to be the <7a?'- maignole. Signina. So named from Signia, in Italy. Pliny says it was by some, from its appearance, called Testacea, or Brick-coloured. Dalecamp thinks it is the Cat Pear [Poire Chat). Superla. It is small, says Pliny, but it is the earliest. Hardouin and Dalecamp agree that it is our Little Muscat. Ordeacea, or Barley Pear; because, says Pliny, it was ripe in barley harvest. It is thought to be our St. John's Pear, or Amire Joannet. Favoniana. Pliny says it was red, and a little larger than the Siqierha. Dalecamp and Hardouin think it is our Oreat Muscat. Lateritana. Probably from its brick-red colour ; is supposed to be the Poire Prerost, or Provost Pear. Dolahelliana, was named after a Roman citizen, and distinguished for its excessively long stalk. Dalecamp thinks it is our Musette cVautomne (Autumn 3Iusette), or Pastorale. Venerea, or Venus Pear. So called, says Pliny, from the beauty of its colours. Dalecamp says it is tlie Poire Acciole. Omjchiiia, the Onyx Pear, from its purple tints. Dale- camp tbink's it is the C'uisse Madame, or Jargonelle, of our gardens. We might extend this catalogue twofold, but, after remarking that though the Romans paid such attention to the Pear, it is entirely neglected by the degenerate race now occupying the territory of tlie Seven Hills, we will next pass on to the consideration of what has been done to improve this fruit in more modern times. No building could well be more suitable, in every respect, for a large poultry exhibition, than Bingley Hall, Birmingham ; and if we now hazard the opinion that the arrangements, in some few points, might still be susceptible of improvement, it is only from the fact that occupying, as that show undoubtedly does, the post of honour, and being consequently the model for imi- tation, all should be as near perfection as may be. Where light is, as there, admitted by skylights, a great loss of effect will ever bo caused by having two tiers of pens one above another. This was evident at the last exhibition, where the Game fowls and Ham- burghs, elevated aloft in the central avenues, had grontly the advantage over their more august neighbours below. True, there was no help for it, and the committee, with upwards of 1300 pens to provide for, made the most of the room allotted them ; but in the smaller county ex- hibitions this may be kept profitably in mind; and, wherever it is practicable, single rows of pens will always be found to do most justice to the birds, bo they of what race they may. In the double row it inevitably happens, where both are at all visible, that the first is lower, and the second higher, than they should be. January 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 277 About two feet ten inches seems the level most to be desired for all purposes. A petition for wider aUeys between the lines of pens might be met by the same answer — Where was there room for it? But on other occasions, where the can- didates do not muster iu equal force, the argument that what was suiiicient at Birmingham will be sufficient there also, might prevail, even though space was at hand for a clear passage of at least twelve feet. Feel- ingly do we give evidence that a large majority of the Birmingham spectators would cheerfully assent to such an alteration, could it possibly be so managed ; but were it practicable to hold the poultry and cattle shows at different times, what luxury of space would be at- tainable ! Every bird might then be disposed witli full effect ; and though we know not how our bovine and porcine friends would treat such a proposal, the poultry interest we are quite sure would not suffer. Some room, we think, might be gained by a reduction of the depth of pens ; for supposing them, for fowls generally, to be three feet wide, two feet-and-a-half in depth would be amply sufficient for the threes and fours that are now exhibited, and save many a poke from the sticks and parasols of inquisitive beholders. All managers of future exhibitions will do well to follow the example here afforded, and secure the pens fi'om any risk of cold draughts of wind, than which nothing can be more injurious. Ventilation from above is of course the most efficient precaution against anything of this kind. Would not dry sawdust have been a better material for littering down the pens than the red ochrey sand that so besmeared the plumage of the white and light- coloured birds '? And, in respect of food, might not a portion of toiled gi'ain be found most useful, botli as regards the digestive organs, which are likely to have their powers somewhat reduced during the long period of confinement, as also when we remember the very stimulating character of the diet on which, generally speaking, the fowls have been previously fed ? Now, boiled grain is both very tempting and very wholesome, and would be greedily taken when tlie most seductive mix- tures of barley and oatmeal failed to excite the appetite. This leads us to an earnest appeal on behalf of that portion of the feathered race who are summoned together on these occasions, that the period of exhibition should, if possible, be abridged. We do not presume to lay down any exact regulation as to how long this, to them durance vile, should last ; but we think that under no circumstances would it be necessary to exceed two days for exhibition, with two more for the labours of the judges, and the fowls' dismissal to their homes; thus four days in all would be quite long enough to detain them in a condition so contrary to their usual state ; and we believe that we are not wrong in thinking that many owners of valuable birds are strongly of our opinion. The mere pecuniary question is another matter, which we are not competent to enter on ; but, if report speaks truly, the Birmingham Society might possibly afford to set us another good example in this respect, as it has already done in so many others. The impression produced on us by the continuous line of Hamburghs, Polands, Dorkings, and the varieties of Shaughaes, thirty or moi'e pens of birds of the same form and plumage succeeding each other — though, of course, unavoidable — led us to speculating as to what could, probably, constitute the most perfect and, at the same time, most " eyesome " (to use a Cornishism) repre- sentation of the different varieties of fowl. Now, some six pens or so in each class would, I imagine, save the eye from being thus wearied with what, however excel- lent, proves at last monotonous, and would also com- bine, when carefully selected, every point of excellence that the several breeds could boast of With the stimu- lus that poultry -keeping has lately, and still continues to receive, we cannot but think that such a scheme may be within the verge of possibility, and that, too, at no great distance of time, though, of course, on a perfectly different footing to any of our present meetings. To facilitate intercommunication, we would also sug- gest for adoption at the Birmingham, and all other large public exliibitious, that an " Address Book " should be kept at the secretary's office, in which any visitor might enter his name and place of sojourn. We know many •men from distant parts of England who would have rejoiced to interchange civilities at Birmingham, if they had known of each other's presence and whereabout. But, after all, what we have been talking about, a little more space, a little more alteration in the pens, some sawdust and boiled grain, form the catalogue of all the minor points we can manage to find fault with at Bu-miugham ; and the only pretext for dwelling so long on these comparatively trivial matters is, as we before observed, the certainty that the Midland Counties Poultry Meeting has been, and, as we hope, wiU long be, regarded as a safe model and authority for the guidance of its juniors ; and thus even such minutiae as we have alluded to become deserving of our careful consideration. But there are such individuals as judges, and there are, too, such facts as their decisions — awful topics — only to be approached with awe and trembling ; nevertheless, having got so far, to retreat is out of the question, and, in plain terms, we must have it out. Imprimis— let us remember, that to pronounce upon 1300 pens at Birmingham, without adding the pigeons, who were sepai'ately provided for, four gentlemen were occupied for thirteen hours. Now, without saying another word, the mere bodily fatigue and anxiety to arrive at a correct decision that must have inevitably ac- companied such continued labour, entitles them to our best thanks, and should be amply sufficient to account for any little difterence, should such be found to exist, between their awards and our own pre-conceived, and often rather obstinate, opinions of what may seem most in consonance with our own ideas. We are merely speaking of what took place at Bir- mingham, as of what may, and does take place, in a greater or less degree, at every Poultry Show. Let us grant the decisions to be just and fair ; but we ask, is not the labour excessive ; and is it possible that those classes that come before them at the thirteenth, not the 278 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. January 13. eleventh liour, cau profit by their knowlcago and expo- rienco in tlic same degree as tlioso tliat oceupiod tlie earlier morning V Many are of opinion, and wo are of tlie number, that tbe decisions of a single judge have several points to recommend them. He may bo selected witli a special view to tbe classes to be entrusted to his judgment; he feels that no other shoulders than his own will share the responsibility, so that there is the greatest induce- ment carefully to estimate every ]}oint at its proper rate. Now, supposing these four gentlemen at Bir- mingham had each had their 325 pens, or, if such sub-division be objected to, each two had had 050, their awards would surely have been completed at a much earlier hour, and a double benefit of a saving of fatigue to themselves, and some limitation of the poultry's occupancy of their pens might thus have been obtained. It has been our unpleasant duty to condemn what we consider errors in the appointments of judges, as well as errors in their decisions ; and we have been told that our condemnation has not been sufficiently severe. We ditter totally in that opinion, and for many reasons. Let it suflice for us to say, that we have a conviction which nothing can loosen, tliat if that very unenviable office of judge at these exhibitions is to be filled by competent persons, public confidence must be accorded to them, and their decisions once announced, individual criticism should be very tender in dealing with the awards, even when a mere difference of opinion as to relative merits may be tlie point in question. But when, on the other hand, strong facts and clear evidence would warrant the probability of partiality, or other injustice, then there is but one course to be taken by the dissentient, by an appeal to the committee, or man- agers, with the production of the evidence on which the charge is made. Tliis is no loss due to the calumniated party, than to the Society, its exhibitors, and the public at large. We are not here speaking of the Midland Counties Exhibition partioalarhj , but of all ^«H(;ra%;. not retro- spectively, but as intimating tlie course that justice would point out when such questions might unfor- tunately arise. Few will hesitate to admit, that, what- ever its distinction, the judicial office on such occasions has a larger share of responsibility attached to it than is lightly to be undertaken. Any steps, therefore, that miglit servo to reduce that responsibility would be in the right direction, Now, we have long thought that through the means and concurrence of the committees and managers of the diUerent Poultry Societies, and the assistance of the large breeders and exhibitors which would be readily rendered, some standard might be gradually arrived at, according to which the points of excellence, properties, and characteristics of every member of the poultry-yard might be at length defined. We may be thought, per- haps, over-speculative in advancing such an opinion ; but, although positive unanimity could not be, at first, hoped for, yet we strongly believe that there would bo far less difficulty in carrying out such a scheme than a first thought on the subject may suggest. Tlie great difference of opinion as to rival claimants for tlio honours of the prii;u list will usually be found to arise, not from tlio question as to what should bo regarded as points of excellence, but from that of the relative proportion in wliich each may bo regarded as possessing these same points. At present, however, great confusion prevails ; and constantly is it asserted, that awards have resulted from peculiar notions of merit, and rules for decision. The part of a judge, were he able then to refer to such a standard as we have suggested, and say " Here is my authority for requiring such and such points in a bird; and my judgment, tlierefore, is only exercised in pronouncing wliich com- petitor possesses these points in the highest degree," — ■ the ofllcc would be less reluctantly assumed, and its decisions more generally satisfactory than they now appear. Many who are fully alive to the great benefit that would result to all who are any way concerned in these pursuits from the institution of such a standard of excellence, yet dread the difBoulty that may exist in the way of its being practically carried into efl'ect ; but on that plea we might just as well make up our minds to the perpetuation of the Income Tax, or any other abo- mination, if no attempt is to be made towards improve- ment, because our patli may not be free from all obstructions, and the horizon may, at times, be clouded over. Look at what has been done within the last few j'cars in tliis brancli of domestic economy, and who shall say that there is not good encouragement for a still further advance, both as regards the improvement of our stock, and the more systematic arrangement of those details to which we now look for the further development of excel- lence, uo less with respect to profit than appearance. Many, we believe, and those the most competent, would lend their judgment to this work, difficult as the scheme may at first be thought, and The Cottage Garijenku would ever be at hand as a zealous ally. 'w. COVENT GARDEN. li-- a butcher, or baker, is found cheating the public by using false weights, he is taken before a magistrate, and fined; he loses his reputation for honesty, and his business sufi'ers. In almost every department of trade the law has, in this respect, made provision for the protection of the ]iurohaser. It matters not by what name the measure may be called, it is requisite it should contain what it is professed to supply. A quarter of wheat is eight busliols ; a last of rape-seed is ten quarters ; and whoever makes a purchase at Jlark- Lane of a quarter of wheat, or a last of rape-seed, expects and insists upon receiving his eight bushels or his ten qiuirters. So is it in all commercial transactions witji wliich we aro acquainted. But we are sorry to find that Covent Garden Market is either beyond the reach, or is placed in defiance of all law. If we buy a bushel of apples, we of course expect to receive a bushel, oven although they may be measured in a wicker January 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 27'J basket. An uneomlitional bushel moans imperial mea- sure of four pocks ; but such does not seem to bo tlio case in Covcnt Garden, as wo have in several cases lately been obliged to learn. Wo know there are some of the measures nuide use of in the vegetable and IVuit markets — suoli as the jioltle and the ^ioinei— whicli have a vague and indefinite signification ; and we should have been induced to think the same of the bushel also, had we not discovered a system of decep- tion and roguery which has become too general, while at the same time purporting to supply imperial measure. In every instance which has come under our notice we have found the bushel basket to be filled about one- fourth of its depth from the bottom with straw, and the quantity of apples which are obtained is barely three pecks. Now this is a state of things which ought not to be permitted, and one which calls loudly for the interference of the proper authorities. Why should the public be robbed of their fruit with impunity, any more than of their sugar, or tea, or beef, or bread '? It would be well if some one who has time and ability would give heed to this matter. It requires only to be inquired into, and tlio proper machinery to be set in motion, to have the nefarious system abolished. The continuance of the present unseasonable and un- favourable state of the weather is operating very much on the trade of the markets, and the consequence is, the sales of every description of produce has been heavy. The supply of fruit continues good. Apples do not realise such high prices as during the last few weeks ; good-looking varieties being to bo had at from is. (id. to 7s. 6d., and dessert from Gs. to 8s. per bushel. The sorts which have been most plentiful are the old Boyal Russet, which is an established favourite ; the Winter Oreening, or, as it has been called of late years, the French Grab, is also an old and excellent keeping apple for kitchen use, as it continues in use as long as April and May, and, in some instances, when well kept, even as late as June and July. The Hanwell Souring, a va- luable sauce apple, is also pretty plentiful. There are also several parcels oi Alfriston, Blenheim Pippin, Golden Winter Pcarmain, and a few Beauty of Kent. Wo do not recollect ever seeing so few Nonpareils as this sea- son ; they are understood to be very scarce. An excel- lent dessert apple, which is largely grown in Surrey, called the Coolde Pippin, has appeared during the last week or two pretty plentifully, and meets with a ready sale. Newtown Pippins and Ladij Apples are plentiful. In Peaes, we have nothing new; and of what there is, the prices are such as to keep the supply equal to the consumption. The sorts are still, Nelis d'Hiver, Beurrii de Ranee, Passe Oolmar, Chamnontel, Easter Beurrii, Ne pilits Meuris, and a very few Duchesse d'Angouleme. Gkapes are scarce, and obtain great prices. Black Hamhurghs make from os. to 7s. Gd. per tlj. Muscat of Alexandria, 10s. Od. to 12s. Gd. per ft. Vegetables continue in abundance, the prices being the same as quoted in our last report. Forced Sea-kale and Rhubarb are more abundant, and Asparagus has, during the past week, been pretty plentiful, but very small and weak. New Polaloes are being oHbred at one shilling for a small basket, containing about a pint-and- a-half, or little more. We also observed a few forced Mushrooms. Cut Floweks and Plants in Pots are in great pro- fusion. The former are of a more choice description than we have been accustomed to hitherto, being all the production of the greenhouse, stove, or forcing- house. They consist of Camellias, Azalea indica alba, Danielsiana, and Lateritea ; Gytisus racemosus ; garlands of Passiflora Kermesina ; spikes of Euphorbia jacquinl flora ; heads oi Poinsettia jndcherritna ; and bunches of Lilac, Lily of the Valley, Primulas, China Roses, Gera- niums, Violets, and Orange Flowers. H. The following is a list of the Poidtry Shows of which we arc at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to the list, and giving the address of the Secretaries. Doncaster, January 21st. (Sec. H. Moore, Esq.) Geeat Metkopolitan, January Uth, 12th, l.'Hh, and 14th. {Sec. W. Houghton.) Eeioate, February 1st and SnJ. (Sec. J. Biehardsou, ■ Es(i.) Tor.au-^Y, January 14th and 15tli. (Sees. A. Paul, and J. C. Stack.) STRAWBERRY FORCING. Thebe can be little doubt that with the extension of glazed structures (consequent on their cheapness as compared with former days) the forcing of the Straw- berry will obtain an increase of patronage ; and, if we may judge by the character of the inquiries made con- cerning them, they are as little understood as any of our forced fruits. We lately received a query from a subscriber to The Cottage Gabdenek throwing some light on what we mean. The writer, it appears, wanted ripe strawberries in February, and liad purchased some plants for forcing of some gardener, or tradesman ; and these, it appears, were simply runners pulled from the heels, and stuck into pots, when they immediately assumed the dignified title of "forcing strawberries;" and doubtless the increase in their price corresponded with the dignity of their improved position. Now, we are afraid to say what we think of the tradesman, if such he be, who could be guilty of such a transaction, provided that the unwary purchaser stated his objects properly. Let it be understood, then, by all those who aspire at proficiency in tliis proceeding, that no success can be expected from strawberry plants unless they have been duly prepared for the purpose; and we may here briefly state in what that preparation consists. Tlie first object is to obtain early and stout runners ; but, whether stout or not, they must be early ; and to this end it is good practice to keep a row purposely to breed fi'om. We have known this done many years since, and, indeed, have ourselves practised it ; and care must be taken to make a bed on each side the row, in March, for the young runners to nestle and root in. This was done by breaking the surface up, and applying a surface-dressing of rich old manurial matter — that from an old hotbed of the previous year, composed originally of dung and leaves, is excellent. This, chopped well, and scattered three inches thick for a yard on each side the row, will speedily produce strong runners. Care should be taken, when the strings which produce the runners first ad- 280 THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. Jandaky 13. vanoe, to train them carefully, so as to cause them to produce the runners at pretty equal distances. By the early part of June the runners should be nicely rooted, and, to facilitate this, frequent waterings must be had recourse to previously. And here we may observe, that some prefer to pot them at once, and some to grow them on in a nursery. Our own opinion is, that for very eaiiij work the immediate potting is best ; but for heavy succession cro]>s the nursery culture is to be preferred. If potted, they may as well be put in the full-sized pots at once, which is generally the seven-inch pot, one plant in a pot, although some have two or three. Now, it is of much importance to use a proper soil for them, and, as usual with us gardeners, loam is the first thing thought of. We have known people to use a light soil, full of old raanurial matters, with the idea of getting much finer fruit ; but this is not safe practice. In houses, or pits, where there is a very regular amount of atmospheric moisture, this may answer; but such a soil is too capricious for ordinary cases, and thus we gar- deners so frequently vote for loam, which to some seems inexplicable. A good sound loam, rather inclined to adhesiveness, is the chief material then, for such parts with its moisture in a steady way ; and Strawberries, especially after they come in bloom, may not be quite dry for an hour. However, a compost of three-parts of this loam, and one-part good rotten manure, thoroughly mixed, fairly may be recommended. Some use soot in the compost, or in the bottom of the pots : this we never proved. We may now add, that after potting they must be regularly atteuded to as to watering, and all runners produced by them assiduously cut away, but never one leaf plucked. They should he plunged above the ground level, in a thoroughly open situation, and once or twice during the summer the pots turned a little, to check their tendency to root through the bottoms of the pots. Liquid-manure may be frequently appUed whilst they are in active growth, clear and rather weak. And now as to those planted out. A perfectly open situation must be chosen, and the ground being in good heart, or manured, they may be planted out at from nine to twelve inches apart : we should prefer a soil shallow, but rich. Some of the best crowns we ever knew were from a walk converted into a temporary bed by covering it with six or eight inches of rich soil. These grew rapidly until their roots came in contact with the hard bottom, when they became somewhat stationary, and the consequence was, firm, plump, and well-ripened buds, which produced very fine trusses of flowers under the forcing process.-" Thus it may be seen that the object should be to produce a very early and luxuriant plant, and so situated as to discontinue active growth about the beginning of September. Our readers must know tluit, in these respects, the Strawberry is amenable to the same influences as the Peach, the Vine, &c. ; a well-organised bud of the pre- vious year being alike necessary to the production of good fruit. Wo must now advert to the forcing process. And, first, what conditions does the Strawberry like, and what dishke? Having, as before observed, good, strong, and well-ripened crowns or buds, let their first stages in forcing he taken in a very gradual way. • Better let them be started — if we nray apply such a caustic term to a mild process — in a frame that has scarcely any pretensions to heat. Now here, in the mind of the ingenious reader, may arise a question such as tliis — Does the Strawberry, in its native character, really require a decided rest, or does it not? Now, it appears to us, that much is contained in sucli a question. It is of no use saying that everybody knows tlie Strawberry * -^he best plants we ever knew were raised in flower saucers. shallowness acted on them like the hard walk. — Ed. C. Ct. The sinks into a sort of quiescent state every winter. What we want to know is, whether a decided rest is a physical condition of tlie plant's well-being, as to a perpetuation of the species. The Alpines — a distinct section of the strawberry family — studied alone, would at once decide an inexperienced student to conclude that for the high organization of the incipient blossom-bud a comparative rest, &c., were unimportant. The Alpines, however, may be termed annuals, and perfectly distinct in habit. Our opinion, however, is, from a consideration of the facts, that our ordinaiy StrawbeiTies do not require a marked rest, at least, not in the same sense as we apply it to our ordinary deciduous trees; and our reason for tracing out this part of the subject is to point to the fact, that those who have cool frames or pits to spare, may doubtless plunge them in such structures in au- tumn— say by the end of September — and by coverings never sufl'er the temperature of the interior to attain the freezing point. Now, it must be confessed, that these opinions may be considered slightly speculative for the present, but we should by no means object to put them in practice. We think, that to grow them extensively lor market, brick pits woidd be the best economy ; and tlie following is about the plan we should adopt. Pits about six feet wide, to hold six plants in a row, at abotit a foot apart; three rows reached from the front, and three from back. These pits to be about three feet above the ground level at back, and about one foot at front. To have a per- manent bottom-heat provided, as in Hamilton's pine- system : a heat capable of modification, to meet varied circumstances, but having the capacity to reach yiJ" in the soil if needed, and a separate pipe, from a separate boiler, to warm the air of the pit at times, if required. Here we would at once plant out tlie well-ripened crowns, at about a foot apart, and as soon they were ripe, hurry them into market, pull up the plants, and instantly plant another lot, which might be in a somewhat advanced state, from other structures. By such means, we should hope to fruit nearly half-a-dozen batches of plants before the middle of ilay ; and a man, with an acre of gi-ound thus occuined in parallel lines, would furnisli all our first-rate markets abundantly. But the business of such pits would not end here; they would produce thousands of Melons and Cucumbers after tlie Straw- berries, until the following November. Sucli pits should have some night coverings : and if we had the manage- ment, we would keep whole lines of strong young plants in a nursery specially for the production of runners ; every blossom should be plucked from them, and every- thing done which could add eai'lincss and strength of constitution to the young runner. Tliese hints are for those whom they concern ; we must alight from our hobby, and talk to suiull gardeners. "What condition does the Strawberry like, and what dislike '? " was the digressive point. 'Tliey like to be forced very gently ; to be very close to the glass, espe- cially a roof; to be carefully atteuded witli water, and an atmosphere permanently charged with moisture. Wlio has not observed their beautiful exuberance during tlic heavy dews of a fine Jlay, — every leaf laden with the glittering spangles? What they dislike is, of course, nearly the converse of all this : they dread a high night temperature, and, indeed, a high temperature of auy liind ; tliey never seem quite at home much beyond liO°, and, in- deed, we would make li.j" our maximum in early forcing, even with sunshine, sinking to bO'^ at night; they dislike being dry at root after the truss begins to rise ; and they abhor insect enemies under whatever guise, if they are neglected in regard of either air-moisture or root-moisture, and high temperatures are sustained, tlic red spider speedily finds them out. And now we must finish tlieso somewhat unconnected observations with advising our beginners in this way to Januaby 18. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 281 mind the principles laid down. It matters not wlint their structures are called — pits, frames, greenhouses, what you will — the Strawberry cares nothing about structures ; it is on those elementary conditions of light, atmospheric moisture, and the warmth they most atl'ect, that success depends. Let it be remembered, that if the plants are not strong and ripe in the crown, the ibrcer must suffer his ardour to decrease in a like ratio ; better be less ambitious — be content witli ripe Straw- berries in the end of March, instead of February. R. Errington. THE GENUS CEANOTHUS. For the last two or three years I liavo had this family in my eye as fit subjects for the experimental garden of tlie cross-breeder ; and now that I have been asked to write on the propagation and culture uf one of the species (G. rigicltis], it seems as if the opportunity had rather been thrown in )ny way, than that I went out of the path in quest of it ; at all events, a tale about good subjects is never much out of season. For many years the only C'eanothus known in our gardens was Ceanothus azukeus, still one of the best of the race where the climate suits it. I never saw but two plants of it managed so as to make the best of it in our climate, and one of them was the very hand- somest plant in England at the time. I saw it in the vnost luxuriant growth, and clothed nil over with its bright blue flowers, in long (much longer than usual) racemes from all the points of the shoots, and also from all the divisions (axillary) on the upper parts of all the young growth. I am not aware of a single hardy shrub in the country that is capable of so much improvement as Geanothus azureas, and by treating it a i'ew years at first in the way which I shall explain presently, it would stand our ordinary winters against a wall any- where in which the Peach and Nectarine ripen. It is a native of temperate regions in Mexico— not from the Cape, as is asserted in some books; and it is less hardy than any other of the species in cultivation. In the climate of London it is seldom much hurt by frost, when trained against a wall ; and it flowei's from August until stopped by frost. The liowers are borne by the young wood made the same season, like the grape vine ; and, wliat is very singular, this habit is seldom made the most of, less so, indeed, than in any other plant. It is the custom, in most places, to give it protection in winter, but the young wood seldom escapes from injury, more or less ; and the plant is not jjruned until all danger from frost is over iu the spring, when more of the young wood that has escaped the frost is nailed, or trained in, than is at all necessary ; and the usual result is, that the flowers are not nearly so nume- rous nor so fine as they would be under a very different treatment. Among all the plants that we train against walls, for their flowers, there is only one more which requires the same treatment as this, and that is the Rosa micro- phylla, or small-leaved Rose, from China. When either of them is first planted against a wall it ought to be headed down to near the surface of the ground, in October, for the first three years, at least, iu order to get a sufficient number of strong healthy shoots from tlie bottom to form the skeleton of the future plant ; these main shoots ought to be then trained in the faa-shape, like a peach-tree, with intervals between them as wide as are allowed to tlie main branches of a strong-growing pear tree, or say, not less than a foot from branch to branch. The same kind of pruning as they give to pear trees, until they fill up their allotted spaces, is the right way for this ; that is, to cut back the young tops of the leaders to one-half or two-thirds of their length, when duplicate leaders are wanted, and as the tree, or at least the young wood, is rather tender, this pruning ought to be done about the end of October, in order to get rid of as nuich young wood as possible, and so leave very little of it for the frost to play on. Now, suppose a full-grown Geauolhus thus treated, it ouglit to look as much as possible, at this season, like one of those root-pruned iicar trees about which Mr. Errington has given so many valuable directions; there are the spurs all the way u|), on every main branch or leader, just as on the pear tree. But now, or from tliis time, the annual pruning of these spurs must go on exactly contrary to each other. The young wood on the spurs of tiiis Geanothus, and on the Rosa riiicro- pliijUa, must be cut as close as the knile can reach it, and that in October every year, and then the frost will have little or none to kill, even in the hardest winter. Ne.xt season, a whole thicket of young breast-wood will grow out from the close spurs ; the more the better ; but not a twig of it should be touched the whole season. Every year's growth ought to stand out from the wall, as wild as in nature, and as free. Then, and not till then, are the Bhie Ceanoth, and the Small-leaved Hose, to be seen in their perfection of bloom, and the pruning in October will be more like cutting a bed of willows, or a field of corn, than anything else that I can compare it to. I have seen all this done for ten years in suc- cession, and I am sure it is in accordance with the soundest principles in gardening. I have a new scheme for growing tliis beautiful plant, of the success of which I am as certain as if I had seen it m practice for twice ten years ; and with all the ear- nestness of a young convert, I recommend its imme- diate adoption. Any one having a couple of yards of garden ground may test tlie experiment. It is simply to manage it in all respects as you would a plant, a bed, or a row of the Fuchsia yracilis. I'irst of all, make the bed as good as any bed was ever made ; let oae-balf of it be of the nicest yellow or nut-brown loam that is to be had for love or money, quite fresh from the bank, or meadow, if possible, and with all the rough grass, roots and all, chopped up with it, the other half I would have of best turfy peat and half-rotten leaf mould, in such proportions. as the compost-yard may point to : I am not particular to a shade, provided the loam, peat, and leaf mould, are the best of their respec- tive kinds. Let this bed be two ieet deep, and three or four inches above the general level of the surrounding grounds, and let the bottom be dry, or all will be lost. A border in front of a south wall would be a favourable situation for the first trial ; open a trench a yard wide, and two feet deep, and fill it with the compost; then, about the end of April, plant a row up the middle, placing the plants two feet apart, and if they are in pots, shake ofi' all the soil from the roots, and spread them out evenly, and so that the neck of the plant is a little deeper in the border than it was in the pot ; then cut the plants to within six inches of the ground, and let them not want for water all that season. In October, cut all the young wood back to within an inch or so of the bottom, and put a covering of half-rotten dung all over the trench for the winter, and next year you may expect flowers in August, at any rate. Continue the same process year after year, and there cannot be a question about the thing answering in almost any part of the kingdom. The very same kind of treatment would do for all the Daturas, with a more safe covering in winter. The Coral tree (Enjthrina crista galli) would answer perfectly in a similar manner ; hut whether or not the rest of the Ceauoths, or any of them, would answer equally well, or at all, is more than I can affirm. Geanothus pallidus, alias intermedius. — This is an English seedling obtained from G. azureus, by Mr. Masters, of Canterbury, and, as it is said, by crossing it 282 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 13. with the pollen of G. Americanus. I have often examiucd this ))lant in flower, and were it not for the well-known respectability of our authority fur the cross, I should be very niucli inclined to doubt the plant being a cross at all, but only a natural sport; be tbat as it may, all that I liave said about Aziiicus will ajiply equally to this plant, excepting the colour of the flowers, which is paler, and not nearly so rich ; but where are we to look for the exact tint of the flowers of Azureus, when the jihint is growing under favourable conditions ? Ceanothcs Americanus. — Tliis plant is called the New Jersey Tea, in America, where they used the dried leaves as a substitute for Chinese tea during the war of independence. This is a dwarf bush, bearing white flowers from June to August, and casting its leaves in the autumn. It is ratlier a pretty shrub, but not to be compared with the above, nor with tlie Califoruian species, excepting Ciineiitus, which is also a white-flower- ing one, and still less handsome tlian Americanus. Any good garden soil, on a dry bottom, will grow Americcimis, wliich ripens seeds in the neighbourhood of London in favourable seasons. Amateurs, who do not understand the right kind of cuttings, or the exact time when they are ready for use, find a great dilBculty in striking cuttings of either of the above; and the best advice for them, is to get them from layers made at the end of spring: these seldom fail, ft is difficult to convince amateurs that layers made of hard-wooded plants should have the slit, or tongue, made on the upper side of the shoot, because they see that it is made on the iindcr-sule of the clove and carnation, and other soft, pliable shoots. The following is the way to make layei's of hard- wooded plants — Stoop down opposite the bush, and take a shoot of the last growth in your left hand, the point of the shoot facing you ; then at four or five inches from the point where there is a joint on the upper side, slip in your knife a little below the joint, draw the knile to you and through the centre of the joint, and on an inch or so towards yourself; now bend the top of the shoot gently away to the left, and the tongue or cut part will go to the right, and when the cut end is clear off the shoot it is ready for laying two inches deep in the ground ; place a pinch of sand just under the cut, and fasten it down witli a hooked jieg; tlien cover and press the soil gently all round, particularly to tlie side of the layer next yourself, so as to keep the end well up. All this time, and until tlie whole is finished, you must not let the layer out of your hold for an instant ; for if you do, snap it goes in a moment, and the off-end of it will give your eye such a scratch as you will remember till the next new moon, if worse luck docs not finish the layering for that week. Oeanothiis Pltclicri, herhacciis, pcrcnnis, intermedins, and ovaUis, are all secondary names for Americanus, or sliglit variations of it, from seeds, which are not worth the trouble of keeping separate. Ceanothus nivAEioAius (thjrsijiorus'). — This is the first of the Califoruian species tbat found its way to tliis country in a living state. It is from near iSlontcry, whore it grows to the size of a small tree, and flowers there from May to November. It is perfectly hardy in the climate of London, and will grow in any good garden soil. Its way of close growth, and shining, dark green leaves, and its numerous bright blue flowers, render it altogether one of the most handsome ever- greens wo have. It may be propagated all the year round from cuttings of the young wood, which root as freely as those of Verbena, and it grows rapidly in good soil, so much so, that it is eminently fitted for making one of those standard evergreens which are so much admired in geometric linos or gardens. With a clear stem, si.x or seven feet high, and a largo round head kept regular, wo have nothing that could come near to it in beauty. The small-leaved Philh/rea, as a standard, is our nearest plant to match it, or it might be allowed to spread into an ojien, looscJieadeJ standard, or merely be allowed to form itself into a large busli. Whichever way it is gi'owu, it requires five or six years good gi'owth before it will flower much. Ceaxothus tapillosus. — This is another very hand- some, lai-ge, evergreen bush, from the Mountains of Santa Cruz, in California, where Hartweg found it growing to the height of ten feet. It has small, blunt, dark green leaves, which are downy on the underside. The flowers are as bright a blue as those of Azureus, with a purple tinge. This plant is also readily increased from cuttings. Having only been introduced in ]f>48, we arc not yet sure how nuich cold it will endure, or how far north it will flower with freedom. In the south of England it comes into flower about Midsummer, and holds on a long time. Ceaxothus uentatus. — This is comjiaratively a dwarf species in its native country, near Montcry, in Cali- fornia. It is of less stature tbau rii/idus, on the same ground, not rising above a yard high, where rigidus gi'ows to lour or five feet. This, also, was sent over by Hartweg to the Horticultural Society in lH4!-i. .,U1 the plants from Montery are hardy enough here, as far as our experience of them goes. In the south of England this bush flowers beautifully in May ; the blossom is deep blue, in round heads, and very handsome. It comes from cuttings, like idl the rest of the Calilbrniau species, very freely. Ceanothvs velutinus (Velvety -leaved). — The velvet is on the luuler side of the leaves ; the upper side shines as if varnished. This is a white-flowering species, and handsomer than cunentus, and the varieties of Ameri- canus, all which are %vliite-flowering ones. It was introduced by the Horticultural Society from the sources of the Oregon, and is quite hardy, growing to a large- sized bush from five to ten feet high, and is easily increased. For a small garden this is the only white Ceanothus I would recommend. C. Collianvs, another white one, but a dwarf plant, is very nearly related to velutinus ; and C. cuneatns, one of tho new ones, is white, and really not worth growing. Ceanothus vehrucosus (Warted on the Stems). — This is also one of Hartweg's new ones, and one of the very best of them, which will be a match for diraricatus soon ; the habit is even stronger than in diraricatus. It woidd also make a handsome standard if it were trained so, but tho stiff way of growth will hardly admit of being formed into such a regular shape as diraricatus. The flowers are light blue, and are produced in immense quantities from all the little side-shoots, forming great balls, or rather corymbs, along the wholo length of the main branches. This is the most suitable of all tho blue ones for the north of Scotland : strong, still", regard- less of cold, and even soil, and flowering in the height of summer. It was first called intei/errimus. D. Beaton. WINTER-BLOOMING, HARDY, GREENHOUSE PLANTS. Habhothamnus ei.eoans. — I think I first saw this plant growing against a pillar in the conservatory at the Regent's Park. Though it was then in early summer it was a beautiful object, with its largo bunches of carmine tubular flowers depending iiom the points and sides of the young shoots. l\Iauy a visitor joined mo in gazing at it, and from that day to this there have been repeated inquiries as to its culture. All the family introduced are natives of Mexico ; belong to the Nightshade order; and in the shape of the flowers, and the mode of gi'owth, resemble their ucai' neighbours Januaky 13. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 283 tho Ccslnims, some of whioli, such as C. miraniiamm, though usually grown iu a stove, yet, under proper treatment, would make a nice companion for our pre- sent I'avourite in a moderately warm conservatory. Tlie name of the genus is appropriate, signifying " gay shrub;" and so far as the present species is concerned it may well be termed " elegant." First impressions are queer things to deal with, though we should admit only a tenth of what the ladies say about them. Their general influence is to stereotype an idea; and even should the opinions formed be based on nonentities, or warped by prejudice, it requires accumulated reasons and proofs to dissipate the flrst-forraed notions. This is so far my case at present. No sooner is this jalant mentioned, than, without the presto of the wizard, tlie cap of I'ortunatus, or the passes of the mesmerist, by some means or other, I feel myself straining my mental vision on the identical column in the conservatory of tlie Botanic Gardens. It is true, the plant grows very well in a pot, and, however grown, it is an interesting object; but were I asked how to produce the finest effect at the least possible amount of labour, I should decidedly say, turn the plant out into a border when one yard in height, and against a pillar, where it could have air and light all round. Sandy loam, and plenty of water, with proper drainage, will grow it well ; but it will be advisable to give it a little peat when first turned out. Everything must be done at first to encourage growth ; but in the second season, the stronger shoots should be shortened to produce plenty of weaker ones, and which will be ripened before winter. After that, little pruning, besides pinching a strong shoot, will be required. The shoots, except the leading ones, will soon acquire a pendulous position ; and these, if well- ripened, will have large bunches of flowers at their points first ; and as these are out off others will take their place farther back on the shoot; and this con- tinuous nipping-oif the wood with the flowers will bo the most of the pruning required. By this treatment, a plant has never been without bloom for a twelve- month ; but during the whole of the winter it is plenti- fully supplied. Thus managed, few things will beat it, or look more interesting in a greenhouse. It is also useful for cut flowers, where people can be satisfied with a small piece of the plant to support them. Our bouquet-makers, who wire or gum each separate Uower, would say nothing at all about the shortness of the handle. For this purpose, it is something like tlie Scotch kale in the kitchen-garden— a regular " cut and come again," as, without the removing of the terminal bunch of flowers, many of the incipient bunches at tho axils of the leaves farther back will not have stimulus enough to cause them to expand. Many, however, who have not a pillar to spare, might wish to grow it in a pot, after what some may consider this too flaming a recommendation. I will just glance, therefore, at its general management. Propagation. — Firm, short side-shoots, inserted in sandy soil, under a bell-glass, and in a little bottom-heat, strike freely. If you inserted the cuttings this or the following month, potted them directly they were rooted, kept them close in a hotbed at first, and more open afterwards, shifted as fast as they required it, and hardened off in the autumn, you might have small blooming plants the first winter. Some orderly folk would object to giving such hardy plants such hotbed treatment ; and, though it is by no means necessary, yet most of these largish-leaved American plants enjoy such treatment amazingly, and, if. properly exposed and hardened off in autumn, will bloom none the worse in consequence. If you neither strike early, nor give more encoiu'agement than a cold frame in summer, you must not expect the plant to bloom until the second winter, under even good general treatment. Supposing, then, that you have kept tho plant in a cold pit or a greenhouse in winter, it sliould be exa- mined by April, and placed either in the greenhouse or pit, so as to encourage growth by closeness and warmth ; the size of the plant will determine the shifts to be given. You will not do much good with a pot less than twelve inches diameter, and into that tho plant should be got by the middle of June at farthest. The soil should consist of peat and loam at first, hut as you shift the loam must be increased ; and then, if after all there should seem to be a lack of vigour, top-dress with old cow-dung and charcoal, and give weak manure waterings. The plant will never naturally make a bush ; the shoots are lanky, and half-inclined to twist, one stake must therefore be used as a support ; but when hasped to this stake, the strongest shoots being previously stopped, the points must be fixed in a de- pendant position to a ring of wire round the rim of the pot. By this mode persevered in, something of a conical shape will be secured, and by a less obtrusive method than a trellis or a forest of sticks; besides, the direction given to the shoots will secure their ripening, and consequent blooming freely. Everything should be done by a close, moist atmosphere, to encourage growth, imtil August approaches, then more air should be given, until, by the middle of September, the plants are fully exposed. In October they should be defended from heavy rains, and towards the end of it safely housed. I have never tried it against a wall ; I have no doubt it would do well protected by glass. In pots, besides fresh soil, the chief trouble would be in the first year's growth, as after being established the plant would have the whole summer for growth and ripening. In pruning, hear in mind that bloom is chiefly produced on young shoots coming from last year's wood. The bending recommended encourages every bud to break. Haehotuajinus i-ASorouLATUs. — I cannot boast of my success with this in a pot, partly, I believe, from want of proper attention. I have seen it very fair against a wall, and have no doubt it would be a desirable plant for a glass-ciise before the severity of winter sets in. I men- tion it here for the purpose of stating, that a gardener from Yorkshire told me, not long ago, that he had seen it there trained up a conservatory column, and almost, if not quite, as fine as the plant of elegans he was then ex- amining. Everything that will bloom freely in a green- house in winter, and cost little trouble, should at least be tried. Among others of the genus, of which I know but little, there is //. eyancus, of which I know nothing; but if its habit were good, the blue flowers it is repre- sented to have would render it a great acquisition. I may add here, as a note, that the same gentleman, when looking upon a blaze of Poinseltia pulcherrima, told me that they grew the white variety considerably in tho north. Now I do not think wo have got that at all com men in the south ; and though, for effect, it would bear no comparison with the dazzling crimson, yet the beauty might both be enhanced and mellowed by blending and contrast. VEiioNirA Andersonii. — This is the most beautiful shrub of the family. The habit of the plant is compact and graceful, and, according as it is treated, it will con- tinue to yield its pretty spikes during the autumn, and winter, and spring. In fact, by regulating the time of stop)ping, and then maturing the young growth, flowers might be commanded for the most of the year. To bloom in winter, cuttings of firm young wood should be inserted in sand, under a bell-glass, before Midsummer, potted oS in sandy loam and peat, kept in a cold frame, freely exjiosed in autumn, and given an airy position in winter in a greenhouse or cold pit, apjdying no more water than it absolutely wants. With such a plant, or a yoimg one purchased, begin to push growth along in March or April, by giving the plants a closish, warmish 284 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Janoaby 13. position ; stop the shoots to increase their number, and continue nipping the strongest until June; hasping the strongest to the rim of the pot will be nearly all the training that will he required. Pot wlien necessary, until, by the middle of June, you gire the last shift into an eiglit or ten-inch pot, using plenty of drainage, and a little charcoal and broken bricks to keep the soil open. I'rom May, until the middle of July, a cold pit, wheie the plant can be kept rather close to encourage youug shoots, will be the place for it. After then, air must be more freely communicated, until full exposure is given to the top of the plant in August. This will ripen the young shoots, and cause flower-buds to form freely. By the middle of October it will be advisable to remove the plant under protection; for though the plant itself is not easily injured, the incipient flower-spikes might be nipped by any sudden extreme. Veronica speciosa. — Few shrubs are more gvaoeful- looking than this, but the flowers, though interesting, bear no comparison to the above. It is one of the things I got tired of Its free growth, and large size in a couple of years, demands so much space: though even as an evergreen bush it is interesting. It has been tried out of doors, and against walls, with more or less success. A glass-case would seem to be the place for it, the protection being removed in summer. Treated as above detailed for Andersonii, it will bloom in winter and spring in a greenhouse ; hut there should he no stopping the shoots after the middle of May, or they will not bloom early enough. LiTHospERjiuji BOSMAEiNTFOLiuM. — A pretty, dwarf, blue-flowering, hardy shrub, found plentifully about Naples and the Grecian Archipelago. It deserves a place_ among hardy greenhouse plants in winter, as wet and fi-ost spoil the flowers when out-of doors. Plunged out-of doors it might be introduced in November. It is easily propagated, and as easily grown. In beauty it is superior to more tender species. It deserves a con- servative wall, though hardy. AzARA iNTEGRiFOLU. — An interesting evergreen shrub that produces its bunches of flowers out-ofdoors in winter in the south of the island, and, I have been told, in many parts of Ireland. I have never seen it in bloom, in such circumstances, north of London. Pro- tected from wet, this and A. dentata will flourish as evergreens against a wall. Great quantities were raised of it by Mr. Knight, of Chelsea, from Chilian seeds, some twenty years ago. Compact buslies would orna- ment a hardy greenhouse in winter. Cuttings of firm, young shoots strike, hut slowhj, under a bell-glass or hand-light. Loam and peat will suit it. Selago distans. — There is nothing very striking in this small, white-flowering plant; but it is one of the newest of a family not particularly distinguished for blazing beauty. I introduce it here because it flowers so freely in winter and spring. Li];e the rest of its neigh- bours it comes from the Cape of Good Hope. Many of the species thrive nicely when planted out in summer. Cuttings of firm, stubby, young shoots, if struck under a bell-glass in spring, will enable you to have nice little i potted-ofl' plants before the end of autumn. These, i kept in an aii-y, dry place in winter, stopped and shifted iri spring, grown in a closish cold pit in the beginning ol summer, and more air and comjdete exposure after- wards, will furnish nice little plants for winter-blooming. Sandy loam, and a little peat or decayed leaf mould will grow it. This paper may bo considered ns a supplement to those on hardier greenhouse plants in former volumes. An average temperature at night, ranging from 87" to 45", will suit them. R. Fish. THE AURICULA. {^Continued J'lom i^atie 20i.) SoniER Thb.\tment. — In dividing this subject into heads, I ought to have written spring and summer treatment, and autumn and winter treatment, for a diti'erent management is required at all the four seasons. The si)ring for blooming; the summer for growing: tlie autumn and winter months may be considered as requiring a protective treatment. In accordance with this arraugement, I shall, on this occasion, commence with spring culture. This commences about the middle of February : the plants should then be healthy, have green, broad foliage, with the soil moderately dry. Some fine daj', about that time, have all the plants brought into the shed on the potting bench, and while they are tliere let the frame and glass be thoroughly cleansed. If they stand on a bed of coal ashes let it be raked over, clearing away all moss and weeds, and apply a thin layer of clean, dry, coal ashes, or even sawdust. If they stand on a stage inside the frame (which is by far the best method, becau.se they are then less liable to damp and mildew), let it also be well scrubbed ; let the glass lights be placed against a wall to tliorougly dry ; look well inside and outside for slugs and snails, and destroy them. While this cleaning is being done, let a careful hand examine the plants, clear away all decaying leaves, and a portion of the top soil ; and if the pots have become mossy or dirty on the out- side, let them be clean washed, without wetting the soil. When this operation is complete, the pots first done will be dry enough to handle again. Have some rich compost, in a moderately dry state, and put a layer of it in each pot. This is what is called, in tlie florists' language, a top-dressing. The compost for this should be riclier than the one used for potting, that is, it should have a larger proportion of well-decomposed and sweetened manure in it. Finish this top-dressing neatly, pressing it gently round the neck of each plant ; then, if any have been observed to be rather dry, give such a gentle watering, and let them stand on the bench till the S'.iperfluous water has drained away. The plants will then look tidy and fresh, and if they coidd speak would thank the operator for his pains. Replace them in the frame ; cover them up eflec- tually, if there is the least appearance of frost, for then they will be very suscejitible and impatient of cold. Give air early in the morning if the weather will per- mit, and let out the damp that may have accumulated through the night, after such a thorough cleaning. Though this spring-dressing will be better done so eaily in the year, yet, if the weather is severe and uupropitious, it may be put off till the first week in Mai-ch, but by no means later, for the additional stimulant in the new compost is intended to assist the plants to throw up stronger and finer blooms, and if it is delayed after that time the etl'ect will not take place. After this the usual routine of culture should be diligently followed. The giving of air on all favourable occasions is the most important point at this season. Whenever the day will permit, expose them fully to the sun-beams; and other soft, humid days, give air by propping uji the lights beliind. This strengthens the plants, and en- courages them to send iqi strong flower-stems. The giving of a due supply of water is also of great moment now. They should neither be wet nor dry, and when water is given, it should be in such quantities as to wet the whole of the soil in each pot. Great discrimination uuist be exercised on tliis point, and the (juantity of water given to eaoli plant should bo in proportion to the state of the soil. If dry, give plenty ; if moderately so, give less: and if wet, give none at all, but omit such plants till the next time, or till they absolutely require it. The watering-pot should bo a small one, with a January 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 285 small, rather long spout, taperitig to the end. Such a pot will give the operator power over the water so as exactly to suit the quantity each plant requires. By no means use a nose at this time of the year, hut water the soil only, not wetting the leaves in tlie least; and, ahove all tilings, take care to use water with the chill taken olf, not exactly warm water, nor yet ice cold, either extreme would be injurious. Tlie next important item in spring culture is to keep the plants as nearly as possible at an equal temperature. Actual frost would now cripple the blooms, and too much heat would draw them up weak, and cause them to flower prematurely. To prevent these extremes, cover them up securely every night. Straw mats, with a common garden mat thrown over them, are the most effectual protection I have ever met with ; any labourer can make these straw mats during long evenings or wet days. They are best made of wheat-straw, and if put by when done with in a dry state will last a long time; three seasons at least. Too much heat may be easily avoided, by giving air and shading when the sun be- comes too powerful. As the flower-stems advance the season will be advancing also, and then the covering at night may he reduced, but this must be carefully done, and the weather watched almost hourly, for often in April we have frosty nights, and once, hy a too great security, or, I had almost said, carelessness, if the plants are allowed to become frost-nipped, the bloom for that season will be spoiled. It is better, therefore, to err on the safe side, and keep the night covering on a little longer, till the blooms are quite safe. The last week in April, or the first week in May, they should be in perfect bloom, and will reqitire shading daily whenever the sun shines. Some florists remove them tlien into a shady place, and place them under hand-glasses standing upon a hrick at each corner of the hand-light. This method certainly prolongs and preserves the bloom, hut I do not approve of it generally, because the flowers cannot be so easily seen or shown as in a frame or on a stage. T. Appleby. ( To he continued.) CONIFERS. {Conlinued from page 24.5.) PiCEA. — The Coniferre classed by Loudon under this name are commonly called Silver Firs, because of the silvery-white colour of the underside of the leaves. J\Iany of them form stately evergreen trees, and will grow in and thrive best in low, moist situations much better than the Spruce Firs, which often in such a soil become diseased and perish. This peculiarity renders the genus Picea valuable as an ornamental tree in such districts as the lowlands of Lincolnshire and Cambridge- shire, where the gi-eater part of Coniferze would look starved and miserable, and ultimately die before they had reached to anything like timber. PioEA Ajonensis (Ajona Silver Fir). —Though a native of Siberia, very little is known of this tree. It is said to grow to a gi-eat size. PicEAAMABiLis (Lovcly Silver Fir).— This fine tree, from California, is so extremely rare that our knowledge of its habits and uses are extremely limited. PiOEA BALSABFEA (Balm of Gilcad Fir).— Native of Canada. Of all the Silver Firs this is the best known. It is highly ornamental, though not a tree of the first magnitude, seldom exceeding fifty feet high. It is less liable to disease than any other of its tribe, and grows very rapidly, especially in moist gi-ound. ]?rom it the Canadians extract their famous balsam, which they call " Balm of Gilead," hence its specific name. There are two varieties of this really beautiful and perfectly hardy tree, one is named Picea balsamea prostrata, and is a low bush, of a rather drooping hahit, the other has the leaves slightly variegated, and is the Picea bahamea foliis variegatis of gardens. Picea Cephalonica (Cephalonian Silver Fir). — A native, as its specific name imports, of Cephalonia, on the Black ISlountain, and is, therefore, perfectly hardy. It is a tree of second magnitude, rising to the height of sixty feet, with excellent timber, remarkable for its hard- ness and durability. The coues are erect, long, and slender; leaves sharp-pointed, with winged stalks. Picea Fhasem (Fraser's Silver Fir). — There is a con- siderable resemblance between this and the last-named species ; the diflerence consisting in the leaves being more thinly placed upon the branches, and not being so bristly. It is very handsome ; hut being a native of Carolina is not so hardy, neither does it grow so tall, its average height being from 30 to -10 feet. Tlie variety Picea Fraseri Hmlsonia is a low bush, and is quite hardy, as it is native of the cold regions of Hudson's Bay. Picea grandis (Large Californian Silver Fir). — This is one of the nobles of California, growing, as the late Mr. Douglas relates, to the height of 200 feet. The timber is of excellent quality. The finest specimen, probably, in England, is growing in the grounds at Dropmore. I had the pleasure of seeing it there last summer, and it was nearly nine feet high, and growing Tery rapidly. The lai-ge handsome foliage rendered it very ornamental and conspicuous, even amongst the fine plants of this tribe so profusely planted there. Pioea nobilis (Noble Silver Fir). — Native of the same country as the preceding, and something similar to it. The only difference is, the leaves are of a silvery milky-green h^ie on both sides, and are a trifle shorter ; by these it may be easily distinguished from its majestic congener. There is a fine specimen, growing near to the one mentioned above, of Picea nobilis in the same place (Lady Grenville's) and of the same height. The botanical diflerence is, however, chiefly iu the cones, which, in this species, are very large, and covered with large reflexed bracts. This species is more common, because it strikes readily from cuttings, which soon form a leading shoot, and become, after the third or fourth year, regular-formed, handsome plants. Pioea Nordmanniana (Mr. Nordman's Silver Fir). — A large tree, native of the north of Asia, on a high mountain. It is a handsome species, and believed to be perfectly hardy. The cones are short and broad, and reflexed at the apex. Picea peciinata (Comb -like -leaved Silver Fir). — This is our common Silver Fir. It is widely distributed, being found in central Europe and the west and north of Asia. It is well known, and therefore needs little description. There are some extra-fine trees, nearly a ] 00 feet high, in the park at Strathfieldsaye, the seat of the late "Iron Duke." The soil and climate. there is moist — so much so, that most of the trees, both of the plantations and gardens, are hoary with lichens. If proof were needed, this would bo sufficient to show that Silver Firs love a low, moist situation. Picea pichta (Pitch Silver Fir). — A low tree, native of the Altai Mountains. Picea Pinsapo (Pinsapo Silver Fir). — A very hand- some, slow-growing, regular-foi-med tree, now pretty common. The great distinction of this beautiful tree consists in its leaves being perfectly round, and placed equally on every side of the branches. It is a native of Spain, where, when of a gi-eat age, it reaches the height of seventy feet. No collection, however small, ought to be without one or two of this beautiful species. Picea Pindrow (Pindrow or Tooth -leaved Silver Fir). — Like P. Webbiana, but the leaves are longer, and not so silvery-white on the under side. Ptcea religiosa (Sacred Mexican Silver Fir). — This 286 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 13. is ii large, lofty tree, often attaining, iu Mexico, tlio astonisliing altitude of 1 50 feet. In this country it is, unfortunately, too tender to bear tlic open air, but I liave heard tiiere is a specimen in Devonshire that has stood out three winters uninjured. PicEA WjcuBiAXA (Mr. Webb's Pur|ile-ooned Silver Fir). — Iu giving lately an account of the Conifers at the Rev. — Thicken's, near Coventry, I described a uoble specimen of this rather tender species — tender because it is so easily excited to grow iu the spring tliat the young shoots are frequently destroyed. The tree is hardy enough through the winter, but suffers irom the late ii-osts after it has begun to grow. Ji'robably, if it was planted on the north side of a hill it would not be excited into growth till the spring frosts had passed over. In the instance above referred to the specimen had apparently never been injured. It is an Asiatic species, growing on the mountains of Nepaul, where it reaches ninety feet higii. It is exceedingly ornamental ; the leaves are broad, and arranged in two rows, and of a pure silvery- whiteness on the under side. There is a iarge specimen in the Pinetum belonging to that great patron of gardening, Mrs. Lawrence, at Ealing Parle. T. AlTLEllY. (To be coniimicd.) FORCING OPERATIONS PROPER AT THE SEASON. The commencement of a new year always brings with it liO|)es of something boiug likely to improve. Tlie very fact of the days lengthening, and less probability of meeting with so many dull and damp ones, helps mate- rially to cheer on the enthusiastic cultivator, to whom the " dark days before Christmas " have a more or less depressive feeling. But as that ominous period is past, let us also hope that tlie deluging rains wliich ushered them in, and ];ept them company, are in a measure passed also ; and with the opening year let us hope to have fewer of those drenching rains which have so much retarded out-door operations ; at all events, the increas- ing length of days is somewhat inspiriting, as by tliat the hopes of better times seem daily more near at hand ; nevertheless, the same vigilance as hitlierto is necessary to protect the various tender things from the effects of dam]i, while it is likely to bo more wanted to protect them from cold ; iu fact, the past autumn has been uu- nsually mild ; many tender plants, capable of resisting damp, were unscathed after Christmas; that a check will be given is both probable and even wished for, as it rarely happens for a mild wet winter to bo followed by a productive season ; but, without attempting to fore- tell wluit may occur, it more becomes lis to take the ne- cessary steps to make the most of the present. Especial care must, therefore, be taken of all delicate seedlings struggling against the absence of sunshine, and the pre- sence of undue moisture. The past autumn has been more than usually fatal to Lettuce and Caidijlowev plants sown late and only temporarily protected ; as where the vigorous character of the seed, accompanied with other favourable circumstances, was unable to support the young plant against the decaying effects of so mncli humidity, it speedily fell a prey to shanking : and many beds of what ought to be hcaltliy seedling plants, present only a few scattered patches hero and tiierc — the remnants of a pestilence which the skill of the ]n'ac- titioner strove in vain to arrest. Such, however, as do exist, must bo carefully looked after, as they cannot well be replaced without the assistance of heat and glass pro- tection, wliich, for the next few months, will bo less plentil'ul than liorctofore. Tiie beginning of a new year is also a favourable time for tlio amateur of bumble moans commencing forcing 0)ierations with the Cucmnhcr and Melon ; and, notwith- standing the improved and daily increasing demands there is on hot-water as an agent of heat used in the ]n-oduction of these fruits, there are many good old- fashioned dung frames yet to be found; and fruit so grown very otten competes successfully with that grown in the more modern-heated structure in which pipes and tanks of every variety of make convey the heating ])ower. This comjietition is, liowever, more equal where the productions are not wanted very early, as the dung- bed, however congenial a medium for supporting healthy vegetation, is not vested with the power to maintain it against the destroying influence of a too wet atmo- siihere and a sunless sky. For very early work it is tlierefore advisable to have recourse to fire-heat in some sliape or other ; and the same may be said of very late forcing; or, in more plain language, where it is desired to have a crop of melons ripen well in November, fire- heat must be applied rather briskly, otherwise that amount of warmth necessary to insure flavour cannot be furnislied by fermenting matter alone, without also carrying with it that moisture which is a preventive to the quality wanted. Tills late forcing must not be confounded with the retarding process, whereby an article, which nature in- tended to perfect itself at a fi.xcd time, slioiild, by some process used, be prevented from coming into use at tliat time, but kept back, and allowed to come forward at a later period; this course, as every one knows, will not do for melons ; disease and disaster is sure to follow such a plan. A plant enjoying the sunny climes of the east for a very few weeks, cannot be expected to accommodate itself to the cheerless atmosphere of an English autumn, without the assistance which ai't and science suggest as being the nearest approach we can command to the condition which it has lost ; and yet how far that falls short, may be easily compre- hended by any one who has studied the climate of those countries where it is grown naturally, with our murky atmosphere even in summer, while in autumn the contrast must be still greater. But this is a digression ; my purpose being more to give somo hints as to early spring work ; and in this we have a young plant to act upon; or rather, we have young ones to rear, and not old ones to keep in health. These duties differ so much, that we will, in the first instance, treat of the raising of young plants ; and, at a future time, offer a few remarks on the preservation of old ones ; and, supposing that good stable dung is to be had, and a frame or two at liberty, it will be ]n-oper, in the first instance, to throw up, mix, and turn the dung several times, to rectify that unruly boat it would other- wise attain if left un]n'epared ; besides which, those impure gases, of whoso names most gardeners are ignorant (but of whoso presence they can form a slircwd guess by the rankness of the smell), are thereby driven oif ; and the moderate heat that is left is cleansed of lliat offensive eflluvia, and becomes what, in gardening phrase, is called "sweet." This congenial warmth, when accompanied by a fair share of sunshine, is, perhaps, the most agreeable of any for plants enjoying ; as with it a degree of vigour is infused, which we think can hardly bo imparted by the united power of fire and water, how- ever well they may be managed. This mode of heating, tho most " timo-honouvcd " of any, has, nevertheless, been made the subject of many novel inventions — somo trying to make it act without its moisture beiug brought to bear on the plants, by comiH'lliug it to heat some stratum, which, acting as a conductor, only allowed the finer iiarticles to jiass tlu-ougli. This latter mode is exemplified in tlioso pits or structures which aro worked solely by linings, and somo of them aro very useful in tlioir way, serving tlio purpose intended admirably. "Mills's Pit" is heated January 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 2H7 entirely by dung linings, and few cucumber pfrowei's liavc alUiiiiod a greater degree ol' distinction tban he has; but since the easy application of liot-watcr, low pits are built with the many internal contrivances necessary tliero without having hot-water added also. But there are many raaUe-shit'ts which answer the piu'pose equally well ; a pile of rough timber, laid as open as possible, with the box-frame placed on the toj), and surrounded with linings, ibrms a very good hotbed, and one in which mauy things may be grown as well as on the best-con- trived structure to which fire-heat is applied. This, of course, depends on the attention paid to lining, and other things ; but for very early forcing, with only dung as a heating material, I would certainly advise the frame to be raised in such a manner. A lew rough blocks, placed in such a way as to give scope for apply- ing the dung on all sides, and partially underneath as well, which is done by having the bottom of the pile more narrow than the top, taking care, however, that it is sulHciently steady not to topple over, and, as I have said, as open as possible, because it is those interstices which form the chambers serving as reservoirs of heat; a firm material may be at top, and finally the mould on vyfhich the plants are cx-peoted to grow. The difficulties of this plan is obtaining a sufficient amount of atmo- spheric heat, after the bed is covered over a fair depth with soil; but that is overcome by applying brisk linings, and keeping some places inside comparatively thin of soil, to allow the heated air to pass through without losing much of its warmth on its journey. Another point must be attended to, which is, never to have the pile of open work too high, because the linings must always be shewing above, otherwise the heat, instead of penetrating the mass of earth, &c., as required, would escape by the vacancy between the bottom of the dung-box and top of the lining. Thatched hurdles, or some other shelter, will be wanted to prevent drying winds cooling the dung linings too much. This attention, however, does not extend so far as to present any formidable dif- ficulties ; and as dung may be used fresh from the yard, without any preparation whatever, it becomes a matter of labour only, and even this is not so much more than that required for the formation of the ordinary dung-bed, and maintaining it in its proper state of heat, and at a time when it can derive but little or none from the atmosphere. But I will return to this subject again. In the mean time, I advise the amateur to look around and see «diat can be had for this structure amongst the things he has at command ; and many makeshifts serve a purpose like this equally as well as the most perfectly-made ])it erected by mechanical skill, directed by scientific principles; but, as in many other things, the secret of success lies in the duo attention to many minor matters. John Piobson. A FAULT AMONG US. Brj the Authoress of "My Flowers," tie. It appears to me that there is " utterly a fault " among us. I do not know whether out-door relief in every Union is managed in the same way, but in one, I can truly say, " widows are neglected in the weekly ministrations." There appeai-s to be very great cruelty in the way this class of persons are treated by the poor laws ; they are most par- ticularly regarded by God's law, and He has recommended them specially to the protection of man ; but in the ad- ministration of the poor law, in at least one Union, there is, it seems to me, " utterly a fault." It is said in the Word of God, by the Apostle Paul, in regard to his not wishing to be burdensome to the Corinth- ians— "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." Now the Union, at least one Union, throws the widow entirely upon her children for support, and denies lier refief at all, or only partial relief, wliere her children arc grown up, and idjle to work for their bread. Surely this is cruel. Can anytldng be more distressing to a mother, than to bo dependant upon licr cluklren ; to feel that every ruouthful she eats is taken from them, and to have nothing of her own, but to be com- pelled to (isle from her own oll'spring for every little article slie wants:' Which of ihc framers of such a laiv woidd himself stand, or leave bis widow to stand, in such a painful position '! I repeat, there is utterly a fault amongst us. Tliomas Edwards and his wife were ratlier above the common lot of laliourers. He had a liorse and cart, and gained his living in various out-door ways. He had a piece of allotment ground, too, and got on comfortably. Ho was not a man of much loveliness of character certainly ; be was greatly given to drink, although not what is generally called a drunkard ; and his wife bad by no means a light burden to carry on her pilgrimage with him ; but she was a steady, light-thinluug, hard-working creature, and brought her family up well and respectably. They were never running in the streets, but ke^it at home, taught to be clean, honest, and hard-worldng, and whatever was shown thoni of good, was by her precept and example. In time they all married. One daughter lived in the next cottage, the other settled in London, aud the son took a coachman's place, and married in London too. As Edwards advanced in life, he was subject to severe attacks of illness, which often laid him by. At length tlie complaint from wbicli he suffered became confirmed, and his powers gradually weakened. He worked when he ought not to have worked, because be had only bis own exertions to depend upon, but he used, when lie could, to send bis little grandson with the cart, or got some other man to go for him. I'oor I'hccbe looked anxious and woe-begone ; she bad at all times a tr'oubled look — and well she might — but now she saw her husband breaking-up, and expenses coming upon lier, and whenever she did smile, it was a very watery one indeed. At last Edwards became so ill that it was thought de- sirable to get him into a London Hospital as a last hope. There was a possibility of an operation prolonging his life ; in the language of the world, it was his only chance, and he was accordingly removed to town. roorPh<]ebe walked about her cottage like a ghost when her husband was gone. Joy had long departed from her face, but now many cares and sorrows were painted there, and the thought of the agony Thomas must siifl'er distracted her, and she fancied every day might be the one chosen for the last chance. Her good daughter, Sarah, was her prop and stay ; and Bdl, her son-in-law, rose up and treated her like his real mother. Friends called to see and cheer her, and she beard tolerable accounts of Thomas from their son, who was able to go to him, his master being out of town. A few weeks, which felt like years to Pho'be, passed in this way. Hope upheld her; but she bad had no letter for some days, and began to feel more then usually anxious. One night, about nine o'clock, a tap at the door was heard, and in walked her son from London. He came to take her to the death-bed of her husband. The operation was over ; it had promised well, but symptoms suddenly came on that baffled all skiU, and Pha'be must start by the first train in the morning. No one can tell how she got through the night, or her journey, but she reached London too late; at the very hour she stepped into the train, Thomas breathed his last. Pbojbe was very ill for a long time after her return. She could neither sleep nor eat. The funeral expenses lay heavily upon her ; the horse and cart was a burden upon her mind ; she had no husband to lean upon, broken reed as he had been ; and her futurity was all misty before her. She, however, was brought to look to the Strong for strength; she was greatly supported under the load of her difficulties ; her friends were interested for her, and her daughter and son-in-law the kindest of the kind. In the course of a little time she sold her cart and horse, and croi) of barley ; paid her poor husband's funeral account, her rent, and what other littlo things she owed, and took up her abode in her daughter's house. When she could say, with truth, that she had nolhinr/, she went humbly to tlie Board of Guardians to ask for refief. She was strictly fjuestioned, of course, but was told she could work in the fields for her bread. This went to her heart. She had 388 THE COTTAGE GABDENER. January 13. brought up a family witliout once burdening the parisli. She was now adviinced in hfe, broken in liealtli, and rjuite uniit for out-door labour', to which she had never been used. But there was no appeal. She had children — they must support her. Her children were all scarcely able to support their own large families, and she said so ; but there was nothing to be done. A loaf and a shilling a-week was granted while she was on the doctor's hands; but when she j no longer was sick that relief was to cease, and poor Pha;he was to be thrown upon those wlio have large famihes, and barely enough for themselves. Is there not utterly a fault among us ? Three or foiu- other cases of this kind have passed under my notice. Oue of the widows is the mother of nine sons. They are as kind as they can be to her, but still, like Phoebe Edwards, she is a painful burden to them, and every jiarent must feel it bitter. Phcebe is beginning to look cheerful, nevertheless. She has the worldly comfort of being perfectly free from debt, and that some of my readers can, I dare say, fully enter into. She has, moreover, a good hope through " grace,'' and that is a wondrous sweetener of the ills of life. She speaks with energy of the blessings of adversity to her soul, and the help and strength she has found in Him in whom she trusts. Her eye kindles as she speaks, and when she smiles, it is a sunny smile, and not a watery one. Still, she is penniless ; and although her child and son-inlaw work for her, and make her welcome, she is but a pauper in their house, and she knows that every bit of food she eats is taken from the mouths of the chikh-en. Blessed are those children who " honour " their parents as Sarah does ! and blessed are the sons-in-law who rise up like Bill to succour and protect the widow I Blessed is the widow who trusts in the Lord, and cheerfully suljmits to His Holy 'Will. Slie will find tlie arm of the Loj-d is not shortened, but mighty to save. Still there is utterly a fault among us in this matter, for surely widows are special objects of consideration and care to all ! If we profess Christianity, if we consent to take the Bible as our rule of faith and practice, tlie widow should be honom-ed and sus- tained, and shielded from want, in our congregations. But as it is, at least in some places, I humbly venture to submit to my readers, that the blessing of God is not regarded, nor can be expected, for there is utterly a fault among us in this thing. BRAHMA POOTEA FOAVLS, In a recent valuable couti-ibution to The Cottage GjUR- DENEK, in which the " vexed question " of the respective merits of the Slianghae, Spanish, and Dorlcing fowls seems to be discussed with admirable judgment and impartiality, an extract is introduced from a Canadian paper, Avherein mention is made of two or three breeds of fowls hitherto unknown in this country, and in reference to which new breeds, your contributor (who signs himself "Cochin") expresses a wish for information. Perhaps the following particulars respecting one of them, " Brahma Pootra" fowls (tnken from the " Northern Farmer," published in Oneida county, U. S.), wiU be acceptable to him, and to the generality of your readers, who are interested in kindred subjects ; the more so, as they will, I believe, have an opportunity, at the approaching Metropolitan Show, of seeing a line young pair of birds of this breed, belonging to Mrs. Hosier Williams, of Eaton Mascott, near Shrewsbury, to whom they were sent by Dr. Bennett, of New Hamp- shire, U. S., a name known, probably, to many of your readers, as the author of an excellent American book on poultry. Before giving tlie extracts from the " Northern Farmer," I may observe, that this breed appears to have been imported into .\merica only within the last two or three years (having Ijcen brought by some sailors from a tlistrict on the great river in India, from which they derived their name), and that the American fanciers are as yet divided in opinion as to whether they are entitled to be considered a distinct breed, or only a superior variety of the Gray Shangliae, or, as some think, the Chittagong breed ; some maintaining that the breeds are identical ; others, with Dr. Bennett at their head, affirming their conviction that, even apart from the consideration of the widely-separated loca- lities in which the respective breeds have their origin, they I present sufficiently well-marked chiu'acteristics and points I of diversity to entitle each to be considered a distinct breed. I "Whatever truth there may be in these opinions, certain it is, that tliere is a rage among transatlantic amateurs for what are supposed to be n'ul Brahma Pootras, which rank highest I of all the large breeds, in the estimation of those who would seem to have had the best opportunities of judging of their real merits. Indeed, the mania there for the best , varieties seems just now as prevalent, and quite as fierce, as with our amateurs for the choicest breeds in this country. And a pleasant jest of the facetious editor of the " Northern Farmer " would seem to pouit to the inference, tliat the j prices realised for them is not less fictitious than tliose ; trequently obtained with us for the most approved speci- j mens of Buff Shanghaes. After gi\ing a few instances of I the sums at which good specimens of Brahma Pootras had I been sold (seventy-five doUars per pair for grown birds, and sixty-five dollars for chickens), he adds — " This will do, we think. By the way, if any one has a good snug farm that I he will dispose of for a pair of these fowls, we shall be disposed to trade, if application be made soon ! " j The following is a description of this breed, as given [ by Dr. Bennett, in a communication to the " Northern Farmer " : — I " The cock is mostly wliite, witli the neck hackles pen- ] cilled with black; the ramp hackles of a gold or yellow i colour ; the tail black, with glossy green plume feathers ; ; wings slightly pencilled with black. Pullets white, with black tails, and neck hackles pencilled with black. The I comb is small and serrated, though frequently they have the perfect pea comb of the Sumatra Pheasant Game fowl — always a rare incUcation of fineness of flesh. The wattles are small, but tlie ear lobe extremely lai'ge and pendulous. The legs are yellow, and usually very heavily feathered, though I have seen some excellent specimens with smooth legs. Their weight, at maturity, is from '-J;^ lbs. to ^0 lbs. per pak, and they are quite symmetrical in their conform- ation. As layers they are unsurpassed by any breed. I have tried them side by side with the Imperial Chinese, and the Shangliae, and find the three breeds about equally prolific. They lay a lai'ger egg than any other Asiatic fowl, not excepting the great Hoang-Ho fowls recently imported from Shantung and Honaii, in the valley of Hoang-Ho river. On an average, their eggs are fifty per cent, larger than those of the Shanghaes or Imperial Chinese. They differ from the G>-n;/ Shanghaes in the following respects : — They are lighter-coloured, shorter-legged, more compact in form, have larger ear-lobes, and smaller combs and wattles, deeper-breasted, but shorter-quartered. They ai'e more active, and better layers." Blr. Miner, the editor of the " Northern Fanner," saj's : — " We presume that there ai-e no larger nor better-shaped fowls in existence than the Bralima Pooti'as, nor any thut lay so large an egg. They equal the best in laying, and some contend that there is no fowl that can eciual tliem in this respect. They can be confined by a fence four feet high, effectually, not being able to fly at all, in consequence of the shortness of their mngs. They are not disposed to ramble, if allowed, but remain constantly near home. They are particularly fond of grass, and seem to live almost a.s much upon it as geese. We have been surpiised at the small quantity of food they consume. Oue quart of corn, and the same of corn-meal, ground in the cob, is as much as one pair of old Brahma Pootras, one ditto of Hoang-Ho fowls, and twenty-one chickens from three to four months old, now consume daily." The Eev. R. W. Fuller, of Massachusetts, in a letter to ■ , says : — " I have a pair of Brahma Pootras of the same breed as those of Dr. J. C. Bennett, and I consider them decidedly the most beautiful and splendid fowls ever imported into this country. Tlieii' colour is wliite, inclining on the back to a rich cream colour ; the hackles on tlie neck slightly streaked with black. The legs are yellow, heavily feathered with white, and shorter than the Chiltngong or Shangliae, giving the fowls a more beautiful proportion. They are very gentle and peaceable in their disposition, and have a stately and graceful gait, etc." The committee of judges on the ditl'erent classes of fowls January 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 289 exliibited at the annual exhibition of the " New England Society," for the improvement of domestic poultry, held on the 11th, I'-ith, 1:1th, and 14th days of November, 1801, spealdng of the Brahma Pootra fowls, say : — " Some mani- luoth items of this variety were sliown by Dr. Bennett, S. O. Hatch, and J. Parkinson, eacli possessing great merit. Mr. Hatcli's lot was entered under the head of Gray Chitta- gongs, but were really pure Brahma Pootras, and decidedly better fowls than any Chittagongs m America. They are better layers, hijhter in colour, have shorter legs, more compact forms, lai-ger ear-lobes, and smaller combs and wattles, and in eveiy respect are vastly superior to the Chittagongs. As the judges desire that every variety of fowl should be called by its right name, they cannot sanction the application of the title Chittagong to this excellent stock, when in reality they are perfect Brahma Pootras." The novelty of these details, and the interest with which they will prob.ably be regarded by many of your readers, must be my apology for troubling you with so long a com- munication.— W. C. G. FLOWER-GARDEN PLANS —No. 3. Heue is the first fruit of the criticism on tlie Plan No. 1. I am so unOTlhng to let it pass for another month, that I am under the necessity of sending it to the engraver by " retmni of post," so the planting must be deferred for the present. In another month or two we may have a third plan out of the same original ideas as are evinced in the first ; at any rate I shall not shrink from the promise to plant No. 1 ; and this in due time for next summer. How is it that none of our young readers, who under- stand so well the planning of a piece of ground, will undertake to show the planting of the beds ? Sm-ely it cannot arise from a dread that I should criticise them too severely. I do not know another branch of our calling so eminently qua- lified to teach one the art of thinldng, as that of filling in, or planting, difterent designs on paper. Thinking is as natm'al to us as breathing the air ; yet the art of listening and the art of thinking are more ditficult to leam than the art of pruning roses or peach-trees. Practice is the best master after all, and without it, all our principles and ideas, our plans and criti- cism, and all om- illustrations, go for little in teaching the young ideas how to plant. Tlierefore, let me urge once more on the attention of om' young friends to make the best attempts they can for planting our first and third plans. All that I insist on is, supposing the plan is on gi'avel, that figures 0 be planted in green without flowers ; or, if the plan is on grass, that these sixes be planted ivith a low, very dark-flowering plant, as the dark variety of the double pm'ple Senecio or Emma Verbena, according to the size of the beds ; but the growth should accord with that of the plants on either side in beds 7. The reason for this arrangement is, that all the No. C beds are so many expedients to take off the otherwise dis- proportionate size of No. 7 ; therefore, a colour in No. C contrasting, orharmonising, with No. 7, would be like a house divided against itself; or, easier, if we call No. 7 a house, and the flowers in it a roof or thatch. No. C being part of it. "Would it not look very odd to have the part No. (J covered with slate, and the rest thatched with straw or reeds ? But you would not think it out of place to have Nos. C or 7 covered with sti-aw, and the rest covered with reeds, although the colour of the straw and reeds might not be exactly alilce. It matters very little whether you make the corner figures, Nos. 9, flowers, vases, a single cypress, or Irish yews. The rest is easily done, if you keep in mind that the very centre is a vase, and may be four feet high or more ; therefore, the plants in the foui' beds, No. 1, need not be quite so dwarf as [the size of these would indi- cate. The leading principle of this plan is the least under- stood of all the tactics of flower gardening. I allude to the principle by which your company are turned right or left, or "all round," before they can reach the centre, and this I shall illiistrate by a thing in season. Suppose we have a country dance of sixteen couples, and that the first couple join hands, then down the middle and back again, and so on with the whole of them, what a tiresome dance it would be ; but not half so bad as going straight forward to the middle of a flower garden. The most indifferent of a whole party, as to flowers, could not get along in the above plan without being compelled, as it were, to look at them, if only to see that he did not trample on them as he went about. D. Beaton. DISEASES OF POULTRY. APOPLEXY. A HEN, two years old, who had laid almost daily for more than a fortnight, was accidentally shut out from her usual nest for two days, and did not lay during that time, upon access to her laying place being opened, she was ob- served to proceed thither, but in five minutes after was found dead upon her back. The body was sent to Mr. Tegetmeier, and the following is his report, afl'ording one more warning against the mistake of high feeding breeding hens. " I have carefully examined the hen forwarded by you. She was in high condition, and, for a laying hen, extremely fat ; the digestive organs were perfectly healthy, both the crop and gizzard filled with food ; the oviduct contained a perfect hard-shelled egg, which would evidently have been laid directly had the hen lived ; there were also numerous immature eggs, one of which had been broken by some concussion aj'/er death. All the organs contained in the body were in perfect health. Around the top of the spinal cord and base of the brain was a considerable quantity of 200 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 13. coagulated blood, wliicU had escaped from a raptured vessel, and by pressing on the brain, &c., had caused death ; it was. therefore, as you suggested, a case of apoplexy. I should be inclined to doubt the disease being caused by the lien's haNing been accidentally shut out nf tjie laying liouse; but I sliould feel inclined to attribute the attack to the e.\- tremely high condition of the bird. ■\\'. B. Tegetmi:iei;." " Totlcnham." DAHLIAS OF 1831. {Concluded from page 187.) MAi.vrNA (Tinnier) ; rather flat on the face ; but, if all the flowers are left on the plant, and put out early, it will make a very useful flower, it being of a colour we want. Mor.NiNG Star (Turner) ; very bright in colour, but I do not lilte the form ; and the petals are very rougli. I shall not grow it. Jlns. SouTHEY (Whale) ; useless. NiOBE (Salter) ; white tipt with rose. Eather too large as grown by nie ; but I tliink by leaving all the blooms on the plant this will be a really first-rate flower. riiANTOM (Noakes) ; large, coarse, and bad. IXejiehandt ; orange, striped with red: veiy bad habit, but not bad in form, and will he useful as a striped flower. I shall grow it again. Sc,u;let King (Green); the petal is good, but every bloom is too low in the eye for a show flower ; it comes too coarse. Eedgauktlet (Keynes) ; this flower was sent without charge, and was wortli several that were charged ; being a good red, every bloom perfect, and well up. I shall grow it again, as I think it the best red yet out. Sin F. TiiKSsEC.ER (Rawhngs) ; very fine; rosy lilac; particularly late in the season. (Jne of tho very best forms, and ought to be planted very early. Una (Keynes) ; white ; rather thin, but good eye. I shall try it again, but do not quite approve of it. Always con- stant with me, and fit to show. VicTor.iA ( Cook) ; crimson tipt with lilac. I do not like it; it is too low in the eye. White Standakd (15rittle) ; blush white ; very good with me ; form first-rate. I shall grow it ag-iin. Miss Bathdest (Dodd) ; pretty colour, but too thin. I shall not grow it again. It is a fancy flower. Miss Waiid (Turner) ; another fancy yellow tipt with white. Not good. Nancy (Keynes) ; dull in colour, hut form very fine. It requires a moist growth. I had a few Idooms quite models, fit for any stand. Fancy red tipt witli white. Queen of Whites (Druramond) ; rather flat; good colour ; and will be very useful. I shall grow it again. Sir R. Whittington (Drummond) ; dark ruby ; quite a gem. Bather low in the eye sometimes, and requires good growth. First-rate in every respect. Spahklee (Barnes) ; very so-so. I shall not grow it again. Spectabii.is (Salter) ; another striped flower lil;o Rnn- Irimdl, but decidedly better in habit, and I consider it a better flower. I shall grow it again. Tom (IJrummond) ; comes all one-sided; petals not regular. I like to see them laid on like scales on a fish's back. Not good. Tr.iuMnrANT (Keynes) ; this flower came at first very small, and low in the eye ; but having strong plants I cut out very severely, and had some very first-rate blooms, nearly all selfs. I had two fancy blooms, and they were exquisite. It requires extra good growth. This completes my memorandum. I have given my opinion without fear or afleetion, with honesty of purpose ; and T think growers may depend on these remarks, for tliey are pretty true. Obseuvku. NORMANDY. ( Coutiniifd/fom pnije -2711.) Though tho whole of Normandy may bo spoken of in general terras as a province of tolerably uniform character. fertile, undulating, well-wooded, and well cultivated, with a marked ract^ of inhaljitants (a Norman type of pliysiognoniy and general buikl is perfectly distinguisliablc ), still, dirt'ercnt districts dilfer in a few sliglit points of niunners and of produce, whicli I may periiaps by-and-by particularize. For instance, in the Ootenlin you find that article of bed- ding which jou had left behind you in Germany, the rdredoii, or bed of eider down, to lay over you instead of blankets. It is not at all a French fashion ; tlie reason you find it here is, that there has been long and great inter- course between the Cotentin and Iceland. But the caps of the women are the most strange, varying, and distinctive evidences of topographical peculiarity of costume. Each town and neighbourhood has its own cap to display; so that, as these forms are very ancient, an iUusti'ated ti'eatise on the caps of Norman women, with portraits, millinery details, and a map, would he anything but an uninter- esting eontrilnition to Ethnology. They are quite as characteristic as the costumes of the Swiss Cantons. To describe tliem intelligibly is next to impossible. The simplest and the ugUest form is when the woman weai's on her head a common white -cotton man's night-cap, with no other ornament tlian the tassel at the top. It made me think of Avomen going to be hung. About Caen is the head-quarters of these unfortunates. Others there are that seem to have a white apple-turn-ovcr laid upon their forehead ; otiiers, again, have modelled their caps after the pattern of an extinguisher. About t'andebec and La JMalleraie is a tall cylindrical species of cap, which we called " church - steeples," surraomited by streaming ribbons, and finished olf with a couple of mainsails at the base. One form, which just manages to miss being a becoming head-dress, is that whereon the lace or net border is made to stand out stift' in front and all round, as if it were trying to imitate a saintly glory. At Vire, they wear a pleasing little sort of cravat tye, which Briimmel must have envied if he ever saw it, on the top of tlie head, though not on the top of the cap. In thi- north of tho Cotentin, as at Valognes, llie head-dress becomes enormous: blown out with air, expanded witli wire, and stiflened with starch, it is most imposing. But what becomes of it in an eiiuinoctial gale would be in- teresting to inquire. Fancy a woman with a large white butterfly, a yard across from tip to tip of wings, alighted on her liead, and then, from tlie place where the body of the butterfly would be, a muslin balloon arising of corres- ponding dimensions. And yet, with a dignified matronlike carriage, and the rest of the dress of rich materials, .and neat, the wdiole efl'ect is not ridiculous. Norman women of considerable substance still hold to the head-gear of their ancestresses. Some of these articles are oven heir- looms. I am assured that there exists caps in Normandy worth from 1,500 to 1,800 francs n head, from tho value of the Flimiish and tho English lace which adorns them ; pvhit il'Anyliterre being in high favour. Observing an English lady malie a full stop as she passed a trademan's wife on Sunday afternoon, 1 inquired the reason. " \\'hy, only look at that lace !" she rejilied. I did look, and lamented my want of connoisseurship. But tlie most elegant, if not the most costly caps are those worn by tho women of Granville ; there is a turning up at tho | sides, and a rolling back of the materials, which gives them quite an oriental or turban-like style. Add to which, that the face seen beneath is sometimes very modest, pleasing, and pretty. Granville woulil furnisli a better model for a Madonna than any French town I know. It is said to have been originally a I'hconician colony; the cos- tume, therefore, and the cast of countenance, may be relies of the east. But Granville is altogether remarkable, from its rock, its granite clmrcb, its oyster pares, and its long- descended inhabitants. Little girls do not wear these curious caps, nor can I say at what age thoy assume the bead-ornaments of womanhood ; probably, like young Guinea-Fowl, they shoot their horn wdien about two-tliirds grown, for at Avranches, where they weai- a sort of blue paper or silk dunce's cap, as the foundation for the muslin and the lace, I observed some young women who might bo four feet high, and they were topped, or continued, (a- ;))•»- diierd, in nuithematicnl language, by caps at Irast half as high as themselves. I)o not imagine that the subject of Januaby 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 291 Norman caps is exhausted ; it is scarcely yet touched upon, and promises to lie as interesting to tlie artist and the anti- (^uavy as tliat of Norman ai'chitccUire. Normandy is milder and damper than Pieardy. A very few sliyht observations will tell long tales about the meteor- ology ol' any country. A gardener especially has his eyes open to these trilluig hut significant phenomena. Where I am writing, we have standard Jig and apricot trees. Wherever standard fig trees answer, the winters cannot be very severe; and wherever standard apricots bear good fruit, the summers must be tolerahly genial. Ferns are seen growing in spots where they could not easily exist if they were usuUy surrounded by an arid atmosphere. Tlie adver- tising appendix to my "Murray's Handbook," contains some beautiful little fronds gatliered on the granite rooks at Vize. The thatched cottages in Norman villages are very fond of wearing, on their ridge or backbone, a decoration which looks like the erected bristles of an angiy wild- boar: it consists of a row of iris, or orphie, or polypody, according to the taste of the proprietor, planted in a line of clayey-earth along the very top of the angle formed by the roof sloping each way; and it mostly nourishes, and flowers, and waves in the wind, with a luxurance unattain- able were it not frequently watered by a supply of visible or invisible moisture. Notwithstanding this, Normandy is one of the healthiest provinces in the world. For comparison's sake, I may observe, that the climate of the north-east corner of France is more variable than in most other parts of the country. The map will show that a north or a noi'th-east wind reaches it unmitigated from the North Sea itself; whereas, the departments but a little to the west are sheltered from these inclement breezes by Great Britain, which tempers tlieir rigom' and breaks their force. On the other hand, a wind from the south and the south-west comes charged with all the warmth it has collected in passing over an extensive continent, so that within the course of a few days very considerable alterations of temperature, of drought and moisture, may be felt. At the beginning of the week you are melting with Italian heats — ^at the end of it you are shivering with an Orkney chill. Hence the local proverb respecting the raontli of April, which might, with- out injustice, be extended to May. Avrit, il est doux ; Quand ii s't/ met, il est pere de tous, April and May are soft and mild ; When they once set to work, they're the worst of the wild. Against these sudden changes, delicate and susceptible constitutions should be on their guard, by keeping warm clothing ever at hand ; otherwise, the coimtry in the iqiluiids is very healthy. The pure an- of the hills, the gales that sweep over the uninclosed fields, and, for a great part of the year, the extent of the dry-growing woods, manifest their usual effects on the appetite, the spirits, and the com- plexion. But towns sit\iated low, at the mouths of rivei's, or on the site of ancient marshes, as Gravelines, Dunkerque, and St. Omer, are apt to have insinuations thrown out against their character for salubriousness. Normandy is also variable, the Cotentin particularly so ; but except in one or two spots on the Seipe, and there only in the autumn, I have not heard a whisper of malaria. — D. ON CIDER-MAKING IN THE COUNTY OF HEREFORD. As " Somersetensis " wishes for information respecting the mode of maldng Cider in the counties of Hereford and Glos'ter, the writer, who has, during the last few years, visited the former county during the cider season, is willing to afford such information as he is capable of doing, and which has passed under his general observation. There is much to be said in favour of their system, still the process is of that slow nature that few Somerset cider- makers, who generally make from 100 to a 1,000 hogsheads annually, would adopt it, as no doubt much waste would occur from the fruit getting too decayed before it would be possible to make it into Cider ; as I should think, that with the mills and screw presses used in Somersetshire, five hogsheads are made with the same labour as one ia Here- fordshire. As you ti'avel through the counties of Hereford and Lilos'ter, you are not struck with the quantity of orchards (as in Somersot), and the trees are generally small. The pear ti'ues seem to thrive much better than the ajjple trees, and they attain an immense size, from which a great quantity of Perry is made. The same mills suffice for both, and, as before said, the quantity of Cider not being large, the quality is of great importance, and that is obtained by tlie means of crushing and grinding their apples under a heavy stone cylinder moving vertically in a circle, which, being fixed in a frame, is propelled by a horse round a bed or trough into which the apples are placed. The pulp is scraped into the centre of the bed, by means of a scoop attached to the frame, and following immediately behind the stone, wliich continues to roll round till even the pips are entirely bruised, from which a strong aromatic flavour is obtained, and which adds so much to the quality of the Cider. As soon as the pulp is sufficiently ground, it is placed in horse-hair bags, and the juice immediately pressed from it, which has such a muddy, filthy appearance, that no one would imagine such a delicious beverage could after- wards be obtained from it. The usual fermentations and rackings then talie place as is practised by exiJerienced cider-makers in Somersetshire. A few enterprising farmers, in the neighbourhood of the city of Hereford, lately ob- tained some of the Somerset mills and presses, imagining that from the quick mode of making it they should save a great amount of labour, but 1 beheve there is not an ex- ception in which they have not all discarded them, and retirrned to their old system, finding they lost in the quality as well as quantity of their Cider. — T. D. 1'. MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS ON POULTRY. Feeding. — This subject is not generally so well attended to as it deserves ; it is true, where fowls have a good run they can provide themselves with many a dainty morsel, and will do well with one good feed of corn per day ; but it is not always that persons keeping fowls can accommodate them thus extensively, and it is therefore necessary to provide what they require by artificial means. Most fanciers are aware that fowls require other things besides sound corn for their welfare, such as green, and animal food, calcareous matter, and grit ; and I consider it absolutely necessary for them to be suppKed with these more parti- cularly while laying and moulting. The green food may consist of grass, lettuces, chicory, cabbage, &c. The animal food is, naturally — snails, beetles, grubs, worms, maggots, l-c. ; and, when a supply of these fail, then butchers' offal, tallow chandlers' greaves, or any refuse meat, will be found very advantageous. In winter, an allowance of fat will be found beneficial, as, by the in- ternal combustion of the carbon, of which fat is principally composed, the animal heat will be sustained, and, con- sequently, laying will be promoted. Calcareous matter enters largely into the formation of bones and egg-shells. Chalk, in small pieces, is recom- mended ; but I do not find the fowls very fond of eating it : naturally, they eat the shells of snails, and other small land shells, which, with the hard covering of beetles and otlier. insects, contribute largely to the production of egg-shells. Egg-shells, thrown from the house, are greedily eaten. The best substitute I have found to consist of bone-powder, a small quantity of which may be given daily in their food ; and this 1 have found to cure some of my high-bred hens of laying soft eggs, when a regular cramming with chalk did not succeed. Hempseed, linseed, and sunflower-seed, are very nutritious, and conducive of laying. For rearing young chickens, I have found milk-curds (where easily obtained), mixed with ground oats, to be the best food ; where not obtainable, I use ground oats, mixed with water, with a small quantity of bone-powder added ; or rice, parboiled and rolled in ground oats or barley-meal, so as to separate the grains. And a piece of bullocks' liver, boiled hard and grated, is also an excellent occasional treat for the little chickens. Ducks are famous trenchermen, 392 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. JAN0A11T 18. and requij'e to be fiUeJ. I have found stinging-nettles, chopped and moistened with pot-liquor or wash, and mixed with a small quantity of pollard or meal, to be a cheap food, and, with an occasional feed of corn, they thrive well on it. Incubation. — I have kept an account for some years of the time my vaiious birds sit, and the following is a list of the time occupied in hatching their eggs :— Canary birds, li days; Doves, 14; Pigeons, 10; Fowls, 21; Guineafowls, 25 ; Ducks, 2(i ; Turkies, 2() ; Geese, :11; Muscovy ducks, .'SS. Although Ducks and Turldes hatch in 20 days each, I have found, when the eggs were set together, that the Turkey-eggs hatched about six hours earlier. I believe the above list to be quite correct ; but I have kno\ra most of them occasionally to have been longer through accidental causes. Hatching Nests. — These I prefer on the ground, and foi-med of damp turf, lined with di-y heath and Lichen or Liver- wort, collected from trees, &c. The nest sliould be made so large that the hen can just fill it, not very deep, and as nearly flat inside, at the bottom, as possible, so that the eggs may not lean against each otlier, or they are ver>' liable to be broken, especially by the hens turning them. A httle Scotch snuff is also a good thing to keep the nests free from vermin. Why I recommend ground nests, and rather damp, is, that it is admitted, that the hen that steals a nest in a hedge or coppice generally hatches all her eggs, and brings home strong chickens ; whereas, the one that sits at home, in a dry box or basket, often spoils many of her eggs, and her chickens are frequently weakly, which I attribute to the great evaporation that takes place from the egg dm-ing incubation in such unnaturally dry nests, which also renders the chicken feverish and weakly. In support of which opinion, I can say, I ha\e hatched my best broods in nests thus made and well moistened ; and frequently have not had one egg in a sitting miss. Beeeding. — Never breed from relations ; always select strong, healthy birds of the same variety; do not think, by mixing the sorts, to improve a breed, a cross may do well enough to eat, but if a breed is crossed it is not to be depended on afterwards, as they will often run back for many generations. The formation of a new variety will talie a very long time, and then mostly ends in disappoint- ment. Keep each breed pure, and improve it by saving the best specimens, and add good fresh blood of, as near as possible, the same. I think the eggs of a hen may be depended on dming three weeks after her removal from any male, and without being put to another. Thus, I found the eggs of a hen that had been removed from a game cock took after him till the tenth day of separation ; and that the eggs of another, that had not been with a rooster, produced chickens as early as the fomrth day after being put to one. The hens in both cases were laying. — B. P. Biieni, Bessel's Gn'eii. Sc'venoaks. PENS AT POULTRY SHOWS. Allow us to offer a few suggestions upon Poultry Exhibi- tions, as they now bid fair to be as numerous and of as frequent occurrence as om' Horticultm-al and Agricultm'al Shows. With tlie latter, indeed, we now generally find them united, and those who are lovers of the feathered-race would think it an unpardonable omission if they were not so. This taste is steadily increasing, and but few distiicts, within a short time, will be without, at least, its annual Poultry Exhibition. Tins, we thinly, would be readily effected if any plan could be devised so as to facilitate their arrangements, decrease the expenses, and diminish the labour of their committees of management. One question is — Could this not be done simply by re-, quiring parties exhibiting to send their birds in such baslcets, or pens, in which they could be shown, to be made after a prescribed design, or pattern, so as to preserve their uniformity V This would remove, at once, the great impedi- ment to provincial and local exliibitions, and without in- creasing greatly, if any, the expenses of the exhibitor ; besides, which is of still greater importance, witli much less risk of injury to the birds sent, as they would not have to be removed from basket to pen, and from pen to basket. Last, l»ut not least, such a plan would cmlail, by many hours, the bird's confinement, by greatly facilitating their reception, arrangement, and retm-ning. Such moveable pens would also aftbrd judges advantages in cases of nicety of decision, by placing the birds in their own baskets alongside of each other, wliich cannot be done in the fixed pens without catching the birds. The aljove is the style of basket we propose. It was the one used at our last Cheltenham Exhibition. The baskets were arranged on elevated platfoiTns, or tables, about two feet high, showing the birds off well to tlie viewer, and at the same time giving a light and pleasing effect. Turkies and pea-fowls were, on account of size, exhibited in built pens. The baskets were of three sizes, viz., first size for the larger varieties of fowls and ducks, Stft. in diameter and 2 J ft. high; second size, for the smaller, 2 ft. in diameter and 2ft. high; thu'd, for pigeons, lAft. in diameter, and IJ ft. high. The fowls were exhibited in threes, geese and ducks in couples, pigeons in pairs, chickens in fern's. .\ canvass wrapper, or bag, should be put on the basket wlien tra- velling, taken off on an'ival, and neatly tied on the side, covering about one-tbu'd part. Tints protected, the baskets could be placed close to each other without fear of any combative encounters. We hope to see soon some general style of poultrj'-exhibi- tion-basket devised and adopted, so as to facilitate and en- courage the getting up of these now useful ami entertaining exhibitions, making it no longer a difticnlt matter for the clergy and others of our rm-al districts to accomplish. Jessop, Bbotheks, Clit'lleiiham. [This suggestion we think very good ; but we question whether a better shape would not be that of a parnllelogram ^ ^1 with the whole front lo let down ; like a mil- I liner's basket, placed upon its side. — Ed.C.G.]. PREPARATION OF MUSHROOJr BEDS. Ar.THoiT.n the majority of growers, whose number of beds are limited, generally make them all up in the autumn, and trust to their continuing iij bearing the whole season Januaby 13. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 293 after they have begun, yet there are others who, having the necessary means and conveniences, make up a bed occasionally all through the season ; a few words to such may be both seasonable and advantageous, as it must be understood, that the same means used in September or October are more Ukely to become successful than those used in January. The reason " why," is not so easily ex- plained in this case as that of many other problems in forcing; unless we take it for granted, that the spawn runs with more avidity in those months immediately following the period when it is found producing mushrooms in a natural way ; or, perhaps, the absence of success may be traced to something defective in tha spawn used, which, however, can hardly be the case, because we have used it at all seasons, and have generally found that put in about the month of October the most productive of any; even where a later crop had many other advantages. Anotlier thing late mushrooms have to contend against are the attacks of innumerable insects and other enemies, whose destruc- tion or prevention is more difficult tliau might at iirst be supposed ; but such is the ease, and beds bearing late in the spring become infested with maggots and the numerous small fry which find their way into such snug quarters as this favourite production is often treated with. Neverthe- less, where mushrooms are wanted for table all the year, successional beds must be made ; and the remarks we now offer on their formation will serve, with some slight varia- tion, for the whole year. In the first place, a supply of good useful dung must be had ; that of horses has from time immemorial been re- commended, but that of sheep, and, I believe, deer, might be profitably used likewise : certain it is, that I have seen an excellent crop of mushrooms from a bed formed of sheep-dung alone; and, what may not surprise those who know its value, the specimens there produced were thicker and better in substance than those from horse dung ; and though the bed was exceedingly thin, and partly mixed and coated with loam, yet it continued to bear for many weeks ; but then it was formed at a more favourable time of the year than this. Still, I must admit, that a quantity of sheep dung mixed with the other is attended with a benefit, and as it is often to be had in considerable quantities underneath trees and other sheltered places where sheep are accustomed to rest at nights in the autumn, its collec- tion and removal from thence is both easy, and little or no detriment to the land it is taken from. Horse dung is tolerably well known, and for purposes of mushroom growing, at this untoward season, should be procm'ed without being heated ; it is not easy to have it so, if an accumulation of it be left for many days — and it is not too much to say, that throwing it up into a heap when fresh, and allowing it to lie untouched for only three full days, will have seriously injured it for the purposes we now intend it for; or, in fact, for heating purposes either. True, three days may be insufficient in some instances ; but in others we know they would; and we therefore warn the inexperienced particularly on this point. For dung that has undergone a heating process to a degree that would almost cook food, has parted with some of its naost nutritive parts, and would seem little better quahfied to maintain vegetation than the ashes or other residuum of a furnace, which, we all know, are for a time sterile ; but by exposure to the atmosphere, and, perhaps, the conjunction of other matters, lose their pernicious qualities and, assi- milating to themselves those of an opposite kind, speedily become fertile in their turn, and, in many instances, are used as such with advantage. Now though we cannot affirm that horse dung that has been heated so as to he- come white, and remains so, is absohitely poisonous; yet it is beyond a doubt, that in that condition it is repulsive to !xll but the lowest class of vegetation ; that class to which the " mould " and mildew owe their origin, and whose dominion is said to be more extensive than any other. But though tlie mushroom belongs to a family related to this pernicious one, yet its presence is not so universal, and is generally hailed with delight when it shows itself, instead of that dislike with which the many species of mildew and its kindred species are regarded by all but the enthusiastic botanist who makes this abstruse part of the science his particular study. Returning again to the subject, I may say, that fresli horse-dung — that has neither been soaked in rain nor over- heated— may be prepared by separating as much of the littery matter as can well be done, and the heap tlirown up to heat a little ; but as soon as it reaches a degree of warmth which is uncomfortable for the hand, it must be turned, and that process repeated almost every day for a few times, after which it will gradually subside in heat, and longer intervals between turning will suffice, imtil that moderate sweet heat be attained which is tolerably well known to the jpractical man ; even the uninitiated may have a tolerably good knowledge of its ripeness for use, by the mild, steady warmth it fm-nishes. Now this state of preparation may be carried too far ; dung may be worked over and over until its heating qualities are entirely spent, so that when applied to the intended purposes, it is no longer able to command the warmth needed. I may observe, that in about the middle of its preparatory course the sheep dung may be added, and if it be done in any quantity exceeding one fourth of the whole, the increased heat accorded will require correspond- ing caution on the part of those having charge of it ; and it must not in any case be used until it be subsided into that steady mellow warmth which is aUke congenial to all around it, and lasting in its eft'ects; even then, at this late period, beds made up ought to be in such a situation as to have the advantage of fire, or other heat, apart from their own ; for though the mushroom would seem to relisli the cold dews of autumn, when growing in the open air, yet when in an artificial condition, a certain amount of heat is requisite to bring a bed of it into good bearing ; so tliat, after all, one of the principal secrets in the growing is to furnish it with that amount of heat calculated to stimulate it. Therefore, any beds that appear sluggish are often rendered productive by the application of fire-heat, heating the atmosphere, or, it may be, something in the way of dung linings, warming the bed, when the former is impracticable. But at this season, new beds made up must be kept up tolerably warm, and being spawned so, the heat ought not to be allowed to subside until the bed beg;ins to bear. This course cannot always be followed, but may be partly so. If necessity compels the bed to he made out-of-doors, let it by all means have an amount of covering calculated to throw off all wet likely to fall ; or, in fact, it ought to have some waterproof covering apart from the litter which forms its coating, and, if needs be, hot dung must be applied to its sides. Out-door beds are more extravagant in the quantity of dung they require than those on shelves, or in any sheltered in-door iDosition ; the extra bulk being wanted to maintain that amount of warmth, without which success is uncertain. The mode of making them is tolerably well known. A site being fixed on, which ought to be as dry as pos.sible (under a large tree is not a bad place), and the length marked out, the dung is then spread over to the width of about four feet, which is trod firmly, and more added, building up the sides as you proceed, so th at the bed be firm and even at the last ; it will not settle much ; so that if it be made at tliis season, and the dung has been previously well pre- pared, it may be spawned at once, and a covering of litter put over it, which, however, must be withdrawn if the heat increase so as to appear likely to be excessive ; it is easy to ascertaiir this by sticking a stick or two in the bed, and examining them at times. Spawn must also be used with a more liberal hand now than earlier ; and if the moist warmth of the bed dampen the litter which covers it ( which it is almost sure to doj this must be exchanged for drier covering. A very little degree of warmth is sufficient to start the spawn ; but should it subside until scarce any exist, hot dung must be applied against one side of the bed, which, though it may kill the spawn it is in immediate contact with, it will most lilcely induce a good crop to pre- sent themselves on the opposite side. These means being adopted will, in most instances, increase a supply ; but it is certainly more likely to be so when fire-heat is applied ; and this may be done in many cases where there is no regular mushroom house. A vacant corner or space in the neighbourhood of the stock holes, where fires are kept on constantly in forcing operations, may be made into an excellent mushi-oom bed, in which case, or in those made on the shelves of a house set aj^art entirely for this duty, a much less quantity of dung is wanted. In fact, when 2U THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Jaxl-aky V\. atmospheric wavmtli can he supplied, n hed a foot thick ii^ sufficient. A good, hut not severe beating or treading may also he given this, and the spawn scattered over it, or ratliur dibhled in, and tlie top coated over with an incli or, so of good sound loam, is all that is wanted. Observe, tlie loam had better not be applied if any danger of over-heatiug exist, which, however, with well-prepared dung, can lianlly be the case. AVatering will, in a manner, depend on the dryness of the atmosphere, and other causes ; but a dry, harsh air is inimical to tlie growth of this plant; and, if it needs must be so, the bed must be covered over with loose hay or litter, which must be frequently sprinkled with water. A heavy watering may sometimes be given to an old exhausted bed with advantage, because, if accompanied by increased heat, a large second growth occasionally takes place — but, of course, this is not of long continuance ; but, for many reasons, it is advisable to try it before finally condemning an old bed. Those now in hearing will need occasional watering only, for, in a usual way, the moisture with which the dung has been charged with is suMcient lor the support of the crop, luitil a later penod, or until firc-heat or other cause has rendered watering necessary, of which it will itself give tokens. John Robson. SHANGHAE FOWLS. Afteh reading the statements of '* Gallus," concerning our pets, the Cochin-Ghina fowls, will you allow me to give you a correct calculation of my own fowls. I have sixty Cochin- Ohina pullets, and ten cockerels; fifty Dorking and Spanish. J\ly fowls arc fed from Indian corn, barley-meal, and wheat; they have as ranch as they can eat ; and, during the experi- ment, were fed from my own hands; and, including every grain of corn, my pets have not cost me more than one- penny-farthiug per week ; ]ny I'orking arid Spanish cost two-pence; they were fed by a confidential servant; lean vouch for his calculations being correct. The weight of my largest Cochin cockerel is eleven pounds, the smallest six- and-a-half, I think, Mr. Editor, if you coidd see my beau- tiful pullet, Bessy, weighing eight-pounds-and-a-f|uarter, a pet of ray husband's, you would not allow another word to be said against our friends ! " (iallus " alludes to the eggs of tlie Cochin fowls being inferior to the Spanish. His taste for eggs raust be veiy different from others. My friends say it is a great luxury to have a Cochin-China egg for breakfast. I feel inclined to tliink liis birds are not pure, but I am not going to argue with " Gallus " about his birds ; my object is to convince the readers of The Cottage Oaudener, that Cochin-China fowls can be kept for one- penuy-farthing per week each, and ircU. My fowls are kept in separate walks. I do not allow the Dorking and Spanish to molest ray pets with their vorarions apjietites. "We do not intend to keep any but Cochin-Cbina fowls, as they are the mobt useful. Augusta. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *** We requcfit tlmt no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottage Gaedener. It pivcs them unjustidulile trouble and expense. All communications should he addressed " To the Edilnr of tht: Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." EitROR.— In the advertisement of the Enffllsh Flower Garden, m our number for December, it ouiiht to have been stated, that it is embelUshed with a coloured tipure of Skimmia japonica, and not of a Skinnerid. VoTTED Hyacinths (WareJiam). — Vour Hyacinths, " thougli not above an inch high, many of them are showing the tlowcr-hud," and you take alarm. Your management, "keeping them in a dark closet for a month," w:i9 t[uitc right, and you could not report more favourably if you had sat up to watch them, day and night since they were jtotted. They will be all right, unless tlie flowers begin to expand at the dwarf height you mention. Taylor's Hives (An Old Suf/.tcrt/ter). — The bars are half-an-inch thick, and the same throughout. The floor-board figured in The ('ot- TAGE Gauuener for February I2th, lS.'i2, overhangs tlie sides of the box all round, three-quarters-of-an-inch. The length of ojiening, l> and n, are three inches. The width of groove, a, two inches. Kach box has its own top and tloor-board, and the zin:! slides run between tiiem. The top of each box is secured by three screws. The glasses are round, with flat tops, and may be had of flicssrs. Neighbour, one large, or two small ones, may be used. Gathering Apples and Peaks {An Irish Stibscriher, Dublin).— Your enquiry about the proper time to gather Apples and Pears ojicna a very wide question, which may scarcely be settled in a few linea. The old maxim was to be ruled by'thc colouring of the seed, and wc are not a\\arc of any safer guide. We believe that to lie an indication, in general, of certain chemical changes having talten place, or lieing in progress, which constitute ripeness, and ]»oint in many fruits to their having attained keeping propertic;). Jiut there are several exceptions, and as yet, we have all much to learn, doubtless, with all our experience. Tliere arc the Easter Beurre Pear, also the Wiltiams^s Bun Chrfttienne, let theni ripen on the tree and they are not worth eating. As a general rule, fruit should be easily removed when ready to gather. Aa to preservation afterwards, they require a cool, tolerably dry and dark situation, with a guarantee against frost ; a constant temperature of 5tP, would, doubtless, be capital. No fermentation may bethought of; no bruising or rough handling allowed. Fruit-trees for Cumberland \W> R.). — Pears. — Beurrt: d'Auiaulis, Uunmore, Williams' Bon Chretiennc, Bluirfowl Egg, Althorpe Crasanne. We do not say those are certain to succeed, but we should try them. In your Afi'Les, why have you put American Newtown Pipi)in ? Why ! it has greater need of a south-wall than a Peach ! Add Lamb Abbey Pearinatn, Williams' Pippin, Fearn's Pippin, Blank's Codlin, and Beauty of Kent. Physalis EDULis.— G. S. has obligingly sent as requested. He says: — "The seeds keep best in the fruit. They have not ripened kindly this year, but if fully swollen in the autumn they ripen very well in-doors. To make the preserve worth eating, it is necessary to boil the fruit a veru long time. When slightly cooked, as in a tart, they are not worth much." Dorking Fowls [G. E.). — No one knows that these " originally had a double or rose comb." ^^'e believe the contrary, and that all double combs are reidly malformations, however much they may he prized in some varieties. The fact you mention, that "double rose combs arc extremely diflicult to retain in the hens even of white Dorkings," sup- ports our opinion. Any configuration retained with difliculty is not natural. We quite agree with you that single combs and double combs should be in separate classes, Highest Price oi' a Siianghae Cockerel. — W'c are informed that BIr. George sold his light cinnamon cockerel, at Birmingham, for ^2i». Vines and Flowers in Grreniiouse (A New Corrrespondent). — I This can be done, though it requires much care to save the flowering I plants from being drawn. If you buy our back numbers 92 and Vll, you will find much information on the point. Fuchsias Budding {Picriola).—\)o not disbud them. You may , keep the soil damped, but must not commence fully watering them until j you can move them into the light and warmth. The mildness of the j season occasions their growth ; in Hampshire, Fuchsias in the open ground are coming into leaf. Very weak guano-water will beneflt your ■ potted Hyacinths, but they will not bloom until next year. Fry's Cucu:\iber, — Such a notice is an advertisement. 1 Work on Poultry (Rhodon and A. M.). — The illustrations will be j exactly what you require. i Greenhouse Building (R. Bradburi/). — We will readily insert your I description, but we must have full particulars, dimensions, &c. \Vhat I " apparatus " did you put into the fire for heating the water y Oysters {G.Jones). — It is quite certain that the natural position of the Oyster is with \\\(ijiat valve of the shell downwards. Bloohiing Cinerarias early in March {An Enquirer), ~~'T\\cse should be showing their flower-stalks now. If not, keep them rather warm with plenty of air, and give no more water than will just keep tlicni I from flagging. Forcing the bloom thus, however, will not improve the ; healthy appearance of the foliage, but manure-water, after the tlowering- I stalks are rising, will give you strong bboms. I New Greenhouse (IK. E.), — The fresh damp walls will be nothing ] in your favour ; but as you have flues, you need suffer nothing on t!iac account. Put a small lire in the flue at first, so as gradually to dry and settle the matters used in its formation, and then get a good fire on, which w ill help to dry the walls of the house. Anything like plastering at present would be out of place, but you may wash \\\i\\ a solution of quicklime. After a day's firing you may introduce the plants. In dull weather for the first season put on a little fire, and give plenty of air, using no more water than will be necessary. Here you had better get your Geraniums, Fuchsias, and Verbenas, and even your Hoses if you have room; though Roses and Fuchsias too will do very well in the cold pits along with Pinks and Carnations. For covering ihc fruit-wall outside of such a house, 2 ft. 4 in. from the ground, so ns to be gay in summer, and green in winter, many things might be tried. In the south of the island you might try the broad-leaved Mi/rttc, and in the climate of London, the Jupan honej/siirhfe, trained length- wise, would be sweet and interesting. In ordinary circumstances, China roses, well pruned every year, would be half evergreen in winter, and rich with flowers for jiretty well nine months out of the twelve. Wc would recommend two dark ones, Cramoise superimn: and Fuhrirr, ainl two white ones, jl/c.v. iiosum/uet and Aime I'ifjcrt. For the bed in front t)f such a house, 2 ft. 4 in, broad, and 22 ft. long, have Winter Amnites, Croruses; Snowdrops, liepatiratt. Tulips, Ili/acinths, iinii Nari'issi/s, ior winter and spring; and in i\Iay, fill "irii bedding ]ilants, such as Srarfet Geranium, with nn edging of Mani^'h-'s \'(irii-!^nted, or Varie 49 6 47 7 37 rises. 6a 5 11 12 13 14 ir, 11 26 11 43 11 59 12 15 12 29 12 43 12 56 20 21 23 23 24 25 26 Mbteobology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, the average highest and loweet tempera- tures of these days are 43-3° and 33° respectively. The greatest heat, 55°, occurred on the 28th in 1846 ; and the lowest cold, 15°, on the 25th in I827. During the period 91 days were tine, and on gi rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. POPPVWORTS. — PAr.iVEE.VCE.E. PAPAVEE. POrPV. Stjclion IT, — Pojjpies wUh smooth ccqysules. I^Continued from page 3.55.) rAPAVRP. S03INIFEP.U3I : White, or Opium Poppy. Dt'scriplion. — It is an annual. Slem from three to five feet higli, smooth, hut often hairy near the top, erect, hrani'hed, milky-green, leafy. Leaves large, grayish, wavy, lohed, and bluntly notched, clasping the stem with their heart-shaped base. Flowers at the end of the brandies, three or more inches broad; hanging down whUst enclosed in the calyx, hut becoming erect before the flower opens. Cahjx of two oval, grayish sepals, which drop off soon after the flower has opened. Petals four, large, roundisli, bluish-white, ivith a broad violet spot at the base of each. Capsule or seed-vessel, from two to three inches in diameter, globular, smooth, flattened at the top and bottom, some- times rather furrowed. Stii/ma, or crown, eight or more rayed, with a broad, thin, bent-down margin. Seeds white, oily, sweet, and eatable. Places irhere fitund. — Sandy soU, in fenny places. Time offlower'nvj. — July. History. — Its specific name, somniferum, or sleep-bringin", tells truly of its powers. There are many varieties of it in our gardens diflering in being double and semi-double, and hi the varied colours of the petals. One, and, perhaps, a more permanent variety has black seed, which is used as a food for cage birds, and is commonly called " Maw-seed." From this species is obtained opium, that drug so bene- ficieut as a medicine, and so ruinous as an intoxicater. " It is indeed," says Dr. Drummond, " an agent which can, for a period at least, ' Raze out the written troubles of the brain. And, with a sweet oblivious antidote, Cleanse the full bosom of that perilous stuff. Which weighs upon tlie heart.' But this is only for a time, and the charm being dissolved, the soul awakes from its trance only to experience aggra- vated woe, in those at least (and even in Britain the number is not small), who h.ave fallen into the habitual use of this drug. Tf there be on earth a misery that approaches what we might be allowed to conceive as among the worst suffer- ings of a future place of punishment, it is the state of an Opjura-eater, after the action of his dose has subsided. Un- happy and trembling, his head confused, and liis stomach sick, remorse at his heai't, but his resolution too feelile to attempt a reformation; feeling as an outcast from every thing lliat is good or great, he returns despairing to a repe- tition of his dose, and every repetition adds confirmation to the evil habit. His constitution becomes exhausted in a few years ; he grows prematurely old, and dies of palsy, dropsy, or some disease as fatal : he dies, having by his own weakness and imprudence lived a life of wretchedness in this world, and looking forward at his exit to the darkest scenes of misery in the next. How often does man turn the greatest blessings into tho greatest curse ! " Many attempts have been made in this country to obtain oi>ium from the capsules of this species, and Mr. Ball obtained a premium from the Society of Arts for specimens of British opium, in no respect inferior to the best eastern opium. Mr. Young, a respectable surgeon in Edinburgli, has also obtained it of excellent quality and in considerable quantity. But we apprehend the cUniate, besides the destruction tiy insects, is nu insuperable obstacle to its becoming a jirofitable I branch of horticulture in Britain. It was very early cul- j tivated in Greece, perhaps at first solely for the sake of its I seed, which was used as food. It is extensively cultivated I in most of the states of £ra-one in the present age, not only on account of the opium, for which it is reared in Turkey, ; Persia, and India, but also on account of the capsules and of the bland oil obtained from the seeds. jUl the parts of I the poppy abound in a narcotic mUky juice, which is par- tially extracted, together with a considerable quantity of mucilage by decoction. The liquor is sti'ongly pressed out, i sulfered to settle, clarilied with white of eggs, and being eva- I porated to a due consistence, yields about one-fifth or one- sixth of the weight of the heads of extract, which possesses the virtues of opium in a very inferior degree, and does not come to this country unless when used to adulterate the genuine opium. The heads ai'e gathered as they ripen, and as this happens at ditt'erent times, there are annually three or fom' gatherings. They are brought to market in bags, each containing .about :30nO heads, and sold to the druggists. The London market is chiefly suppUed from I\Iitcliani, in ] Surrey. The heads or capsules possess anodyne pro- ' perties ; they are chiefly employed boiled in water, as fomen- : tatioiis to inflamed and ulcerated surfaces, and the syrnji : prepared from their boiled-down decoction is used as an anodyne for children, and to allay tickling coughs. A strong decoction of the dried heads, mixed with as much sugar as is sufficient to reduce it to the consistence of a syrup, becomes fit for keeping in a liquid form, and is the only officinal pre- pai-ation of the poppy. It is, however, a very unequal prepa- ration, as the real quantity of opium it contains is very un- No. CCXXV., Vol, IX. 296 THE COTTAGE GARDENER, Jancxr's 20. certain ; as a medicine, it is by no means equal to syrap, to which a certain quantity of solution of opium is added. The seeds of the poppy are simply emulsive, and contain none of the narcotic principle. They yield a considerable quantity of oil l)y expression. The milky juice of the poppy in its more perfect state, which is the case in warm climates only, is extracted by in- cisions made in the capsules and evaporated ; and in this state forms the opium of commerce. The mode of ob- taining it seems to have been nearly the same in the time of Dioscorides, as is at this day adopted. The plants, during their growth, are carefully watered and manured, the watering being more profuse as the period of liowering approaches, and until the capsules are half grown, when it is discontinued, and the collection of the opium commences. -U sunset, longitudinal mcisions are made upon each half- ripe capsule, passing below upwards and not penetrating to tlie internal cavity. The night dews favour the exudation of the juice, which is collected in the morning by women and children, who scrape it from oft" the wounds with a small iron scoop, and deposit the whole in an eartlien pot, where it is worl;ed by wooden spatules in the sunshine, until it attains a considerable degree of thickness. It is then formed by the hand into cakes which are laid in earthen basins to be further dried, when it is covered over with poppy or tobacco leaves. Such is tlie mode followed in India, and according to Krempfer's account, nearly the same is practised in Persia ; and when the juice is drawn in a similar manner in this country, and dried, it has all the characters of pure opium. The Turks call opium ujioni, and in the teriuUihana or opium shops of Constantinople they take it in graduated doses fron ten grains to 1(10 grains in a day. It is mixed with rich syrup and the dried juices of fruit to render it more palatable and less intoxicating, and is taken with a spoon or made up into lozenges, stamped with the words Musk Allah, literally meaning " The work of God." The Tartar couriers, who travel great distances, and witli asto- nishing rapidity, take nothing else to support them during their journey. There is, however, some reason to suppose that the Mash Allah or j]/aslash of the Turks contains otlier narcotics, as those of Hemp, and Loliiim trfnnileiilnm, as well as opiiiiu. The use of opium for the purpose of exhilarating the spirits has laug been known in Tvu-key, Syria, and China, and of late years it has been unfortunately adopted by many, particularly females, in this country. Russel says that in Syria, when combined with spices and other ai'omatics, he has known it taken to the amount of three drachms in twenty-four hours. Its habitual use cannot be too much reprobated. It impairs the digestive organs, consequently the vigour of the whole body, and destroys also gradually the mental energies. The efi'ects of opium on thoso addicted to its use, says Eussell, are at first obstinate cos- tiveness, succeeded by diarrhoa and ilatulence, with tlie loss of appetite and a sottish appearance. The memories of those who take it soon faU, they become prematurely old, and then sink into the grave objects of scorn and pity, ilustapha Shatoor, an opium-eater in Smyrna, took daily tliree di-achms of crude opium. The visible effects at the time were the sparkling of his eyes, and great exhilaration of spirits. He found the deske of increasing his dose growing upon him. He seemed twenty years older than he really was ; his complexion was very sallow, his legs small, his gums eaten away, and his teeth laid bare to the sockets. He could not rise without swallowing half a drachm of opium. Ever since the time of Paracelsus various preparations of opiimi have been commonly employed by medical prac- titioners. That physician and alchemist gave it both in piDs and in a liquid state. The prepartion of tlie latter he named haidunum, but kept its mode of prepai'ation among his other secrets. Tlie compounding of laudanum was first made public by Dr. .John Hartmann, in lo:)!. It must not be supposed that the active effects of opium are produced by one of its constituents only. So far from this being the case, besides containing meconic acid, caout- chouc or Indian-rubber, hussarin, resin, and meconates of lime and magnesia, it combines within its mass six peculiar ingredients, namely — Narcotiana, Morphina, Meconin, Nai'- ceiua, Codeina, and Thebaina. Narcotiana has been given in doses of sixty grains, mthout injuiy. Mvrpliina, combined with an acid, is very active, one-fourth of a grain producing all the sedative effects of a large dose of opium. Of the medical properties of Meconin, Thebaina, and Karceina, we know very little ; but Coileinu, administered in doses of from four to six grains, produces excitement similar to drunkenness, but followed by depression and nausea. (Mmiijn. Smith. Withe linij. Bonn. Duncan. Thomson.) Since the establishment of The Cottage Gardenek, every topic, we believe, connected with out-door matters, whether the useful or ornamental, lias received attention, with the exception of landscape gardening, especially as applicable to moderate-sized grounds. We propose, therefore, to give a series of papers on this subject, and, to make them practically useful, it will be well to take the subject in its natural divisions, such as the approach walks, shrubberies, shrub masses, trees, water, rocks, &o. ; and if we succeed in handling these in a proper way, we may serve to assist the owners of villas, &c., in determining the chief features of their grounds. To throw such materials into a whole, which we shall present in separate fragments, will be left to our great professionals, whose province we shall not dare to invade. 1st. Appkoach.-— We may here observe, that the villa approach is by no means confined to the same style as the country mansion, with its extensive park, or grounds ; indeed, it cannot be, neither extent nor local circumstances would warrant such a procedure. The park approach will, for the most part, wend its way through existing groups of huge timber trees, whilst the viUa approach must, in the main, be supported by groups of evergreens. There are several reasons why such should be the case, but the most cogent are the severe limitation of space, and tlie absolute necessity for a style of planting which will afford privacy and seclusion — such buildings being generally contiguous to towns or public roads. Having premised thus much, we will just glance at tlie park approach; this, how- ever, does not concern the majority of our readers, and wo shall speedily dismiss it. The position of the entrance lodge, or gates, must be chiefly determined by convenience, such as the pi-incipal roads, railways, &c. ; and it sometimes becomes neces- sary to have subordinate approaches as matters of convenience ; tliese, however, are to be avoided, as tending to break in upon unity of expression and seclusion — two great principles never to be forgotten- The style of the lodges, gates, and their appendages, are generally dictated by the stylo of the mansion. This rule is, nevertheless, sometimes departed from when the approach is very long, and the locality of very peculiar character. And now for the direction of the approach. It is n maxim with our best landscape gardeners to avoid all circuitous routes, unless fairly justified by the existence January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 29r of such olijects as trees, sudtlen acclivities of grouiKl, or other important iiilerriiptious ; the whole line should appear, in fact, a common-sense affiiir, no dei)arture without an obvious reason. Wc do not dispute the beauty of a bold course in preference to one so very- tame that it looks like a would-be-straight line, at- tempted by a bungler; but all attempts this way should be made with extreme caution. After entering the demesne, at, as near as can be obtained, a right angle, it may, generally, with the exception of a necessitous sweep or two, bend gradually towards the mansion, and should, by all means, if it can be contrived, ascend from the lodge : this gives an air of importance to the mansion, which a secondary line cannot impart. In its progress it should by no means pass any oiBces ; this detracts sadly from the dignity of the whole. A well-conceived plan of mansion and approach, taken conjointly, will place the lodge entrance on the north side, or some point ranging between it and east or west; and, by this arrangement, the visitors obtain altogether fresh views of picked scenery from the drawing-room, and other principal windows, which are generally iu the southern side. Good, bold vistas are, of course, not only admissable but desirable iu the approach ; but care must be taken that the first view of the mansion is at an imposing point, and that the approach is obviously tending towards it. Such, in the main, are the principles applied to the approach ; but it is evident that, since no two ap- proaches can be exactly alike as to local circumstances, much modification of these principles must ever take place. There is nothing like being ruled by the natural impress of the place in these matters, at least, so far as not to infringe on leading principles. It is a common practice to throw the lodge gate into a deep recess ; a plan that cannot be too highly commended, as imparting an air of dignity and freedom to the entrance, and thus giving it a degree of importance the more suburban villa cannot at all times command. One great fault we have frequently noticed — at least, such it appears to us — and that is, the want of a little more massiveuess in the gates and appendages. It is certainly not a general fault, but one which deserves pointing to. Of course, such massiveness must bear a due relation to the bulk and style of the lodge, with its appendages, and the two .iointly to the capacity of the interior, together with the mansion style. It need hardly be repeated here, that no portion of the dress grounds should be exhibited from the approach ; such should be studiously concealed, ibr, could they bo seen, it would at once lessen the interest that is ever felt by the stranger in guessing at what the hidden portions of the domain might be. Besides, the picture would be contradictory in itself — a jumble. In speaking here of a considerable amount of what may be termed simplicity in the line of approach (or that feeling which is averse to affectation and laboured attempts at display, by means of manoeuvres too arti- I ficial to be relished by persons of any pretensions to taste), let it be observed, that where ground is of an undulated character, it is far better occasionally to bend to such natural features than pertinaciously to llgh.t against them. To follow the latter whim expensive cuttings become necessary ; nor is expense the whole of the evil, for, when accomplished, it may one day be discovered that higher principles and less expensive proceedings have been set aside by works, costly, yet defective. It is almost needless to add, that a liberal breadth of turning road must be allowed at the entrance door of the mansion. Avenues are imposing arrangements when the ap- pi'oach is flat, and the general tone of the place bears the stamp of art; they are dignified approaches, but should be attempted with some consideration. It has been well stated, by some of our great landscape writers, that they divide the landscape ; or, in' other words, however agreeable or dignified in themselves, they destroy unity of design. E. It no longer admits of any doubt that the days of exhi- bition at our Poultry Shows must be reduced in number, and we think in no instance should those days exceed iiio. We say must, because we are quite sure that no Committees composed of gentlemen anxious for the continued prospei-ity of their Society, and still more so for the safety of the valuable birds entrusted to their care, can, in defiance of the past year's experience, persist in the course they have pursued hitherto. We have letters from many of the exhibitors, even from some of the most successful in taking prizes this year at Birmingham, all mourning over the condition of their birds which were there exhibited. One of those exhibitors, writing even as late as the 8th instant, more thaii three weeks since the termination of the Birming- ham Show, says, " My birds went up last night to the Metropolitan Show, but my two Birmingham Spanish Cocks are both ill, never having recovered that iveek." The Rev. T. Prater, writing from the neighbourhood of Bicester, says, " I am heartily glad to see your remarks respecting the time which specimens are kept confined at the various Poultry Shows, ily birds sent to Bir- mingham were, on the whole, confined ten days; and in one pen, purchased by me on the first day of the show, one pullet died. I hope you will not let the subject rest, as it is undoubted cruelty to the birds." E. George, Esq., of the Rookery, Chaldou, Surrey, writes to us follows : — " In The Cottage Gakdeiser of December 30, you state the highest price you know to have been given for Shanghaes, at the Birmingham Show, to bo £->'i for Mr. Punchard's pair, and i£30 for four of Captain Hornby's. These would have been regarded as ex- horbitant prices a few months since, but a chicken, bred in March last, sold for a still higher price. A cockerel (in pen 381), entered as Miss George's, of Chaldon, Suney (it should have been Mrs. George), was purchased by Mr. T. H. Fox, of Snow Hill, London, 298 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Janitary 20. for £21 ; and only on condition that Mrs. George retained it till February to breed from. " Now for the sequel, wbiob, with me at least, is a fact tbat tells forcibly against the keeping Poultry confined in pens for so long a time, that bird, although in perfect health when he left home, is since dead. Fortunately for Mrs. G.'s credit, Mr. Fox had not taken him. " May I here e.xpress a hope, and I believe it is that of most exhibitors, that the Metropolitan Show will, in future, be limited to a shorter duration. It will then, doubtless, possess attractions which none but a great Metropolitan Show can offer. As it is, many very choice birds will be ' born to blush unseen ; ' their owners pre- ferring to keep them in modest retirement, rather than expose them to the gaze of admirers, and the risk of losing their beauty, health, and even life." A clergyman in the South of England, who is sparing no expense in- the endeavour to improve the breed of Shanghae Fowls, has thus written : — " The manner in which j'uu have lifted up your voice against two very great errors in the mauagemeut of Poulti-y Exhibitions, entitles you to the praise of all wlio, hke myself, take a great interest in their success. Tliey are errors of such magnitude that I am fearfid that tliey will, unless remedied, be fatal to many a promising Association, and I therefore hope that you wiU not lose an opportunity ot de- nouncing them as strongly as you have hitlierto done. I need scarcely say, that I allude to the practice of appointing a dealer as judge, and to the length of time over which some of the leading shows extend. "We all know what a connnon thing it is for a rtian to fancy his own stock vastly superior to that of his neighbour's, and, indeed, of almost every one besides. The dealer has, in the first place, this weakness to contend against. Again, he has to stand well with customers whom he has supplied, as well as to maintain his reputation with a view to his future orders — points, surely, which present temptations sufhcient to disqualify any man for so responsible an ollice. I am quite sure that unless the practice be checked, the public will lose then- confidence in the awards, and consequently iheir interest in the exhibitions. "And now one word with regard to the numljer of days over which the leading exhibitions extend. Nothing can be more injudicious than this. There is a large and daily increasing number of fanciers, who woidd not mind sending some of their choice specimens for two or even three days, but whom all the prizes in the world would not temjit to submit their favourites to the wear and tear, and consequent injury of a seven days show. Indeed, we fi-equently see enough in one day to make us wish that we had never ex- hibited. How often may you hear a valuable bird addressed in some such words as these, " Get up you lazy brute," the speaker at the same time suiting the action to the woi-d, and making no very gentle thrust with bis unibrellfi or v.alking-stick at the poor creature's breast. I have reason to know that some uf mir most eminent breeders cumplain must /diiiHi/ ; anil that tiro or lliree oftliem have (lectured Itiut unless an niteiiilhin is made they will not uijaiii exhibit. "It is alleged tliat the judges require much time to make their awards, and also, that the expenses are so heavy, lluit the Societies, for their own protection, are obhged to keep the birds longer than they could wisli. Jlight not the first of these reasons he met by .appointing many more judges'? and I am i|uite sure that competent men in each class could easily be found, if dealers were excluded. And might not an appeal be made to exhibitors and lovei-s of poultry to increase their subscriptions, so as to make the Societies Jess dependent on the money taken at the doors? Many, 1 am sm'e, would gladly relinquisli their prize-money, and many would readily double their subscriptions and entrance fees, if, by such a course, the shows could be shortened some two or three days." N. In confirmatiou of the statement made by our cor- respondent, we can say that we know that Captain Hornby, Mr. Sturgeon, Mr. Punehard, Mr. Peck, and some other extensive poultry breeders, are ready to pledge themselves not to exhibit unless the number of days of exhibition are curtailed. The three last were missed at the Metropolitan Show, and we have Mr. Gilbert's permission to state that he is opposed to such a lengthened period of exhibition. This, to some e.x- teut, is an assurance that this reform will be effected in the next Show of the Metropolitan Society. COVENT GARDEN. We are considerably gratified to find that our sug- gestions for the planting of fruit-trees in situations which are nsuallj' accorded to timber and ornamental trees have, in several instances which have come under our notice, met with high approval. The more the subject is studied, the more interesting it will become ; and we have no doubt that in a few years, after the effect of such a system of planting has been properly appreciated, that it will become very general. There is, perhaps, no country in the world where the study and, consequently, the cultivation of fruits is more neglected than iu our own. In America, they have in various states Pomological "Societies" and "Institutes," which meet as regularly as our Royal and Linntean Societies, and discuss pomological subjects. Several excellent works on the subject have issued from the press of that country, and are justly popular : and it is to America that we are indebted for some of the finest varieties of fruits. Of these, we have the Seckel, and many other Pears ; the Jefferson, Washington, Lau- rence, and numerous first-rate Plums ; many very excel- lent Clierries ; and numerous other subjects which are not Icnown in this country, simply because there is no taste for, and no encouragement given to, the science. In Germany, too, it is a very popular study, as the numerous pomological societies and publications furnish ample evidence of. In France, it has a great measure of support, although, perhaps, not so great as in those countries already mentioned ; but certaiuly I'ar greater than in our own. And iu Belgium it is found not unworthy of government patronage and support. Need it be wondered, then, that so little is known, wheu so little interest is manifested on the subject in this country? We trust llie time is coming when the same vitality aud energy will be exhibited as there was at the time when Mr. Knight aud Mr. Sabine devoted so much of their attention to it. G'liis study requires only to be known to be more highly ap]u-eciated. We intend to devote some attention to it as opportunity otltirs We do not mean as regards the cultivation and management of fruit trees, for that is already ably treated of iu a separate portion of this .Tournal ; but rather to consider the kinds, qualities, distinctions, and adaptations of the difftarent varieties of fruit either already in cultivation, or which ought to be iu cultivation in this country. The popular taste generally runs ou a few old-fasliioned sorts, regarding not those which are of more recent introduction, and January 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 299 infiuitely superior. There may be some excuse for this, tliere having beeu, of late years, so much disappoint- ment experienced by false cliaracters and reuommenda- tious accompanying uew varieties, as to render culti- vators credulous, and giving tliem reason to pause before they plant any varieties of whicli they have not some personal knowledge. Next week we shall speak of such fruits as are adapted for planting against walls on dift'orent aspects and situa- tions, and, in doing so, we shall treat more particularly on Pears. We have seen many instances where — in the north particularly — these can be cultivated with much greater advantage aginst walls than Peaches, Nectarines, or Apricots, and without one-half of the trouble or risk which attend these sorts of fruits. During the week the trade of Covent Garden has been unusually dull, more so than it has been at this season before ; and this is attributable entirely to the state of the weather. Vegetables have been very abundant. Gahhages and Saroys make from lOd. to Is. per dozen. Oreens, 2s. per dozen bunches. Celery, Cd. to Od. per bundle. Brocoli, (is. per dozen bnnches. Onions, 2s. (Jd. to -33. per bushel. There is a good supply of forced Rhubarb, at 2s. per bundle. Sea-hale, Is. to Is. Cd. per basket of about ten stalks. Several parcels of Asparagus have also been offered, but it is very small and weak. Potatoes ai-e a dull sale, but still maintain good prices — say from £b to .£7 per ton. In fruit we have nothing new, and the price continues the same — 4s. to 6s. per bushel for kitchen Apples, and (is. to lOs. for dessert sorts. Of Pears there is nothing new besides what were enumerated last week. Flowers and Plants are also of the same descriptions as we mentioned in our last report. H. GOSSIP. A second edition of Mr. Rivers' pamphlet on The Orchard House, or the Cultivation of Fruit Trees in Pots under Olass, is just published. It contains an appendix, entitled " The Experience of 1852." In this appendix Mr. Rivers states that bis orchard-house has fuliilled all his expectations. He warns those employing sueli a structure not to have vines trained against the roof, as the lull unshaded light is one of the i-equisites for ob- taining well-flavoured fruit; and we will conclude our notice of this work, which is so promotive of " glass for the million," with this exti'act: " With regard to air : as soon as peaches begin to colour, if the weather be hot and sultry, nil the shutters should he kept open night and day ; and if it he even cold and windy, they should be always partially open. I believe hut few, very few, even good gardeners have the courage to give suf- licient air to Nineries and other glass erections; so th.at grapes are often colourless and flavourless, owing more to the want of air than anything else. In one of my vineries, the past season, I had a nice crop of Hamhro' gi'apes. ^^■hen they commenced to colour, mildew, as with many of my neighbours, made its appearance on a few bunches. AH the shiUters, back and front — it must he recollected th.at I have no sliding lights ; all my loofs are tixed, and air given, back and front ; the old fashioned lights, sUd down as usual, would admit rain — were immediately opened, and Icopi upen. iiinU anil dtiy, till the gi-apcs were ripe. They were then closed at night, and opened in hot sunshine, so as to keep the house airy, warm, and dry. The grapes were perfect in colour and flavour, and tlieir skins were so tender as to nearly melt in the mouth. No tire-heat was employed ; all was done by sun and air. " In the orehai-d house culture of peaches and nectarines syringing must play an important pari ; for the red spider is so fond of their loaves, that, like Sinbad's Old Man of the Sea, he will stick closely, and ca)mot he dislodged with- out applying the syringe close to the under surface of the leaves. If this pest be suffiered to make the least progress, the flavoiu- of the fruit will he entirely destroyed. A small microscope in the hands of the amateur will he the best instrument to discern it ; looking closely at the under sur- face of the leaves, if it he there, a small bright red specie, like a red grain of sand, will be seen. The experienced gardener does not look for them. One glance at the upper surface of those leaves, winch show some minute yellowish specks, is quite enough for him. 1 f, therefore, the least sign he apparent, continue the regular syringing, even till the fruit is ripe; otherwise, syringing may he discontmued when the peaches and nectarines commence to soften, pre- paratory to ripening. " Trees that have been from four to seven years in pots will require water daily in summer, as the pots become full of roots, and absorb a large quantity of water. Lifting the trees more than once during the summer, as mentioned in the treatment of those at Hyde Hall, will be found quite necessary. They become by this treatment sturdy as oaks. Those at Hyde Hall, adverted to below, are at this moment (November, 18,02) the most robust and fruitful bushes I ever saw. " I was reminded of my orchard house trees in a recent visit to Versailles. I there saw, as I daresay many of luy readers also have seen, hundreds of orange-trees centuries old, kept in tubs, and conlined to a vertj small quantity of earth as compared with their bulk, and not shifted for many many yeai-s ; they are all in full health and vigour. How are they nourished? Simply by top-dressings annually of manure, and occasionally bquid manure. If, then, an orange-tree can he thus ki^pt in health and vigour in a tub for centuries, surely a peach tree, in a pot, receiving nourish- ment above and below, can be sustained so as to give fruit for ten or twelve years. Tliis is mentioned because I once heard a really clever gardener say, '■ Oh, it is impossible to keep trees in health in pots ! " "I have found from the experience of the past season that peaches, nectarines, figs, and grapes, will not ripen in those houses, with hedges for walls, referred to hi page 9. Apricots, plums, cherries, and peai's wdl succeed well ; the three latter even better than in bouses with walls either of wood or brick." The first week of the month included two sales of very superior Shanghae fowls. On the Ith, Mr. Stevens dis- posed of Mr. Punchard's superfluous cockerels and pul- lets, amounting to 183 birds, which were sold in 170 lots, realising just over ^6488. The highest price given for a cockerel was J; 1 0 1 Os. ; and the highest for a pullet ;£7 7s. The sale was very numerously attended by ama- teurs as well as dealers, from Bristol, Birmingham, Yar- mouth, and elsewhere. The healthy and good condition of the birds was the subject of general remark. The other sale, January 5th, was of Mrs. Herbert's White, Buff, and Black Shanghaes. These were sold by JMr. Straflbrd. Mrs. Herbert has sold privately, before she thought of a sale, nearly .£300 of birds. One pullet she sold for .£20, or guiueas. Had she fortunately kept those, and not put so low a figure on her other pen at Bir- mingham, which was immediately sold for 20 guineas, the sale would have been still more extraordinary. There were 110 birds, and they realized ^369 4s. 6d. 300 THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. January 30. The white birds (much tho best specimens) averaged ^3 18s. 9d. each ; the Buffs, an indifferent lot, £1 3s. lOd. ; and the Blades, .£3 rjg. Cd. Mr. Strafford's arrangements were excellent. It is determined to have this year a Cheltenham Sum- mer Exhibition of Poultry, and the days fixed upon are the 1st and 2nd of June. The secretaries are Messrs. Jessop, Brothers, Nurserymen and Poultry Fanciers, Cheltenham. We are very glad to be informed that the government of Belgium have appointed commissioners to obtain reliable evidence as to the merits and best modes of cul- tivating the vai'ious species of fmits ami their varieties. The commissioners are eight Belgian gentlemen, hut corresponding members in other countries are connected with tliem ; those for England being Mr. Rivers, of Sawbridgeworth, and Mr. R. Thompson, of the Horti- cultural Society's Garden at Cliiswiok. The results of their inquiries are to appear in parts, at an annual charge of 24 or 30 francs, according to the quality of the paper, &o. Each part is to contain four coloured plates, and the requisite amount of description and detail. It holds out a promise of settling many disputed points in fruit-culture, and removing a mass of misap- preliension by determining synonymes. As the present winter, by its wetness, has absolutely prevented Wlteat-sowing in many districts, it deserves notice that Talavera Wheat has for many years been sown in the midland and southern districts of Euglaud as late as tho end of February, and the produce well housed in September'. It yields quite as good an average of grain as any other variety, and more flour is obtained from it than from most other varieties. We have recently met with a very amusing and intel- ligent little volume, entitled Walhs after Wild Fhners< by Richard Dowden. The following extract, giving tlie derivation of the word Mustard, is by no means the only spicy specimen we could give from its pages : — " Mustum iirdens is ' bmTiing hot \'inegar.' There was always in the world's surgical practice some method of counter-irritatiou ; St. John Long's proceedings were not an original idolatry, but an aggravated revival of ancient prac- tices, for we find that there was an old cure made with boil- ing vinegar, or wine — for both were called must — and adding to these tlie powder of shuipis made the mnsliim urdens. It was applied as a cataplasm wlien boihng hot, and it was often a cure, no doubt ; but at times its only eft'ect was to 'scaud poor wretches.' Tliis eschariotic was, in a ndlder form, diverted from tlie outside to the inside of the body, and was taken by flapdragon-drinkers, and otlier fire-eaters, as a dram ; of course the \-inegar decreased, and the wine and ardent spirits increased, in this miisfuvi ardriis. At length, however, it settled down into our table mustard, and was eaten, as Tusser tells us, with everything : ' Brawn, pudding:, and souse, And good mustard with all.* To this day some housekeepers make their mustard with vinegar; and tlie common dressing for cold and watery salads— tlie saho-ncid of old cool;ery — is mustard, salt, and vinegai'." The following is a list of the Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us additions to tho list, and giv- ing the address of the Secretaries. DoNCASTF.R. .Tanuary '^Ist. (.S'l-c. H. Moore, Esq.) Eeigate, February 1st and ^ind. (Sec. J. liichai'dson, Ksq.) GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORCING. It may seem strange to those unacquainted with forcing matters to think of taking at one swoop. Vines, Peaches, and other forcing fruits, and dealing out advice applicable to all. Yet, a little generalising is not amiss now and then, for it will assist tlie novice in so grouping his matters as to economise in regard of both fuel and labour, as. well as to fix in his mind, in distinct characters, the necessity of observing certain laws, which at all times aflect the well being of fruits under the forcing process. Now, the great principle which, under trifling modifi- cations, concern all forcing, are the following; — Light, Heat, Atmospheric Moisture, and Ventilation. These are placed purposely in a just sequence, according to our ideas; for a due amount of light justifies the appli- cation of heat in the forcing sense of that term ; this done, a necessity arises for a given amount of atmo- S]iheric moisture ; and as this kind of artificial excite- ment continues, a slight contamination or vitiation of the enclosed air of the forcing-house takes place ; hence the necessity of ventilation, which, in the main, may be said to he caused by lieat, and this brings all the rest into action. This is manifest from the fact, that cold frames, or pits, in winter, if dry, may remain closed for days without injury. Light, then, would appear to be the chief mover of the whole affair, as concerns the forcing gardener ; and we will point to its hearing in practice. 'To light it is we owe, in the main, the necessary solidification, or ripening, of the parts of our plants or trees ; in other words, the maturing of their structure : also, the diges- tion of the sap ; and lastly, the colouring matter is almost entirely dependent on the light, as witness the process of blanching, which takes place in our Sea-kalo, Mushrooms, Asparagus, &a.. when purposely deprived of light. If tliis, then, be the prime moving power of the forcer's machinery, how essential is it that the gar- dening student's mind should be duly impressed with its importance In the' very outset of his practice. It may here very naturally be nslced.'what is to be done practically, since we cannot make light'/ True enough, indeed, or man would soon dislnrh the order of tho seasons. But some things the i'orcer can do ; in the first place, secure clean glass to his structures; in tlie second, objects requiring a great amount of light placed very near the glass ; and thirdly, a negative bearing of the subject — lie can reduce tho stimulus of heat in the comi)arative absence of light. Added to this, he can, by training and thinning processes, secure that what leaves are retained may get the full influence of the liglit. And now for Heat; for without this, in a certain ratio, all the light imagiuuble would be inadequate to the purposes of vegetation. Of course, this is a matter of degree ; we speak of it here in reference to its ])ower of exciting vegetation ; and in order to accoinplisli this, it must, in the main, be above the freezing point, even willi respect to plants from our coldest mountains. As to the forcing gardener's suhjects, there are few will be excited by warmth in any very sensible degree, until the thermometer has attained the point known as " temperate," or K>°. However, the application and increase of heat practically requires much consideration. To theorise on heat is not enough ; a man sliould he thoroughly conversant with the habits of his subject in January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 301 their native conditions : this, added to a scientific consi- deration ol'the properties of heat, constitutes any man a first-rate forcer, provided lie has the proper means to carry out his views. This bo the maxim, thon, with young forcers ; in no case use extra appliances of heat irrespective of the amount of light. As lor night-heats in our forcing-houses, we are persuaded that a dimi- nished amount, generally speaking, would be benelicial. Orchids are said to be tender things. We have a house coutaiuiug both eastern and western genera, the temperature by night of which, for the last three weeks, has not averaged above •')0°. and yet the plants look hearty, or rather robust. But they have had a roof- covering nightly, and thus very slow tiring sulBced. This question of roof-covering has a kindred bearing on this portion of oiu' remarks ; we have little doubt the time will arrive when they will, on all sides, be deemed a necessary appendage of glazed structui'es; indeed, their utility is already recognised by most of our first- rate gardeners, the only thing that remains is to pro- vide a material of general application. Atmospheric Moisture is our next consideration; and the very mention of tliis brings to our mind the mummy plants of our childhood, when crowded shelves of half- dried specimen plants might bo seen in first-rate esta- blishments, the red spider, mealy bug, &c., rejoicing in a congenial element, and, doubtless, marvelling at finding that so far fronr their native home, foreigners of Man should share such amazing sympathies for their I sustenance and preservation. In those fine old days ' there was none of your gimcrack dislied-tiles, flanged- i pipes, and evaporating-paus ; these are all innovations ; flooi's were white, walls were dry, and not a dew-drop or a pearly spangle to be seen ! The hothouse would have made a capital bed-room; however, the spiders and the hugs have the worst of it now, scarcely a soul can be found to patronise them. Joking aside, these were serious matters; humanity is a fine thing, and so is sympathy; but in these days it begins at home. How they managed in those days to please the cook and the table-decker, it is now difficult to imagine. But hov/ altered! Now, where is the hot- house of any repute that has a heating apparatus without a provision for atmospheric moisture? To come, however, to principles — withovit a due amount of this necessary element, the tax on the foliage of plants, in the form of perspiration, is too great at times to enable the plant, or tree, to present that degree of vigour which is at once the testimony of robust health, and the precursor of fruit or flowers. If any one cannot comprehend this, let him read of the parched wilds of Africa; or, indeed, come nearer home, and enquire why Britain boasts so of her green fields and lawns, as compared with some of our continental neigh- bours. A too high degree of evaporation, without a corresponding degree of absorption by the foliage, necessarily tends to that condition, which may be termed, in a mild way, leanness; and, however it happen, is the very condition to prepare for the various insects which are the pests of vegetation, whether fruits or flowers. Every structure, therefore, of whatever character, appointed to gardening matters, should possess a special arrangement for the production of atmospheric moisture : we would scarcely except our succulent tribes. Let it not be understood, however, that we would have our readers for ever tampering with clamp atmospheres ; whilst we thus write, we must deprecate any rule without a principle. Even with the orchideous tribes, which revel in a warm and moist air, there are periods when even an almost dry atmosphere is beneficial for a few hours. After all this sifting of principles, lot us take a little fresh air ; let us thinlf about ventilation — that principle so averse to what the gardener terms " drawing;" for a drawn or over-lengthened plant is a sure evidence of mismanagement — of a debilitated constitution. AVe remember well the time when men of scientific attainments fancied that practical men were altogether wrong about this giving of air, ventilation, or whatever else folks call it. But they were wrong; the practical men had, no doubt, been occasionally guilty of a sort of mannerism ; but from this even what class of society is totally exempt? It assuredly is not worth while to open the sashes of a greenhouse to a tempest, or to what country-folk call a thin wind ; but these are merely extravagancies. We say, ever endeavour to obtain a circulation in the confined, and, by conse- quence, stagnant air of your garden structures; if you must err, let it be on the right side of nature. The great and marvellous world which we at present inhabit has, thanks to God, neither roof nor sides like a hot- house; and though the poor, untaught lieatheu may I'ancy a boundary in the ctherial bhie overhead, we are assured that such boars the stamii of infinity. After all this, let us caution our readers against the abuse of this principle. Giving air, and giving arti- ficial heat, are each matters to be continually modified by existing circumstances ; and such things make the life of a gardener one of continual watchfulness. It has been said that you can tell a gardener — a genuine " early York " — a mile oft'; so be it : so you may a ship captain, a lawyer, a chimney-sweep, and .some other grades of society. Our early cucumber man would, if ho grow little else, doubtless, speedily condemn us as horticultural latitudi- narians. What ! ho may say, let a north-easter blow on the first ridged plants in the end of February ? We say no, by no means ; and are aware that such a free advocacy of ventilation may, indeed, subject us to a little prejudice. This should not be. To sum up the matter; light, heat, atmospheric mois- ture, and ventilation, are all powerful means to either good or bad ends in the hands of the cultivator. If he make an indiscreet use of them, that is, uses them irre spective of outward conditions, the fault is not ours. Here is the Scylla, there Charybdis, pray do not run your vessel against either. R. Ekkington. SULBS. {Continued from paijc 315.) BuLBiN'E. — This is a very old-fashioned class of plants, which, were very much sought after when the rage for herbaceous plants, or, indeed, any class of plants which pi'omised a long array of hard names, was at its height ; flowers were very little thought of then in comparison to the numerical strength of a " collec- tion." The future historian of our days will have to record that we began to run into the opposite extreme early in the nineteenth century, and that we discarded a host of beautiful plants for no other reason than that we could not manage them, for beddin;/ out, or for speci- mens for flower-beds, or the exhibition tables, until towards the middle of the century we began to perceive that the improvement of races could he pushed beyond the province of the mere florist. Even then, however, I fear we shall not have left much to raise the character of Bulbines or Bidbinellas. The only difference between Bulbines and Anthericums is in the colour of the flowers, the former being yellow or yellowish, and the others white. On account of the succulency of their leaves, they might be supposed to be Asphodels, but all of them are true Anthericums, and they require the same treat- ment, to be planted on a warm dry border of light sandy-soil, and to be slightly protected in winter, which 302 THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. •Iani-ary 20. is easily done, as the stalks and most of the leaves die dowu in tlie autumu. They are now very scarce, and can hardly be met witli out of Botanic-gardens. It is on record, that a great number of them were lost in tlic hard winter of 1740, wliich were never introduced a second time, f never saw hut three or four l;inds of them, and that many years ago. They are not bulbs, but tuberous-rooted. C.u.Lii'HRURiA Hartweuiana. — This is a liandsome flower that has never been figured yet. It was " sent out," eight or nine years ago, by the Horticultural So- ciety, who had it from Hanweg. It was discovered by him at a place called Guaduas, in New Grenada. Dr. Herbert called it Hartwcgiana, and described it in the Botanical llegister for December, 1^41, from specimens sent to him from the Society's garden, where it flowered for the fu-st time in JIarch, imt, along with the leaves. The llowers are green and white, and seven in the umbel or flower-bead : the tube of the flower is greenish, and its lobes white, tinged with blush. The leaves are petiolated, that is, broad above and tapering so niuch at the bottom as to become a footstalk, like a Fimkia-leaf. It seems to be related to Ori/finia, and to be treated exactly like the more hardy Ilippeastnims, I'equiring strong loam, good stove heat after the flowers are over, so as to get the leaves ripened well before they die down. Naturally, it seems a winter grower, but it is not posi- tively so. like Amaryllis. It can be made to grow and go to rest, just like a Hippeastnm, either in iJay or September, or, by degrees, it would begin to grow at almost any season. Tliero have been many mistakes about this ilne bulb. Tlierc are two plants in cultiva- tion very different from each other, called Hartiveyii and Herhertil. These two names arc in the Botanical Register. The first and true name is in the body of the work, and llerhcrtii in the iude.x; but there is only one bulb yet known in the genus. Dr. Herbert spells it Callphruria (from Kidots), but in the "Vegetable Kingdom" it is CaUijihrurlii., which we followed in the Dictionary. The bulbs increase readily by side off-sets. Cai.ochortus. — T'his is a genus of very beautiful bulbs, found on the north-west coast of North America, and on to California. It was named by Pursh, a Prus- sian botanist, who travelled in North America, and wrote a book on the plants he collected. The luifortu- nato Douglas was the ne.xt traveller who met with them, and he sent or brought over quantities of flowering bulbs of them to the Horticultural Society, by whom they were largely distributed to the Fellows. He also wrote a paper on the genus, which was read before the Society, and printed in their Transactions in lS;js (Hort. Soc. Trans., vol. vii.). They are hardy, or all but hardy, and ai'e true Lilyworts, occupying an intermediate position between the wild Tulips and the L''ritillarias. The bulbs are solid, the leaves are strongly nerved, and the flowers of some of the species are large and very handsome. The southern limit of the race is in California, where they dwindle into mere dwarfs, and self-coloured flowers, such as the little yellow one which Hartweg met with in the ralley of the Sacramento, and which is now in cultivation ; but in his Journal he speaks of another of them, which he found in April, or early in May, but not just in flower. It was high up in the mountains, and not far from the snow, then melting down and watering the sod, where this Calovliortus was in hue leaf. The last conversation I had with Mr. llartweg was about this very bulb, and the whole genus, to see if I could trace out the cause why these beautiful bulbs had disappeared frcjm cultivation. I flowered three of the best of them in pots, and whOe in the dry state; after that they died without any apparent cause. It was just the same all over the country, as far as I could learn ; but I heard afterwai-ds that ^fr. Grooin, the great bulb-grower of Claphom, has succeeded with them. Mr. Hartweg believes that none of them, but especially those discovered by Douglas in Oregon, or Colombia, should be grown in pots, but in peat borders, wliere they would be neitlier too wet nor too dry. My own opinion of them is, that we did not allow them sufficient time to ripen the leaves and bulbs, after floweriug ; that they are rather of the nature of Ti/jruUa bulbs, and, like them, take a long time to ripen in our cold soil, and that, without being thoroughly rijie before they are allowed to go to rest, they will perish. Hartweg says, the little California species stand intense heat, and look perfectly green in the leaf alter all the rest of the small herbage in these parts is scorched up. C'ALocnoRTUs mackocarpcs (Large-fruited) is one of the finest we kuow of them — a large, wide, open flower, chiefly of a rich purple colour. Calochorius Venustis is, perhaps, the next best of tliera. Its flowers are as large as those of macrocarpus ; pure white in the upper parts, but the lower parts are clear creamy-yellow, and streaked with deep red marks, with a conspicuous spot at the bottom of each petal resembling a drop of blood. Altogether it is a charm- ing flower. Calociiortus spr.ENDEXs. — EquaUy beautiful, and more resembling macrocarpus than the last, being of a lilacy-purple, and having a small dark spot at the base of the petals. Calochorti's i.rxEus. — This is a Californian species, where it was found both by Douglas and Hartweg ; and it flowers later with us than the rest — in September and October. The three sepals are green, and narrower than the petals ; the latter are yellow at the points, and green below. In the middle is a yellow band of hairs, among which are seen deep spots of blood colour. C.^LOoiioRTUs xrrinus (Showy). — Tliis is a much smaller species than any of the rest, but we know little about it, except from Douglas's account of it in the Transactions of the Society already alluded to. The flowers are chiefly purplish. Douglas heard of another species, " a magnificent plant," growing about the "con- fluence of Oakenagen River." where the roots are gathered by the wild Indians, cooked, and devoured as they do their " quamash" roots (Camassia csciileittaj, another bulb belonging to a Idndred section of the order. C.VLOCHORTUs PALLinus. — This is a very sm.all plant, a native of temperate regions in ^Mexico, whence it was introduced to Belgium in 1844. The flowers are ])alG yellow, on comparatively long footstalks, three or four of them forming the umbel. They appear at the end of summer, and, like all the family, the bulb goes to rest in the autmnn. It wiU be in keeping with an allied genus called Ci/clobothra. Galochortus elegaxs. — This is the Chalochortns of Pursh and Douglas, and the Frit'dlaria harhata of .Kunth, also of our Dictionary, wliich is wrong, for it belongs to a kindred genus named by Sweet, which includes, as we shall soon see, several pretty little Ca- loohortus-like flowers ; but they all droop, or have nodding flowers, as the botanists say. Caloscoruiu.m XERTNE1-L0HU3I. — 'I'his is a very dwarf bulb from Chiua, with the leaves and habit of an Allium, and the flowers of the same pur[ilish or pinky hue as the Guernsey Lily. It is hardy, or all but hardy, but so apt to be overlooked, if planted out by the side of an open border, that it is best to keep it always in a small pit, m any light saudj' soil. Iles^ieroscoi ilium is another form which these little gavlic-liko bulbs assume on the opposite shores of the Pacific, in the far west, and of which wc shall remark when wo get round to them. Callu'haujia. — Wc missed this extraordinary genus of Peruvian bulbs in our Dictionary. But three distinct species of it were introduced to this country ; the iirst, called nMthuhUum, by Richard Harris, J'Jsq., of Liver- January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 303 pool ; and the other two, viridijlorum and (ingustlfoUum, by Dr. Hei'bevt, with whom they flowered in 1840-41 ; and there are ligures of them in the Botanical Maga- zine (April, 1841). llniz and I'avon found C. virkli- Jionim plentiful in the woods of Huassahuassi, and in : stony places of Palca, in Peru. They called it Pan- I cratlum viridijlorum in tlie " Flora Peruviana," having I an enormous cup inside the flower. Tliey represent the scape of this bulb six feet high, bearing four or five large flowers, " beautiful, entirely emerald gveeu." Kuiz's dried specimens of " this marvellous plant" were lost by shipwreck. Those that flowered at Spottbrth were only of ordinary size, and the narrow-leaved one seemed to be only a variety of the other; botli of them green- flowered. G. spathulatum was gathered some hundreds of miles from Truxillo, in Peru. It seemed to like more heat tlian the others. The flowers of this species are green also, but it never flowered in England, and few could grow it e.xcept Dr. Herbert, who found it to thrive best in loam. Tlie genus seems intermediate between Ismene and Gohunjlila. Dr. Lindley considers it a true Ismene; in fact, a green Peruvian Daffodil, which is not far from the mark. Any of our young readers who would be content with a great name and a little fortune, have only to procure specimens of all the Pancratiform-Amaryllids that 1 hope to touch upon in this series, grow them as I shall say, and cross them diligently until they disclose their real affinities, and fill our borders with the gayest flowers in the country. Let us now see what Pancratium-like, or Pancratiform alias Panoratioid, means, having thus incidentally men- tioned the word. One who knew as much about one flower as another, could see no difference between a Lily and an Amaryllis ; and there is a kind of Lily and a kind of Amaryllis, which, if a flower of each was gathered, and the " private mark" kept out of sight, there is not a man on earth who could tell, with cer- tainty, which was the Lily, or which the Amaryllis ; yet, by showing the^)rti;a(e mark, a child could learn in two minutes to know any Lily from any Amaryllis, in any part of the world. The private mark is, that in all tlie lilyworts, the seed-pod is in the inside of the flower, at the bottom, as in the tulip. The Amaryllids have the seed-pod always on the outside of the flower, like a Fuchsia. In Fuchsia miorophi/Ua, the opening of the flower is only an eighth-of-an-inch from the end of the seed-pod or berry, whereas tlie opening of the flower of Fuclisia corijmbiflora is four or five inches from the berry, and so it is with flowers of the Amaryllids ; some have long tubes to the flowers. I shall mention one whose tube is more than ten inches long, and some have hardly any tube, and the rest have tubes of ditt'erent lengths; still, it is easily seen whether the seeds are to be inside the flower or outside ; and so, if it is a Ijily or an Amaryllid. Now, besides this mark of distinction, the flowers of an Amaryllid take after three particular forms, each of which is as easy to know as the berry or pod-mark. The first form is called after the Daffodil, Narclssiform. A single Daffodil looks as if two flowers were grown into one ; the inside one is called the cup, or coronet, and in olden times, the nectarium. This inside cup diminishes, in different kinds, until all tliat can be seen of it is a mere ring at the bottom; but whatever the length or the size of the cup, all the plants in the section have their stamens growing inside the cup, and free from it, so that you could cut away the flower and the cup without hurting the stamens. Every bulb in the world, with a cup inside the flower, or the mere rudiments of a cup, and having the stamens free from the cup, belongs to this Daffodil section. There never was a more simple thing to learn tlian this, except the next great section of Amaryllids, which also has a cup inside the flower ; and here, likewise, the cup takes ditlerent forms and sizes in different kinds, but still there is a cup, and to the inside of this cup all the stamens are fastened the whole way up, and at regular distances all round the flower. If you were to split a flower of this kind the stamens must come with it, and if you now tear off tlie flower itself, and keep the cup wilh Its six stamens (they are almost always six), the thing would look like the foot of a duck, the stamens representing the toes, and the cup the web part of the foot. Then what is to hinder any one, who can distin- guish a duck's foot from the hoof of an ass, from know- ing to which of these two sections a flower belongs as soon as he sees it? This hoof is the same as the cup without the stamens, and the web-foot the cup with the stamens ; the hoof is the Daffodil section, and the web- foot the Pancratium section. Uut the third and last section is even more simple than tliese two, for tliere is no cup at all ; nothing but the outside flower (perianth) and the stamens, with the seed-pod outside the flower, as in the Fuchsia. This is called the AmanjUis-form section. All the bulbs in existence, if the seedpod is on the outside of the flower, must belong to one of these three great divisions. 'J'herefore it is most essential for young people " to learn this by heart." If the English people, who went over first to Peru, were to know these three simple things, or even two of tliem, they would have never fallen into such a glaring mistake as to call Ismene, the Peruvian Daffodil, because Isnicne has tlie stamens joined to the cup, and a large cup it is too, and very wide in the mouth, so that they could see the dif- ference with one eye. In these days, however, people would not be let olf so easily ; and in a few more years, if the world keeps going round so fast as it does now, depend upon it that any one going to a strange place, who could not explain, or talk about the simplest ele- ments of the principal branches of Natural History, he or she would be set down as of low breeding, and would be talked of all over the place in more ways than one. Let us, therefore, this very season, begin with the Snow- drops, and not rest satisfied until we can tell the orders to which every bulb belongs which comes in our way in flower. D. Beaton. HARDY STOVE PLANTS, THAT WILL DECO- RATE A WARM GREENHOUSE IN WINTER AND SPRING. Many of our subscribers have a small house, near their mansion, appropriated to plants, and which, for the purpose of securing winter bloom, and their own per- , sonal comfort, they kept at a temperature at night rang- I ing from 4o° to •'50°, with an increase of 10° or 15° during j the day, when a bright sun shines. Many, besides this desideratum, even if not possessed of a regular plant- stove, have a forcing-house, hotbeds, or pits, where, with a little scheming, a higher temperature can be obtained, in spring and autumn, than in a greenhouse where a general collection is growing and blooming. To suit their ease, so far as to enable them to have the greatest quantity of bloom in one place, will be the aim of the present paper, even though we should be obliged to refer to plants that have hitherto received rather marked attention from us. Though a high temperature and a moist atmosphere are essential to the growth of most plants from warm latitudes, it is a mistake to suppose that they can only be seen in bloom under similar circumstances. Many of them may be so managed as to induce them to bloom in summer; and then, while some require house treatment, many others will bloom freely out- of-doors. Others that will not bloom in winter, will stand longer in such a house as I have indicated •304 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. J.vxnARY 20. above thaia in a plant-stove ; while the gardener will be saved all outcry about the heat. I often used to think that there was a little ol' tho fabulous in tliis horror of the heat in our forcing and plant houses ; because, when I have found ladies and gentlemen starting back at the door, and refusing to enter a plant-house in winter, with a temperature little above 60'\ 1 have seen them en- joying themselves in their own rooms, the fires in which had raised the temperatin-e from 135° to 70°. I have no doubt, however, now, that the extra humidity in tho plant-houses at a high temperature was what rendered them distressing to lungs that had been accustomed to air too thoroughly dried. Such a house, with an average night temperature a little below 50°, will suit a great many tender plants in bloom ; while the house itself would constitute a happy and healthy medium between the saturated atmosphere of the forcing-house, and the baked, oven-dried air of the sitting-room. Begonia ohliqua. — -"Were 1 confined to two species of this genus for greenhouse use, I would select my favourite, though rough-looking, Evansiana, for summer, and obliqua for winter. In a house, with an average night temperature from 45° to 48°, I generally have abundance of its pretty pink flowers for tliree or four months in winter and spring. It is the hardiest winter- flowering kind that I know. Loam and peat will grow it admirably. Cuttings may be placed in a slight hot- bed in April, and if encouraged will make nice little blooming plants for the winter following. Old plants may be pruned a little, and tied out iu Slay, receive a shift if necessary, and be kept rather close in a cold pit to encourage growth, or placed in a peach-house or vinery ; they will want moie air and light in summer ; near the glass in a pit, with the sash tilted back and front, until the middle of September, will suit it. From thence to the end of October, the pit should be kept closer and v/armer; and by tho beginning of November : it should be taken to the warmest part of the greenhouse. Begonia manicata. — This delightful, graceful plant is more tender. The whole of the summer treatment may be the same as ior ohliqua; but as it does not show bloom so soon, it will require an average night tempe- rature of 55° from November to Christmas, to bring up the flower-stems freely and kixuriantly. When the flowers begin to open it will bo quite at-home in the warm greenhouse, and will bloom much longer than in a stove, while the individual flowers will open better. No one who has once seen this in its beauty would like to be without it. Begonia fragrans (M'Intosh's). — I have not yet tried this new kind in this manner, but it seems as if it would be hardy enough for this purpose. I introduce it here, be- cause I am not aware that it has been previously noticed. I know little more of its antecedents than that it was raised at Dalkeith Gardens. Mr. M'Intosh, in addition to great and many kind courtesies, gave some cuttings to a friend, who transmitted them to me in a tin case last spring. Every cutting grew. The plants were kept in a hotbed during tho first part of the summer, and then were exposed to more air afterwards, until they were housed in November. They are nice stubby plants, have been in bloom nearly two months, and look as if they would continue ever so long. The habit seems good; the foliage is somewhat fleshy, like nitidn, but not nearly so large. The flowers are white, somewhat i-e- sembling the old alha sanguinea, but much larger in the individual blooms, as well as in the bunch ; but tho best remains to be told. In such dull weather as we have had it is slightly fragrant ; but when tho sky is very clear-, or the sun is shining bright, its scent is delicious. A jilant throws its aroma over the whole of a small house. I do not recollect any other Begonia that is thus scented. ]''or tliis property alono it is a desirable acquisition. It would answer well as a warm- room plant for several weeks. If not iu the trade, it is to be hoped that the worthy raiser will take means for its more general didusion. ■fu.iticia sjycciosd. — This is almost the only one of tho fauuly that will thrive in such a situation in winter. The purple flowers are small and ragged, but a nice hush of it has a pleasing eflect. Plants should seldom be kept above two years. Loam and peat will grow it well. Cuttings inserted in sandy soil, under a bell-glass in April, and placed in a hotbed, and potted as soon as struck, kept first in a hotbed, then in a cold pit during summer, or plunged out-of-doors in a sheltered place, will yield nice stubby plants by October, when they should receive a drier and warmer atmosphere to bring them into bloom. They will be gay in such a house from November to the middle of January. Plants that have bloomed one year, may be cut freely back at the end of March, have a little heat to break them, then fresh pot, and after keeping close for a few weeks, an airy cold pit will suit them in summer, keeping them closer and drier again at tho end of autumn to cause them to bloom freely. Gesnera elongata. — This, in such a house, makes no bad successor to the more striking Gesnera :.ebrina. The leaves are long and narrow, and though the scarlet flowers are short, they are produced in great abundance. This should have more peat than loam. Nice little blooming plants may bo obtained from cuttings struck in a hotbed in spring, in sandy-soil, but without a close bcU-glass, potted and kept iu heat, and inured to more air, and free exposure iu autumn. But two or three year old plants make the most interesting speci- mens; though they make a fleshy axis of gi'owth at times, this is not to be depended on, like a conn or tuber. When flowering is finished, or early in spring, say in March or April, cut tho plant down to within six or eight inches of the surface of the soil; let it stand rather dry, in a warmish place, until the young shoots are coming freely away, (often the young shoots will bo , found ready to your hand before you cut down the old ' flowering shoots) shake away a good portion of the old soil, prune the roots a little, replace in a similar sized pot, give a temperature of from 00° to 05°, if a little bottom-heat, all the better ; give another shift when j necessary, and keep closish afterwards ; by the middle j of June transfer them to a pit or house, free from fer- menting matter, where you can keep in the sun heat, and syringe over head ; give air freely in August, and expose rather freely in September, and a drier air in tho end of October will cause the flowers to como freely. With less trouble tlian is required for a good Cocks- comb, you will thus obtain flowering plants for three or four months of tho gloomiest season of the year. Torenia Asiatica. — Some enquiries have been made about this lovely plant. The best specimen 1 have over seen of this bloomed in spring and summer, after being saved in such a greenhouse during winter, when pre- vioush' grown to a good size. Such a house will not bo sufiicient to keep it in a healthy, blooming condition during winter, i'ew tilings arc more beautiful in clear weather in winter, but it will require a night temper- ature of from 55° to 00°, and even a little more in mild weather. I tried a beautiful plant the beginning of this winter, but the temperature having got several times below 55°, I was obliged to remove it in a fortnight. I'nder the most favourable circumstances, it w'oidd require to bo transferred back again to the stove in a fortnight. In such a heated house kvi things are more splendid iu winter. Plants for this purpose should bo grown from cuttings struck in spring. Plants to bloom in greenhouses and glass-cases in suuuner sliould be struck tho previous season. Old plants kept rather dry, and in small pots, will pass tho winter, if the temper- ature is not below 45°, and will break and make lino January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 303 plants next season ; but at that temperature they look as woe-begone, to the lovers of luxuriance, as HaiTy Mooio's scarlet geraniums would do. Ernnlheinum pulchellum. — This is admired for its beautiful blue flowers. I have used it for many years for svich a house. It requires just a little more heat iu suuimer than the Justicia speciosa. The habit is natu- rally so good, it is almost impossible to make a leggy plant of it. Plants in such a house, and in a small plant-stove, have done equally well, and are now nearly done for the season. Eranthemimi nervosum. — This seems merely a variety of the last ; but it is much dwarfer, and the leaves are smaller. The backs of the leaves are generally warted, which the uninitiated world mistake for disease. Euphorbia Jacquiniajiora. — This will answer for a couple of months aftej' the plants come into bloom. Plants from cuttings do little good the first year, even though you give them hotbed treatment the most of the snmmer. Old plants that produce stiff, long shoots after being pruned in spring, give the best results, and bear rougher treatment in summer. Cuttings must be allowed to dry before being inserted. Peat, a little loam, and a portion of broken bricks and lime rubbish will grow these plants well. Old plants may stand under shade when growing in the early part of summer ; but they must have full exposme to light, and a fair portion of air in autumn. I have just noticed that this splendid gem is not in our Dictionary by the above name, but I presume it is identical viithfulgens. Poinsettia jitdcherrima.— This, with its large crimson bracts, will make such a house a blaze from the middle of November to the middle of January. Cuttings of the old flowering-stems, six or eight inches long, dried on a shady dry shelf for eight days after being cut, and then inserted in sandy, open soil in a hotbed, will make nice little plants, with several shoots, each of which will be terminated with its blazer in winter ; but two or three- year-old plants yield the finest heads. Prune back within two or three inches of the older wood in March or April, so as to leave as many buds as you wish shoots — from three to eight may be considered a fair number. If one or two start with too much of a lead, stop them, so as to equalise the strength ; but never stop after the first of .June, or for your pains you will get shoots without flowers, or very small ones indeed. When fairly started, shift or top-dress. A cold pit, when you can give air, and keep close at will, will do for them after June. Manure waterings, in the warmest season, may be given freely. Everything that encourages strong, vigorous shoots, will also encourage large heads of dazzling crimson. To cause these to form, water should be minimised in October. I stated the other week that I had no experience with the white variety. Soil : Loam and peat, with lime rubbish, and top-dressings in summer of cow-dung. But now a friend says, " All very well, but with my one house for display, even though I have all the con- veniences of which you speak, how am I to grow in that house such hardy things as you have lately been alluding to — some pet Cinerarias and Geraniums, &c. — and then flare up with such blazers as these?" All easy enough. Suppose you can command most heat in the centre of your house, place your hardy hard-wooded plants, such as Heaths, Epacris, &c., at the ends ; next, the Cinerarias and Geraniums, &o. ; and in the middle, such temporary plants as I have indicated to-day ; and then give air at the ends, but give none in the middle. Supposing you can command the greatest heat at one end, just act accordingly. One part of the house will thus not only be warmer than the other, but there will be less movement in the atmosphere. R. Fish. CONSERVATIVE WALLS. {Conlinued from page 2Bi.) I AM very much ]jleased with the remarks of my courteous friend, Mr. Fish, at page 2Gi, on these walls, and think he is quite correct in observing, that we need a well-defined name for every object in gardening. Ho, and our readers, will remember, that I was not satisfied with the present term Conservative Wall, but would rather invent a new name, and call them Preservative Walls. This name, witli due deference, i submit to Mr. Fish, would be, in many respects, better than Conserva- tory Walls, because that term would give an idea of what is called, par excellence, the Conserratonj, a kind of aristocratic greenhouse, in which the plants, instead of being grown in pots, are either planted out in beds, or if in pots. These are plunged out of sight, upon which point I may just remark, in jiassing, that where the plants are of a rampant habit of growth, the plunging them in pots has a tendency to prevent over luxuriance, and induce a more flowering habit. Whether the gar- dening world will adopt either IMr. Fish's name or mine, is rather doubtful; for when once a name has got firmly established in the many-headed thing, called the public, it is almost an Herculean task to bring another, though a far better-defined name into general use. To conclude this tirade about a name, I would just define the words Preservative Wall to mean a wall to gi'ow plants against, with or without glass, heated or not heated. This will distinguish it clearly enough from a Conservatory, a Greenhouse, or any other kind of gar- den erection. I now return to my original subject ; and the next of my series of queries is— What kind of plants should be planted against a Preservative Wall ? Per- haps the best way to answer this will be by a negative description of what should not be planted. As it is an erection to cultivate either plants with beautiful foliage, though of small merit in bloom, and others of fine foliage and beautiful flowers, no plants of a fugacious habit shoidd be used, such, for instance, as Cobea scandens, Tropaiolum Jarrattii, and T. azurea. Pelargoniums, the varieties of decided stove-plants, and all annuals. Neither should any be planted that are decidedly hardy enough to grow and bloom in the open air in every part of Great Britain. Some plants are sufficiently hardy to bear the climate of Devon and Cornwall, and such may be fairly admitted as candidates for the honoiu' of being sheltered by a Preservative Wall in the more northern parts of the country ; whilst, again, in the )nild climate of the counties referred to, some of the most hardy stove- plants might be admitted under their protecting and preserving influence, should one, or more than one, be put up in those parts of the country. Since I begau these papers on these walls, I have had several letters on the subject; and one corres- pondent suggests, "instead of being at the expense of a heating apparatus, fuel, and attendance, would it not be desirable to have a moveable canvass covering to roll down in frosty weather; and would not that be a sufficient preservative for the kind of jjlants proper for a wall of this kind ?" To this I can only reply, that I do not now, nor ever have stated, that a heated wall, or a '■ glass-covered wall, was absolutely indispensible ; but i with these additions of heat and glass, the building would be more ornamental and more enjoyable ; and i thus it follows, as a matter of course, that to have a Pre- ' servative WaU in perfection, the addition of heat and | glass are desirable. If the wall is glass-cased only, and ' not h eated, such a covering as my correspondent mentions would be very useful, and would be certain to ward off' a great amount of cold in frosty, severe weather, as well as pi-eventing the radiation of heat from the interior l through the glass. Plants, as Mr. Fish very justly observes, do not suffer so much when they are still, or, I sou THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. Januaiit 20. ill other words, wlieu tliey are not exposed to cold, cutting, frosty winds. To prore this, if proof were necessary, I have seen Cinerarias with tlieir leaves still' j with frost iu a cold pit, where, of course, they were per- I fectly still, recover from it hy, as it were, naturally thawing in the dark, hut had they been exposed to a wind wliile frozen, they would have beeu destroyed to a certainty ; and if such a tender soft foliaged plant as the Cineraria will bear a certain degree of frost if in a still atmosphere, there is no wonder that such plants as I shall in ray next paper on tliis subject name, enduring a greater amount of cold ia a glass-covered non-heated wall, because they are still, thau they would if exposed to the cold frosty winds of the driving blasts of wiuter; and this quiet fact is important in cultivation, to a con- siderable extent, in the kitchen garden; such plants as the best season for repotting the plants. It they are potted earlier, they make their growth, and often send up tiower-stems iu tlie early part of winter. This exhausts the energies of the plant, and the secoud tlower-stems produced in spring are much weakened thereby. Some week or ten days previous to the pottiug- day bring the compost under shelter to become mode- rately dry, but do not attempt to mix the drffereut ingredients of the compost till they are all in that state. As soon as the compost is in a tit state for use, bring a portion of the plants into the potting-shed, or if the weather is line they may be potted on a bench in the open air. If the pots are fresh from the pottery it will be advisable to dip them in water, allowing them to become dry again before using, but if they are old, they should be clean washed. Then have ready a sufficient Cauliflowers under a hand-light, as is well known, do i quantity of clean, broken potsherds for di'ainage ; also not sufler from frost, however severe, because they are still; and in the flower garden, we might preserve many plants if protected by similar means from cutting winds. T. Appleby. {To be continued.) THE AURICULA. Autumn and Winter Treatment. — The autumn treat- ment may be considered to commence as soon as the bloom is over. The plants should then be placed upon a thick bed of coal-ashes, or on boards, behind a hedge, or low north-wall. In this situation they will be pro- tected from the hot sun, and will quietly grow. The attentions they require are regular supplies of water, not saturating showers from a rosed-pot, but just enough to keep them growing. In very wet weather, it will be desirable, where expense is no object, to protect them from heavy showers. I remember, when 1 was a boy, going to visit an ax'dent cultivator of the Auricula. Mr. John Wright was his name, and he lived at a place called jMarsh, about two miles from Huddersfield, in Yorkshire. He had a large and valuable collection, of which he was justly proud. To protect them from the heavy autumnal rains, he had the space they occupied covered with a sloping roof of oiled canvass, so con- trived as to roll up in tine weather, and so high from the ground that he could stand upright within it, and thus was able to attend to their comfort and well-being in all weathers. I was so struck with the complete shelter, neat arrangement, and extreme health of the plants, that I have, even at this distance of time (more than forty years), a lively recollection of the excellence of the plan, and the beautiful healthy appearance of the plants ; though now, alas I both the owner and his plants have been passed away for many, many years; so long, that I question whether any inhabitant of that neigh- bourhood has any recollection of citlier that indefati- gable cultivator, or his line collection of Auriculas and Polyanthuses. Such a shelter is by no means expensive. It might be formed against a wall, about twelve feet high, with upright posts in front, and rafters of larch poles tixed to the wall, and a covering of oiled canvass stretched over them, and allowed to liang down a foot or two in front. -It should be at least nine feet wide, and as long as the number of plants may require. In the instance above, the plants were arranged on a sloping stage, such as we often see in old-fashioned loan-to greenhouses. This plau is commendable, because each plant receives its due share of light and attention; and tiie erection might be used, when the Auriculas do not require it, for various other plants requiring such a shelter. In this autumnal habitation the Auriculas should remain till the end of September. About the beginning ol that mouth, is, in my opinion (borne out by practice), a sutficient number of fresh tallies, if the old ones Sre made of wood. All these being in order, commence potting by turning out of the pot the first plant. Examine the roots, and cut away all that are dead or decaying ; shake off the greater part of the old soil, and remove all rooted offsets, laying them on one side till the parent plant is potted. If the root-stock or stem below the soil is too long, so as to elevate the plant too much above the soil (some varieties are apt to elon- gate more than others), cut the bottom part oil' with a sharp knife, and apply a little powdered chalk to heal up the wound. This will allow the heart of the plant to be brought down nearer to the soil, and the part of the stem thus brought within the soil will throw out fresh roots and greatly encourage growth. Place over the drainage some of the turfy fibres of the loam, place a thin layer of soil upon it, and then hold the plant iu the left hand, place it in the pot, and work in the compost amongst the roots, gradually filling the pot to within hah'-an-inoh of the top, then give the pot a smart stroke upon the bench to shake down the soil firm, and add a little more to fill np the pot to within a quarter- of-au-inch of the top. Press it gently down and closely to the stem all roimd, and the operation is complete. Before putting the plant out of the way, see to the label or tally, and if a new one is required, place one to it, and then set the plant aside ; pot the ofl'sets first, before touching the next ; place a tally to them, and then take another plant in hand, and so proceed till the whole are finished. The season of the year has now arrived when the Auricula should have a more southern situation. The sun's beams will now be so moderated, that the plants are able to bear a fuller exposure to them. 1 now recommend the frame or stage to be placed in front of a west wall facing tlie east. In that aspect they may, if the weather is clear and warm, require a slight shading from the sun's beams till they have made fresh shoots. The shading may then be discontinued. Hero they may remaiu till the end of October, when they must be placed in their winter quarters; tlie treatment while there will be our next consideration. T. Appleby. {To he continued.) DESTRUCTION OF the eyes of a botanist. WEEDS. In the eyes of a botanist, no class of plants arc recognized as " weeds," and, with some show of reason, ho complains of tho tyranny of cultivators who can sec no beauty and no interest in anytliing but that limited number of species they are pleased to call the legitimate occupants of their soil ; now, though we have no wish to fan the flame of discord between the botanical and horticultural world, we would rather see the two united, which may easily be done without any great sacrifice on either side, especially in tho case we January :iO. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. ;i07 now have before us, because, thougli innuy of our most coinmou British plauts present features of great interest to tlie inquiring botanist, those wiiioh infest our walks, squares, and borders, are so abundant as to require no particular notice at our hands in the shape of " pro- tective enactments;" for the dandelion, which blooms by the road-sido wastes, is identical to the one which now and then we see insinuating itself into the less frequented wallvs of the garden of medium keeping, and though it is seldom allowed to bloom in tlie latter place, j'et its eiforts to accomplish that object there, as well as on the close-shorn lawn, shew, in a beautiful way, what struggles nature now and then is capable of under- taking in order to accomplish that important duty of multiplying her species. But, in the present instance, our duty is to prevent that increase rather than en- courage it ; and, in a mild open winter, the class of plants called weeds (which, according to the late Mr. I Loudon's definition of the tei-m, includes every plant . not cultivated) are generally allowed to grow away with a sort of impunity which it is difficult to check, the mass of other work, and the adverse elements concur- | ring to their well-being rather than their extirpation. This state of things must not, however, be allowed to | go on too long, otherwise something worse than mere present appearance will follow. Squares of vacant i ground that the continued wet has prevented a spade ! being put in may be dug, and all the annual weeds j buried; perennial ones, being deeper rooted, ought to ! be carefully dug out and carried right away at once. . Amongst close-growing crops the system of hand- weeding must be put in requisition ; while many that will allow the spade in between them will be benefited by slight digging, when the ground will allow it, and thereby bury all small annual weeds, which, instead of being impoverishers of the ground, will become reno- vators of it, and that freshness which newly-turned-up soil always imparts to growing crops will be gratefully acknowledged by them in the shape of increased growth. This "digging in" is, therefore, attended with the best possible results, so that, whenever crops of cabbages, or similar things, present a quantity of small seedling weeds, which it is advisable to eradicate, this digging in will accomplish the job with the additional advantage of conferring a benefit on the existing crop. How far this may be carried on in other ways will depend on certain local circumstances. On some soils weeds will struggle successfully in again getting their heads above ground, while in others the attempt seems abortive. However, in a general way, we are no advocates for carrying any quantity of annual weeds or other vege- table refuse off the ground, unless it be of a kind of extremly slow decomposition, as the stalks of the cabbage tribe, and haulm of asparagus ; the latter, form- ing a tolerable good covering for things requiring pro- tection, is often used that way. And when the stalks of the Cabbage-worts are stript of their loaves, the remaining portion is too small to run the risk of con- taminating the ground, if it is dug in with wire-worm, and other pests. That this would be the case is evident from the numbers that congregate around a half-decayed stem of this plant where it is left in the ground ; while the succulent herbage of ordinary weeds present nothing but a quiet-decaying substance to the action of the soil, to which it is speedily assimilated when vitality is gone. From the above, it will be seen that digging in weeds and other herbage is strongly advised, as returning to the earth those elementary parts it is so much in need of; but then another question arises — what is to become of the weeds which a wet, mild winter sends forth on our walks, court-yards, carriage-roads, and other places where neatness is (or ought to be) " cultivated " instead of "plants?" Here a system of anti-cultivation must be pursued; but how is this opposing course to bo accomplished has been the theme of much controversy. In a usual way, the remedy is labour, and baud- weeding or hoeing is had recourse to — the latter, of course, tlic most expeditious wlien practicable ; but this not being so in many oases, and hand-weeding tedious and expensive, various expedients have been adopted to destroy the weeds by otliei' means than removing them. Poisonous ingredients have been applied in the shape of gas water, and infusions of various mineral poisons, with more or less success ; but as all these ai'e either dangerous in their use, or expensive applip.nces, it would appear that much yet has to be done in the way of anniliilating weeds from such places. Salt has been strongly recommended, and by some has no doubt been found beneficial, by others less so ; and our experience has been somewhat conflicting that way, tliat we cannot, witliout some qualification, recommend its use. If it is employed at all it must be systematically fol- lowed up, and then its benefits will doubtless show them- selves. A slight sprinkling of salt, foUov.'ed by wet wea- ther, cannot be expected to efiect any permanent good ; I but repeated and judicious applications may, and no doubt do, so saturate the ground with its saline particles I as to be no longer in a condition fit to support vegetable life. That the cases of successful management, when j this course is adopted, arise from this cause, is evident I enough, while a solitary dose may have given increased j fertility to the places where it has not been repeated. ! Hot water, too, has been strongly recommended, and . Mr. Fleming's machine for blending the two together would seem to have supplied the desideratum we have so long been aiming at. Unfortunately, its first expense, coupled with the difficulty there is sometimes of supply- ing it with water, &o., in sufficient quantities to make its working economical, prevents its general use, so that we hope yet to see some cheaper and readier way of dealing out destruction to the myriads of weeds and mosses which disfigure all walks not much used; the latter class of vegetation has been more conspicuous during the past autumn than any hitherto for some years, the mild, moist weather being so congenial to its growth. Where, on sound, well-prepared walks it is not ad- visable to disturb any portion of their surface, some other destroyer must be put in requisition. A very good one may bo adopted at times, when the weather admits it, which is not, however, always ; but where moss is growing on the surface of a path consisting of gi-avel or stones that have become smoothed tolerably fine by rolling or use, the moss will be found occupying all the interstices between such stones. Now, to remove it from thence by ordinary hand-labour would be both troublesome and expensive, it is, therefore, better if we can avail ourselves of the elements to effect our purpose thence, which in this case can be done in many instances. Charged as this vege- tation is with water, together with the ground that supports it, a sharp frost exercises a destructive power upon it; but, more than tliat, the expansive powers of frost raises from the ground tlie whole mass of vegetable life, with its roots, &c., so as to appear in bold relief to the stones not subject to such a change. While in this condition the exercise of a good scrubby broom has a sweeping effect; but it must be borne in mind that it must be done at the precise moment the frost gives way, because a heavy rain sinks it again to its former posi- tion. It is only those who have witnessed the pheno- menon we speak of that are aware of the singular appearance it has, and only those who avail themselves of the proper time to remove it that can tell of the benefits to be derived from it, as its loosened condition enables it to be removed with more precision than many are aware of, while the stones are not disturbed in the least. Now, though we do not object to the use of salt, or salt and water, either hot or cold, nor to the various 308 THE COTTAGE GABDENER. Jakuary 20. liquids to wliioh poisonous matter has been added, yet, as a simple, safe, and efficacious remedy for the evil complained of above, we advise the use of a little hard labour at the fitting time; and those having walks of the kind mentioned would do well to sweep the snow from them, if needful, and expose them to the full action of frost, wliich we have no doubt will prove a better friend in the way of destroying moss than the hazai'dous plan of trusting your edgings, and the roots of trees wliich may have run underneath the walk, to the tender mercies of repeated applications of dele- terious matter. That the latter may, with perfect pro- prietj', be adapted to tliose cases where there is no danger of such a course, we certainly admit — nay, even advise — but we confess our inability to point out the most suitable ingredient applicable in all cases. Parties residing in the neighbourhood oi' gas-works might easily obtain that poisonous liquid called gas-water; various cliemical factories also present waste matter availalile to places sufficiently near; but these are isolated cases, and cannot be taiily said to meet the object in view What we want, is a cheap, safe, and effectual remedy for the destruction, or rather prevention, of weeds grow- ing on walks and other places where their presence cannot be tolerated. That the e.xertion of some one who may devote his attention to a successful issue in this matter will be gratefully received by the gardening world, we have no hesitation in affirming ; while, at the same time, we can hardly expect the first efforts of skill to be entirely all we want ; but, from the importance of the case, we should like to have the opinion of some one well versed in chemistry pointing out the way ; while, of the manufacturing patrons of horticulture, we again ask, what has been several times repeated in The Cot- T.VGE Gardenee, What can lliey do in jHoviding us with a cheap and better covering for our frames than the things we now employ ? This, like the " weed annihilator," is assui'edly more in the province of others than that of tho gardener ; and we invite such to our aid, assuring them that no class are more grateful for favour shown, and iu none is the selfish, restrictive policy of keeping knowledge at home so seldom found, as in the horticulturist. J. IIobson. PANSIES GROWN IN SCOTLAND. As I only receive The Cottage Oaedenee once a month, I have just noticed an article in that of the 0th of December, ]N.')2, containing a list of Pansies, furnished "by a gentle- man so far nortli as Berwick-upon-Tweed," and although, in the main, generally good, still I do not think that it shows tlie southern growers what amateurs residing " a Icellc farther north," near Auld Keelde, can do; and I annex you a Ust of what I consider a better, and not more expensive, selection, suitable for a smaU garden. I have myself up- wards of V-IO varieties ; and as 1 have flowered every one that I have mentioned in the annexed list, with the excep- tion of Boadicea (Fellows), I can confidently recommend them. You will observe I have retained what I consider good in our Berwick friend's list. WHITE GROUNDS, 1\1TH 3IAKGINS Or ULUE, PUEPLE, LILAC, AND THEni INIEKMEDIATE SU,iDES. Boadicca (Fellows) ; white and purple ("not known to writer) . Duchess of EuLland (Thomson); white and hlac; good, hut uncertain. France Cijcolc (Grieve); white and maroon; old, but good. Helen { Hunt) ; white and light purple ; good when caught. Lard Jeffrey (Lightbody) ; white and dark blue ; good. Miriam (Dickson and Co.); white and dar-k purple; eye sometimes run ; wlien caught, iine. Mirror ( Dickson and Co. ) ; white, and broad blue belt ; fine. Miss Tathol (Dickson and Co.) ; white and pm-ple ; very fine. Miss Maxwell (Downie and Laird); white and dark bine; line and constant. Mrs. Blackwood (Downie and Laird) ; white and pale- bluish-purple ; good ; new. Mrs. Beck (Turner) ; white and pm'ple ; very fine. Queen of Enijland (Fellows) ; wliito and bright blue ; good. JRoyal Standard (Dickson and Co.) ; wldte and dark purple ; l.iest of its class. Boijal J'isil (Dickson and Co.) ; white and deep maroon; very fine. YELLOW GEOUNDS, WITH HAEGINS OF MAEOON, BLL'E, PL-EPLE, AND THEIE SILUIES. Constance (Thomson) ; yellow and pm'ple ; small, but good. Diadem (Fellows) ; gold and maroon ; veiy fine. Duke of Norfolk (Bells) ; yellow and deep maroon; nms iu heat of summer, but good when caught. Elerjant (Thomson); gold and bronze-red ; fine. G/;'^ (Dickson and Co.) ; yeUow and maroon ; very large. Jubilee (Dickson and Co.); pale yellow and reddisli- piu^ple ; neat ; medium size. Juvenla (Hooper) ; yellow and maroon ; fine. Lady Emilie (Downie and Laird); yellow and clai'et; constant. Mr. Beck (Turner); yellow and maroon; good, but veiy Uke Orestes (Gossett's). Post Captain (Slaishment) ; yellow and bronzy-pm'ple ; constant. Robert Burns (Campbell) ; yeUow and fine pm'ple ; veiy large ; fine. Supreme (Touell'sJ ; yellow and maroon ; one of the finest old varieties, not beat yet. SELES. Adela (Turner); yeUow; fine. Ajax (Downie and Laird) ; dark blue ; veiy fine form, and constant. Blanche (Turner) ; finest white out ; splendid blotch. D' Israeli (Hunt) ; glossy purple; fine when caught. Flower-oflhe-Day (Downie and Laird); fine plum; golden eye. K^iny (.lenningsj ; darkpui'ple; fine. Maynijiccnt (Neilson) ; shaded puce, laced with white ; fine. Nox (Hooper! ; dark blue; very fine. Sambo (Hale) ; dark plum ; good. St. Andrew (Downie and Laird) ; nearly black; very fine. Soverciyn (Dicksou and Co.) ; golden-yellow; one of the finest in cultivation. Uranus (Dickson and Co.) ; good yellow, but uncertain. PANSEIiVNA, Edinburyh. GREAT METROPOLITAN POULTRY SHOW. It would be a difficult task to decide to whom, or to what county, is .fairly due the credit of having origuiated tho exhibitions now so common, which are encouraging the cidtivation and improvement of the various breeds of pi lultry, and opening, to an extent likely still to be much enlarged, a source of xirofit to the farmer and tho cottager, and of interest and amusement to Peer and peasant ahke. The pages of The Cottage Gaedenee have contained accounts of shows of poidti-y in various parts of England. Halifax, Hid!, Preston, livcrpool, and other towns, have spoken to the interest excited on this subject in the north ; Winchester, Salisbm-y, ttc, have borne mtness to a corres- pondhig spirit in the south ; Clieltcnham and Buniingham have represented the midland counties ; and wliile Yar- mouth, Norwich, and Hitchin, have done their pai-t in tlie east; Bristol, Torquay, Trm-o, and Penzance, have shown that the west, to the very Lands Knd, are not bBliiml in the competition. But to the sm-prise of mauy, and the regret of more, no show in London worthy of the Metropolis had yet taken place. This was tho more to bo lamented, hocauso in spite of confined yards, smoky iitmosphcre, and want of grass, the taste for poultry in Loudon has been long and successfully cultivated, and more especially by many Irades- men and mechanics, who, though debarred hy cirrumstnnces from attending and exliibiting at some of tho conntry shows, have possessed their favourite 'White - faced Spanish, or January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 30!) Slianghfie pets, on whom they have hestowed as much care as the featliered favourites in more spacious " walks," have ever received i'rom their owners. Tlie difficully of establishing a Metropolitan Show arose li.irtly from the fact, tliat London (unlil^e Birminglnim) possessed no Bingley Hall suitahle for the reception of a large number of poultry. Few persons, moreover, were eager to embark in so large an undertaking, with the cer- tainty of great trouble and responsibility, and the risk of heavy pecuniai'y loss. Things would probably have thus remained, but for the zeal and energy of one very eager and experienced, as well as successful, poultry-amateur, Mr. Henry Gilbert. En- couraged by the promise of assistance from his friends in the country, that gentleman undertook the task, and, aided by a clear-headed and hard-working committee, he has most ably surmounted all difficulties, and has fully attained the success he so well deserved. He has succeeded in collecting a show of poultry, second only to that which a month before took place at Birmingham ; and he has given great pleasure to the many, who, during the four days of the exhibition, crowded the Bazaar, and showed the lively interest they took in the various breeds which were there displayed. To the many readers of The Cottage Gakdenee who were unable themselves to be present, we propose to give a short, and, we hope, an impartial account of what we saw there, and to offer the opinions, which, to the best of om' judgment, we formed. The original place fixed upon for the show was the Oval at Kenniugton. At the eleventh hour, however, the committee found this would not be permitted. No alternative, therefore, presented itself but that of deferring the day from tlie 1st to the 11th of January, while arrangements were being made to receive the poultry at the Baker-street Bazaar, a " locale," which, indeed, in most respects, we consider a preferable one to the Oval. In the galleries of this building very commodious and roomy pens were erected : and the space left for the visitors, and tlie arrangements regarding lighting and ventilation, were nearly all that could be desu'ed. For the information of our readers we annex a com- parison of the entries of each variety, made respectively at Birmingham and the Meti'opolitan. It will be seen that (especially as a first attempt) the latter has no cause for shame in tlie comparison. PENS ENTERED. Classes. Bh-m. Metr. Spanish .. .. 04 . . :j(i Dorking .. . . W2 . . 70 Shanghaes . . . . 270 . . .24!) Malays .. .. 10 .. 10 Game . . . . 104 . . 4K Golden-pencilled Hamburghs . . 1:1 . . 11 Golden-spangled Hamburghs . . '.;s . . 11 Silver-pencilled Hamburghs .. M .. 21 Silver-siiangled Hamburghs . . CO , . 14 Poland . . . . UM . . 87 Cuckoo . . . . (i . . Eumpless . . . . 4 . . Andalusian . . . . 2 . . Ancona . . . . 1 . . Frizzled . . . . 4 . . Norfolk or Surrey . . . . 2 . . Bantams, Gold-laced . . ,15 . , 24 „ Silver-laced . . 0 . . 11 „ AVhite .. .. 12 .. 18 „ Black .. .. l.t .. 10 „ other varieties . . .0 . . 4.5 Pigeons .. ..85 ..about 250 Geese .. .. IK . . 11 Ducks .. .. 73 .. 33 Turkeys .. .. 23 . . 10 Guinea-fowl . . . . 0 . . Extra Class . . . . . . 27 In these classes, therefore (besides rabbits), nearly 700 pens of poultry were arranged, and taken as a whole, tliey may be considered a very good collection, amongst which were many superior specimens. The list of prizes was framed on the scale adopted at Birmingham, and was a hberal one. The general rules were also the same, with the exception of two, which wei'o (as we think) with advantage omitted. We know that the Birmingliuia clause, requiring a " two months ownership," was evaded there, and as we see no real use in it, wo rejoice in its exclusion from the Metropolitan rules. We also approve of the regulation which allows any suli- j scriber to send to the show any number of pens, on a certain payment for each pen, instead of (as at Birming- ham) limiting the number to six pens, which, as we know, was also evaded there, and is, therefore, an unwise rule, if only because it is inoperative. We must, however, expi'ess our opinion, that the cor- rections might still have been judiciously extended, and | tliere are two rules especially, which, before any fnture meeting, we would gladly see altered. 1st. If, as at present, chickens are allowed to compote with old birds, we assert that the comparison must be very unfair to the latter. The plumage of the cbickens (especially in the Dorking and some other classes) will be brigliter, and show better than that of the adult birds. AVe think that chickens ought to show against chickens, and old birds against their fellows. 2nd. To any real amateur, the length of time during which the poultry are retained in the show, and the sufl'ering (and risk of life evenj which in consequence they undergo, 7inist be a subject of regret; and we will venture to express a hope, that at the next Metropolitan Show the committee will take another step in the right direction. To say "that the. time is the same as it was at Birmingham," does not prove that it is well to retain the poultry so long. If the poultry were received on the Monday, and judged on Tuesday, and if, instead of fom' diiys, the show were limited to three days, which would be enough to gratify public curiosity, the fowls might then be released on Friday night, to the mutual convenience and satisfaction (we are sure we may say) of themselves and their owners. We will now nothing extenuate, nor set down ought in malice, but pro- ceed with om' critique on the different classes, which we will taiie in the order in which they stand in the prize list. The Sjiaiiish class, which contained altogether 30 entries, was well represented. The first prize, for a cock and three hens, falling to a very perfect pen (D) belonging to Captain Hornby. Mr. Fox taking the second. The prizes in the second class, for Spanish chicken, going to Mr. Fox, Mr. Whittington, and Captain Hornby, who also won the 1st prize in class 3. Of Dorkiiiris of various sorts, there were altogether 70 entries, and this was considered a very good class. For the various winners we must refer our readers to the iirize list, only remarking that we are very glad that the Committee liberally awarded to Captain Hornby an extra first prize, as the mistake which had deprived him of it arose from the Society's own men when taking the birds from their baskets. The Cochiii-Cliina classes, as usual, attracted great atten- tion, and well repaid the careful inspection they received, for (with the exception of classes 13 and 14, which we thought very moderate) the pens presented, generally, a very good collection of birds. Amongst the White Cochins was a beautiful pen be- longing to Mr. Fairlie, which received the first prize, as did also a very good lot, the property of Dr. Allen, in the chicken class. Of Malays, there was but a small show, and we cannot say we much admire this class. The Game fowls mustered in force, consisting altogether of 48 pens, which attracted much attention, and as a class deserved great commendation, which may also be said of the various breeds of Himiburglis, both Spangled and Pen- cilled. Amongst the Silver-pencilled, especially, were some good pens, particularly one belonging to Mr. M'Cann. A good show of Polands, which did not, however, attract very much attention. We think this class (like the Malays) are becoming much less popular than formerly. The Biintums were a numerous class, and on the whole well represented. As usual, they had a constant succession of admirers, especially among the ladies. Class 47, for any other distinct breed, had 45 entries of all sorts, amongst which we observed some black Cochins, belonging to Mr. Fau'lie, which were much admired ; and 310 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. jANnART 20. some Bramah Puiiims, wliicli wc tliink no acquisition to the poultry -yard. Besides tliis, tliere were 27 entries of extra stock, only entered i'or sale, containing (with other things) some good Cochin-Chinas. The Class for Gccse, though only consisting of 11 entries, showed some very good x^ens; as did also the division for the Turkics, especially those belonging to Mr. Fairlie, who took the first .and second prizes, which he well merited. The weight of one of the Turkey cocks we heard exceeded .'J-Jlbs. It has often bei.'U a subject of surprise to us, that to these two classes better prizes are not awarded, as there is great room for improvement in the former by judicious crosses ; and the excellence of the latter class attained here can only be done by care and trouble. Tlie Liiikx were a good class. A fine pen of Aylesburys, belonging to Mr. .lenuens, taliing tlie iirst prize ; whilst that for Roueiis fell to an eipially deserving one, the property of Mr. Worrall. The Pigeons (of which there were about ■■IM pens), as a class, rather disappointed expectation. There were, how- ever, some favourable exceptions, amongst which may be named some Carriers belonging to Jlr. Hayne. The llabbits (of which about .'lO were shown) were an excellent collection, but did not seem to attract attention, probably from a want of the knowledge of what constitutes their points of excellence. The arrangements generally were good, though still capable of tlie improvements which, next year, we doubt not will take place; but disappointment was expressed at the delay in issuing prize lists, wliich we did not succeed in getting until the third day. Great care seemed to be bestowed in feeding and cleaning the bii-ds, so as to soften, as much as possible, their long conlinement; and to desti'oy every egg laid in the pens. AA'e cannot appro\e of the resolution to otter all the poultry to competition by aucti(jn on the third day — a system (we think) which cannot prove profitable to sellers, and was (we know) not approved of by many would-be-buyers. The judges were E. Hewitt, Esq., of Birmingham ; W. Symonds, Esq., of Weymouth ; and Mr. .1. Baily, of London; and we believe the cai-e and attention which they bestowed in the discharge of their arduous duties secured general approbation ; and though, with so many entries, there mi{sl be some few disappointed exhibitors, we understand the verdicts were generally concuired in. We liope, however, that IM.":!:! will see introduced a change in the system of juclgment. We should like more judges appointed, say four judges for the adult birds, and the same number for the chickens, with a referee for each ; for we contend that the examination, as at Birmingham, of l:ilH) pens, working lor thirteen hours, is too much for the physical powers of one set of men. We were glad to hear that many of the principal exhibitors had come to tlie resoluliou of never sending their birds to any show wliere tliey would he kept more than three days. We liope this will be adhered to. In conclusion, our congratulations are justly due to the Committee and Secretary, wlio have gallantly started and successfully carried out, a Poultry Show, bidding fair to be a dangerous rival to the Birmingham Society, whicli, though now holding the rank of the first l''.xhibilion of Poultry in England, will require all the energy of its com- mittee, and many alterations made in the management, or its fame may be eclipsed, and its position usurped by the Great Metropolitan Exhibition. Iv- The following is a list of prizes awarded by the judges : — SPANISH. Class K— Pen 9, first prize, Captain Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, near Prescot, Lancasliire ; second prize, I, Bir. Fox, Skinner-street, Snow-hill ; third prize, :t, I\Ir. Tliomas .Tones, Vale-place, Hammersmith. Class 2. — First prize. 1, Mr. Thomas Scott, Skinncr-strect, Snow-hill ; second ijrize, 3, Mr. T. .lones, Vale-place, Hammersmith ; third prize. 1 1, Captain Hornlty. Class 3. — First prize, Captain Hornby; second prize, 7, John Taylor, Esq., Shepherd's Itush. IJOllKING (Single-combed). Class 4. — First i)rize, 2, Mr. .T. Lewry, Handcross, Crawley ; second prize, 4, Mr. .1. Boys, liiddenham ; third prizes, 11 and 12, Capt. [lornhy. Class .1. — First prize, 2, Mr. .1. Lewry; extra first prize, II, Captain Hornby ; second prize, lu, flir. John Kairlie, Chevelcy-paric, Newmarket ; third prize, 8, Mrs. K. Noyes, Salisbury. DORKINC (Double or Rose-combed). Class G.— First prize, 3, Sir J. Catheart, Cnoper's-hiU, Chertsey; second prize, 2, Mr. J. Thorn, DIawley-house, South I-amheth. Class ;.— First prize, 1, Mr.Thonias Nice, tJrcat Bradley Hall, New- market; second prize, 4, Mr. John Fairlie. DORKING (Double or Single-combed). Class 8.— First prize, 13, Captain Hornby ; second prize, 6, Rev. John Boys. DORKING (White). Class 9 First prize, 3, DIr. J. Jennens, i\Iozeley ; second prize, 5, Mr. James Oldham, Long Kxton, Derby ; third prize, 7, Blr. Nathaniel Autill, Portsea. Class 10.— First prize, 2, Mr. Joseph Jennens, Mozeley ; second prize, I, Mr. H. Forster, fliarkgate-street, Dunstable. COCHIN-CHINA (Cinnamon and Buff). Class II. — First prize, P, Mr. John Fairlie, Newmarket ; second prize, Mr. T. Potts, Kingwood-lodge, Croydon ; thirtl prize, ditto. Class 12. — First prize, 5U, Mr. T. Potts, Kmgwood-lodge, Croydon; second prize, 49, Mr. T. Potts, Kingwood-lodge, Croydon ; third prize, 1, Captain Squire, Barton-place, fliildenhall. COCHIN-CHINA (Brown or Partridge-Feathered). Class 13. — First prize, G, Mr. John Chater, Haverhill ; second prize, 7, flfr. Thomas Bridges, Bridge-cottage, Croydon. Class 14. — First i)rize, 10, BIr. Thomas, York. COCHIN-CHINA (Cinnamon and Buff, or Brown). Class 15. — First prize, 81, BIr. John Bidewcll, (juildford ; second prize, 9, BIrs. George, Chaldcn, Coulsdon, Surrey ; third prize, I, Captain Squire. COCHIN-CHINA (White). Class l6. — First prize, 4, BIr. J. Fairlie; second prize, 2, BIr. E. L. Preston, Great Yarmouth. Class 17.^First prize, 5, Kev. Dr. Allen, Englefield Green ; second prize, 1, Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. BIALAY. Class 18.— First prize, 4, Rev. Dr. Allen, Englefield-green ; second prize, 3, BIr. W. Wodehouse, Gs, Bridport-place, Hoxton ; third prize, I, BIr. W. W. Hayne, Sutton, Surrey. Class 19. — First prize, 3, Bir. S. Soames, Stepney, Middlesex; second prize, 0, BIr. G. Oldham, Nether Whiteacre. GABIE FOWL (White and Piles). Class 20, — First prize, G, BIr. H. Thurnall ; second prize, 2, Mr. W. G. Vivian, Singleton, Glamorganshire. Class 21. — First prize, 3, BIr. W. Groom, Holt, Norfolk ; second Jirize, I, BIr. R. M'ilton, flioon-place, Stamford-le-Hope. GAME FOWL. (Black-breasted and other Reds). Class 22. — First prize, 7, Captain Hornby; second prize, I, BIr. F. H. Powell, Hillingdon, Bliddlcscx; third prize, 4, Mr. A. Council, Cringle- ford, Norfolk. Class 23. — First prize, 3, BIr. BI. Wilson ; second prize, U, Mr. Thurnall, lloyston. GABIE FOWL (Blacks and Brassy-winged, except Grays). Class 2.'i. — First prize, 2, BIr. W. Dester, Seckington, Warwickshire ; second prize, 1, BIr. R. W. Wilson. GABIE FOWL (Duckwings and other Grays and Blues). Class 2fl.— First prize, 4, BIr. H. Thurnall, Royston, Cambridgeshire; second prize, 2, BIr. E. A. Lingard, Snow-hill, Birmingham ; third prize, 3, BIr. l>. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. Class 27. — First prize, 1, BIr. II. W. Wilson; second prize, 2, Mr. R. W. Wilson ; third prize, 3, Bir. C. Stinton, Hamworth. GOLDEN-PENCILLED HABIBURGII. Class 28 — First prize, 2, BIr. J. B. Chune, Colebrooke-dale ; second prize, 5, BIr. J. E. Blapplebeck, Highgate, Birmingham; third prize, I, BIr. T. Church, Acle, Norfolk. Class 29. — Fir.st prize, 2, BIr. H. Worrall, Knotty Ash-house, Liver- pool; second prize, I, BIr. T. Barber, Acle, Norfolk. GOLDEN-SPANGLED HAMBUllGH. Class 30. — First prize, 3, Mr. t;. Adkins ; second prize, I, BIr. Light- foot, Blarkgate-street, Dunstable ; third prize, 4, BIr. G. Adkins. Class 31. — First prize, 4, BIr. J. Blould, Blakinney-house, Helper; secorul prize, 5, ditto. SILVER-PENCILLED HABIBURGH. Class 32. — First prize, 8, BIr. E. How, Brondcy, Bliddlesex ; second jirize, I, BIr. E. Archer ; third prize, 4, BIr. F. Wigan, Edgbaston. Class 33. — First prize, 3, BIr. G. Bl'Cann, Blalvern ; second prize, 10, Bir. .). Blapplebeck. SILVER-SPANtiLED HABIBURGH. Class 34.— First prize, 2, BIr. J. Whilnck. Birmingham; second prize, 4, BIr. W. G. Chambers, Portsmouth ; tinrd prize. I, BIr. J. Whiluck. Class 3.1.— First prize, 4, BIr. E. Simons, D.-dc-end, Birminghiim ; second |)rize, 2, Mr. J. Whilock. POLAND FOWL (Black, with White Crests). Class 36.— First prize, 1, BIr. G. C. Adkins; second prize, 2, ditto; third prize, 4, BIr. T. IJ. Edwanls, Lyndhnrst. Class 37. — First prize, 3, BIr. T. P. Edwards, Lyndhnrst ; second prize, 2, BIr. \V. G. Chambers, Portsmouth. POLAND FOWL (Golden, with Roll's or Beards). Cla-^s 38. — First prize, 3, BIr. J. E. Blapplebeck; second prize, 1, BIr. W. G. Vivian; third prize, 2, Mr. C. Clarke. .Street, near Glastonbury. Class 39.— First prize, 1, Blaster G. Horner, Charlotte-street, Hull.' January 20. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. nil POLAND FOWL. (Golden, without Ruffs or Beards). Class 40. — First prize, 1, Mr. J. E. Miipplobeck, Birniinghani ; second prize, 2, Uliss E. S. Perkins, Sutton Coldfield. Class 41. — First prize, 3, Mr. \V. Cutler, Batliampton ; second prize, 4, the Hon. Mrs, Finch, Berkhampstead. POLAND FOWL. (Silver, with Ruffs or Beards). Class 42. — First prize, 3, Messrs. Baker, Chelsea; second prize, 2, Mr. C. Clarke; third prize, I, Mr. W. G. Vivian. Class 43,— First prize, 1, Mr. W. G. Vivian ; second prize, 3, Master G. Horner, POLAND FOWL. (Silver, without Ruffs or Beards.) Clasa 44.— Second prize, 2, Mr. C. J. Mould. BANTAMS. (Gold-laced.) Class 46. — First prize, 4, Mr. G. C. Adkins ; second prize, 21, Mr. H. T. Leigh, Turnhani-green. BANTAMS. (Silver-laced.) First prize, 26, Mr. H. J. Jones, Bedford; second prize, 29, Mr. .1. Fairlie, BANTAMS. (White.) First prize, 40, the Rev. G. F. Hodgson ; second prize, 46, Mr, W. Eeller. BANTAMS. (Black.) First prize, 56, Rlr. J. Fairlie; second prize, 49, Mr. F. H. Fox. BANTAMS. (Black-breasted Red.) First prize, 62, Mr.W. S. Forrest, Greenhithe. BANTAMS. (Ginger or Buff.) Second prize, 63, Mr. Dutton, Bury St. Edmunds. PIGEONS. 3. Black cock Carrier. Mr. W. W. Hayne, Sutton. 13. Dun cock Carrier. Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgljaston. 16. Blue cock Carrier. Mr. W. ^^'. Hayne, Sutton. 17. Blue cock Carrier. Mr. W. W. Hayne, Sutton. 52. One pair silver short-faced Baldheads. Mr. F.ThirkclI, Syderdiam. 59. One pair black Jacobines. Mr. F. Thirkell, Sydenliam. 62. C)ne pair red .lucobinea. Mr. F. Thirkell, Sydenham. 67. One pair yellow Jacobines. Mr. F. Thirkell, Sydenham. 73. One pair white Jacobines. I\Ir, F. Thirkell, Sydenham. 76. One pair blue Owls. Mr. F. Thirkell, Sydenham. 78. One pair silver Owls. Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 81. One pair yellow Owls. Mr. C. H. Brown, Fnlhani. S^. One pair yellow splashed Owls. Mr. F. Watson, Woodbridge, Suffolk. 88. One pair pair black-headed Nuns. Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 1)3. One pair h\\xe Turbita. Rlr, A. Grote, the Elms, Upper Tooting. gd. One pair black Fantails. Mr. G. C, Adkins, EdgbListon, 97. One pair blue Fantails. Rlr. H. Child, Sherborne-road. 100. One pair white Fantails. Mr. Estrange, Astley Burgh Hall. Ill, One pair black Magpies. Mr. G. Vivian, Singleton. 115. One pair mottled Trumpeters. Mr. G.'B.Chune. 1 16. One pair Spanish Runts. Blr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 12ti, One pair Archangels. Rlr. Baily, jun., 126, Mount-street. 135. One pair Dresdens. Dlr. G. Vivian, Singleton, 136. One pair Australian. Mr. G. C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 137. One pair Bronzewing. Mr. G, C. Adkins, Edgbaston. 138. One pair Frill Backs. Rlessrs. Baker, Chelsea. 139. One pair Hirondells. Messrs. Baker, Chelsea. 140. One pair blue. Mr. G. W. Vivian, Singleton. 150. One pair short-faced red Tumblers. Mr. Evans. 165. One pair red Baldheads. Mr. Evans. 171. One pair Blue Beard, short-faced. Mr. Evans. 172. One pair red-mottled Tumblers, Mr. Evans. 177. One pair black Baldheads. Mr. Evans. IB7. One pair black-mottled Tumblers. Mr. Evans. 195. Black Mottles. Mr. J, M. Eaton, 7, Islington Green. 212. Large blue Cropper cock. I\Ir. Evans. 213. Large red pied Cropper cock. Mr. Evans. 215. Pair black pied Pouters, flir, Evans. a25. Pair white Pouters. Mr. Evans. 228. Pair yellow shoulder Turbits. 230. Pair white Owls. 235. Pair of yellow mottled Dragons. 197. Almonds. Third class, Mr. Eaton, 7. Islington Green. RABBITS. 1. First prize, length of ear, BIr. Haile. 44. Second prize, length of ear. Rlr. James Handey. 37. First prize, black and white. Mr. J. Douthwaite. 16. Second prize, black and white. Mr. R. \'enes. 34. First prize, yellow and white. Mr. W. Crick. 15. Second prize, yellow and white. Mr. W. Lock. 31. First prize, tortoiseshell. Mr. W. Crick. 20. Second prize, tortoiseshell. Mr. J. IVIacmeikan. 23. First prize, blue and white. Mr, J. Macmeikan. 33. Second prize, blue and white. Mr. J, Douthwaite. 32. First prize, self-colour. Mr. W. Crick. 40. Second prize, self-colour. Mr. J. Littleton. 10, First prize, weight. Mr. R. Stinton. 19. Second prize, weight. Mr. R. Venes. ON THE CULTURE OF TEOPCEOLUM TR[- COLORUM. In ail ardcle on this sulyect, wliicli lately appeai'ed in one of tlie gardening periodicals, it was stated tliat bulbs of Tropa-ulum ti-icoloriim, T. Jarreltii, &a., occasionally show an inaptness to break ; and in the same article, the only mode of propagation pointed out (beyond tliat of raising plants from seed) was the striking of cuttings. Now, as 1 have grown this flower many years, and never yet had a bulb fail to break, and, moreover, have found the bulbs increased as readily as potatoes, it may be useful to my brother amateurs ( and to those only 1 am bold enough to address myself J, if I acquaint them with my method. To begin, then, with the tail of the pig. After the plants have done blooming, I lay the pot, haulm and all on, on its side, in a place open in the south, but well sheltered from the rain. When the haulm is thoroughly dry 1 remove it, and then leave the pot, witli the bulb and earth in it, un- cared for till its time for growth again arrives. \\'lien the bulbs have started, I remove the old dry soil, and repot in ■ly's or (id's, in a soil half leaf mould, and half sand, and leave tliem to continue their growth in the open air till the shoots have grown to the length of a yard or more ; then I repot into upright lU's {\he largest size I can afford space for), placing the contents of the small at the bottom of the larger pot (having first placed therein a liberal drainage), and as I fill the large jiot with earth, I insert round and round within it the yard or so of shoots, so tliat when the repottmg is complete, just the noses only of the growing- stems are visible above the surface of the soil, and I then place the pots in their winter qirarters. In this way I find tlie plants grow stronger, and flower more freely than when the bulb (as I believe is usually the case) is placed in its blooming-pot just below the surface of tlie soil. When the time for removal comes, I seldom fail to find eight or ten good-sized bulbs not much smaller tlian the parent bulb, besides a number of smaller ones in tlie pot. The soil I use for the blooming-pots is three-parts of well- decayed tm-ves from a light loamy pasture ; two-parts half- rotted leaf mould ; and one-part thoroughly decomposed cow-muck. I have occasionally added lialfa part of white sand, but have found that the plants do as well without it. I give no water till plenty of leaves are expanded, and then but sparingly, till the blooms begin to open, when the usual summer watering of greenhouse plants is required. — J. S. ANTWERP CARRIER PIGEON. Few persons, I am inclined to think, are really aware of the origin of this pigeon, though most pigeon-fanciers know something of it, in one or other of the many crosses between it and other flying pigeons ; all these being known by the name of Antwerp Carriers. A remark occurs in The Cottage Cirdenee of August lOth, liy " D," to the eftect, that the pigeons of the Calaisis and Adresis show some resemblance to the Antwerp, and that the Blue-rock is rarely, if ever, met with. In this I perfectly agree ; but I can assure " D," fancy pigeons are also to be met with, and the true Rock pigeon of Belgium is, I have every reason to believe, the real Antwerp Cai-rier, and their mealy colour is the prevailing one of the Belgian Dove- house pigeons — whence the similarity. The true Antwerp resembles the wild Blue-rock pigeon of England in everything except colour , they are of a very light strawberry colour; rather darker, and incMning to red round the lower part of the neck, and iiaving two reddish bars across the wings; the colouris what fanciers call mealy. Some of these wild pigeons breed, I have been informed, in the church spires and towers of Antwerp, but they are, my informant tells me, so exceedingly wild, that they never mix with the tame pigeons, and cannot be caught ; young ones are occasionally taken, and these retain much of their natm-al wildness although brought up by hand. These pigeons I consider to be the source of our Antwerps ; small wild birds, with very full round front to the head ; the eyes gravel or orange-coloured, and very pro- minent; beak long, like a Rock pigeon, and colour mealy ; some have a few black snatches on their feathers, and this is tliought to indicate extra goodness. They are exceedingly wild, and can rarely be Ijrought to breed, except in their own homes, and if let out return there directly, though they may not have seen it for many months. I am informed the breeders of them at Antwerp rarely ;n2 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. ■Ianuary :.'ii. part witli them ; but when they do, rely on theh' returning, ihougli they arc brouglit to England. It is siu'pnsing what distances they mil return, and how little training they want, so that tliey would quite astonish our pigeon-flying gentlemen. A variety of Antwerp, hetter known in Enghrnd, are the sliort-faced Antwerps, also renowned for the long journeys tliey will perform. In the Hhine prorinces of Prussia, where I resided some time, the Turbits or Owls (for they do not discriminate between them there) were the only pigeons known as letter- carriers. Tln-oughout Belgium these pigeons were at one lime generally used as such (at least, so I have I'reqnently lieen informed), and, therefore, it is not to be wondered at that they should have been crossed with the true Antwerps. This, then, I have not the least hesitation in saying, is the origin of the sliort-faced Antwerp. These are small pigeons with a short beak, more or less of the Tnvbifs gullet, and occasionally have a few feathers turned up on the I'liest something like tlie pearl of the Turbit or Owl pigeon ; they are either blue or mealy-coloured ; they are good breeders, and not so wild as the former, and as they are good flyers, and more easily obtained, are much better known here. A cross with these and the Dragoon is generally used for dispatches in England; tliey are larger, approaching more to the mak-e of the Dragoon, with shorter beaks, and scarcely any wattle, and I think are generally liked better for short joui'neys; for as an old flyer of pigeons from Calais to Dover informed me, " he liked the half-bred birds best, as the Dragoons put more sense into them; for the Antwerps often over-tlew themselves in their short stages." There are several other crosses of little note, and, there- foi-e, not Avorth mentioning; but I believe they are all known by the name of Antwerps. — B. 1'. Beent, Bessel's Grevn, near Seven Oaks, Kent. FUNGI AS USEFUL PRODUCTIONS. Not only are Fungi despised as articles of diet, but as useful or even interesting productions they too usually either pass unnoticed, or are looked upon as objects the sight of which is rather to be shunned than sought after. Nor is this to be wondered at, when we allow ourselves to be guided by the prejudiced opinions of others, who, in most cases, have no real knowledge of the good or bad qualities of those things they are condemning. That such a large proportion of the whole vegetable kingdom should spring up (at two periods of the year when vegetation generally is most dormant) and ttomish and decay without rendering man any service, appears to me unreasonable to expect; and that the same should be allowed to perish unemployed, year after year-, I consider cannot be too much regretted. In addition to the importance of Eungi as an article of diet, many might prove of great value for a variety i>f purposes, independent of their interest as objects of beauty and curiosity. As medical remedies, we are well aware that many of the most active species, formerly in great repute, are now rejected and forgotten ; but that many are employed at the present day by eminent members of the medical profession, and are considered to surpass some of the more modern discoveries which, in some instances, have taken their place. The Lycoperiluns are used for a variety of puiiioses, as stopping blood, which they do mechanically by means of their spores; and stupifying bees, which is done by the smoke arising from them when burnt. Also, as tinder they have been much used, and for this pm-pose are saturated with a solution of saltpetre and then dried. In northern countries, where the neighbours live far apart, they have been employed to convey fire from place to place. Pobji>oriis 'Kjimrinns, and fomeiitarioim, are extensively used in the manufactory of Amailim, which is used for the following purposes : for staunching blood ; as a material for paper making; and steeped in saltpetre to form tinder; it is also made into dresses by the inhabitants of Eranoouid ; is bm-nt by the Laplanders to protect their rein-deer from the attack of gad-flies ; it is used for surgical pads ; and when sliced, and formed into extensive sheets, it has been employed largely by the medical profession to protect the backs, &c.., of the bedridden invalids, as it is more elastic than chamois leather, and less likely to crumble. Jt lias been considered far superior to many substances in more common use, also, for a compress over varicose veins, as it supports the distended vessels without pressing too tightly upon the limb. The Swedish peasantry use Amadou to alleviate pain as follows : Wherever they suffer pain, tlii-y bruise some of the dried Eungus or Amadou, and pulUng it in pieces, put a small heap of it on the part nearest the seat of jiain ; it is tlien set tire to, and burning away it raises a blister on the skin ; and, although this may appear to some persons a rough method of treatment, it is generally a very successful one. Salniasius describes the following method of making Amadou: The Eungus is to be first boiled, then beaten to pieces in a mortar, next hammered out to deprive it of its woody fibres, and lastly, being steeped in a solution of salt- petre, exposed to the sun to dry. (1 should imagine that tlie s.altpetre was omitted except ivhen it was required for tinder.) Poli/poriis sriiitt}7iiisiis forms a razor-strop superior to many patented ones in general use, when prepared as follows : Cut it fresh from the Ash-tree, in autumn, when it has become dry and hard ; flatten out and press for twenty-four hours, then slice longitudinally, and with a piece of pum- mice stone ground tlat, rub to a level surface tliose strips which ai-e free from the erosions of insects, which may now be glued upon a wooden sti'etcher, and when dry will be ready for use. fulijporiis aniwsiis is reported by the Swedish peasantry to be a cure for snake-bites. Poli/punis suliihureus is employed in dyeing. TremuUu niescenlerica is reported to dye yellow. Tremiilhifimhriala has also been used in dyeing; and the liussians employ for dyeing those Bolcti which change to blue or green colour when cut. Ae/ar'tcus ictrnmciilarimi, and other deliquescent species, have been used in the manufac- ture of ink and dyes. PluiUus fiiiidiis may be considered more as an object of interest than a useful production, from its (juick growth and rapid decay. It passes through its ephemeral existence unnoticed ; and probably the strong odour which it produces, which is far more offensive than putrid flesh, induces many to avoid rather than seek by such a guide one of the greatest curiosities of the vegetable Idngdom. Ehes, snails, and slugs, are so fond of it as to Hock to its resting-place to regale themselves with the delicious food it aftbrds; and had not provident Nature supjdied us with a root which, like the potato, throws oil' offsets, it would soon become extinct. The offensive odour it produces is veiy great when diluted with the surrounding air, but hardly perceptible when brought in close contact with the nose, and in this manner it may be readily conveyed home for examination. The odour has induced some to beUeve that the taste is nauseous and highly poisonous. Those, however, who are bold enough, may eat them without fear; and it lias been asserted, that the white static is rather agreeable than otherwise. — E. Y. BnocAS. CROSS-BREEDING AND DISEASES OF FOWLS. YouK correspondent, "A. S. W., Glasgow," suggests, in your December number, no doubt with the amiable inten- tion of terminating the hitherto unceasing war that has pre- vailed between " fancy men" as to the merits of Sbanghacs, Dorkings, and other varieties of jjoultry, the propriety of crossing some of the best breeds, in the hope of producing a class of birds that shall combine the multifarious qualities of all. And he himself has made the experiment of cross- ing a Shanghae cock with a Poland hen, the ofl'spring of which he speaks most highly of. My object in addressing you, is lint to find any fault with his very laudable oflbrts to improve his stock by experiments of this nature, but to can tion him as to the unsoundness of drawing any conclusions from iijirsi ijenerntion. Now'it is'a well-known fact among sheep-breeders, that nothing is more unsuccessful than the attempt to perpetuate the stock of a cross-bred animal. They degenerate to a marvellous extent with every succeeding generation, until at last the sheep become quite weak and sickly, having none of the characteristics of purity and health. Arguing from Jamdabv 2Q. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 813 analogy, the Shanghae and the Poland will generate stock which will gradually become worthless iu the course of a few seasons. To have tlie cross perfect, every bird must be of the first generation ; the parents of each " mongrel " must be of the separate lireed, whose good qualities it is our desiro to combine. I do not say positively that such dete- rioration will take ijlace \nth fowls; biit there is much greater reason, (i priori, for believing that it will, than that it will not. Therefore, let us endeavour to persuade our friend, " A. S. W.," to give us the result of his experiments in a few years time, after he has tried to perpetuate the stock of his cross-bred birds from one generation to another. Permit me, now that I have pen in hand, to say a few words upon a " Subscriber's " treatment of a poor hen, labouring imder "inflammation of the egg-passage." I verily believe he liilled it ; and as he is anxious to know from your readers whether lie could have devised any better plan of ti'eatment, I venture to suggest [iiiedicus sum) that he had better have left the jioor creature alone. A warm bath for a fowl] Who ever heard of such a thing? Wet, cold, and damp feathers would undo all the good, if any, that a warm bath might have effected. If simply he had wTapped the hen in warm flannel, and placed it before the fire, without irritating the poor wretch with tartar-emetic, calomel, and rhubarb, this hen whom he now mourns might still have been the imde of the harem. I do most positively believe (and I hesitate not to declare it) that hundreds of animals of different kinds are yearly killed by the over-offieiousness of their anxious possessors. There is a disease to wliich pigs are peculiarly obnoxious, bearing, with the vulgar, the elegant name of " the staggers." And, in my slight porcine experience, I have lost several by this, or rather by med- dling with tills, malady. Bleed him and purge him, say the learned. I have done so, and they have invariably died. But last summer, " the staggers " threatened my little farm- yard again. But no more bleeding and calomel for me. Keep him warm, and leavi: him ulone, v/rh my motto; and the only two pigs attacked recovered. This may be a mere accidental coincidence. I do not say positively that it is not. But still it has been a lesson to me ; I wiU not meddle with Dame Nature any more. This position is equally tenable with fowls, and I am sure it is with humanity. More than half the people who complain would get well without a physician ; but they loill send for him ; and, get- ting credit for spontaneous cures, like Belinda's Betty, the Doctor is " praised for labours not his own." — Edgak Shep- PAED, Enfield. [With what Mr. Sheppard says relative to cross-breeding, we entirely concur; but not so as to leaving poultry to " Dame Nature," if they are seriously disordered. Warmth and change of diet will usually do much for them, but we have seen too many cases of cure in all our domestic ani- mals, not to know that medicine can do much in arresting the progress of their diseases. We msh any of our readers who have a hen egg-bound would try the effect of giving her ergot of rye. Three five-grain doses of the powder, mixed with a little meal and water, at intervals of ten minutes, might be sufBcient.— En. C. G.] BOUQUET D'AMOUR. There is but one step between the sublime and the ridi- culous. No wonder the cook thought so ; for I was in a j towering passion one morning, to find the mince-pies spoilt I ar/ain ; not baked enough ! and after such repeated tuition, I striving to impress her with the tact and economy of the I thhig (viz.), directly the bread is taken out of the oven it merely requires a small quantum of fuel to engender renewed heat, sufficient for the baking mince, or any other fragile pies of that order whatsoever. Alas ! for bachelors orders ; i " what should (fei/ know about orders ? " *«*»** However, the mince-pies were not "half-baked," and the demon possessed the man. I dare not reiterate what I said ! on that eventful morning ; but what I did, I state to my own shame and satisfaction. I procured fresh wood in a fury ; I caused the oven to become heated in a fury ; and the oven roared ; and I furiously roared at the cook, stentor-stating, that if she did , not choose to make pies according to specification, and bake ; them properly, — a nice healthy brown, fit for christians to partake of — so soon as that particular quantity of wood had exploded, I would come and do them myself ! Wonderful ! Now X seriously think of it, it certainly was wonderful. Tlie cook did make and bake some fresh pies beautifully, without retaliating a single word. No, she did not even shake her fist at me 1 I presented her with a glass of port iu the evening ; she deserved a bottle ; but, as I was going to observe, in the height of all this liubbub, I strode with measm'ed steps, though not slow, into the garden, thorouglily disgusted, wreaking anathemas, and as far as my recollection serves me, consigning cooks and bachelors establishments to tlie possession of all the caloric powers. A change comes o'er the spirit of this rage. In one instant the tide of my vituperacious anger was turned to shame and sorrow ; and how ? Why, at tliat single love- beaming glance of a pm'O iuoft'ensive flower, a Christinas rose, peering laughingly at me througli a liand-glass, whicli I had placed over it as a protection from the winter storms. Often and often have 1 experienced the same fascination, become lilimanised as it were with this sweet fellowship ; and I have more than once thought, if ever I sliould have the mis- fortune to lose my faculties, that the sudden presentation of a beautiful flower, would, in preference to anything, tend to the resumption of my reason. The fair rose became at once endeared to me ; it must be culled and placed by my fireside, and remain there cherished and loved for the future of its existence. I secm'ed the humble admonitor, and communed witli it, as I suppose most other people would do, who ever cull a flower with the like feelings. Athougbtl Another!! It is done. I gently insinuate these Eussian violets between each leaf of my Christmas rose, and secure their stalks to the rose-stalk tenderly with sewing cotton, introducing into the cup of the flower as many violets as can be pleasantly passed without very much distorting the petals of the rose, carefully allowing the pistil and stamens to remain fully ex]iosed in tlie centre. I then procured the largest and most rounded violet leaves, and place tliem as a circled foundation directly beneath tlie white petals of the rose, when it represented, according to my idea, the appearance of a new and beautiful passion- flower; a bouquet, not for the hand, but worthy to present to a lady, and become secured on her bosom. My interpretation reads thus — BOUQUET D'AJIOXJE. Evergreen as a foundation, enrayed with pure spotless white ; centre true blue, with tlie gentlest sparkle of yellow (jealousy; and wliere is true love ever found without it ?), showing itself in just proportion, by the peeping stamens of tlie rose. I really think Covent Garden ought to sport this bijou ; it should, and just possibly would, cause a run amongst the bachelors, iily own sweet pet is wafting its odours in the desert of my solitary room, and chiding me even now. — F. SINGULAR ATTACHMENT. I HAVE a small white cockatoo, and a rough-haired terrier dog, which have formed a mutual attachment for each other; the affection of the bird is, however, perhaps the strongest. No sooner does the dog, who sleeps in the stable, make his appearance before the parlour- window of a morning, than the bird is all anxiety and restlessness to get at him ; and when he is admitted into the room, she will fly down from her perch, and welcome him witli the utmost dehght, and testify her joy by expanding her wings, rubbing against his legs, and nestling herself as close to him as possible. He, in his turn, lacks her over, takes her into his mouth, and is very careful not to hm-t lier. They he togetlier upon the heai'th-rug, or upon a chair. When let out into the garden they gambol upon the grass-plot; and she attends him in his rounds about the premises. My sitting-room has folding doors, which are generally open most of the day during the summer, and the bird has free egress and ingress as she pleases, and being strong on the mng, much of her time is spent in the shrubberies, or on the tops of our highest trees. It is a beautiful sight to see her winging her flight along the face of the dark line of 311 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. jAM'Ar.Y .'^O. foliage, or pGiTovming her evolutions liigh np in the air aL these times, v.hen called to, she -will suddenly make a lui'n, and with expanded and motionless wings glide dnwn iind aligiit upon tlio hand which is Jield out to lier. Slie is very fond uf attending \\})on her mistress when engaged in gardening; and if I happen tu be at a distant part, will sail backwards and forwards, from one to the other, aliglit- ing upon our shoulders. Being light, her aerial movements are very graceful, far surpassing those of the common pigeon. She is also pleased at being noticed, and fond of strangers. That destructive propensity so often observed in the species results much from confinement, and is scarcely perceptible when they enjoy perfect freedom. — S. r., Jiuahmere. TO CORRE5POWDEri3TS. Frcit Tbees {A Novice, Lutl>^ru-orth\—'X\ie liuality of fruits depends entirely on the localities where they are jrroun ; and so, in some, liettn-H i>iW is only a second-rate pear, while in others it is of the very tinest quality, as is tlie case with you. Generally spealting, in all situations south of Derby it is a first-rate fiuit, rarely to be surpassed ; but wr know that in the northern counties it is only second-rate. We should not suppose the climate of Lutterworth unfavourable to the cultivation of Flemish pears ; but from what you say of the " bottom " bein<; dry, may in some measure account for your want of success. Although it is absolutely necessary for the cultivation of pears that the soil should not he wet, still, at the same time, it should be moist. There are some of these loamy soils you speak of, which have a dry gravelly bottom, that acts like a cullender in draining olf every particle of moisture as it falls ; and we suspect that is the disadvantage you are labouring under. It is not the climate, therefore, but the soil. You do not say whether you want dessert or kitchen Apples, we, therefore, send vou four of each, as follows:— Kerry Pippin, Court of Wick, Wyken Pippin, Stunner Pippin, Wormsl(-y Pippin, Golden Winter Pearmain, or K'm-i of the Pippins, Dumelow's Seedling, Gooseberry Apple. The Pears we would recom- mend you, arc Dunmore, Jersey Gratioli, Hacon's Incomparable, and Nelis d'Hiver. SuANcnAE,— T. A. says, "I am still of opinion that there arc no black or pure white thoroughbred Slianghac fowls in England, and stmuhl be glad, tiierefore. to know what may be I\Ir. W. Lort's, or his fi-iends', * (lowers to convince me of my error,' and jtrovc that there are nnii of either. The word 'imported' is so commonly used in these days with reference to China fowls, that it ' goes for nothing.' "—Why does not our correspondent write to DIr. Lort '.' Gksnera, Suttonii ALiiA (L.).— This, after doing well, came to at stand still, and did not grow. On examining the roots they were found covered with mealy bug; what is the cause of this/ We might write pages, and not be able to satisfy you or ourselves either. Most likely the bug rame with the plant. You are fortunate that the vermin arc con- fined to the roots, as such a nest was sufficient to give you trouble for years to come. If you are sure that none are on the top of the plant, and only there, take off a few cuttings to save the sort if you admire it; but that done, pitch pot and plant and all into the nearest fire you can reach, and that without a moment's parley. Even though you see no- thing on the cuttings, wash them well witli soap and water. " The safest plan would be to sacrifice the whole. You could not have a worse intruder. Laxtana MUTADiLis (T. A. £,).— You treated it as a greenhouse plant, and it is growinir freely but not blooming. This we arc rather surprised at. To grow freely at this season requires a warm greenhouse, such as that mentioned to-day by Mr. Fish. In such circumstances, and in a light position, it blooms as it grows. Treated as a greenhouse plant, it is most useful for summer blooming; and allowing it to become, in a temperature of ahont a:>°, decidiunis in winter. In March or April it should he cutback, as soon as you see tne buds breaking, as freely as you would do a rose, shifted and kept close for a few weeks in a temperature not less than OO^, When removed to the greenhouse about June, it will hlooui freely tmtil the end of October. Full details as to greenhouse management have already been given. Loam, peat, and a little charcoal, will grow it in fine style. During the summer it may cither be top- dressed with rotten dung, or watered alternately with manure and clear- water. Orange-Tree {X. Y. Z.).— This is blooming, but lost all its leaves, and the twigs arc getting mouldy, and fruit always falling ofl" when the size of peas. This has been planted against the back wall of a green- house, in a border well drained; in soil, good loam, leaf mould, and sand; and watered occasionally with manure water. Now we must refjuirc to know more as to access to light and licat before advising ; meantime, we would give no more manure waterings; next, we would examine the soil, and see first if it is not sodden, notwithstanding the drainage ; and next, if it is not very dry after going a few inches from the surface. In either case we would replace with fresh soil, and peat for such a plant, might be substituted for leaf-mould. Then the position should be examined. We should almost conclude your plant was shaded in summer, and in a low temperature in winter. A plant can only endure the latter, and carry its foliage nicely, when it has full light and'a rather high temperature in summer. To get an orange plant not only to flower, but to fruit, and be healthy against the back wall of a greenhouse, you must not only give it full light in summer, but a higher temperature than would suit mont greenhouse plants, most of which would be better, however, in pits or out-of-doors. Then Mr. Fish gave full directions on this subject in an early volume ; but the above will, we think, meet your case ; if not, tell us, and be more explicit. EvED-NAiLs FOR TRAiNii^G Wall-trees (T. Hi//).— We did not ■ay that your nails, of which we gave a drawing, would be more liable to cause friction to the branches than others. One thing is quite certain; no gardener can fasten a branch so close to a wall by tying, as he can by the common mode of nailing with a shred. The branches, therefore, are liable to a freer and greater motion, and if the chaffing, which would con- se{|ucntly arise if a wire is used, be not obviated in some way, no gardener will use them. We believe it would be obviated by using a atrip of lead as broad as the eye would admit, and twisting the ends, thus screwing, as it were, the branch as tight as can be, by such a mode of training. In answer to your ((uery, apply to a glass-dealer [we forget his name) within three doors of the Angel, Islington. Ducks {.J. S. A".).— For a small garden buy a pair of Teal. You may obtain them of the dealers in fancy fowls. Nutt's Celery (J. T.).— Why not write to fllr. Nutt for one of his shilling packets ? He advertised in our pages a few weeks ago, and you will there see his address. SiiANGiiAE Fowls {A. B. C). — We cannot answer for the goodness of specimens we have never seen. Price varies capriciously with amateurs. We saw specimens marked at one guinea per pair, at the Great IVletropolitan Show, which we would have selected in preference to others priced by their owners at ten times the amount. Potting Sand (J. P. B.). — Our corresjiondcnt says that what we called " ICillwing sand," at page 2/4. ought to he " Killiney sand," and he wishes it to be corrected, because " to numbers here (Dublin) the in- forniation will be equally valuable." J>ORKiNGs (J. B. /',).— Capt. W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage, Prescot, Lancashire. Pahalvsed LiMDS (.4 Lover of all that is Hu)idsome).~\Vhcn a fowl loses the use of its legs, as in the case of your hen, we have never known, any remedy that even mitigated the symptoms. We will recur to this case. SpAMSu Fowls {.'1 Subscriber, Leek).—'i!\\t pure variety is single- combed. Challenge {J. C. D.). — If we inserted it we should have to pay the advertisement duty. Work on Poultry (K. H.). — See an advertisement to-day. The i disease of which your poultry have died since their return from Bir- j mingham must be some violent inllammation. We will mention the case j again. ! Removal of Hotiiousb (L. Y,).— If attached to the wall, or to the I foundation, it cannot be removed without the landlord's consent, but I you might take away the door, and the moveable w indowa probably. ; Heating Cuccmoer-bed {Old Subscriber). — What is the heat in the I pipe ; and what the aspect? I Disease in Pigeons. — We are very much obliged by the following : — " Ihougb I cannot ini'orm J. T. of the cause of the disease with which his pigeons are affected, yet it may be acceptable to point out a inea/is of I removing it. As a boy, I kept pigeons in large numbers, and the disease '. J. T. alludes to was common among them; indeed, so much so, that I have removed the lumps from the neck of as many as seven birds in one morning. The plan 1 pursued, was to make a cut tuugitiidiiinlli/ over the lump, to scoop out the contents, and then to rui) the interior of the ] wound with cither tincture of iodine, or riga baUam, then at once securing the edges together. There was generally coni«iderablc bleeding at , the time, and for that reason I i)referred that my jjigeons should be of some size and strength before I operated upon them. It' the whole of the kernel ' was not removed, I found it grow again, and need a second operation. The doing this was not unattended with danger, the proportions of deaths being about two in five. I remember shooting some Wood-pigeons which appeared to suiter from the same disease, the flesh having the same peculiar rank smell, and being quite uneatable. I am now speaking of bow I treated pigeons some years ago, and there may be now an easier or safer method, and if so, it mtint be known to our most celebrated pigeon- fanciers, whose addresses could be obtained without difficulty, ana whose courtesy would, doubtless, reply to a polite enquiry." — A. Lort, M'ard End, near Birmiiif^hain. • Fern Shoots as a Kitchen Vegetaele.— A correspondent (Hector) says, *' I enclose you the following extract from Hue's Travels inTartary. W'ill you be kind enough to say whether you have ever known the young stem of the fern cooked as a vegetable." (vol. 2, p. 86). *' Another dish, not leas distinguished in our esteem than the preceding, was furnished by a plant very common in France, and the merit of which has never yet been ade(]uate!y appreciated : we refer to the young stems of fern ; when these arc gathered quite tender, before they are covered with down, and while the first leaves are bent and rolled up in themselves, you have only to boil them in pure water to realise a dish of delicious asparagus." Have any of our readers any experience as to the palatableness or wholesomeness of such a dish? Rural CvfLOP.tniA {W. W. W.). — We have never seen this work. We know where Shnnghae eggs from the best bull' strains may be had at eighteen shillings the dozen, package included. Illustrations ok Do^uestic Poultry (Practical). — It is published at Birmingham ; when ready for general distribution we have no doubt that it will be advertised. Names ov Plants (G. A.). — Your plant is Bochea fnlcata, being named after La Roche, a botanical author. The spots or blotches upon the points of some of its leaves may be caused by changes the jilant may have suffered, from too much watering at the mot, or thoughtlessly over bend with other plants. It should not be over potted. Soil, sandy loam, with pounded bricks, old mortar, or charcoal dust mixed w ith it, and the pots well dr^iined, and kept upon a dry shelf near the glass ; giving n very little water ilurinp the winter, and never over the leaves uf the plant at any season. (N. T.). — \\'e think No. 1 Erica virtdescims. No. 2 Kriea ncuviinata, but the specimens are small and damaged. {Dcvnnicnsis). — Your plant is the Cliantfius puniceus, an account of which you will see in the Dictionary. We have it out-of-doors under a south-wall very full of flower-buda iii a forward state at this time. London : Printed by Harrt Wooldridgk, Winchester High-street, I in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kolendar; and Published by William SoMERViLLK Ottu, at the Ofllce, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of ' Christ Church, City of London.— January 2ftth, 1853. jANUAnr 27. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 315 M W D D 27 Th 28 F 29 S 30 SuH 31 M 1 To 2W 1 Weathee near Lohdon in 1852. •TAN. 27-FRnRUARy 2, 1853. ■ Barometer. Thermo. AVind. Uainin In. 1 Sun Rises, Sun Sets. Illoon R,&S. Moon's Age, Clock aft. Sun. Dayol 1 Year. Dromius pusillus ; bark. 29.588 — 29.467 46— 29 S. [ 28 Demetrias atricapilla ; bark. 29.883 — 29.730 45—21 N.W. — Hvphydrus ovatus ; ponds. 30.090-29.924 46—34 S.W. 04 Sexagesima Sunday. 29.979 — 29-624 53—29' W. , 11 Hilarr Term ends. 29.9)9 — 29.510 52— .ig ] S. • 14 Podu'ra plumbea. 29996—29.717,57—39 S.W. 04 Poeif. Candl. Day. 30.003 — 29.850 53—35 S.W. 04 48 a. 7 47 45 44 42 40 39 38 a, 4 40 42 44 45 47 49 7 24 8 44 10 5 11 26 morn, 0m47 2 10 18 19 20 21 22 € 24 13 8 13 19 13 30 13 39 13 48 13 66 14 4 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Meteorology of tbe Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty tares of these days are 44 . 1° and 3 1 .7° respectively. The greatest heat, 56°, occurred on in 1847. iDuring the period 101 days were fine, and on 81 rain fell. -si.x years the 23th , the average highest and lowest tempera- 1 n 1S46 ; and the lowest cold, 10", on the 2nd ROSE-COLOURED TACSONIA. (Tacsonia smiguinca.) i 7 ,\ -^\ FoK a very full history of tlie genus Tacsonia, and the culture of some of its species, we must refer our readers to pages 0 and ;)10 of our fifth volume. The species liefore us has heen until now imperfectly known. About fifty years since it was described hy Sir ,T. E. Smith, in Eees's Cyclopaedia, as Passiflora snngiiinca, and DecandoUe, in his " Produmus," first called it Tacsonia sain/uinea, but entirely from Sir J. E. Smith's description, and there is little doubt but that 2'acsoiiias qiiadriijlanditlosa, qnadridentata, and ipithesccns, in the same work, are really tlie saiH/iiiiico. It was first flowered in this country during last ,Tuly, by ilr. Hugh Low, of the Clapton Nursery, and it is figure THE COTTAGE GARDENER. •January U7. shoot in the autumn will stand more air, and rougher treatment, than the soft, sjjongy, watery shoot in the spring. In the one case, growth is being arrested, in the other, it is being excited. Apply, in the first case, and at once, such stinuilus as a warm, close, shaded atmosphere, and in many cases you will get shanked cuttings aud rotten tissues for your reward. Apply siicli e.\eitements when growth is progressing, in spring, and with the extra care for securing a close atmosphere and a diffused light, you will he paid in obtaining jilauts in a seventh part of the time you would do in the autumn. Two general rules may, therefore, he deduced from a primary principle. I'lrst. Do not hurry cuttings inserted in autumn ; let tlicm have time, and as much air and light as they will stand without flag- ging. Second. Never allow cuttings inserted in spring, or early summer, to receive a check if you can prevent | it. In their case, little or no air should be given during j the day, imtil roots are produced, and then it must be ; given at first in small quantities. Cuttings, as well as jilants, must have their atmosjihere changed at times, i'or pjreserving healthy robustness, and warding ofi' insi- duous damps, I have long practised, and recommended, giving cuttings a little air at night, less or more, accord- ing to circumstances. I :ind. " What is tJieiise of hell-(/lasses ? Is it to keep | out the air ? "Woidd not a commoa frame answer tlie same purpose? A certain work says, after once placing them on the cuttings, '•wipe them out crcrij mornimj" Is not tliis to remove damp; aud would not wiping off the condensed moisture, on the inside of a cold frame, so as to prevent the moisture falling, answer a similar purpose? Or, might not air be admitted for aquarter-of- an-hour to dry it up ? and, if so, what need of these expensive bell-glasses, especially when we have little enough to spend on such matters?" Now, some of these very matters puzzled my own brains more than twenty years ago, when there was no Cottage Gardener to resolve a doubt, but when we were left to arrive at principles and theories through the stern teachings of | facts. Our correspondent, with commendable zeal, tells ns, that he " likes to understand, and go through with • evei'ything he undertakes." Tlierc is no want in his inqviiries, and that of others' that have reached me, on the same subject, but that oi dejiniteness. The (question of cuttings is too general. Oifferent plants require different treatment. Ten to one but the plants our friend has in his eye requu-e no such things as bell- , glasses. But that is no conclusive argument against ' their use. I thought myself wondrous clever when I got cuttings to root in plenty, in my father's window, by adopting the simple plan of setting the pots on the ' floor during sunshine ; and I deemed myself of still i more importauoe when, in the sliady borders of green- . houses and forcing-liouses, I got plants to root as if it I were at my bidding. 1 did not find myself to be a I perfect novice until I tried hard-woeded and difficult plants; aud then, so crestfallen was 1, that even such a simple thing as a hand-liglit, full of rooted pink pipings, gave me something like r(ilief, because, then the first dim perceptions of the piinciples of propagating by cuttings passed through my mind. However we gentlemons' gardeners may either hkmder, or stick to old customs just because they are " ancient ways ; " we may rest assured, that there is reason for the processes employed, so long as shrewd tradesmen, that must meet the competition of the market, adopt them. About twenty years ago, 1 noticed the finest sight of struck aud striking hard-wooded cuttings 1 ever bclicld; aud, as not very luug since 1 saw a similar plan successfully adopted, it may bo pro- fitable to detail .it here. 'T)ie house was a wide lean-to, with a pit in the middle and shelves all round. The pit was filled with tan and sand, so as to give out a steady mild heat of about T0\ The plants. Heaths, Ejiacriscs, &c., had been slightly excited before the short cuttings were taken oft': the pots had been more than three parts filled with drainage, then a little sandy-peat, covered with an inch of silver-sand, and well watered. "When dry and firm, the cuttings were inserted and watered, wlien the tops were dry the pots were plunged for three parts of their depth in the pit, each covered finnly with a bell-glass, and then the sashes of the pit put on. You will observe, that here there were three thicknesses of glass : the roof of the house, the sash of the pit, and the bell-glass : and, notwithstanding the diflu- sion of light from passing these mediuuis, a slight shading was wanted in bright days. The following were the circumstances in which 1 found them. Some lights were close shut, and the bell-glasses beneath them close over the plants ; beneath, other lights also close, many of the bell-glasses were raised a little on one side, because rooting was progressing; in others, farther advanced, the glasses were removed, hut the sashes wei'e close; while in otliers, the bell-glasses were not only removed, but there was an inch of air at the top of the light. In looking round me, 1 saw others standing with a great deal of air under hand-lights; and others, on open shelves, hardening olf for potting. Now, I by no means say that such tilings could not be stnick without all this attention and beU-glass-management; but I question if many other modes would be more certain, expeditious, and economiccd. With these general remarks, I proceed to make a few running notes on our correspondent's inquiries and deductions. 1. '■ The great e.vpense of hell-glasses to amateurs." I think they are tlie cheapest agents he can employ. A dozen of tliem, from four to six inches in diameter, may be got for about a crown, provided there is only one or two of the last size. Now, without saying any- thing of the expense of a frame, it is not likely it will be always devoted to propagating purposes ; it most likely will have another crop during the season : but it is very probable, that now and then some cuttings of desirable things may come in his way; and then, if what we have said of air, &o., be true, the cuttings could not receive justice in the frame, and the main crop in it too. Now. in such a case, a bell-glass comes to our aid ; for, if we even put the cuttiugs in the frame, by means of the bell-glass we can give the cuttings any degree of shade, of closeness or openness we re(iuire. Half-a-dozen, even, of such utensils would open up a large field for experiment. A good substitute would be to insert the cuttings in a small pot, and then set it in- side a larger one, so that the tops of tlie cuttings are below its rim, and over that to place a sijuare of glass that would cover the mouth of the pot. Turning the glass every day would prevent damping from condensed moisture dropping. 2. " Tlie use of the bell-glass." This is not merely lo keep the cuttings from the exliausting effects of a free current of air, but also to prevent the evaporation of their juicies, by surrounding theur with an atmosphere more or less saturated with moistiu'e. Every leaf and green part of a cutting, previous to its being taken from its parent plant, performed perspiring, elaborating, and assimilating agencies. These were sustained by the reciprocal action going on between brandies and roots. The first thing wo do is to destroy that connection wlicn we remove the cutting. < )ur next object sliouhl be to preserve the cutting as it is ; to place it in circumstunecb in whidi it shall not bo allowed to pers|iire more than it can absorb. Assimilation must, therefore, take place slowly, and tluis wc give light and air in proportion as the cuttings are forming a callus, or rools. Now, with boll-glasses, we coidd give cvei'y pot in a propagating I frame its distinctive necessary treatment, whicli wc I cannot do without, because, in dillicult easca, wheu we January 27. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 323 either shade or give air to suit certain cuttings, we run the risk of injuring others. 3. " Wipimj hell-glasses ccenj morning, or wiping the inside of a cold-frame to prevent tlie dropping of con- densed moisture." Now here, in tlie iirst place, in all tender and difficult cases, the exposure necessary on wiping a frame would be injurious, liesides, unless in cold nights, in autumn and spring, there would be little condensed moisture, which will always be in proportion to the moisture within, and the difference between the internal and external atmosphere. In all common soft- wooded plants, the leaving a little air on at night, or for a short time in the morning, will be suf&cieut. The wiping of bell-glasses did use to be a serious affair ; but I have repeatedly shown how that trouble may be next to altogether abolished, by using conical, instead oi flat- headed, glasses. In the latter case, the drops would fall on the cuttings; in the fonuor, it would trickle down into the soil. By using double pots, placing the cuttings in the inner one, and the glass between the inner and outer, I have frequently struck tender things, that after being first watered, never had the glass moved until it was seen the cuttings were fairly growing, and that, too, when from first to last they had enjoyed a fair amount of sunshine. Not now to speak of the slow decomposi- tion going on in such circumstances, it will at, once be evident that the moisture raised by heat during the day, placed the cuttings in an atmosphere in whicli they were forced to absorb, as well as perspire. The cold of night condensed that moistvu'e, and returned it to the soil, just ready to be brought up again the following day by a something like perpetual-motion process. 3rd. " Allowing that bell-glasses are not essential for tender and hard-ioooded plants, and a useful auxiliary for solitary instances of experiments and propagation ; may they not be done tvithout in the case of soft-irooded Greenhouse Plants, and those now generallg employed for summer decoration, for baskets, and Jiower gardens?" Yes, especially if propagation is confined to two periods — early in autumn, or in spring. In the first case, they should be kept cool. In the second case, they will rejoice in the excitement of a slight hotbed. In the one case, a result is obtained with a minimum of care, at the expense of a maximum of time. In the other, time is gained, but care and attention are increased. In both cases, I prefer diffused to shaded light. If placed two or three feet from the glass, little or no shading will be necessary ; but these matters have already occupied attention. 4th. " Hoiv many leaves should he left on cuttings ? " This must depend upon whether they are large or small, and the lesser or greater means at your dis- posal for preventing them exhausting the cutting by evaporation. I have had cuttings root quicker with all their leaves on than those partly mutilated; but then they were placed in circumstances that nurtured and stimulated the vital energies. A medium path is generally the safest. When the leaves are large, it is best to re- duce them, and thus lessen the perspiring, evaporating surface ; but no general rule can be given. In autumn it is advisable to cut to a joint, removing the leaves there, and either taking away or shortening a few above ; but in spring, with the assistance of a slight hotbed, there are many things, such as Verbenas and Calceolarias, that we would consider it a waste of time to cut to a joint or remove a leaf; but the vital forces are in a diti'ercnt condition then from what they are in autumn. 5th. " What temperature should tve give cuttings r' In autumn it should little exceed that in which the plant stood. In spring it will always be advisable to raise it a kw degrees. This holds equally true of tender or stove plants. Hence the ease with which such strike generally in a hotbed under a bell-glass. When autumn-planted cuttings are long in rooting, they may receive a stimulus by heat at their base when they have swelled or callused there. 0th. "How should I water cuttings?" This is a matter of great importance. Let the utensils and materials be well soaked and drained before the cuttings are inserted, and water so as to make firm and fill every cranny on the surface. After that, I prefer dewing the cuttings instead of soaking the soil. This is particularly neces- sary in autumn-struck cuttings, if you would save them from damping in winter. Such plants, even when rooted, and you give them all the air you can in dull foggy weather, will flag when a bright sunny day comes, even when they are moist enough at the roots, just because both leaves and roots have been enervated by the want of sunlight. In such cases, soaking away at the roots will only be the precursor of future cares, if not total disappointment. A slightdeiving of the foliage, taking away the air, and, in extreme cases, a slight shading, are the proper remedies until the plants get used to the change. Here I must stop, and my apology for the length of the article must be the fact, that the matters alluded to will, ere long, be engaging the practical attention of our readers. K- 1'ish. THE AURICULA. {Continued from jtage 808.) Winter Treatment. — Of all the seasons in the year, this is the most difhcult to carry the Aiiricula ship safely through to tlie desired haven of spring. The difficulty consists in, or arises from, the nature of our variable climate. In its native Alps the air is keen and pure, and the perpetual covering of snow keeps them from growing, and at the same time shelters them from extreme frost and the cutting winds ; so that when the warm sun of April melts the snow, and warms the air, they spring into life and bloom almost like magic. Just in proportion as we imitate this state of natural manage- ment or treatment will be our success; for although our Auriculas are, as my good friend Mr. Beaton would say, high bred, yet, constitutionally, they have the same character in regard to requiring a winter treatment, similar to their, perhaps, more hardy ancestors. The season for this winter treatment commences to- wards the end of October. They should then be placed with a full exposure to the south. The best habitation for them is a cold brick-pit, placed upon an elevated stage of boards, with a flagged floor for it to stand upon, the floor sloping slightly to the front, and a convenience of giving air by means of sliding shutters in the wall, back and front, but as this is a rather expensive winter- dwelling, they may be kept very well in a common garden-frame, of a size proportionate to the collection. In this frame I should prefer boards to set the pots U])on, resting upon bricks, so that the air can pass round, upon, and under the pots, as well as among the plants. A free circulation of air is very important at this dull, moist season of the year. Should none of these articles be conveniently had, they will do moderately well upon a bed of dry coal-ashes, so elevated as to bring the plants within six inches of the glass. Having them safely into their winter quarters, the at- tentiou they require then is to give them plenty of air on all favourable occasions, and to shelter them from severe frost by securely covering them up while it lasts. Should the frost reach them, great care must be taken in thawing them. The sua should never shine upon them whilst frozen. Keep a mat thrown over the glass till the frost is slowly overcome, and then they may be exposed fully to it by drawing ott' the lights. Very little water will be required during winter, the less the better, providing the plants do not actually flag for the want of it. 324 THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. January 27. By these attentions daily attended to, the plants will, towards the cud of February, be begmning to grow, and will then require a close looking over. Every decayed or decaying leaf should be carefully removed without in- juring the healthy ones or tlio stems, and diligent searcli made for the slugs and snails, and every one destroyed. Should worms be in the pots, they will show they arc there by their casts on the surface of the earth. Gene- rally, they may be got rid of by turning the ball of earth carefully out of the pot, and picking out the worms, which may be seen winding round the outside of the ball. Should they be inside, then, when the plant requires water, give it water impregnated with lime, this will eflfectually kill the worms. Water will, in February and March, be required more frequently and more liberally, to encourage the iiower-stems and buds to appear strong and healthy; and thus I have been round the year, and then commences the top-dressing and attentions of the spring seasoji. Propagation : By Offsets.— I have already incidentally mentioned these, when describing the operation of potting, but I must enlarge a little here. No ofi'set should be taken off until it has roots of its own. If very small, three or four oflsets may be put round a pot close to the side, there to grow until they are strong enough to be put singly into small pots, but if moderately strong, they may be put into pots singly, in proportion to their size. In general, small 60's will be large enough, which are about three inches diameter. In these they remain for twelve months, and are then to be potted into the same size as the established plants. Blooming plants are usually grown in small 32's, which are oj inches across, inside measure. In these put the strongest year- old offsets, and they will bloom the next season. Bij Seed. — This, to increase the chances of improved varieties, should be saved only from flowers of first-rate properties ; and further, to increase with a certainty of success, such as are intended for seed should, when in bloom, be placed under a hand-light, far away from their inferiors. The seed-vessels are, in wet weather, very apt to turn mouldy and decay, and consequently destroy the seed also. The hand-light will prevent this also. Gather the seed as soon as it is ripe, and keep it in a dry room, hung up in a paper bag till the season arrives for sowing it. If you have the convenience of a green- house, February will be the best time, but if not, sow a month later in a cold frame ; sow the seed in shallow pans, well drained, in light compost ; press the compost evenly down, and then give a gentle watering; sow the seed upon it while moist, and then cover it about the eighth- of-an-inch, and cover the pan with a flat piece of glass. It will not require watering, because the moisture in the earth below will rise up and moisten the covering. Place the pan as near the glass as convenient, and watch the soil that it keeps moist. The seedlings wiH come up in about a montli's time, and then remove the glass, or the plants will draw up weak. As soon as they can be handled with a pair of small sticks, transplant the seedlings into similar pans, similarily treated with respect to watci', but without the glass covering; replace them on the shelf near the glass, and when the sun shines, shade them. It may be necessary to transplant them once more into fresh soil and fresh pans previously to potting them off into small (io's, and, indeed, is desirable to do so, if convenient, as it strengthens them greatly, and forwards their growth. Pot them off into pots as soon as they have made four or five leaves, and place them imder a cold frame, shaded daily until fresh roots are formed ; then subject them to the summer treatment, and pot the strongest into blooming-pots in September. These will bloom the following season. X. Api'leby. (To he eonliiiucd, ) CONIFERS. {Continued from page 28R.) PiNUS. — This genus contains the greatest number of species of the whole tribe of Couiferce. It is distributed through almost every clime of the world. The common Scotch Fir (Pinus si/lvestris) is found growing to almost the utmost limit of vegetation on the cold mountains of Norway and Sweden, wliilst other species inhabit the mountains of j\Ie.\ico, in the warmest latitudes. This universal distribution of these trees, sheltering man and beast both from cold and heat, is another great proof of the benevolence of the Creator of all things towards His creatures, enabling them to bear and exist in climates that would otherwise be uninhabitable. From the various species of this large division of Coni- fera3, mankind extract, besides timber, various sub- stances of great use in the arts and manufactiu'cs of every-day life. Oil of turpentine, common and Bur- gundy pitch, Hungarian balsam, Bourdeaux turpen- tine, are obtained from this genus and administer to the wants of man ; and then he makes use of the w'ood for building his dwellings and for fuel, for which latter pur- pose it is admirably fitted, on account of the abimdance of oily matters it contains. The trees belonging to the genus are found in various altitudes, some growing on lofty elevations, whilst others inhabit valleys almost down to the sea-shore. The genus is distinguished by the great length of the leaves, which grow in sheaths or bundles ; by the cones, which are oval, and have their carpels, or scales, thickened at the top, so as to hide the bracts ; and their carpels are persis- tent, remaining attached to the axil of the cone for years after the seeds have been shed. The cones, too, in contradistinction to the cones of the Spruce tribe, are generally erect, that is, the small end points upwards. By these marks the Pines may be easily distinguished from other genera. It is somewhat remarkable that there are, in this genus, a certain number of species that have two leaves only in each sheath, others three, and others five in each bundle. And as this is not a chance afl'air, but is regular and constant, I shall arrange the species in my enumeration of them in three divisions: — 1st. Such as have two leaves in a sheath. 2nd. Three. And 3rd. Such as have five leaves in a bundle or sheath. DIVISION ISI — LEAVES GENERALLY TWO IN A SllEAT]!. PiNus AusTEiACA (Austrian Pine). — A very hardy, robust-growing tree. It has been found to bear the sea breeze bettor than almost any other evergreen tree ; hence it is important to the owners ol' land so situated. Pinus Banksiana (Sir Joseph Banks's Pine). — A native of the cold regions of Hudson's Bay ; a low- growing tree of considerable beauty. Tlie natives of those inhospitable regions cover their huts with its branches, which, when covered with snow, look like so many enormous snowballs, and are, when heated with its logs of timber, warm and comfortable. It was named by J\ir. Ijambert in honour of that scientific and enter- prising botanist. Sir Joseph Banks. PiNus BiiuTiA ( Calabrian Pine). — Native of the Calabrian mountains. It has a synonyme, P. eoiiglomc- rata, from the clusters of remarkably handsome long cones it produces. Perfectly hardy, and in'oduces excel- lent timber. PiNus FiscHERi (Dr. Fischer's Pino). — So named by JNIr. Booth, of Hamburgh, a celebrated nurseryman there. Very little is known of this species. J'iNi;s Fkesiontiana (Captain Fremont's I'iue). — Named in honour of that hardy, enterprising, and per- severing explorer of the regions of which it is a native, namely, the mountains of Sierra Nevada, iii California. It is a very remarkable tree, producing its leaves some- Janoaby 27. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 325 times three in a sheath, and sometimes only one. The latter peculiarity induced Dr. Torrey, and even Captain Fremont, to name it P. monophylla, or the One-leaved Pine, which, had that circumstance been constant, would have been very appropriate. The seeds are large and eatable, so pleasant and wholesome that they form a large portion of food ot the Indians who reside where it grows. The cones are produced plentifully, and there- fore it would be a desirable addition to our fruit-bearing trees in this country. The Indians call it the Nut Pine, and these (the nuts) are said to be of a pleasant almond- like flavour. As yet it is rather scarce, but will, no doubt, soon be abundant, as it is hardy enough to pro- duce its delicious nuts in this country. It is a low- growing tree, averaging about twenty feet high.. PiNus Halepensjs (Aleppo Pine). — As this is a native of Syria, it is not quite hardy in the northern parts of the island, but bears our winters well in the southern counties. It is, perhaps, the most elegant of all Pines, and wherever it will exist should be cultivated. It is oven worthy of a place in a conservatory. It grows rapidly, and is a somewhat low-spreading tree. PiNOs iNops (Poor or New Jersey Pine). — Often mis- taken for P. mills, but its leaves are shorter, and it is not so handsome in habit. T. Appleby. ( To he continued.) MAKING ASPARAGUS BEDS. There are, doubtless, many gardens where the im- portant work connected with the raising of permanent crops will have been retarded by the unusual wet season we have had; and, in some instances, we fear the press of other duties in the spring months will prevent many things being done which were contemplated early in autumn ; this, of course, relates only to such jobs as can, without any great sacrifice, be put off until another year. But there are some operations which can be as well done in spring as autumn, and amongst that num- ber is the formation of Asparagus beds. In many gardens, situated in districts uncongenial to healthy, vigorous vegetables, the production of this one in good condition is anything but an easy matter, delighting as it does in the deep, rich, alluvial soils found in the valleys flanking many of our rivers, and similar places where the accumulated richness of the adjoining heights had, through countless ages, poured their treasures into the flat below, has cer- tainly given the locality a character and combination which we in vain may look for in any mechanically- contrived soil, which we, by mi.'ting opposite sub- stances, may substitute for it. But it becomes the thinking cultivator to consider what can be done to render them as productive as possible ; and we all know how much has been done under such adverse circum- stances, that we may yet hope to see the difficulties attending the growth of really good Asparagus overcome, when our knowledge of the laws relating to soils and their component parts shall enable us to present each individual with its own particular mixture. Now this part of our craft has certainly not been very successful yet in the cidture of Asparagus, as I have seen beds that had been trenched a yard deep, and brushwood, stones, and other drainage, buried in the bottom by waggon loads, and all to no purpose. The Asparagus certainly did not perish wholesale, but it did so piecemeal, after producing for a very few years some few heads of very indifferent Asparagus. That there was something radi- cally wrong in the matter, was evident to every one ; but that it was not owing to the want of manure and other enriching substances accorded to the beds with a liberal hand ; but somehow, the mere adding of cart- load after cart-load of good useful dung, both fresh and decomposed, is still unable to afibrd this vegetable that description of food it is by nature adapted to assimilate, and consequently valuable matter is needlessly thrown away. Now, though it may appear feasible that a plant, like the Asparagus, producing such a quantity of fresh roots every year, and sending them to seek food every year to the same place their predecessors did the year before, must necessarily, sooner or later, exhaust that spot of those ingredients most suited to its growth; but somehow, the requirements of the plant is such, that merely adding large quantities of manure on the top of the beds every autumn, for the rains to wash the juices down to the roots, is not the way to afford the latter the food most in accordance with its wants. Much of it is necessarily washed below the action of the roots, if the soil be at all of that porous kind the Asparagus delights in ; if it be not, the result will be equally unsuccessful ; because a heavy, tenacious soil, that is retentive of water, will never produce this vegetable in good condi- tion. Now, though we do not deny but that dung so placed on old asparagus beds, and its juices, by the rains of winter, allowed to filter through the stratum of soil forming the beds, may do some good, yet we cannot regard it as the most profitable way of supplying food to the plant, because the latter does not require it at the time .it is offered; consequently, it is easy to infer that much of it must necessarily be lost. As the action of the roots of the plant and that of its top are reciprocal, it follows, that when food is administered, it ought to be at such times as these important agents of the plant's welfare may benefit themselves to the full extent of the quantity given, which, of course, every one knows is in summer; therefore, to those who wish to excel in the production of this vegetable, we say, supply it liberally with liquid- maniu'e during the summer months, and now and then add a little salt to it; by this means the roots will receive all the benefit of the substance applied at the time they require it most ; but, as the present and forthcoming season is the one suited to the formation of new beds, a few words on the subject will, perhaps, not be out of place. In those gardens where the soil consists of only a thin stratum resting on an impervious clay, or hmigry sand or gravel, where vegetation is simply made to flourish by excessive applications of dung, &c., on such soils some extensive operation must take place if good Asparagus be required, because the depth of good staple soil it requires demands that as one of the primary con- ditions to insure success ; but the treatment of ground resting on retentive clay must be difl'erent from that on porous matter ; the latter, parting qiuokly with super- abundant moisture, must be removed to make way for a stiffer substance. The practice is this : a plot of ground having been fixed on for the intended beds, first remove all the surface-soil that is good, then the inferior portion, to such a depth as will allow a cavity of not less than two feet good, or, if two-and-a-half, so much the better. The bottom of this excavation we expect to be sand or gravel, porous to an undue degree. Now, on this thirsty substance, I would place clay, or retentive loam, to the depth of three inches, which would arrest the descent of the moisture, while, at the same time, the demands for water below would suck sufficient from it to prevent its ever becoming soddened by too much moisture. The materials for the bed may then be put in at once, taking care to have a sufficient quantity of a stiffish kind of soil in the compost, because the imported portion will eventually assume the character of that to which it is annexed; it is better, therefore, to supply it with those ingi-edients which are most slow in effecting that change, while a sufficiency of dung and other things ought likewise to be supplied, so as to entice a vigorous growth to the plants when first planted there. In the compost used, it would be better for all the ingredients to be mixed 326 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 27. some time before being put in ; but tbis is not absolutely necessary, because some little time elapses before tbe roots of tlie plant reach that part of tbe bed which has least access to the air, during which time it will have amalgamated itself with the objects surrounding it. We may observe, that amongst the soils to which Asparagus has a great aversion, is the one in which iron predomi- nates; this soil, which shews itself so conspicuously by little pools of water having a sort of skin on their top, and the bottom, after it has receded, will appear red and rustj' — tliis soil is highly injurious to the Aspa- ragus, and when this predominates in a neighbourhood, we have little hopes of success there, except by extra- ordinary means. Lime and chalk arc less objectionable, although they are not the proper food for this plant either. The rich alluvial soils of the vale of the Thames is more the debris of other things, and we do not know any place where such good Asparagus is grown. But a fair share of success will attend the cultivator who takes the trouble, as above, in dry, hungry soils. The damp thin ones, of a retentive character, require different treatment ; they want additional soil, without e.Kcavation. In other words, whatever is added thereto must be done so as to raise the plot above tbe general level of tbe adjoining ground ; for we have no hesitation in saying, that to excavate the subsoil, which we take to be clay, and fill in some six inclies or more of loose stones and other drainage, and then fill in the top earth, is worse tlian useless, unless there be an efficient outlet for all water collected in the stratum below, which is not always the case ; besides which, ground of a decidedly stift' nature has a tendency to convert other soils that may be as far from the surface as itself into a like stiff character. These, and other reasons, lead us to prefer making new Asparagus beds on ridges elevated above the natural ground, in order that the stagnant moistui-e may be so far avoided as not to do much harm ; it is likewise advisable to use porous substances iu this mixture with more freedom than in the preparation of beds on the liglit, open soils first adverted to, because the adhesive nature of everything suri-ounding it will render that more necessary. As it is important that beds intended for permanent use hereafter should be well made, and not denied any- thing likely to ensure their well-being, yet it is equally necessary that all operations should be done when the ground is tolerably dry ; it is, therefore, as well to leave it undone until spring, when it may be performed without that ])lunging and treading which is disastrous to soils at tbis wet season of the j'ear. The planting may be then done likewise, if one-year-old plants be preferred ; but some sow at once where they are to remain ; and some sow early in spring, on some good border, and plant out in July or so, when the seedlings will move without loss. Whichever way be adopted, it is better to avoid that heavy crop of vegetables which i many, in their anxiety, seem determined to have on : ground they have treated so liberally to dung, forgetting, , at the same time, the injury it does to the legitimate occupant of the beds. Tliis, however, is more a matter for after-consideration ; but the material for the maker of the beds may be prepared in the meantime, so that when the fitting time does come everything may be ready. The plan of sowing or planting differs much with many cultivators ; but, usually, rows two feet apart arc thought best ; and two or tlu'ee yeai'S after- wards every third one taken away, leaving a space for an alley, which is also not without its uses, for summer vegetables may be cultivated there wlien shade and moisture may be denied them elsewhere. There are many other modes, and all tending to the same end. J. RoliSON. THE GARDEN PILFERER. By the Authoress nf "Mi/ Flowers," <(c. TiiEKE may bo, among my cottage readers, some who ai'e, or some who /;now such as are, chai'acters very like one I am going to remark upon ; and, as 1 doubt not, they are little considering the end to which they are travelling, I would earnestly pray their attention to the conduct and condition of an unhappy woman, whose name I shall call lletsey. She bore tor many years, and with some persons, the reputation of being a kind daughter to an aged, bed-ridden mother ; but her neighbours coiilil have told a very different tale if tliey had chosen. She liad heen always used to out- door work, and wlien she was middle-aged she became a regular wcedcr, and useful garden-woman, in the employ- ment of a gentleman in the neiglibourliood. She was so active aiid handy in her worl; that she became a great favourite, and was allowed to pick up snap- wood, and often received her apronful of vegetables, with other little per- quisites, such as favoured servants receive from their em- ployers. Her poor old mother died, and Betsey, having only herself to pruvide for, got on very well. Her wood- house began to be so full of faggots that they poked then' way out at every crevice ; only, as she was out all day, and only needed a fire at night, people could not put their Mnger upon anything against lier. Fruit and vegetables have no legs or feet, it is well known : but tliose in the garden of Betsey's master disappeared in a mai-vellous manner. Trees sti-ipped themselves of goose- berries, apples, cherries, JL-c, as if by fairy hands ; no one could tell how they went, or where they were gone. Betsey looked extremely distressed and innocent, but privately gave her master to understand, that " the young gentlemen were always in the garden after the fruit when his back was turned," and no doubt they were the offenders. It is veiy difticult for boys to clear themselves of chai'ges such as these ; but otlier members of the family, who knew them to be false, began to suspect the person who made them. The other persons employed about the house had worked there for years, and were well known ; but there was a something about Betsey, both in look and manner, that was not open and honest, and, altogether, she became an object of doubt to all but her unsuspecting master. It was a very long time, some years, during which all this was going on ; but at last a rumour reached the family, that was closely enquired into; and it was found tliat Betsey had all this time been secretly selling fruit and vegetables in the village, assuring her neighbours that her master lind en- trusted them to her to sell for his own profit, and that if she did not get the money for them, and take it down regu- larly to him, that she shoidd lose her place. Here was a fact, and a foundation to act upon. The suspicions and doubtful accusations that had had no effect upon Betsey's master hitherto were now proved to have been no unkind and groundless charges ; she ii^as the thief, and tlie " young gentlemen " were innocent. Of course, she was inmiediately discharged, and then many things came to light wliich had been all dark and mysterious ; and the villagers were very glad to tind that justice had overtaken the guilty at last. Some time after this, Betsey went to work for another family, at a little distance ; but she was there a very short time, and was dismissed for clearly-proved dishonesty, so that no doubt remained of her want of cliaracter on this point. A'ery strange tales were told of her, too, with regai'd to money, that sho had lent money to tlie man from whom she rented her house, and that " the i\ritings" were iu her baud as a security. Invents have proved that much of this nuist be true ; and how was a poor worker in the fields to amass money ? In the course of time Betsey's health failed, and she was unable to work. None of the neighbours liked bor, or even thought well of her. Her landlord was coustnntly iit her cottage, and was heard to say she should never want, and no oue cared therefore to go near her. 'J'liey diil not like her wiiys or her doings. WliL'u her old muster was borne to his hist resting place by tlie "cottage gardeners" wlio had for tlic longest period rented his allolmonts, Betsey crawled out of her liouse to see the procession jiass. She siud he had been her only friend ; and so, inilecd, ho had, but she had abused January 37. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. y27 his kindness, robbed and deceived him, and tiied to injiu'e his character, too, for her own ends. Since then she has been greatly afflicted, somehow or other, in her limbs; it was painful to see lier creeping down the street upon cratches, scarcely able to move one foot before tlie otber, and evidently in great pain. The expres- sion of her face was always bad, but it seemed to grow worse ; and as she came and went on her weary way to church, or the shop, no friend looked pleasantly at her, or used to ask her liow she was. We have the highest warrant for knowing, that " Godliness hath the promise of the hfe that now is, as well as of that which is to come." Poor Betsey's " life " was not one of promise ; it seemed to be one of desolation and pain, as well as of want of reputation, and altogether she was a melancholy spectacle as she laboui-ed onwards. One day, about a month ago, we ourselves happened to see her creeping onwards in her long cloak, bent down as usual, and " hirpling," as the Scotch say, with her customary difficulty. We had, I beheve, only just turned out of the village, when she was seen to reel and fall, and lie help- lessly on the ground. The neighbours raised her with some eft'ort, and cai-ried her into her cottage, where a bed was made on the kitchen floor, and she was laid in it. There she has remained till this hour, and there she will remain until she stands before the Great White Throne. For some days she was scarcely sensible, but her senses have returned, so that she can at times talk and listen; but, as a neighbour said, " her hands and her tongue are all of her that can move;" she is otherwise powerless, and lies like a log upon the bed, in the little naiTow comfortless kitchen where she had lived so long, a melancholy sight. Two of her neighbours, who are blessed with " bowels of mercy," take it by turns to sit up with her. They say she is thankful and nuiet.but dreadful to move, from her cries and helplessness. The state of her mind is far worse than her body — hard, unconcerned, and satisfied with herself ! Half wandering at times, yet contented because the depths within have never been broken tip, she lies a spectacle at present to men and angels. " Oh that men were wise, that they under- stood this, that they would consider their latter end !" To those who speak to her of her spiritual state, she retiu'ns liard, indifferent answers ; but while life is prolonged, there is yet hope that the day of grace may not be past. I would earnestly entreat my humble readers to ponder this in their hearts. I would suggest to those of a higher class to put this paper into the hands of such as are em- ployed in then- gardens and farms, because it may, by God's blessing, touch some heart going on still in its wickedness, and perhaps in the very way that ]5etsey went. She lived without raising one kindly feeling ; no one liked her, or dared to go near her, because of the language she used. Her house was the abode of sin. She rohhed and, injured a trusting and good muster on earth, and became greatly, won- derfully afflicted in her body. Everyone shunned and thought ill of her. She lived mthout God in the world, and has been struck down before the eyes of man, and laid helplessly aside. She is really the most desolate object possible, because, though kind ofHces are performed for her, she has no friend — no one to bid God bless her. Sin will always lind us out. Oh ! let all who are unfaithful to God and man remember that punishment must come, and that none can be so dread- ful, so hon-ible, as calmness and indifference on the bed of death ! Better to suffer agonies of terror than cold self- contentedness ! " Ephraim is joined to idols : let him alone !" Oh I what tongue can tell what it is to be let alone of God! No working, no awakening of the Spirit; but to be left even while in the body, in the cold hopeless sleep of death ! Let my humble readers " awake and arise from the dead," now while tliere is time for repentance, " and Clu'ist sliall give them light." If they could see Betsey as she lies now, they would feel that but " one thing is needful," and seek grace to choose " that good part that shall not be taken from them." ALLOTMENT FARMING— Eebruary. SraiELY it is high time that this month changed its wonted habit. A " fill dyke " month is not e.vactly the thing that the cultivators of the soil require ; and we have had a tolerable share of moisture already. Surely the oldest man living cannot call to mind such an extraordinary winter, if such it may be called, as we have partly passed. Here we are, then (January KJth), after undergoing nearly a quarter-of-a-year of dullness, almost incessant rain, and a total absence of frost, or, at least, any worthy the name, in November, December, or .January. 'This state of affairs has tlirown cultural transactions into such a puzzhng position, that men grown grey in the service scarcely know how to proceed. However, one thing is certain — surplus waters must he got rid of, soils must be exposed to the air, and this in as little time as possible. The spruig, with its cropping, is pressing hard upon ns, and " he gives twice, who gives (iuickly," may he borne in mind. And first, drainage— y~-\io has not better appreciated its importance than ever he did before? The question of its propriety remains precisely the same, but tlie recent ex- cessive period had been a good illustration of the singular utility of drainage on stagnant or adhesi\e soils. When a writer advises sharp attention to drainage, and the ameh- oration of the staple soil, during a tine, dry, and mellow period, people are apt to think that he is straining a point. But if he be a " true prophet," the recurrence of damaging periods will plainly show tliat, although seasons may vary, may have " a run," may prove very capricious for a lengthened time— yet, that cultural principles, based on averages, and backed by both science and practice, will at last have to be resorted to, if progress be the word. And now what shall we do? This is the main question under existing circumstances. To those who have omitted putting our drainage advice into practice in due time, we I say, open temporary water-courses wherever possible, it needed. If only for a few weeks, tiy and coax all water away, in order that the air may enter the pores of the soil ; , for even the poorest of our allotment friends must know that two bodies cannot occupy the same space at once. If any doubt this, let him fill a gallon vessel with water, and then pour in a gallon of any soil, or, indeed, any substance, and he will find the heaviest body speedily displace the Ughter. But om- old-fashioned country-bred men, who have never been to Oxford, will scarcely believe that water is_ a body, or that air is a thing demanding space. But so it is, and our good friend, Mr. Fish, could tell a pretty tale, in his philosophising way, about the old geranium in the cottage window, and would, doubtless, show how it was that when this old pet became very dry, and water was ajjplied, the soil continued to throw up bubbles, and made a gui-gling sound for several minutes. Before the air, which is the great improver, can enter soils to benefit them, depend on it the water must be removed ; and it is not a question of air alone, the returning warmth of spring is by such means conducted to the soil— yea, to the very subsoil. And now the time is at hand in which digging or trenching must be performed ; hitherto, doubtless, delayed by the extraordinary winter. Everybody knows, full well, that there are periods set for the getting in of certain crops, and that it is well to come as near to those periods as possible. So nice a point was this esteemed in our younger days, that the gardener about the great Metropolis who did not sow his cauliflowers on the 24:th of August, and his early peas about Lord-Mayor's day, was not considered an orthodox character. It so turns out, however, that imder exU-aordi- nary circumstances we may with propriety depai-t from such rules ; and really the character of the past season would seem to warrant such a procedure. It does appear, therefore, that the coming spring will he late as to operative measures, and unless a singularly dry period occurs, when we have little right to expect it, both sowing and planting will of necessity prove protracted matters. This must put our friends on their guard, and we add a maxim well known to practical men — " better sow- late than sow badly." And now lor the digging and manuring necessary for the various crops ; the time is at hand that such must be earned out. Still, let us add, rather postpone the operation than dig ground in a wet state. In 328 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. January 27. this spring, more than in many, will it be an act of faii'ness to allow allotment holders who are but servants, the pri- vilege of a day or two to their own plots, for after hours may not serve to accoraphsh what ought to be done for some weeks yet. About manures, we must again repeat, that in tlie present state of matters, mixtures, or composts, if you will, are liest for general purposes, and in all such mixtures we would fain have the ordinary dung of the midden, previously turned and reduced, play a conspicuous part. It is, indeed, impossible to overrate the importance of the tiirning and breaking to pieces maim re -heaps ; dung will not only go much iiu'ther, but, by mixing more thoroughly with the soil, will the more benefit the crops. Besides, if guano and soot are added, a practice advisable, even though it be in a small degree, it may be made to mix with the whole mass. "We have the concurrent testimony of farmers with our own experience to show that mixtures ' of manurial matters both go further and prove more bene- ficial to the majority of our crops. Where old gai'dens have been long under crops, and contain much dark matter or humus, lime will be found useful, if at hand. In consequence of the untoward season, digging and trenching will be in arrears with many, and it will be liighly advisable to ridge all adhesive soils, if only for two or throe weeks, taking care to wait until such ridges ai'e very di'y before levelhng them down, and taking extra caa-e in tlie latter process. Of course, the allotment holder has his course of cropping laid down, and in order that there ho no mistakes, let him cut a few sticks, and having flattened one end to write on, get a little thick white paint, and having smeai-ed a little on the shaven part, write on it, whilst icet, with a lead pencil, the digging, manuring, the crop and its successor, or mixed croppings, if such it be ; he will thus know at a glance, and bo reminded of sowing such as the cabbage-worts for mixing, or for succession. What Seeds are requisite should be procured immediately, and kept in a dry place, and if any old seeds of last year- remain they had better be tested. They may be soaked six hora-s in tepid water, and a given number, say twenty-four, sown in a pot, and placed in a warm room; by counting what sprout, it will be known what reliance can be placed on them. About the middle of the month the hoe should bo run through those Cabbatjcs which were planted in autumn, seeking a dry day for the purpose, and hoeing deep. On the heels of this the plot should be looked over, and any blanks made good from the store beds, which every good cultivator provides in autumn. Those remaining in store must be got out at favom'able opportunities before the end of March. JMany will probably bo wanted for mixed crop- ping. Eor instance, the mangold or swede ground being dug and levelled down in due time, a double row of cabbages may be put down each centre, unless it is required for early potatoes. AVe have a plot of land from which we have taken crops of mangold for eighteen ycM's ; this is manured entu-ely with our pig and cow-dung, and the sweepings of the chimneys. From this we take a tine crop annually of the Ash-leaved Iddncy potatoes. One-half is swedes, the other half mangold, and these change about annually. The kidneys are planted in double drills in l''ebruary, in every centre between where the mangold and swedes will be, and when the Iddnoys arc removed in July, tlieir place is occu- pied with swedes from a seed-bed. Onions may be sown in the last week, if the soil is ready, but such is unlikely this season. Let the ground be very deeply dug for this crop ; it should, if possible, be wrought two feet ; they will, indeed, descend a yard. If manure is requisite, it may go between the two spits, and if the onions come weakly for a while, some guano-water might be applied. Parsnips may be sowed about the same time as the onions, trenching deep, and manuring pretty well. A bed of the Earlij-horn. Cnrrols should, liy all means, be sown in the middle of the month, in a warm spot, the bed much elevated. Tliese must be protected, like raiUshes, and care taken, when up, that the slugs or snails do not run off vn\h them. AVe must again recommend some dressing to be kept ready in a dry corner ; the following is very useful — one bushel of new saw dust, half-a-bushcl of very tine cinder- ashes, the dust blown out, and one peck of fresh slaked lime, all well blended, or it would be well to slack the lime as wanted. We use this all the spring and seldom lose a crop. The beginning of February is an excellent time for sowing full crops of Peas and Broad Beans or Longpods ; no pea is better for the cottager than the Green Imperial or the old Prussian. The Imperial is sooner oB' the ground than others, and consequently makes way for autumn cropping! A little early Cabbaije may be sown at the end, and Leiluces with Badisltes. The Ady's Cos is the best ; it needs no tying. If any August-sown lettuces have been provided, they must be planted out, if in store, in the end of the month, on rich soil. Potatoes : our practice is to plant early kinds at the end of Februaiy, and in the early part of JIarch. If, however, the seed has been preserved as it ought to be, the middle of March will do well. -Vs for the Ash-leaved Iddney, we never plant until the end of JIarch ; this kind forms an exception to the rest. We make a point of sprout- ing them before planting. The liest plan we know is to spread three inches deep of sawdust on a wann floor in the end of January, and to stick the Ash-leaf kidneys on their end in this material. Here they wiU produce stout buds of about an inch in length by the end of March, and must be removed so that not a sprout is damaged. We have had much practice with this potato, and know the practice to be sound, because always successful. Rhubarb should be covered immediately, if not done; old chimney-pots, with a whisp of hay in them, answer well, and these, with warm dung around tliem, bring it veiy eai'ly. The breeding-time of miee is at hand ; care must be taken to destroy them, or woe to the peas. And now, until we take the pen again, let us advise om" small gai-deners to be on the alert whilst the spring is young, and by extra efibrts, and increased dihgence, to eudeavoin- to make up for the tnitowai'd season we have passed. — E. Ereington. THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— I-EBRnARY. B■•"'?"? » ith, light. KlDNEY-BEANS, 6i° tO 70'^ I plenty ot air, moisture and a light situation. Melons, sow; protide beds &c.; air-heat, /IP to 80°; bottom-beat, 90° maximum. Moisture, ; constantly provide the a,r with, wherever fire-heat is used. Nectarines 'iniHd"!'^' ;"'^L "'""■''■'•"' ""i"?, increase warmth and air moisture ; liquid manure to the roots occasionally ; ( Successions) still dry if in dung pits. I eaches, disbud, and pinch gross shoots ; fumigate occasional^^ loTATOES, get out successions. Strawberries, introduce plenty- keep moist air, frequent ventilations near ghiss ; maximum ti5°. Toma- l?.rh^T'' "TiLATiON, night and day, as long as air, moisture, and heat is secured. \ ines, disbud early, and attend to thinnin- the berry ; keep clear ot all waste spray. Keep a mellow state of air, neither lamp nor dry, but a permanency of air moisture. Watering, attend to with regularity and precision. r. Errinoton. , KITCHEN GARDEN. atto;'d'to"^hTi, '"''"""''■«'" '■•'"*'■, Asparagus, plant in hotbed, and ?rans„!,^r, 1 f "^' "W' P'''"'- '^^■"'*. P'""' i earth-stir and seed '^aid d . iT"',"-- l^'^'^-'-^' '^.O"' » Httle for early use; plant for , KRn'ror? ^ P,' .7' """"# ">' '•=" '" ""^ bed. Borecole sow. e. ' Brocoli, sow a httle, e. Burnet, sow or plant. Cabbages nlant ■ ' rciid'etfv to'tbiL"''- h'^""""^' »""■ ™ '™tle hotbed for ea'rl^use ] T^^^r,^jlV^»!^ >T^ ^^''''""''«"''f''^''-' plant for seed. e. -Cau- a, d ,?,.,,'. f l"' "'""'■'' '",'l>-»tirring. removing all decayed leaves mifd and JienH," """"''''"'''"S' ^''™''' ""= "=""" >>« Open and seed and sow fn, 'l ""■ ',° '=='"""R-"P. Protection, (tc; lelve fo; ' and nlm.Tt "^ '"■■''' ""=■ '^^"■■■'V.L, sow. Chives, divide CoEiAvnL tLARY, sow, e. COMPosTs, prepare aud tum over. Win?. „r?'l.. ;; CoRN-SALAD, SOW. CUCUMBERS, attend to those ^reZl'fLw,'"!^'''''5'°"'= »nd sow in hotbeds. DiLL,sow,m. Dung, rilfi^L. , '^'''''- Eartuing-up, perform when necessarv. Endive 1 nHni [?"'"■"''"'''""'="■""'"• fENNEL, sow or plant. Gar: ! K,,;v ■? ;. """SE-EADisH, plant. Jerusalem Artichokes, plant. in the Hrv f • '°j' '" ""™"'°''"*'<^- Keep a good supply of EARTHS I .dantout^mn ';-'"'"'/"=■ i'""'*' P'^"' <<>' »<='^'' ■• s"»-,e. Lettuces, 1 the m,m h Zh "'• ?'■' "f '•"= "'"'" -it^ndinS. toward, the end of on ., Tenth: r?i*T '1' '?'= "f™ ^°'^'^"- " ^'■•"'' °f P'""". =^0" '" ''rames and d?. 1 n ai "' " ""? '"?"'""'? "f the month. Liocorice, plant | to thUsor'^'.f ,■"•■'' P ""'„°"' '"■• early crops ; sow and pot oft'; attend ■ hne At.K 7°'^ "" "i ■","'"'■ '^'''™ "I'ernoon, just before shutting-up cesstn. H '.l°"f''"',l''"'^''' P'''"'' »' "sHROc-BEns. make in suc- ' snecp, ;„ A""""" ""''= ■" '"^"""P- M'STARD and Cress, sow in ;!,„„„??■ """!''''• sow mam crop towards the middle to the end of tlie month; also plant for seed, if not done ; and plant the Underground nf.nt „, 1 """i"' P';'""<"'s. '"ke up where left in the ground till now ; £nn < ''"'f-fo' «eed ; also sow towards the middle of the month, par- hoth ,^f "I ^^ ,' "'"'"■.. P'^'si-Ev, sow. Peas, sowings may be made tioth 01 ear y and second oil the same dav. where the soil works well, as tne one will be found a good succession to the other at picking-time ; olso to suit some unfavourable situations, it is well to sow in frames in small pots, or 111 sods ot turf, which is by some thought best, to plant out when .1 good season otters; .also attend to sticking, earthing-up, and protecting hert"f "f"^ "°P'- Pennyroyal, plant, e. Potatoes, plant in hot- ncd ot any favourite early kinds ; this mav be done from the first to the em ot the month ; also plant out during this month all the main crops. II tue soil will admit of it, and plant whole sets in preference to cut ones • also look over those in store, often to keep shoots rubbed off. RAnisilcs, .attend to (see January), and sow in succession either in border or hotbed. KAPE (tor salading), sow; (Edible-rooted) sow. Rhubarb, sow in large pans, or open warm border, and attend to that forcing, either in- doors, or cover up with pots or tubs and fermenting materials. Sagp and Savory, plant, e. Salsaev.sow, e, in small quantitv, for earlv use. SAVOYS, sow, m. and e. Scorzonera, sow, e., in small quantitv, tor early use. Sea-kale, attend to that forcing; cover up in succeBsioii. SHALOTS, plant. Skirrets, sow, e. Spinach, weed, sow, m. Sor- rels, sow or plant, e. Tansy, Thyme, and Tarragon, plant, e, lURNlPs, plant lor seed; sow, c. Vacant Groonu, dig; weed, &r. 1 here IS a right time and a right wav of doing evcrvthing. Pl.ant out in ' mild, open weather ; wheel out manure, Ike, on frosty mornings, or on ' a hue, dry day ; make good use of the hoe on fine, drv days, in stirring j among the various crops ; look over all in-door stores in rainy weather • I and tie the ends of new mats before they are applied to use. T. Weaver. London : Printed by Harst Wooldeidos, Wincheiter High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Someevillb Oes, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Pariihof Chriat Church, City of London.— January 27th, IS53, Fkep.ltarv :!. TTTR COTTAQK GAUBENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. M W U D 1 3Tu 4F .iS 6 Sdn 7»r sTu 9 W FEnRUARY 3-9 1S5.1. Smynthurus fuacus ; hetlpes, Hphodrus coUaris ; tree rts. Silpba opaca ; tree roots. Shrove Sunday. Omalium planum ; decayed bark. Shrove Tuesday. Lent begins. Ash Wednesday. Weather near London in !3r/2. Barometer. Thermo. iWind. Rain in In 30. U2— 3(1.016 :i(i.igi — 2g.9in •.!9.7;i9 — 29.OJ1 so.ogs — 'iii.ojs' 3o.ii.^i — 29.994, 30.178 — 29.463 29.461 — 29.111 45—1 51—34 55—44 55—43 49—27 60—41 53—36 S.W. S.W. S.W. N.W. N.W. S.W. I ' ,S.W. 09 13 02 33 05 Sun Ilisea. 33 a. 7 3(i 31 33 31 29 .Sun Moon j Moou'h CloeU, Day of Sets. IR.&S.; A|;i!. bf. Sun., Year. 51 a. 4 53 49 57 i 53 34 I 26 27 23 29 sets. 6 a 26 I 10 16 21 25 28 1 31 33 1 Meteorology of the Week. — At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, the average highest and tures of these days are 4.".. ;i^and 32.5° respectively. The greatest heat, 57°, occurred on the 3rdm 1350; and the'lowest col in 1847, iJuring the period 98 days were tine, and on 84 rain fell. 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 iou'est tempera- Id, 5", on the aih BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. roi'prn-oiiTS. — r.vrAVEE.tCE.T,. MECONOPSIS. Genep.ic Ch-VRACTee. — Sepals two. Peluh four. Slamens numerous. Sti/le short. Slinma from four to .six-rayed, conve.^, distinct from the capsule. Capsnh one-celled, opening by from four to six valves at the top. Placcnloe narrow, scarcely projecling. Perennials with i/flluir juice. Mecokopsis CAMBPic^ : Yellow Poppy ; Welch Poppy or Jleconopsis. Desmplion. — It is a perennial. JlL-rliar/p tender, brittle, slightly milky - green ; its juice lemon-coloured. Stem a foot high, mostly hesprinlded witli nearly upright hair.s, leafy, branclied. Lem-vx stalked, leatleted; leaflets ne.arly egg-shaped, acute, cut, lobed, or pinnatilid, smooth, some- what foriuii'ig an edging to tlie leaf-sf.alk ; most milky-green underneath. Flower of a full lemon - colour, deliciously fragrant like Crussiihi coccinca and oiloratissima, or Mesem- In/anlhemwn noclijlorum : smaller than Papaver liha-as; each on a very long, minutely hairy stalk. Petals egg- sliaped, and scored near their base. Calyx hairy. Capsule elliptic-oblong, of four or five cells, with as many ribs, or reveptaeles^ whicli elevate the convex, four or live-rayed, stiijmii, and, before the capsule bursts by intermediate valves at the top, have the appearance of a short style. By this character the present species has been separated from Papaver. Places tvhei'e found. — JMountains, among wet rocks, in Wales, Cumberland, and Westmoreland. Time of flou-erinij. — June. Tlistorij. — It has been named Meconnpsls from niclcon, a Poppy, and opsis, like. So like, indeed, is it to the Poppy, that Sir .1. E. Smith, and otlier distinguished botanists, persisted in retaining it in that genus under the name be- stowed upon it by Linnaius, Papaver camhricum. It is stated in the last edition of Withering, that this was first discovered by Dr. Thomas Johnson, the editor of Gerarde's Ilerbal, but the first description we find of it is in Parkin- son's Herbal, wiiere he very accurately describes and pictures it under the name of Argemone camhro-hritaniilca lulca. It is a plant very desirable to have in moist shady places. It belongs to Polyanilria-Moinifiyiiia in the Linnteau system. {Smith. Lindley. Marti/ii. Witherinrj. Parkinson.) The increase in the size of Turnips, after their leaves bad been wholly removed, is a supposed I'aot that has been noticed in this work, and bas also engaged the marked attention of our contemporaries. Gardeners have long been aware that, in analogous circumstances, either when leaves were so thick tliat tbey could not individu- ally be acted upon by light, or part of them had become so matured that the food elaborated by them bore no proportion to their drain on the general resources to support a languishing existence, thinning in the one case, and removing in the other, would be attended with advantage. The only thing that appears out-of-joint with previously recognised pbytological opinions, is the assertion, that the Turnips increase in size and weight after all the leaves, and green at the time, too, were removed in aittumn. Without any practical de- monstration, we can easily fancy how weight and even size might slightly be gained by removing the whole of the foliage from Turnips in such a dull, mild, wet No. CCXXVIlTVoi,. IX' winter as that we have so far passed through ; as then the absorbing powers would counterpoise the perspiring. A step farther just brings us to tho point on which we are all agreed, namely, that roots, tubers, and bulbs must be kept from growing when we wish to preserve their qualities and powers unexhausted. Having never, as yet, seen our way perfectly with respect to all the generally-received dogmas in vegetable physiology, it is no small pleasure to us to see that these Turnips of the " Author of a Word in Season," in unison with some statements from the Continent, have tended somewhat to shake the foregone conclusions of some of our most worthy and learned leaders ; but if solitary facts were sufficient to form a principle, then we might have, ere long, a perfect chaos of theories. For example ; we generally advise our friends who cultivate bulbs, to look after and encourage the green foliage, if they wish to have fine bulbs and flowers the following season. Yet, some twenty years ago, we assisted in 336 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febritaby 5 planting' a munber of fine Narcissi at the end of a ITyacintb bed. During the season the Hyacinths were splendid, but not a flower or a leaf of the Narcissi ap- peared ; and the conclusion arrived at was, that by some :iieans they bad been diseased or destroyed. What was our surprise, on forldng up and labelling the Hyaciutlis, to find the roots of Narcissus quite firm, and very gi'eatly increased in size! We cannot speak of their after his- tory; the fa.cts of their increased size, without having sliown growth above ground, are true. How such a result came about we confess we cannot unravel. Sorry should we be to advise any one to trust to such an nnnsual circumstance ; and still as little inclined should we be to build a theory on a few of such facts. Leaving, then, the total disleaflng of Turnips in autumn to stand or fall, as it stands the test of moi'e extended experience, we may safely conclude, in the roeanlime, that when we wish to increase size, or hus- band vital energies in roots, stems, or buds, or to obtain fresh and vigorous growth, the time and the circum- stances in which, for these purposes, we arrest the reei- jirocal action of roots and branches, must form a matter of primary importance. Keeping in view what we have said of the Turnip, we will give a few simple illustra- tions of what we mean. Suppose a Peach tree, at the end of September, has a good many laterals, and that the young shoots are yet growing vigorously. In a case of excessive growth we might think of looking at the roots, but at present we deem removing the laterals and pincliing the points of the young shoots sufficient ; and in another fortnight we may shorten the young shoots. Now, here the reciprocity is arrested, but not all at once ; the extra resources of the roots are thrown into the shoots, and, as sun and air play more freely upon them, tlie con- sequences ai'e firmer wood and plumper buds. Had this operation been performed, as here stated, six weeks earlier, many of the buds you wished to keep would h ave burst into laterals. Again, suppose a young Vine, that you wish to provide with vigorous Iruitful wood for next season. For this purpose we encoin'age every green k«f, and laterals too, as many as we can find room for, and thus increase the root action ; but as the wood hardens, and autumn comes, we remove gradually the laterals until they are all gone, and very likely, during October, wo shorlen the main shoot. Now, we do all this for two reasons : first, because the young leaves formed late throw ofl" more than they assimilate ; secondly, though a slight check be given to the roots, yet the increased action previously at work will, before it is exhausted, give an extra supply to the wood and buds we have left. Tlien, again, a beautiful little Pino tree, a Picen Pin- sKppii, for instance. It is very healthy, hut Imsliy, and thick as a crow's nest; a small bird can hardly get into it, but tlie tree will not mount up at all. Take yonr knife, and (say in April) thin out a great many of tlio interior twigs, and tlio nourishment they stole from tlu^ roots will be thrown into the ascending axis of growth. In tlic case of an evergreen bush of largo size, whicli you wish to transplant some two months hence ; and you are well aware that many roots will be injured ; prune in the top in proportion now ; if done in autumn it would have been better still; but, if mild weather continues, it is worth while doing now, as, even in very severe weather, facts would seem to indicate that there is, especially with such plants, a How of their juices. Now, here the diminished head becomes surcharged with juice, and then, when yon transplant, this surcharging with resources finds a vent in the causing new roots to be formed. We think Mr. Beaton first called prominent attention to this princijile in transplanting. Lastly, under ordinary circumstances, none have more condemned than wo have the practice of mowing or out- ting off the leaves of strawberries in autumn after they had ceased bearing ; and just because, on all firm, loamy, or clayey soils, it requires a green leaf for the whole of the summer, aud plenty of light on it, too, to mature fruit-buds for the followin.g season. But in warm places, and in light soil, we have seen great success under very different treatment. The leaves became spotted in July, and browned by August; aud when thus left, the next year's flowers were few and puny. In such eases, the long-stalked brown foliage was no great ornament; but when cut away as soon as the fruit was gathered, the ground foi-ked, and plentifully watered, new foliage shortly appeared, which was shortdegged, kept green the whole of the autumn aud most of the winter, and yielded crops that, for fineness, could not be mentioned with the poor produce from tlie \n]|inined rows. Even this may show our sticklers for "princi- ples" that there are suck things as exceptions to rules. As bearing on the same point, but in another direc- tion, we may mention, that tlie great jiroportion of strawberries in pots for forcing, at Trentham aud Chats- worth, are rising two year's old, many of them having been forced last year. F. The interest which the study and cultivation of fruits have of late excited, and the im)iortauce with which they are likely to be regarded, induce us to give the subject all that consideration and prominence which we usually do to matters which concern the extension or imjirovement of rural affairs generally. There can be no doubt that this is a subject which has of late years been too nnicb lost sight of ; and particularly since the duty of -Is. per bushel on foreign fruit lias been removed, the growers seem to have thought that it is one which does not concern them. Wo shall now lay before our readers a sketch of this bi'anch of rural economy, and see how far they are acting with a due consideration of their own interests in neglecting it. Our observations will be directed to the great orchard districts of Kent, which will furnish good evidence, however, pijnally applicable to other parts of the country. It is upwards of three hundred years since Richard Harris, " the king's fruiterer," )danted his orchard, called " Tlie I'rennet," at Tenham, in Kent. This was not, as sorno say, tho first orchard ever planted in Kent; neither February 8. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 337 was it, as some still more erroneously lin?o stated, the first that existed in England. Fruit was grown for commercial purposes from time immemorial before then; but the reason why Richard Harris left his counter and his counting-house to become a Kentish fruit- grower, was the very same that would induce many an equally-respectable fruiterer of the present day to act similarly. It was this : " Having observed that those plants which had been brought over by our Norman ancestors had lost their native excellence by length of time, and that we were served from foreign parts with those fruits : on that account, which he saw no reason for, as neitlier the soil nor the climate here were unequal to the bringing of them to perfection, determined to try a plantation here ; for which purpose, having in 1533 obtained lO.j acres of rich land, then called The Brennet, he divided it into ten parcels, and then having with great care, good choice, and no small labour and cost, brought plants from beyond the seas, he furnished this ground with them in rows, in most beautiful order." The necessity for such a complete change of the system which had hitherto prevailed, and the success which attended this experiment were so great, that Tenham became the centre from which all the other plantations emanated. So extensive and rapid was the influence which this example had, that Lambai'de, writing in 1570, says, this parish, with thirty others lying on each side of the great road from Rainham to Bleamwood, was, in his time, the cherry-garden and apple-orchard of Kent; and, further, that " the orchards of apples, and gardens of cherries, and those of the most delicious and exquisite kinds that can be, no part of the realm (that I know) hath them, either in such quantity and number, or with such art and industry set and planted." We shall not stay to inquire into the decline and fall of these orchards, nor shall we trace the causes which led to these results; but, in all probability, the trees were allowed to become aged, diseased, and unfruitful, a succession was not provided, and they became extinct. We are induced to believe that such was the case, for a writer of that time states, that these orchards continued to exist till within memory, when the lucre of planting Hops prevailing, few of them were suffered to remain. From the fact, too, of the writers of the 17th century, among whom were Ralph Austen, Hartlib, Bligh, Evelyn, and Worlidge, urging so strongly the encourage- ment of orchard planting as being a matter which should engage the attention of the government as well as private individuals, there is every reason to believe that the cultivation of fruits had, to a great extent, been discontinued and neglected. By the writings of these men a fresh impulse was given : new plantations were ' formed, and new varieties of fruit inti-oduoed, the old \ vai-ieties having been allowed to disappear with the old ' orchards. The new sorts were as superior to the former ' as the fonner were to those of which Richard Harris complained. But these new plantations were doomed, in their turn, to the same fate as all the others which preceded them ; and so, in the year 1 778, we find it said that Rainham had " within memory great plantations of cherries and apples, especially on the lands adjoining the high road, and to the northward of it; but the gi-eatest part of them have been displanted some years since." And of Newington it is said, that it " was formerly the greatest part of it planted with orchards of apples, cherries, and other kinds of fruit ; these falling to decay, and the price of Hops making them a more advantageous commodity than fruit, most of the orchards in the parish were displanted, and Hops raised in tlieir stead." We shall give one more instance ; it is of Borden, where " the land is fertile, and much covered with orchards, and some years ago Fmoro so than at this time, many of them being decayed and worn out, were displanted." Now these orchards of which we have last spoken were, no doubt, those which were called into existence by the writers of the 17th century; but no regular systematic planthig and successive cultivation of fruit-trees seems ever to have been kept up in this country ; whatever was done was brought about by urgency, and carried out with impetuosity, but no steady, continuous system of operation ; and hence the state in which our orchards were at the close of the last century. We shall continue the subject in our next, when we shall see aud be able to judge more clearly of the operations of this system of orchard management, H. COVENT GARDEN. We have had occasion, from time to time, to expose the evil deeds whicli are perpetrated in Covent Garden Market : they are neither i'ew nor small. We have to add another this week, which is of a somewhat different nature to what we have noticed before. For the last two or three weeks we have reported " new potatoes," and no doubt many of our country readers were cuiious to know where they came from — whether they were imported from Holland, raised in frames, or brought from some , far-away country, where there is no frost and no winter, but a perpetual summer of perpetual sunshine. They come from neither. They are the produce of that greatest of all gardens — Covent Garden. They don't grow ; they require no eaiily planting, no dry soil, no manure, and are liable to no " disease." They are like the poor little chickens that are hatched by hot-water or steam; they have no mother. They are, in fact, handsome, smooth-skinned, medium-sized kidneys, selected from any potato pit or cellar, and well scalded with boiling water to remove the outer skin, and blanched. These are sold for Is. per pound. We leave our readers to judge of the profitableness of this mode of cultivation. The same dullness of trade continues, and the same abundant supply of all kinds of Yeoetadles is not diminished. The prices which we have reported for the last week or two are applicable now. Savoys from Cd. to lOd. and Is. per dozen. Erocoli, 3s. to 4s. per 338 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. PrBRCAnv 3. I dozen bundles. Oreens, Is. to Is. 9d. pei' dozen Inmches. BrusseU SjtyoittH, Is. to ^s. jiei' half-sieve. Turnips, Is. to Is. lid. per dozen bunches, Carrots, 2s. (id. to .'fs. (id. per dozen bunches. Spinach, Is. to :?s. per sieve. Onions, -is. Cd. to ;3s. per bushel. There is also a good supply of salads. Lettuce, Od. to Is. Ud. per score. Endive, Is. to Is. Od. jier score. Small salads, such as Mustard and Cress, 2d. and 3d. per ))unnet. Beet, Is. to Is. Od. jier dozen. Potatoes, 84s. to IDOs. per ton. In Fruit, the only description that is at all abundant is Apples, and these only of the more common and nondescript varieties for culinary use. Good dessert sorts make from 8s. to 14s. per bushel ; others, 4s. to 8s. Among the dessert kinds we observed the Scarlet Xon- pareil, a very excellent variety at this season ; but the other kinds vfere what we have so often enumerated before. Gn.iPEs are very short, and make from Gs. to 12s. per pound. There are very few Peahs, the prin- cipal being Beurre de Ranee and EaMer Beurre, at from 2s. to Os. per dozen. Pl-ints .vnd Fi.owehs are in abundance; they consist of Camellias, Cinerarias, Hyacinths, Heaths, Scarlet Oeraniums, Chinese Primroses, double and single, Tulips, Violets, Lily of the Valley, and some very choice Orchid- aceous plants. H. GOSSIP. Ix reply to " Amateur," we certainly did read the editorial in Tlte Times, relative to Poultry Shows, but we cannot say that we observed in it anything worthy of reprehension. The object of the writer seemed to be to warn the public against losing sight of utility in these exhibitions; a warning in which we fully conojir. It is true that the writer indulged in a little I'aillery, but the same writer aimed similar light artillery against the country meetings of the lioyal Agricultural Society. The latter were not battered down by it, neither will Poultry Exhibitions. We happen to have before us abundance of information shewing the good such exhibitions are effecting, and we may, one of these days, arrange this information for publication. At present, let it suffice to say, that such weighty specimens of all the table varieties of poultry are now to be met with in our markets as in former days were not deemed possible; and we know of hundreds now keeping poultry who were roused to an interest in them by the beauty of the specimens exhibited. To increase this interest must be beneficial, for in proportion to its increase must be diminished the large sums expended for foreign poultry and eggs. Of tlie latter, more than one hundred and fifteen millions and a half were imported in ix'.)\. As to our great contemporary ridiculing our favourite Shaughaes as " large gawky fowls without tails," why " gawky " specimens deserve to be ridiculed ; and it is to show that they need not bo "gawky" that short- legged specimens are gathered together and rewarded at our exhibitions. Hidicule, in one sense, is a. test of truth ; and we are quite sure that our Poultry Shows will endure the test ; and one ground on whicli our con- viction rests is the certainty, that, as similar exhibitions have improved the tenants of our gardens, so, by like j means, will the tenants of our poultry-yards be made more excellent. The following is a copy of a Jlemorial in the course of signature. When we saw it, tliere were apjiended the , signat'U-es of Mr. H. Gilbert and Mr. Puuchard. and it , was to be forwarded to Capt. Hornby, Mr. Sturgeon, '' Mr. Bond, Mr. Peck, Mr. Peters, and others : — I " To llie Committee fur ilanarjiiig the Birmingham Poultry Exhihition for l^-i'-l, " Gentlemen, '■ The undersigned exhibitors of poultry at Bhmingliam beg leave respectfully to represent to you, " Tliat under your present regulations they are compelled to send otf their birds on the Friday or Satm'day; and many I of them do not reacli their homes until the Jlouday week. ' " That so long an absence, added to the confinement to wliich they are necessarily subjected, operates veiy inju- riously upon valuable fowls, esiiecially at a time when the breeding season is aiiproacliing; and this feeling has, to our knowledge, prevented some amateurs from becoming ex- hibitors. "That if the days of the public e-xhibition were reduced to three, commencing on the Wednesday morning, so that the fowls need not be taken in until Monday, two days' con- finement and absence from their walks would be saved to them ; and if two sets of judges were appointed instead of one, they might, by dividing their laboiu-s, complete them without ditfictdty by four or live o'clock on the Tuesday, so as to allow a private view, to sutiscrihers only, on that evening. " That by permitting the fowls to he removed by the re- spective owners, or their servants, at dusk on the Friday, instead of keeping the exhibition open untd a late lioiu* of that evening, they would reach their walks some time on the Satm'day, and thus two more days would in most cases be saved, and their absence, in fact, reduced by one-half, or nearly so. For these reasons we beg, in our own names, and those of numerous other exhibitors, to request that you will take this matter into your consideration, and make such arrangements previous to the issuing of the prospectus for the Exhibition of ISoi), as will reduce, as much as possible, the time during which our fowls ai-e kept from their homes, " We have the honor to be, Gentlemen, " Yotir most obedient servants." " .Tanuary, ImjO." The following bint will be useful, we hope, to many who are pilantuuj Orchards, like the party to whom it was addressed ; — " You are right in determining that the greater propor- tion of what you plant sliall Ije of the best sorts of Itrepimi iJcsscrt Apples and Pears. Tliere is an advantage in grow- ing these besides the profit ; and tliat is, you are not so likely to liave your orchard robbed. Who, even the vei'iest urchin, would, in September or (•ctober, like to dig his teeth into a Xcth it Hirer, Easter Beitrre, or Beurre tU- Jinnee .' I knew an old gentleman, and you know Imw "knowing" some old gentlemen ai'e, who planted the outsides of his orchard with all such, and made known in the neighbourhood that they were all perry pears. The natives of course tried tlie out- sides first; hut, finding they were so unpalatable, concluded the whole collection was of tlie same description, and left them to ' hang and grow,' without molestation." There are some of our I'eaders wdio, we know, think that the world is growing old; that symptoms of phy- sical decay are apparent in all things — Potatoes are mur- rainetl — Grapes are sbanketl — Vines mildewed — Apples decay — Onions rot — and Dahlia roots gangrene — more than they used to do ; and now we have tlie following from an excellent gardener and good jiractical botanist: — "I fear the potato bliglit will extend over tlie whole vegetable kingdom. My strawberry plants, intended for forcing, are all spotted, and have lost most of their February 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 339 leaves. — Pi. B." jSTotwitlistanding all tlie-so authorities, we ave surtieiently young to tliiiili: that the present are better than the olden times ; and that murrain and mil- dew', gangrene and decay, will hy degrees pass, and he no more thought of than are the Hessian Kly and the Curl— neither of tlieni now heard of — wliioli not many years ago were thought to liave rendered our wljeat and potato crops scarcely wortli culture. We are very glad to loarn that Mr. Xiveii, who has so efliciently superintended the herbaceous department in Kew Gardens, is appointed to the Curatorship of tlie Hull liotanic Garden. A correspondent having a sickly Goat, has foinid its healtli improve since he gave it a small daily allowance of salt, and asks whether this can have been the cause of improvement? The best answer we can give, is this extract from Dr. Forbes's excellent volume, "A Phy- sician's Holiday." " On leaving the Eotbe Kumm to return to Zermntt, our party separated ; my two companions prefei'ring to return by the way they came, I choosing to make a bend to the north-east, in order that I miglit see the Strahlhorn face to face, as well as th.e Pindelgletcher, lying between that mountain and tlie Kiffelberg. So we parted conipaay ou the tup of the Kotlie Kiuiim : ]iiy young friends taking wiili them Ihr (/niilx, I the yuiili'S with me. " 'i'liis division of attendants needs some explanation ; and wliat I have to give will not afford much novelty to Alpine travellers. In tlie earlier half of our journey to tlie top of the Pdlfelberg, we eucountei'ed, in passing a patch of moinitain pasture, a small flock of goats — five or six in number — wliiidi immediately joined our party, and liept close company with us, through tlie rest of our route, in spite of much remonstrance ou our part. After repeated attempts to dismiss them, we were at last forced to admit their society, wbicli was certainly of the closest kind. They intermixed themselves with tlieir new biped friends in tlie most familar fashion, pressing upon our heels and bands, and leaving nothing undone to attract attention and consi- deration. AVlien we stopped they stopped, when we moved they moved, and whatever vagaries we committed they did the same. " It was really almost patlietic as well as ludicrous, to see the poor beasts gratuitously scrambling up rocks and banks which «-e might be climbing to get a better prospect, or going far out of their way, if they iutd one, certainly out of I good pasture- ground, in order to bear us company in the > pursuit of objects wliicb in no way concerned them per- i sonallj-. AVhen a tempting hit of grass came in their way on tlie side of tlie path, or in the crevice of a rocii, no doubt ' they would crop it iu passing ; but no pasture, however [ tempting, would really stop them, mucli less seduce them to the right or left : still on they went, with us, before us, be- I hind us, amidst us, dodging us, nudging us, with all the \ gravity of the caprine nature, and witli a determiuatiou of j zeal which could only be explained by the spurring on of | some great desire hoping for gratification. l'"ven when I we had entirely left the region of vegetation, and had to i clamber up the stony slopes of the Rothe ICumm, our poor i friends never left us for a moment, but scrambled with us — I mucli indeed to our envy ou account of tlreir superior ; agility — and rested not until tliey rested beside us on tlie very summit. They sat patiently there all the time we did, and then attended my young friends a good way beyond tlie spot where we had first encountered them. " T'he secret of all this marvellous zeal and ostensible affection on the part of the goats, lies in tlieir fondness fur sail, a delicacy wiiicli their experience has told them is only to be found hi tlie society of tlie human animal, and to gratify their love for wliich no trouble is thought too great. This love, however, altliough a natural histinct in the goat as well as other animals, is, I fear, rather a sophistication in the extent to which it is carried by them in their domestic state, a sort of saline dram-drinking which perhaps ought no more to be oncour.aged than the cravings of our gin- drinkers. Their wild cousins, the (lemsen or Chamois, have the same taste for tilings sabiie, but they can only indulge it in that more limited degree and unconccntrnted form in which Nature presents most of her jiroducts to her children. " Rcheucbzer tells us that thero are certain spots in the Alps, known hy difi'erent local names, as Oliirl;, I.dckhien, Silken, which these animals are known to frequent in great numbers, for the purpose of lickinif certain rocks, baring, or supposed to have, a saline impregnation. Por this purpose tliey are said to travel very great dist.ances, returning to tlieir original haunts after satisfying their longings. The hunters who know these localities do not fail to take advan- tage of these gatherings, although their prey are said to become emaciated during the prevalence of the saturnalia." THE VINERY. Amongst the nninerous inquiries made of The Cot- T.\GE Gabdkxei!, tliose concerning the Vine hold a prominent position. Peaches are gorgeous ; Pines bear the insignia of royalty ; and every idea connected with good ripe Figs carries the stamp of Orientality. But, notwithstanding these attractive cliaracters, which are indeed richly merited, the grape — the luscious grape — is everybody's favourite. 'Phree-fourths, at least, of our garden possessors, wlio are in respectable circum- stances, and who possess their little greenhouse, direct their first steps in exotic fruit culture to the vine. It would appear, from the character of many queries, that the writers thereof desire to know more of the ■ttiimitiie of grape culture. Of course, ail readers are not precisely alike ; all tastes not similar; all conditions not tlie same. One likes the very fundamental principles of culture ; another thiulvs all such unattractive matters, and would prefer a cut-and-dry routine ; and thus the world is compounded. In very truth, thousands who are fond of reasoning over principles are obliged to resort to the latter off-hand way, inasmuch, as tliey have not time, owing to their many engagements, to wade their way through the mass of conflicting opinions. The majority of our readers will, by the time these observations reach them, have tlieir vines budding, or, it may he, blossoming; and it will be well to show forth the routine of practice, step hy step, through the earlier stages. It is well known, that during the first swelling of the bud, up to the first peep of the young bunch, the ad- vances made in what is termed forcing cannot be too gradual. If this part of the process be hurried, the probability is that an insufficient number of buds will be developed ; those, chiefly, which are farthest from the main stem, and which hap]3ened to enjoy a kind of monopoly iu the appropriation of the supplies In the preceding summer. This, then, has a tendency to break in upon system, and to render the trees lean iu regard of young wood for fviture years. The moment the buds acquire size sufficient to dis- tinguish their true character, what is termed duVudding should commence, whether on pot vines or those other- wise sittiated. It must here be understood hy beginners, that healthy vines generally may be expectecl to produce more shoots than it is expedient to leave on them. Now, this disbudding is not a process of a day, nor even of a week ; it is essentially progressive ; and tho latter is a fortunate circumstance, as it affords the operator the means of equalising, in a great degree, the strength of the tree, inasmuch as it compels the subsequent develop- ments to assume a jirogressive character also — a matter of great convenience as bearing on the operations. It is not easy to say, without seeing the vines, bow many buds should be removed, and how many left on, so much depends on the condition and character of the tree. But I may observe, that • it requires nearly a 340 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. EEBnDARY 3. square yard of spaee (superficial), in tlie average, to produce a good bunch of grapes of say two pounds. This may make some of our young folks stare, but they should be well impressed with this idea before they proceed with the disbudding. The fact is, it is altogether a question of light; and the more roof of a vinery it is, totally irrespective of all the interior area, that must determine the amount of pi'oduce. To produce a fair bunch of well-Havoured grapes, there must be a shoot of about two leet iu length, after what is termed severe stopping; and right and left of this, laterals which shade much, and occasionally overlap their neiglibours — a thing, liowever, to be avoided ; and at certain times they must be permitted to ramble somewhat freely, for reasons shortly to be offered ; so that although the spray may not be confined to a given yard square, it will be found, on the average, to cast a shade on an area nearly e(jual to a yard superficie. But, although this may at first astonish the novice in disbudding, yet the least reflection will show that this amounts to an enormous produce, taking tlie quality as well as weiglit into consideration. For suppose a little house twenty feet long, and having si.K rafters occupied with vines on the spurring system, eacdi rafter sixteen feet long, here we should obtain above one hundred-weight of grapes ; no inconsiderable weiglit of a fruit so very rich in saccharine principles. And now let us ho])e our rising vine-men will study the capabilities of the vine : what mni/ be expected, anil what ouijhl not to be expected. Grievous is it to see, day after day, a fine, strong, and willing horse doing double duty, and, perhaps, badly fed ; aud equally grievous to a good gardener, to see a willing lilack Hamhro' doing double duty, and the possessor, perliaps, wondering all tlie wliile how it is that his grapes will not turn black, and tliat they prove of more use in the kitchen than on the dessert-table. i. now return to the digressive point. It will be seen that Huniy buds have to be rubbed off; caution is, how- ever, requisite. Ijuds sometimes ]irovo deceptions; if the operator wore at all times to strip away, what at iirst sight .Tppears, the weak buds, and I'oserve only the more coarse, he would not nufrequontly find himself mistaken. Some of the gross-looking shoots will occa- sionally prove barren, whilst others, which at first did not ]n-omiso much, will ))rove of eminent service. Thus, then, it becomes the vinc-dresser to be chary in bis movements, and to suftcr the jirocoeding to stretch over a week or two, which, indeed, is about the period nature herself presents for the operation. And licre, 1 hope to be pardoned for stepping a little out of my way to in- dulge in an idea tba.t has often struck me, and, doubt- less, many of the readers of this work, especially our clerical supporters — it is the singular agreement between the best vine-dressing practice iu these times, and that of the days of our Saviour, who, it will be well re- membered, draws a comparison between the vine and man. " Every branch in me tliat beareth imt fruit. He taketh away; aud every branch that beareth fruit. He ]uu'gcth it that it may bring forth more fruit." Here, liow plainly we have our disbudding, ]n'uniug, and nil ; or rejection, with the subsequent practice of stopping, training, &o., in order to enhance the value of the fruit. And, doubtless, it was the recognised practice of those days in the open vineyard. Day by day, then, let the vine-dresser watch the de- velopments, and having enougli of young shoots to select from, continue, as their character becomes really manifest, to secure the fruitful shoots in proper situa- tions, and to strip .away the worthless ; in all these things, kee|)ing an eye on liiture years, and the system of training he is pursuing. And on the heels of tliis operation, what is termed ".lUijiping" must press. Stopping, means simply pinching ofi' the end of the reserved shoot, in order to concentrate its strength at a given point ; that is to say, the immediate vicinity of the future cluster of grapes. Now, J would fain have the unknowing readers of this work consider how this " stopping" operates ; and if I be right, it operates in a twofold way — it concentrates all available power near the fruit, and it is opposed to the increase of liard wood. Sonu^ may say, wliy should the latter be op|ioscd'.' 15ut surely the reason is obvious. ]t is not the vine that has the greatest amount of solidified wood, that has been the most profitable, innsuuich as timber is not the object. A judicious systeui of slopping, therefore, luisbands well the resources at counnaud, aud the throwing all possible power into the fruiting propen- sities of the vine, very naturally keeps down the ten- dency to produce mere hard wood. I venture these opinions thus far, thinking that iu accordance with the temper of the age, the dry rules of the olden time ought by no means to suffice. Philosophising in material thing's is not alone permissible, but highly to he com- mended, if conducted on recognised principles, and devoid of dogmatism. Let stoiqiiiig proceed, then, according to the rate of development of the young shoots ; those reserved may he, according to tho usual practice, stopped one joint beyond that where the bunch shows ; from this very general practice, based on the recognition of the severe economy imposed in regard to Vnjht, I see no reason whatever to diUer. Where the shoots are robust, it is well to stop them soon after the " show " is well de- veloped. This is a matter of expediency; for just in proportion as these are checked in tlicir rapid career, will be the increased, strength of those subordinate shoots which are only awaiting a chance to become useful. Thus may the stopping proceed until all have been subjected to the process, and by the time it is fully carried out, some of those first pinched will be about to develop lateral shoots, about the stopping of which practitioners slightly diller ; some arc for pinching their points immediately ; others allow them to ramble a little. I do not think it well to be so very keen ,as to be constantly stopping, but believe if best, for the system of the ti'ee, to allow a little liberty iu this respect. There can be little doubt, that the principal increase of root takes jdaee coineidently with the extension of the spray, and in a close ratio to it; and, if such be the case, it is obviously good ])olicy to suifer a free growth occa- sionally. However, as before observed, all these things are best done progressively, for so I have found it with all disbudding. An attentive vine dresser will bo fingering about his vines almost daily ; and there can he little doubt, that supjiosing a given shoot to possess four laterals that require pinching, it would be bettor to suficr the operation to occupy a week than to perform it at once. Henceforward, the stopping will continue at intervals, I until the berries counuence stoning; by wliich time, if the vine has a good eroji, tho rambling propensities will have much diminislied ; and, indeed, J hold it good practice to suifer the vines to ramble unmolested during most of that period, for, as tho berry renniius nearly stationary as to mere size, there does not exist the samo reason for close stopping. Where there is a leading shoot required for extension, it, of course, forms an exception to the side or bearing shoots, and unist not be sloppi'd so close; es|H'cially in the case of young vines advancing up the rafters, it is the practise of soum to pinch c^veryhiteral from the latter as they are produced. l''rom this doctrine I beg to dilfer. One of the first ol jects with tho cidlivalor, iu the ease of young vines, ouglit to bo to obtain iilcuty of roots; but how can this ho accomplislieil with lliis constant snubbing '.' It is a well-kuown fact, that the FEBnUAllY 3. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 3-11 root cannot extend niiiidly without a corres|ionding extension of brancli in any shrub or tree ; reciprocity is nature's law in this respect, and may not be altogetlier set aide. Mucli care should be taken over the tliinning of tlie berry ; many persons thin too freely : this, of course, jirochioes larger berries, but such bunclios disli up badly, and require paekiug. Grapes at table always look best in bold relief; but it is difficult to dish-up over-thiuned grapes. K. Ebuington'. MEETING OE THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— Januaiiy 18, 18.5:3. Theke was a large meeting of the Society this day, which happened to he the finest day for the last three months. The special subjects set apart lor this trial, were hardij tciiUor-Jiowerimj Phiiits, in any shape they chose to send them ; Oniju's of Enylish yrowlh ; and the best and most varied Salad Plants: of all of which we had large quantities. There were nearly fifty kinds of out-door plants, in bloom, from the garden of the Society; cut Uowers, of course, aud done up very nicely iu bunches, with a little moss round tlie hottom, then stuck into little [lots or jars, as one would arrange them at home for the mantel-piece, or anywhere about the rooms. In a dirty, smoky-looking place, like London, this kind of gardening is a species of luxury in winter, of which all classes seem to take advantage, more and more, every year — -judging I'roiu the quantities of cut flowers one sees in Coveut Garden market. 1 went through the market that morning on pLU'pose to see how they stood there, as compared with our own gathering in the afternoon. What surprised me most, was tlie elieapness of the nosegays, and the choice of flowers in them, and the excellent way they make them up: Camellias, Scarlet Gei'aniums, Gardenias, Hoses, and Violets, mixed up into six-inch nosegays, that is, six inches across the circle, for half-a-crown. A wedding nosegay, as white and as sweet as a Rose or Violet, for •js., 7s. (id., to 10s. Od., according to size. I recollect, one very hard winter, not many years back, when a duchess paid just twelve sovereigns for a bouquet to go to the christening of, I believe, the I'rineo of Wales, at any rate, of one of the royal children. Since then, I know that .Sis. Od. were given for a small nosegay, iu the month of May, that 1 could buy to-day in (Jovent Garden Market for si.\penoe. I mention this to show tliat wo who stimulate the cultivation of plants and flowers have some foundation for giving prizes for cut flowers in the dead of wititei-, and in the heart of London, where cut flowers are always far more sweet than in the country, as the ladies athrm when they go liome to their country seats. Then, as a hint to those who are about to marry; it is now thought quite vulgar to go together without wedding nosegays — all white, if possible; not too big, — say the bride's nosegay four inches across, and tho.se for the bride's-maids not quite so largo. I had an earnest request, the other day, fronx a young gentleman, fresh front his lexicons at Cambridge, to order seven bouquets for his wedding, and to cljoose the flowers, size, &c., for him. I shall just mention how the bride's bouquet was to be made — a large, double white Ga- mellla for tlie centre ; then a close circle of Gardenias, with throe or tour Oranije Blossoms in little bundles, alternating with the Oanlenias all round ; then an outside border of a White Narcissus, having a crimson edge to the eye ; guard leaves of the liose-scented Gera- niums, and the whole put up in a beautifully-cut white paper. The seven cost only 30s., a hundred miles from London. So we see that cut flowers are very useful in other places, and in country places, too, as well as in London. Before I eome to our cut flowers, however, I must mention a new plant in point, a Dendrohium, the ouly orchid in the room; it was a very dwarf plant, with white blossoms, as much like orange-blossoms as any- thing you ever saw ; aud in the lecture it was suggested, that the flowers of this new orchid might be used I'or any purpose for which orange-blossoms arc adapted ; which some of us believed to be the most philosophical part of the whole lecture. The Messrs. Veitch sent up, from Exeter, a small plant of the beautiful Sonerila, which was so much admired at the last meeting. Some people spell the name wrong, and few pronounce it right; the stress is on the i, and the sound is like rije, or thus, so-ne-rye-la. It is a pity that a wrong sound should be given to the name of so beautiful a plant, which is sure to come into general use, like the Achimenes ; and, as it comes in when the Aehimenes are over, and will last on to, and through, January, everybody will have it by-and-by. After flow- ering it will go to rest, and it may he kept dry, or nearly so, till the beginning of April ; then a corner of the cucumber bed will set it off again to the end of May; after that a close pit culture, without artificial heat, will do for it to the end of September ; at any rate, that must do where no better means are at hand ; then, if it were .nninaged on the sin.gle small-pot plan, like Mr. Tinee's ^Eschynanthus, no doubt it would be in bloom by the end of Sejrtember, and fit to go to the drawing-rooms, m succession, along with Gcsnera zchrina ; also on the smafl-pot culture as I lately set forth. It appears to me, from a sli.ght acquaintance with it, that this Sonerila will bear tiie same degree of hardship in the drawing- rooms as the Begonia parrijlora, or Drcijeii. At all events, it is more creditable for an old gardener that what he says of a new plant shoifld almost fail, than that he should be so chicken-hearted as to say nothing about it till the rest of the world knew all its points of culture. The next best winter-flowering plant in the I'oom was from the garden of the Society, Siphocampijlos mierosto- miis rubrns, with heads of brilliant crimson flowers ; a bushy plant, two feet high, and every brancli of it end- ing in beautiful heads. The species, microstomus, was there also, from the same collection, but it is not nearly so handsome ; the two, liowever, are well worth growing in quantities for the winter season. The jdants wore very healthy-looking, and clothed with deep green leaves down to the pot, which is not usual in this gay family. I did not learn how this variety was obtained, but the species is from New Grenada, and is as easily managed as a Jasticia ciirnea, and, 1 should say, much in the same way. Lot us follow our prac- tice with this very plant, aud say, that after the flowers are over we will give it three months' rest, with no more water than would keep it from shrivelling; tlien to cut it down close ; water it ; apply a little sti- mulus in a warm pit; and when it was again in leaf, to shake olf all the soil from it, as we would from a Geranium under similar circumstances ; then to trim the roots a little, and put it into a small pot, with a rich, light compost, such as one would use for a pot Euohsia. After that, to grow it on Idndly through the summer, and change the pot two or three times ; the last potting not to be later than the middle of Jtdy ; to keep it rather dry, airy, and siuiuy, all through Septem- ber and October, so as to stop the growth, ripen the shoots well, and give them time to form their brilliant heads of flowers before the very dull short days, aud then to force them to open, or let them do so without any hurry. Cuttings of the first early shoots, in April, would make the best plants ; but, probably, pieces of the old shoots would do when the plant is cut dowu, and, no doubt, an old plant might be divided into three or four divisions at the time of shaking ofl' the soil, and 3i2 THE COTTAGE GARDENER Iebklaky y. each of them would iiial;e a flowering plant by the fol- lowing autumn. I think it is better, with all tliis family, to get all the Howering shoots direct from tlie bottom, if possible, than to stop any of tliern to get the plant bushy; and when it is absolutely necessary to have recourse to stopping, it ought to be done very early, when the young shoots are about four inches long. Tlic ne.Kt best, if not the very best in tlie room, was a Brazilian bulb, Hi^qicftUnnii aiiUctim; the variety o1' it, with the wa"\-y petals and sepals, called plutypetaliiiii. There are three distinct forms of this beautiful bulb Aulictim, with thick broad petals, as flat and regular on the edges as the petal of a tulip: — jilalijpeLalma, our present subject, tlie petals and sejials wider apart and a little wavy, with the crimson colour not so ricii as in the first ; and Oryanense, intermediate between the two, and a much hardier bulb, which the late ilr. Gardener found high up on the Organ Mountains, in llrazil. The three never produce more tlian two Howers on a sca]:ie. and the large green eye is very conspicuous on all of them. The best kind to cross with them is certainly regium (reginfe), the best scarlet in the family. Tlie next best is equestre, a bright orange flower, as regular in the outline as the flower of I'alotla. The bulb exhibited was in a large No. 10 pot, and it had three large ofl'set bulbs still growing on the old bulb; the old and young were all in bloom like a Tine-apple, having tliree suckers in front, as well as the old plant. The old bulb in the middle had two flower scapes, higher than the side ones; tliere were si.'v scapes in all. but one of them was over by this time. It is the only H'qipeastcr that was e.\hi- bited like a " specimou" for the last twenty years, and the first of the AuUcum breed that 1 have seen with twelve blooms on at the same time. This is always the best way to grow Jl. vittatiim, as it is rather shy to establish after dividing ; and I was going to recommend it to bo grown this way on tliat accoimt, and as some- thing novel ; but now I am glad to own that a lirst-rate grower of them, and a jjerfect stranger, has forestalled mc, and only wish we bad many more such growers of these very handsome bulbs ; indeed, of bulbs in general. I hope the Council of the Society will oiler a handsome pri/.e some day or other for the best-named collection of well-grown bulbs, and make nie one of the judges in that class. Tlicre is some danger attending the growth of stove bulbs in general, after this method ; the old bulb is always ripo long before the side ones ; but I shall explain when 1 come to that part of our bulb list. CociiLio.MUA Ac.u'Lis. — This is the very little annual which will keep in flower all the year round, and flower on the mantle-piece all the winter in anything from a shell to a finger-glass. If every one of our readers would threaten to take their custom from seedsmen who could not supply a sixpenny ))ackct of tlie seeds of this pretty little thing, we should soon have it as the Society wish. We had lots of it to-day, in wide sliallow ]ian5, the plants standing as thick as grass, and in full flower, and hardly two inches high. Tliey send it every winter, I'rom October till April. Eclicveria (sounds E-g-v-r-i-aj, is anotlicr plant of vvhicli they have three or four kinds in tlie garden ibr showing at these meetings, all of whicli, we were told in tlic lecture, might bo grown in every window in London. (Jcsnera zebi'uui, and G. Jlcrherlii, botli fine s|)ccinu'ns, were also from our own garden, as also, and as is usual every winter, a fine examjilo ol' Silajo disiaim, which blooms all the winter tlirough, if done as Mr. I'ish says. j\ricruUUi Ile'islei'ia, the best plant of it I ever saw, was fi'om the same garden. When I was a boy, tliis was the only greenhouse plant to be seen in flower all through tlie winter. It was tlien called Poli/i/ala. It lias very bright red, little, pea-flowers, crowded' together along the shoots, and is one of tho host of all the old- fushioncd plants Ibr tliis aoason. CeiUnuUiiia Jlori- hunila, only known to stove-plant growers, was there also. There is not much difference between it and C. rosea. To name all the cut-flowers at this nieeliug is more than I can find room for. Wfll it not, however, stand as a garden mark in history, that beautiful, large. healthy flowers of the red or scarlet Diiturii, were gathered from the open air in JJorsetshire, and were ex- hibited in London on the listh January, lf^."):'>l Mr. Strangwsys sent them, and a large flat basketful of otlier nice tilings, in the same style, including the Mexican Fvchsia cordahi, looking as rich in the flower, and as flowery as any I-'uchsia ever did. Now this very pretty I'uchsia was cast out of cultivation withovit a hearing; but depend u)ion it the fault was ours, we did not find out the right method to bring it in as a, winter-flowering ]ilant, like 1''. scrralifoUa. We ought to retrace our steps, and get tlie two crossed lor a regular new breed of Euchsias that will flower naturally all the winter. There is not the slightest doubt about the possibility of the thing. There were plenty cut-tlowers of CnmeUins, Ciiiernruis, Epacvis, of the two Clni)ton(iiUhs,J'ragrans, and grandi- JloiKs; their sweet flowers were a great treat for the ladies ; Loniccra fragrunt'issima, an. evergreen hardy bush, vei-y sweet-scented white flowers, and many more besides. A fine Eiivillc Pine-apple, and lots of Qrapes and dessert AjipJcs- The Black Barharossa, from Mr. Fleming, was the best, and now may be relied on as an excellent keejier. He also sent Muscats of Alexandria and Tokays ; and although it was not named, it seemed to say as much as that the Tokay keeps better than the Muscat. ]\lr. Eorbes, gardener to the Duke of Bedford, sent the best bloomed Black Hamburghs I ever saw, and also a bunch of them which ripened this year, with large, green, fleshy leaves, but unfortunately they were received too late in the day to como in for competition, no doubt through delays by the railroad people. Twenty kinds of beautiful dessert Aj/jilcn, and all true to name ; a great treat now-a-days ; and some' lirst-rate collections of Salad herbs, complete the lists of things displayed. The Salad herbs deserve to be enumerated. Mr. Burns, gai'dener to Earl Stanhope, was most successful. He had Beet, Celery, Radishes, Corn-salad, Kndivo (Curled and Batavian), Cress, Mustard, American Cress, Chicory (blanched). Water-cresses, Tarragon, young Onions, Chervil, and Burnet. Mr. Flennng, gardener to the Duke of Sutherland, had nearly tho same. from our garden was a collection of similar herbs, comprising two varieties of Chicory; Italian Corn-salad (Machc d'ltalie), the best of the varieties of this plant; two Trencli varieties of Celery, three inditt'erent speci- mens of Beet ; throe Sorrels, of which the best was a Trench kind called Belleville Sorrel (Oscille do Belle- ville), Chervil, Onions, and one or two other trivial things. D. Beaton. THE ALRICUi.A. {Conlhiiu'd Jriitn page dlli.) pnorKRTiES or A good auricula. 1. The stem should bo from live to eight inches high, and should be strong enough to hear the truss upright without any artificial support. 2. 'I'hc footstalks of each flower should bo so long as to allow rocnn for each flower to expand individually, so as not to cover any other flower in the truss. ;i. There should bo a guard-leaf under the entire truss, to set oil, by its green colour, tho colour of the flowers (this is not indispensable). I. The Mower, or piji, should be round, large, with each petal of equal size, smooth at the edge, stout, and perfcclly even or flat. FEBnUABY 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 5. Tlie centre of the flower, or tube, should not exceed one-fourth of the diameter of tlio pip; the anthers, or thrum, should all bo even, a little raised above the petals. 0. The eye siuroundiuc; the centre should be pure white, without blemish, quite circular and distinct. 7. The ground colour: this part forms a circle between the eye and the outer edge, and the richer and darker it is the better the flower will be. This ground colour should never break through the outer circle to the edge. 8. The outer circle is llie margin, and should be either of a clear green, clear grey, or clear white ; and this part, in every petal, in every pip, should be of the same colour according to its class. nth and last. The plant should be strong, and healthy, and the foliage broad and plentiful, so as to cover the soil. The above are the properties the florists have agreed to constitute a first-rate Auricula ; and though there is no doubt such an assemblage of qualities are desirable, and are now and then seen complete in all ])arts, yet, I think, great allowance should be made at exhibitions, and the prizes given to flowers that most approximate to the properties, and a slight defect in any one pro])erty over-looked, provided the whole contour or form, or, as the French happily express it, the coup d'ccil, is as near perfection as possible. Diseases. — Unhappily, this beautiful flower is subject to a disease which is a kind of gangrene or cancer. It makes its ap])earance on the root-stem, underneath tlie soil. The indications of its presence are, the leaves flag, and water does not restore them; afterwards they turn yellow, and have a sickly appearance : it then either droops on one side, or the canker strikes quite through the stem, spreads upwards, and the plant dies; but if taken in time it may be saved. Take the plant out of the pot, and cut oti' with an unsparing hand all tlie cankered part till sound flesh appears ; then anoint tlie cut part with chalk, re-pot in i'resh compost, and place the plant or plants in a shady place, under a iiand-light, till fresh roots are made, and the plant recovers its coloiu' and health, and it is saved from a premature death. Should the whole collection have nppearances of disease, then the general management is wrong, and there is nothing for it but an entire new potting in fresh compost, with plenty of drainage, and half-an-inch of charcoal between it and the soil. This must be done let the time of year be when it may, for a month's delay might carry off the whole stock. Insects. — Worms and snails I have already men- tioned ; but sometimes the red spider and green fly make their appearance; the former after long-continued dry weather in summer, and the latter in early spring, ujion the flower-buds, just before they begin to expand. The red spider must be got rid of by washing every leaf, on both sides, with a sol't sponge dipped in water impregnated with sulphur; and the green fly by two or three gentle smokings of tobacco, the frames to be kept close I'or twelve hours after smoking ; or, if there are but a lew, they may be ^picked oft' on a camel-hair pencil, and crushed to death. 1 have now gone through the entire course of culture for this charming spring flower, and shall conclude with a list of the best kinds, selected from various sources, both printed and written, as well as from my own notes and observations :— GlUiEN EDGED. Leigli's C'nI. Tai/lor lAghthody'H Star iiJ'Bi'thlehcm „ Lord Li/iiddch OUier's X'irfy Aim Wilbra- Page's C'lmuqildn Pearson's Bmlnjns Ainheriey'aAlpiiicNJicphcrdcss Barlow's Earl of H'illoii ,, Morniiici Star Buckley's Surprise Oliapman's Sophia. Cheetham's Lancashire Hero Dean's Regulator l''letclior's Xc plus Vltra „ Oonitnercc WHITE Ashton's Boiiiuj Lass Buckley's Miss Ann CheetYiiaa'sCountcssofWiltaii Clegg's Cruci/ix Chilcotl's Brilliant Campbell's Robert Burns Heap's Sniiliuii Beautij Hepworth's True Briton. Berry's Lord Primate „ Lord Lee Bradshaw's Tidij Barker's Xonsurh Cliadwick's Laih/ Frautilin Clegg's Blue Bonnet Dickson's Apollo Gorton's Gold/iurh „ Slndtholder Headley's Royal Fnrplc Kenyou's Freedom Crompton's Bine Bann T'p „ Oldham Hero Captain Fraser Kinij of the Alps ilelior's Jenni/ Find (new) Partridge's Villa je JJaid 343 PolhiU's Hi. speciusa. Beaiifortia dec.tssala (Cross-leaved Beauforlia). — A line scarlet-flowering, tall-growing shrub, hardy enough to bear several degrees of frost; flowers freely when old, but rather shy when grown in jiots. Jienthamia /ragi/era (Strawljei'ry -fruited B.). — In IJevonshirc this tree has produced its large, deep rod, handsome fruit abundantly against the walls of a house. 1 saw the fruit once, some two or three years ago, on the tables of the Horticultural Society, in liegentslreet, and thought them very handsome, and templing to the palate ; but i)r. Lindlcy stated they were not eatable. The flowers are yellowish-red, and tolerably handsome. These circumstances point out this as a desii'able plant for the walls in question. Berberis aristata, B. biixij'ulia, B. macrophylla, B. nervosa, B. incrinis, and B. IriJ'uliaUt, are all desirable shrubs, with evergreen Ibliage and yellow flowers. Since the Dictionary was published, two licauliful new sjiecies have been imported, which are both aduiirably aelapled to ]dant against a wall. They are uamed B. Ikiruinnii, almost, but not quite, an evergreen, with numerous golden-orange-coloured blossoms spriugiug from the axils of the leaves, and B. Nepaulcnsis, which has leaves nearly eighteen inches long and one-and-a-lialf broad, dee[ily cut at the edges, and of a pleasing milky- green colour. The flowers of this latter s[iecics are pro- duced at the ends of the shoots in clusters of four or five spikes, and are of a deep yellow colour. T. ArpLEBV. (2'o hii continued.) PREPARING THE GROUND FOR SPRING CROPS. Notwithstanding the mildness of the weather, we fear the ensuing seed-time will be anytliing but a pleasant one. Saturated as the ground has been with wet, and i>robably may continue to be, the benefits it usually derives from a period of rest have been much curtailed; and no doubt, in certain cases, a positive evil inflicted. But the season is fast a|)proaching iu which something must be done, almost despite the weather. Crops that require sowing in early spring will want the ground in some measure ]irepared for them beforehand. Usually, what is wauled for dnions, Carrots, &c., is either ridged or rough digged early in winter, and, perhaps, once or more dining the Irost-I'ertilisiug season, and finally about a month or less before sowing-time ; the last digging nuiy bo loss deep than the }irevious ones, if tho weather, &c,, do not promise to be of a kind to mellow it down. Now the past winter, up to the lime 1 write (the last week in January), hardly deserves the lunuc of one, being more like a jirolonged autunni, so that the conditions necessai-y to fertilise, as well as pidverise the ground, have been almost totally withlield ; a dillerent course nuist, there- fore, bo pursued than is usual in seasons of an opposite kind. Soils of an adhesive nature, with that ))eculiar texture which a short exposure to atmospheric intUieuce tends rather to increase their tciuicity than otherwise, nuisl not be treated tho same as those soils which mellow down cpiickly after an cx|>osino of a few days ; the better plan with the former will be to let alone the digging until the sowing has to be performed, and then to do both at once, as it will be in a better condition to rake down and aUbrd a good bed for the seed, than it would be if left to llio vicissitudes of the elements for II, short time only. (_)bserve, 1 do not mean to assert that sharji uipjiing frost or drying winds, followed by other changes, woidd not [iroduce a better state of tillage llian the hasty mode of digging compressed ground, and sowing it the same day; but then, what chances I'EBEUAnY 3, THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 345 I have we this season of getting our ground into the healthy condition wliich requires but little judgment to jironouneo tlio most proper state to receive seeds? Much, of course, depends on circumstauces, as well as tlic slate of the wcatlier during the ensuing six wcoks. 11' it should be severe, i. e., with sharp cutting frosts and dry winds, the ground then would derive all the benefit necessary to unsure what in some countries is called " a good season," which moans a hue mellow surface ; but as none of us are able to forctel the coming weather, despite all the weather prophets' assistance, we must take our measures according to what seems most probable, instead of what we most wish. Where ground lias lain a great part of winter in that compressed state which a heavy treading in autumn induces, it had better remain in that condition still, if we are likely to be visited with a continuation of those heavy rains so common of late, because, the firmer the ground, the less chance there is of it holding water in an undue quantity. This is easily ascertained by any one who just digs up a spadeful of soil on a loose open- s[iacc, and then on a hard one ; the former, in wet weather, is loaded like a sponge ; the latter is like the sponge subjected to a pressui-e. Now, though we do not pretend to say that rain water, even in deluging quan- tities, does not convey something that is useful to the earth, yet we are far from thinking its benefits are felt by land in that loose open state of tillage which digged ground preseuts ; whereas the firm ground, by receiving the same amount of rain on its surface, allows it to percolate through, otherwise run otf, and, doubtless, it loaves some of its fertilising properties in the soil it filters through, and probably leaves most where the strainer is closest; that it is so in the light ground, must be evident to every one. Now, we have said enough to show that on some obstinate soils a little exposure is worse than none at all; and that such ground, which circumstances have hitherto prevented being dug during winter, had better be delayed until sowing time; but then, more mellow soils which had been ridged, or rough digged during autumn, had better now bo slightly poiuted over, in order to expose the surface as much to the elements as jiossiblc. A nice frosty morning is the best time to do this work, otherwise when the ground is tolerably dry, with winds, &c.; and although it may be improper to dig deep, yot the ground, if necessary, may be stirred the fidl de))th of the spade, provided that the to|) of all remains at the top again, or nearly so ; this is im- portant when there seems not sulficient time to mellow the luulcr stratum before the ground is wanted for cropping, but the period required for that purpose difl'ers so much in various soils, that no general rules can be laid down for guidance in the matter. One thing we may enforce on the young horticulturist — that all soils arc injured by being worked when in a very wet condition, that is, when charged with water to excess ; but this is not always the case with the com- pressed ground we have been speaking of, because, if needs bo, that may be digged up when a spade cannot be put in soils of a lighter and more friable nature ; but which, by lying open, are exposed and comjjelled to drink in every passing shower ; but remember, these stift' soils must be dug and sown, or planted, at the same time, otherwise the rains, if there be any, will render the treading and working on such a soil a matter of impossibility; and it is possible that the sowing season may partake of the general character of the winter. I have not said anything about the manure proper for crops that are wanted to be sown early, because usually such manuring is done in autumn ; but when that has been omitted, no delay nuist take place now ; and even in the ground we have been advising to leave undug till sowing-time, the dung, and other matters, ought to bo in readiness to dig in them ; and wluitever nuiy be said about the utility of dung being administered in a fresh, unfermented, or uudecayed slate, it is better that both processes be pretty far advanced at this season. 1 n autumn, a rougher article might, perhaiis, do as well ; but now tlie little time left before it bo called on to furnish those juices necessary to the well-being of plants it is destined to nourish, renders it imperative that it should be ripe, or nearly so, lor that purjioso. Onions, being a gross-feeding crop, require a good pro- portion of dung ; but they are better wlieu it has been given in liberal quantities, the year before, to some crop that has not exluiusted it too much. We have been in the habit, for many years, of sowing our Onions on ground that the early Celery had come olf, and we do not see any better place, when other things are taken into consideration as well. Carrots, and similar root- crops, ought to have the groiuid trenched about eighteen inches, or more, early in autuuni ; and wljat dung or other enriching matter was put in ought to be in the bottom, or from the bottom to the middle of the trench, so that none of it will be so near the siuface as to entice the roots of such plants as Carrots, Bcot, &c., to fork and divide, on purpose to remain amongst such rich food, which they unquestionably will if it exist in any quantity near the top. Another condition necessary to ensure good Carrots is to have the ground free from those hard, impenetrable lumps which resist the down- ward growth of roots. It must, likewise, bo free from wireworm, if possible, and for that reason, had better not be where any of the Cabbage tribe had occupied the proceeding year. This latter evil may be got over by a dressing of gas-water, or the lime that has been used there. Common lime, unless used with a very liberal hand, seems unable to accomplish the destruction of this pest ; and we are by no moans advocates for large quantities of it being used where Carrots are grown, ibr its presence is at variance with the nature of the soil where the root luxuriates in the greatest perfection. ]\Iany things will now require to be seen to in various ways. Warm, dry borders, that have not received a crop, may be planted with Early Potatoes, or, at least, a quantity of these may be planted erossways. Radishes may be sown against a south wall ; and on some fa- voured, warm spot sow a little Lettuce and Cauliflower seed. The protection of glass, we I'ear, is a luxury that cannot well be aflbrdedsuch crops; but when any lights are at liberty, let them be used in some way or other. Sow Peas, and plant Beans, for the after crops ; and watch carefully that the slug does not destroy those coming up or advancing apace. Sea-kale will now force with less trouble than heretofore, that it need not be covered up so long before the time it is wanted to come into use ; but it will stOl require heat. Take up all Parsnips that arc yet in the ground, and other roots; and on all favourable occasions wheel out dung, &c., on land that may require it. See to Cucumbers, and other tender objects in the forcing department, so that no lack of heat gives them a check; and turn and prepare dung, &c., for more Hotbeds, which make up when wanted, at tlie same time sowing Melons and Cucumbers occasionally, to succeed those already in, or, it may be, make up a deficiency, or, what is also not to be for- gotten, to furnish a less-favoured neighbour with a pot or two of plants, if required. J . Robson. BORDERS AND THEIR ARRANGEMENTS. The time i.=i now fast approaching for being busy in digging and planting, altering or re-arrauging our bonlers ; and of course this will be found the more reaiUly effected by those who took the hint Mr. Beaton gave out in one of 34(5 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. rEBUUART 3. Ills excellent papei's last year, advising friends to label or number their plants in the borders as they come into flower, &c., for the sake of knowing where they are at the proper time to re-arrange them in the borders. This is very important, and what we at all times attend to. Now, last March, we re-arranged a favourite little border in the following manner: — It is a border situated by the side, and the whole length of a south terrace-walk. The walk is twelve feet wide, with a grass verge, one footand-a- haU' wide, sejiarating the walk Irom the border. The border is three feet-and-a-half wide, and at tlie foot of a biiclc-wall, eleven feet high, which is covered with flowering shrubs, and other climbing plants. This wall and border are from seventy to eighty yards in length, and have been crowded with liowers for the last twenty yeiU's, and at most seasons of the year something or otlier could be seen in Hower either in the border, or on the wall, or both. Tlie border was filled many years ago with hardy border-plants, in three rows, about two-feet-and-a-half from jilant to plant in the row, and none were placed there that grew very tall. That is, we had nothing tliat was more than about from two feet to two-feet-and-half in height, at the most; of course, these were in the back row. The next row was still dwarfer, from one foot to one-and-a-half high, and tlie front row principally of bulbous kinds. Tlie three rows of plants were always kept in compact snug bunches, and precisely alternate with each other in the rows, that is, in the ijuin- cunx-form, and all labelled. In the summer, abundance of other bedding plants were introduced as intermediates to the permanent arrangements ; something of all sorts, so as to be as various as a regular mixed border could well be, but still avoiding any that were tall, so as not to obstruct the light to the wall. .\s I said before, it was thought well to alter tlie jireceding ai'rangement, and in the month of March we set about it, taking up every plant, and working up the border well, adding a little well-rotted manure ; not that we needed much in this way, as the border gets well manured by a top-dressing of old hotbed manure every winter. This serves as a protection to many of the plants upon the wall. Comfort is comfort to a man when he is going out of a cold winter's evening, to put on a great coat and au extra cravat round his neck, and so it is with these plants under our wall, to liave a good top coat of this good old manure packed up well round their collars, or the base of their stems, and over their roots too. Having the border ready to receive the plants, a line was set down at one font-and-a-half from the wall, lenglli-w'ays, and the plants selected and planted three feet apart in tlie row. This done, the line was brouglit forward one foot, and the second row of dwarfer kinds planted, both rows in front of the line, of course, and precisely alternate with each other, and thus confining the border to two rows of perma- nent plants. These were all labelled, as usual, and very nice the border looked, and so it does at this time. In this front row we Jiave introduced, every now and then, a bunch of Cruciis, indeed, all the bulbs at certain distances, for the purpose of introducing the summer plants of a certain kind and colour in the same line, in the place of those bulbs, as will bo seen hereafter. The reason why w'e planted our permanent plants three feet apart in the row, and confined them to tv.o rows only, is to be the more regular and com- plete when introducing a summer plant between every two permanent plants, from end to end of the border, without injuring these; and should there be any chance of this, the watchful eye can soon see, and soon cut away anything that is intruding. Any number of Itinih of plants may be employed as the summer intermediates in this still mixed border; but this is not our plan. We use three colours, and intend so to do as yet. The back row of summer plants, from end to end, is of the Citlcsiina niicraloidcs, light blue; the front row of summer plants is of Scarlet Gcraniiimx, of tlie Tom Thumb variety, except where I.iulljs stand as the permanent plants ; here a Yellow Calceolaria, Cahrolnria rtii/osa, is let in with care witli a small trowid, so as not to injure or disturb the bulbs. I must add, that I never saw a mixed border to please better than this did last season, and so said m.any others wlio saw it. Df course no label is recjuired to the summer plants. I have omitted to say, that there is a bed of lUc Jlexicun Tiger flower, Thjridia jiavunia, in the centre of this long border, and it does not seem at all out of place. This bed is about four yards long. The Tiijridias are taken up every three years, and the bed well worked-up, and a little new soil added, such as comes from the old melon bed, and a little sand with it. The bed being ready to plant, a drill is chopped with the spade six or seven inches deep, and the strongest bulbs planted as thick as they can well stand by each other in the drill; this done, the drill is filled up, and so on in three drills length- ways of the border ; and nothing can possibly fiower more freely, or do better. They are taken up about the middle of March, when their time is to be replanted. The bed is top-dressed, and more carefully in severe winters. The hardy herbaceous perennial plants that are jilanted in this border are not very choice, the situation being very hot at times ; indeed, too hot for many others of our choicer kinds to do well; therefore, we have to suit the plants to the border. AVe have, in most cases, only one specimen of a kind ; in others, two of a land. AVhen two of one kind are planted, they are placed at certain distances apai'(, so as to look uniform. The following is a list of the permanent hardy plants, in the order they stand in the border : — B.\CK ROW. Dracoceplialum \'ir[3:iniacum. Dianthus Garneriiinus. lOrigeron Philadelphicuni. Chrysocoma Linosyris. Geranium Ibiricum. ,, striatum. ,, sylvaticum. ,, Phoeuiji. Geum Chilense. ,, ,, ^randiliora. Inula glanduloaa. Kudbecltia liirta. I\Ielittis grandiliora. Mimuhis cardinalis auperba. Jlelissa grandiliora. Plilos suaveolens. ,, niaculata. ,, odorata. ,, speciosissimura rubrum. ,, deiicata. Polcmonium coerulcura. Acliillea rosea, or asplcnifolia. Anemone japonica. Aster Uevis. ,, amclloides. Astrantia maxima. IJetonica granditlora. Centaurea montana. Crucianella stylosa. Campanula persicifolia plcno alba. ,, ,, ,, rubra. ,, azurca. ,, grandis. Symphytum Bohemicum. Solidago (a pretty dwarf kind). Veronica niaritima. ,, Candida. ,, lacineata. ,, clcgans. Lychnis viscaria. I\Ialva lateritia. TroUius AEiaticus. FRONT ROW. Primula auricula, vur. hortensis. ,, vulgaris plcno alba. ,, ,, ,, lilacina. Potcntilla Tongueii. Pulmonaria Virginica. ,, otHcinalis. Pancralium lUyricum. Smilacina bifolia. Pentstcmon spicatum, or proccras, Scilla pra-cox. Saxifraga umbrosa. Silenc Shaftii. Scmpervivum montanum. Sedum Aizoon. 1 Veronica jiallida. I ,, gentianoidea. Omphalodes vcrna. (Enothera prostrala. Chciranthus alpinus. Crocus vernua. Iris pumila. Eryttironium dcns-canis. Eranthis liycmalis. I Hclleborus nigcr. Francoa appendiciUa. FritiUaria alba. j tjeranium sanguincum. Galanthus nivalis plcno. 1 Lilbospermuin purpureocccrulcum Uluscari racemosum. ,. monstrosuni. Orobus vernus. j Prunella Pensylvanica. Narcissus buliiocodium. ,, minor. ,, ajax. Diclytra formosa. Corydalis bulbosa. Anemone sylvcstris. „ Apcnnina. j Arabia Alpina grandiliora. ,, ,, varicgata. Aubrietin purpurea. Campanula Car|)atica. ,, pumila. ,, pulla. Tlic two ends of this border, for three or four yards.iire shaded and gloomy, suiting the rrimnlas, the Anemone Apenniiia, Saxifraga, Corydales, and Dielytru in the front row, and the Troilius and some others in the bade row. i>f com'se, any plant that is a spreader at root is taken lip and reiilantcd yearly, so as to keep snug compact biinelies. The following is a list of the pl.nils trained against the wall ; — Cydonia .Tajionica. alba, .lasminum oflicinalc. ,, rcvolutum. ., nnditloruni. ICdwardsia grandiliora, a very line plant. .Spirioa Ivindlcyana. Forsylliia viridissima. Cliantluis puuiceua, turned out here last spring, and is DOiv very full ot Ijlooni. Wlicllicr we can save it here has to be pio\ fd. Garrya cliptica. I'ebeuary 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. n , A. 0Jt( Hydrangen Japonica^ PiL-onia iMoulaii ; a fine plant. CleinatU azurca grandiflora. „ riorida. .■ ,, ,, pleno. ,, ,, bicolor. ,, montana. ,, viticella pleno. ,, or Atrajryne Siberica. Cai)rifoliuni flexiiusum. ,, gratuni. Escallonia rubra. ,, macrantha. Passidora ccerulea. Arundinaria falcata ; a fine plant. Jiuddlea Lindleyana ; this tlowers finely here. rcanuthus laevigatas. Statice Dickeiisonii. Myrtns coniniunis ; narrow and broad-leaved varieties do well here. Veronica Lindleyana; a tine plant, with abundance of bloom at this time. ,1 speeiosa; one of the tenderest upon the wall. AbutUon striatum ; this has been out some years, and flowers tolerably well every year. Growing very rampantly it requires more room than we can spare it. Deutzia scabra. Weigcla rosea. Siphocaiopylos bicolor; this dies down to the ground every year, and rises again the year following, like a willow, tour or five leet in height, and tlowers very freely. Pittosporum Tobira ; this flowers very beautifully here. Aloysia citriodora ; this is cut down yearly to the ground, and puts up again very vigorously. Daphne Dauphinii; this is a very fine specimen, and is a most desirable plane to have under a wall. Kobinia hispida. Chimonanthus fraprans. Wistaria sinensis, often called Wistaria consequana. This is a very handsome specimen, only allowed to occupy a breadth of three or four feet of the upper part of the wall. All the lower shoots have always been cut away, malting room for other plants to be trained under its branches upon the wall, which extend about ninety-five feet in length. Puniea granatum. Olea Europjca. Lycium Eurupreura. Roses. — We have nothing in this way in particular; at any rate, nothing new. A nice plant of the old single Macartney 2iosain, that your readers have observed your ad- mission into your paper of many queries, &c., from " Q-in- a-Corner," and others, who, from their utter inability to prjve one tittle of what they insinuate, only show tlie sore- ness under which, from some cause or other, they labour. [Our correspondent is quite right in supposing that wo do not intend to maiutidn so monstrous a i)osition, as that either a dealer, or any one else, could iulluence two or three gentlemen so fai" as to induce them to do an act of flagrant wrong ; but our correspondent forgets that no such pf>int is in dispute. The simple question is — Is not a dealer in poultry more liable to be biassed than any other man as a Judge at a poultry show? Oases must arise in which there is a division of opinion ; and if one of the i)ens of I birds in susiiense have l)een sold by himself, is not that j likely to influence his judgment rather towards them ? We own that we think it would. We know that such, too, is tile public opinion ; and we know that at no other I exhibition would a dealer be appointed who had sold any of the competing stock to the competitors, any more than Mr. Clarke would be continued as judge at New- market if t!ver lie became a dealer in horses over wlu)se success lie had to sit in judgment. We agree, without the slightest reserve, in what is stated as to Mr. fjaily's skill and expeiience ; but we also know that there are many amateurs competent to decide on the merits of iioultry, and, therefore, we do not think it a wise course to weaken the coniideuce of exhibitors by needlessly retaining lain as a judge. Thus to express our opinion has been, and is, higlily painful. From Jir. liaily we have received many courtesies; we have not the slightest unkind feehng towards hiiii ; and we know of no man to whom we would sooner ajiply for aid and advice in any mercantile transaction con- nected with poultry ; but this must not turn us aside from advocating what we know to be sound in principle. With regard to the questions of " (J in a-Coriier," the insinu- atii>iis they contain must fall to the ground, because he declines to have his name revealed. We do not blaine him for this, because no man can find pleasure in a paper war; and we take some blame to oui'selves for having inserted the questions, even after " ti" had assented to our sugges- tion, that mere insinuations ought not to appear.] I now turn to the other subject I proposed. And here I would remark, that if you could only give your readers a less perfect prize list of the Metropolitan Hbow than was given by the Times and other papers last Tiicsdai/ niurnbuj irce/<, it is a pity you ti'oubled yourself to do so at all. Altliough the prize list had been published a week, your list varies from it in the lirst sixteen classes in more than a dozen particulars, of name, place, »fec. ; and you have oniittetl all the connnendations throughout, and also all report of prizes in classes -17, l-s, -il), 50. In another part of your paper, you tell the public that Mr. Stm'geoii, Mr. ]'un- chard, and Mr. Peck, were missed ; and, perhaijs, on Ibis account it is that the public miss all junticiiitu- mention of any of the specimens in class 11, I'i, b'l, li, l.j, and yet X have heard, from eoniiietent judges, that some of the siiecimens in class 15 equalled or exceeiled anything ever shown at Birmingham. The public will believe, say what you will, that the person who wrote the article in that week's number lias bad some iiiHuence over him, for a style of criticism dilferiiig liom that in every other Knglisli newspaper on the same subject. [All these charges and inueiidos admit of a ready an- swer. We did nut publish the prize list as it appeared in the daily papers, because wo were told tliey were incorrect. 'I'hc list we did publish was furnished to us direct from the Comuiittoe of the Metropolitan Show, if there was any oinission, the blame does not attach to ourselves. We never, intentionally, publish notices of the " commcnda tious" at any of the Shows; our object being only to notice where the best birds are to be found. We hope, notwilh- stiindiiig our correspondent's contrary conviction, that the public will Ijelicive lis when we slate, that we selecled tiie gc'ullemaii who obligeil us with the report on Die Metropo- litan Show, not only because ho perfectly understands the subject, but because he has always been the advocate of Mr. Baily, and is no extreme admirer of Shangliiies. We think, on cool. consideration, that our correspondiiiit will not dissent from our opinion, that such birds as Mr. I'eck's, Mr. Tunchard's, and Mr. Sturgeon's, must be desirable at any Exhibition.] On another point, also, I think the public will ditl'er with you, vi:., as to the sale by auction. '\\'hat rational objection can there be to this '/ If I do not wish to sell my specimens at all, I have only to jiut on a really prohibitory price, and my object is gained. If, however, 1 am willing to sell, if 1 can get what 1 conceive would make it worth uiy while to jiart with any specimens, I have only to allix that price, and the public will decide whether they will buy or not. Surely this IS far better than the miserable trickery and squabbling tliat has heretofore disgraced the Bu-mingham exhibition, as to the claiming of pens. It is equally fair for all ; the other system was not. — Oke oi' Youii Si'iJsciiuiEits. [That there is any trickery at Birmingham in selUng the poultry we were not before aware; and we are quite sure that the jiublic ought to be warned against it if there is. The objections to the sale by auction appear to hi', that so far as the public are concerned, they ought to be allowed to buy at such jirice as the vendor is willing to sell for ; and it is a new feature to iiialve such exhibitions a means of mak- ing purchasers pay the highest obtainable price. Then, as regards the vciiiinis ; it is satisfactory to tlieiu if tliey obtain a higher sum than they originally named ; but it must be very injurious to lliem, when, instead of their own prices in pounds, they could scarcely obtain an oll'er of as many shillings, as, we ai'e told, was the ease at the sale alluded to.] BRITISH EUNGI. In the foregoing papers on that most extensive order of liUints, the I'uugi, it has been my aim, as fixras space would allow me in these columns, to give a rather popular view of the interest, and also the practical advantage, to be ib'i'ived by a more close and attentive study of this too much dis- pised and neglected branch of tlie vegetable kingdom. In doing this, I have not brought one point in connection with their good qualities forwiuxl with overpowering colours, while the less favourable have been left idmost invisible in the background; nor have I alloweil theory to bring birwartl statements which cannot be carried imt in practice. My object has been rather to explain as simply, and plainly as possible, the interest that might be derived by amateurs, as well as by botanists and others, by devoting a portion of their time to the study of these plants. I have also endeavoured to point out those which may be looked upon as man's greatest enemies, as parasites and poisons, and also (hose of most value to him as an article of tliet, and ser\ii-eable in the arts and in medicine, hoping, that in so doing, I may have provided a temporary guide to those who noiy have more time and ojiportunity for more persevcringly and rigidly pursuing their investigations of the subject. That I'lingi are objects of interest generally, 1 lind all who have studied them luost willing to confess ; while, of course, tho^e who have not studied them cannot be considered competent judges. They are more interesting, because lliey llonrisli at a period when our lloweriiig plants are departing to their grave; and they are found in localities the most sullen anil dreary; many producing their brilliant colours and phos- phorescent light in dark and unhealthy regions, where but little besides tliem could support existence. 1 shall here mention one species, previously oiuitled, but which I consider wiu-lby of especial notice. It is I'rzi:ii cocciiirii, and, in brauly of form and richness of colour, scarcely to be rivalled. It is cup shaped ; Uie interior surface is of the purest cwmine, and the outer surface while and downy. This I''ungiis is not uncommon in spring, growing on dead sticks, and generally surrounded by green moss, which adds to its striking appearance. It is banid in woods and hedges, and if collecteil cMirlully with the sticks oil wliicli it grows, it ni.iy be kept in ii t'eiuery, or Wanlian case, where it will thrive and have a brauiirul etfect, if the temperature is not too great, i have i't,iund it abuuduut about Basingstoke. Februaey 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 349 Tliftt it is tUificnlt to pi-eserve Fungi is quite a mistaken notion, as, in addition to what I have ah'eady said about drying the higher groups, as directed in the English Flora, the parasitic species are generally jjroduced on the leaves or bark of other ijlants, and may be collected and dried in thousands, it being only necessary to dry the leaves or bark to preserve the Fungi. With respect to esculent species, if what T have already saitl lias not been sufficient to prove their value, I fear any farther recommendation will be useless. The fact, however, of their attaining perfection so speedily, being so abundant ill species, and also in their power of propagation, will increase tlieir value as an article of diet, either in their natural or cultivated state, as large quantities may be col- lected and preserved in a short time ; and it is much to be regretted that delicious food should bo condemned on account of the mismanagement, or gross carelessness, of a few ignorant persons. The animal instinct is often a safer guide to follow than reason, which is frequently allured from the right patli by various theories ; and who will not believe this, to his regret, when he sees Boletus edidi.i so devoured by rabbits, that he may search in vain to obtain a dish unblemished? But is not this mark to be relied upon by the collector with more confidence than Her Ma- jesty's letters patent stamped on many articles presented to the public? I stated, that I should recommend no parties to commence collecting Esculent Fungi without the assistance of a botanical friend, to which I ought to add, or a person familiar with them ; for Esculent Fungi, I believe, may be recognised from their less-wholesome neighbours, in tile same way as a pai'ent knows her child amongst a multitude, from constant and attentive observation, which establishes an impression on the mind and in the eye not easily forgotten. A few years since, we had a deplorable case of poisoning by the common Mushroom reported in most of the public journals ; and this year it is backed-up in one of our contemporaries with a ridiculing attack on l)r. Badham, attributing to him an instinct which teaches him those Fungi that are, and those that are not, poisonous. I beg to state that / possess no instinct peculiar to the brute creation which teaches me which are good and which are bad ; and I imagine that what has taught me has taught Dr. Badham also ; namely, a oonftdenco in the opinion and experience of my predecessors; an eye open for observation ; and a firm determination not to be governed by the prejudiced opinion of others,— F. YorivE Bboo.\s. POULTRY SHOWS. DoNCASTEE. — We took occasion, in a recent publica- tion, to enumerate the different towns in Yoi'kshire in which poultry shows had been established. We have now to make the addition of Doncaster, in which place the first exhibition of poultry was held on the 21st of January, under the patronage of the Mayor and Corporation of the borough, and of a long list of neighbouring noblemen and gentlemen. The Show took place in the spacious corn market, a building as much adapted for the purpose as any we have yet seen. The pens exceeded 400 in number, and were arranged in four parallel rows down the whole length of the market. Ample space was thus afforded for inspecting the specimens exhibited, and the pens themselves were particularly light and neat. The whole arrangements did much crecUt to the committee of management, and their indefatigable secretary, Mr. Henry Moore; and, in this respect, those who have the conduct of much older shows might take a hint or two with advantage from their brethren at Doncaster. The exhibition itself was, upon the whole, very success- ful for a lirst attempt, more especially as it was confined to the district of twenty miles round Doncaster, a restriction which no doubt excluded many good birds, and which the committee determined to remove in future years. As this was but a commencement, it would be unfair to criticise too minutely ; but, commencing with the first classes in the catalogue, we may say, that in the diflerent varieties of Ilamhnrcihs some good pens were shown, although we think the Doncaster amatem's might impart new blood with ad- v.intage in these classes from their brethren in the vicinities of Bingley and Keighley. The Game classes were indis- putably the gems of the exhibition. There was scarcely an indifferent, not to say a bad, bird among them ; and a gentleman who had visited the recent Metropolitan Exhi- bition assured us, that the Game I'owls shown there did not approach in quality to the collection at Doncaster. The judges added their testimony to the excellency of these classes by awarding that tlie premium prize (Class 40) for the best pen of fowls in the yard, should be equally divided between pens 1U!J and IBi'i, liotli containing Game fowls. Some good DorkUnjs were shown, but other pens would not have been much missed if they had been left at home. There were also some good Spaniult, but nothing of first- rate excellence. The same remarks apply to the Hlianyluies, with the exception of some very fine specimens exhibited by Mr. Travis, of York, who, being one of the judges, would not, of course, compete for prizes. Our Doncaster friends will, no doubt, before tlieir next show, take a leaf or two from the book of Mr. Travis. The Polish fowls were the worst classes in the exhibition. The Buul/diis were nume- rous and pretty, without affording any pens of peculiar merit. The Geese were only moderate ; the Ducks very good. A pair of white ducks, in pen 3.J.5, were, we think, the largest we ever saw. The Tiirkei/s also were good. Where the general arrangements were so good there is little to suggest by way of amendment; but we may, perhaps, be aUowed to recommend the Doncaster committee in future to require two, if not three, hens, to bo shown in each pen. We will only add a hearty and veiy confident hope, that their future exhibitions may answer their own best expec- tations (as we are sure this must have done) ; and they will soon become dangerous, although we hope friendly, rivals to their older neighbours. We add the list of prizes awarded. Class 10. — Golden-spangled Hamburgh Cock and Hen, of any age, 103. First prize, Mr. E.Auckland, Red Lion Hotel, Donc.iater. Hatclied June 20, IS3'2. 106. Second prize, Mr. W. B. Tate, Doncaster. Class u. — Golden-spangled Hamlmrgh Cock and Pullet, Chickens of 1852. 109. First prize, Mr. J. Brooke, Rossington. Hatched April, 1852. Class 12. — Silver-spangled Hamburgh Cock and Hen, of any age, 121. First prize. Rev. A. Fullerton, Tlirybergh. 118. Second prize, Mr. J. Broolce, Rossington. Coclt one year old, Hen four montlis. Class 13. —Silver-spangled Hamburgh Cock and Pullet, Chickens tif 1852. 131, First prize, Mr. W. B. Tate, Doncaster. Class 14. — Chitteprat Cock and Hen, of any age, 136. First prize, William Hall, Esq., Laughton. 139. Second prize, Mr. George W, Morris, Doncaster. Hatched June, 1851. Class 15,— Chitteprat Cock and Pullet, Chickens of 1852. 144. First prize, B, H. Broolrsbank, Esq., Tickhill. Class IG, — Game Cock and Hen, (White and Piles) of any age, 148. First prize. Hall and Co., Doncaster. Hatched 1851. 151. Second prize, William Mellowes, Esq., Cnrburton. Class 17. — Game Cock and Hen (Black-ln-easled or other Peds) of any age, 169- First prize, William Mellowes, Esq., Carburton, and equal with 185, in Class 40. 167. Second prize, H. Eddison, Esq., Gateford. Class 18. — Game Cock and Hen (Blacks and Brassy-winged) of any age. 178. First prize, Mr. E. Frith, Turner Wood. Two years and eight months old, price ^5 Ss. 160. Second prize, H. Eddison, Esq., Gateford. Class 19. — Game Cock and Hen (Duckwin^s and other Greys) of any age. 185. First prize, H. Eddison, Esq., Gateford, and equal with 169, in Class 40. 184. Second prize, Mr. E. Frith, Turner Wood. One year and seven months old, price :£5 5s. Class 20. — Dorking Cock and Hen of any age, 185. First prize, Sir T. W. White, Wallingwells. Hatched in 1851. 187. Second prize, R. J. Bentley, Esq., Finningley Park. Class 21.— Dorking Cock and Ptcllet, Chickens of 1852. 217. First prize, Mr. Thomas Hudson, Market - place, Wakelield, Hatched April 15, 1S52. Class 22. — Spanish Cock and Hen, of any age. 223. First prize, Mr. T. Kendall, 9, Banks Terrace, Goole. 220. Second prize, K. J. Bentley, Esq., Finningley Park. 350 THE COa:TAGE GAUDENER. Pebbuar^ 3. Class ^3.~S}}mt!s?i Cool; and P/iIlef, Chickens of ISVi, 238. First prize, Mrs. M*m. Workman, Adwick-le-Street. Hatched April *j;, 1S32. Class 26.~Cofnnred Shanghae {Cochlii-China) Cook and Hen, of u)}// age. 242. First prize, Blrs. Batty, Ackworth Grove. Cock hatched Maj- 30, 1S52, uiifl Hen, August, 1851, 2iJ. tiecoiid prize, Mr. George Hatfield, Doncaster. Class 27. ~ Colon rtd Shunghne {Cochin -China) Cock and Piilfcf, Ctiickena of 1852. 270. First prize, Blr. Robert Carr, Woitley Hall. Hatched January 26, iyj2. Class 2S.~Polt.'ih Cork and Hen, of any age. '2TQ. First prize, John Hall, Esq., Ivivetoii Park. 2s!U. Secund prize, U. llayM'ood, Esq., 'Ihe Poplara, Darfield. Class 29.~Polish Cock and Pullet, Chickens of 1S52. 233. First prize, John Cordeu.t, Esq., Kcresford House, Uarnslcy, Class 30.— Coc/V and Hen of any other breed. 290. First prize, B. H. Brooksbank, Esq., TickhilL 2y5. Second prize, Mr, E. Coulnian, Plains House, Levels. Blalay Cock and Hen. Class Z\.— Golden-laced Bantam Cock and Hen, of an 11 age, 317. First prize, J. FuIIerton, Esq., Thrybergh Park. 2yD. Second prize, John Hartop, Esq., Barmbrough Hall, Class 32. — Silver-laced Bantam Cock and Hen, of an// age^ 319. First prize, John Hartop, Esq., Barmbrough Hall. Class 33. — Black Bantam Cock and Hen, of any age. 322. First prize, John Hartop, Esq., Barmbrough Hall. 323. Second prize, T. Smith, Esq., Wood Head House, near Barnsley, Hatched in 1850. Class 3-i.— White Bantam Cock and Hen, of any age, 325. Second prize, John Hall, Esq., Kivcton Park. Class 35. — Gander and Goose. 334. First prize, W. F. Hoyle, Esq., Ferham House, Rotherham. M. IVIoate, Fenwick. Gander two years, and Hatched in 1S52. 333. Second prixe, Mr. G, Goose one year old. Class 36. — Drake and Duck (White Aylesbury). 341. First prize, B. H. Brooksbank, Esq., Tickhill, 'i'^Q, Second prize, I\Ir. J. Brooke, Uossington. Hatched July 7, 1852. Class zy.— Drake and Duck (Rouen). 3ig. First prize, B. H. Brooksbank, Esq., Tickhill. 350. Second prise, B. H. Brooksbank, Esq., Tickhill. Class 3S. — Drake and Duck of any other variety. 355. First prize, Mr, G. Trimminghani, Marr Grange. Hatched June, 1852. 36.'!. Second prize, William Chadwick, Esq., Arksey. (Black East Indian Ducks.) Class SQ.^Turkey Cock and Hen. 3/6. First prize, H. L. Maw, Esq., Tctley, 374. Second prize, R. J. Bentley, Esq., Finningley Park. Class 40.-^0?- the best pair of Fowls in the yard, of any class or breed. Nos. 169, and 185, equal. EXTRA STOCK. 394. First prize, Blaster Henry iMoore, Angola Rabbit, fawn-coloured Doe, one year and four months old. 405. Second prize, William Hall Esq., Laughton. One Cock and sis Hens. 415. First prize, Mr. G. D. Thorpe, Scawthorpe Farm. One Game Cockerel and three Pullets, hatched April 30, 1852. 419. First prize, John \\'aring, Esq., Haworth Hull, near Rotherham. South American Cock and Hen, hatched in 1851. 421. First prize, John Hartop, lOsq., Barmbrough Hall. Archangel Pigeons. HoNiTox. — The First Exliibitiou of the Honiton Associa- tion for the Improvement of Domestic roultry was held in that town on "Wednesday, Januiu-y 12th, IS')-'!, in a spacious huilding, liO feet long, erected by Mr. Ward, of the Clarence Hoti?l, for liie manufacture of railway carriages. 17 i) pens of poultry and pigeons were entered for competi- tion, and arranged around the huilding in baskets similar to tliose recommended by our correspondents, ilessrs. .Tessop. From the quantity of poultry bred in the district, and sent weekly to the London market, a good show was anticipated, but tlie result nuist have far surpassed the most sanguine expectations of its promoters. Following the order of the catalogue, the .S'7)«/;/.^A hist claims our attentiim; and, not- withstanding Devonshire is noted for its breed of black fowl, there called " !^linorcas," we were glad to observe several pens of superior Spanish, having all the characteristics of that breed fully developed. The iJork'uKj class was the best in the exhibition, and the whole received the liigh commendation of the judges. Several of the pens contained first-rate specimens ; the birds in some of them wove not so well matched as might be wished, but this future exhibitions will con-ect. The most attractive class, however, was the Shnn^hae, which contained many beautiful specimens. The lii'st prize was awarded to birds which were highly commended at the late Birmingham Siiow. Tlie Muhiijs were better represented than at many recent exhibitions. Tiie prize medal birds at Einninghani taking only a second prize. The Game fowls occupied only four pons, and were not the best specimens of this beautiful variety of poultry. In the Hiimhunjli class, a pen of Silver-spangled birds was pronounced by the judges the most perfect in the exhibition. The Silver-pencilled were veiy good. The cock and one lien, in No. 7:J, belonging to E. S. Drewe, Esq., were nearly perfect, but the other hen deprived the pen of all chance of a prize. Several splendid specimens of Golden Polands, and an excellent pen of lilack Polands, attracted imiversal attention. The Cross Breed and Barn Boor Fan-} mustered in great force. The first prize was awarded to a good pen of Cuckoo fowls; and the second prize, and the prize for chickens, to birds very nmch resembling the Sussex breed. Bantams were indifferent. Geese few, but good. The Ducks were highly meritorious, and received especial commendation. The Aylesbury ducks, which obtained the first x>rize, were particularly fine. Turkcj/s were excellent. The cock in No. 138. belonging to 11. T. Head, Esq., Exeter, a very superior bird. A large variety of Piteous were shown, and some of them very splendid birds ; hut from the greater pai't being crowded in small pens the efiect was destroyed, and the judges hud great dil^iculty in awarding prizes. The Judges were the Uev. .1. C. Fislier, Heavitree, near Exeter, and G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dorchester. Tlie following prizes were awarded : — Spanish.— 7. First prize, Miss Stamp, Honiton. 3. Second prize, Mrs. Devenish, Honiton. Spanish Chicken of 18Et'2.—g. Prize, E. Stamp, Esq., Honiton. Dorking.— 18. First prize, T. Blandford, Esq., Orchard Portman, near 'J'aunton. 20. Second prize, J. F. Pearse, Esq., Whiniple, near Exeter. Dorking Chicken of ISfiti. — 27. Prize, \V. Pope, Esq.. Symondsbury. 23. Hij^hly commended, J. H. Townaend, Esq., Ashfield, Honiton. 29. Commended, J. F. Pearse, Esq., Whimple. The Judges con- sidered the «)\ole Dorking Class fienerally meritorious. SnANGiiAE.— 33. First Prize, R. T. Head, Esq., Exeter. .Tl. Second prize, S. Devenish. Esq., Honiton. 37. Commended, Sir. Channing, Heavitree, rear Exeter. Sha?ighae Chicken of 1852.— 4U. Prize, Mr. Brown, Shute, near Asminster. 44. Prize, U. T, Head, Esq., Exeter. .'i:i. Highly commended, Iilr. Channing, Heavitree. 45. Commended, Clifford Shirrefi', Esq.. Pinhoe, near Eieter. 47- Commended, Dr. Rogers, Honiton. Malay.— 55. First prize, H. Adney, Esq., Lympstonc. CO, Second prize, C. Ballanee, Esq., Taunton. 06. Commended, H. Adney, Esq., Lympstonc. Game. — G3, G4. First and Second prizes, Mr. \\'ard, Honiton. Gor.DEN Hahehurgii. — No First prize awarded. Cs. Second prize for Golden-PeucilleJ, S. Devenish, Esq., Honiton. 69. Second iirize for Golden-Spangled, Kev. H. K. Venn. Honiton. Silver HAMitUftcn.— 77. First prize for Silver-Spangled, Rev. H. K. j;^ Venn, Honiton. 74. Second pri:ie for Silver-Pencilled, J. P. Hinc, Esq., Thiekthorne, near Ilminster. Poland. — First prize for Golden Poland, I\Ir. Hoskina, St. David's, Exeter. 83. First prize for Black Poland, J. P. Uine, Esq., Thiek- thorne. Cross Breed, or liAKN-DoOR Fowl.— 98. First prize, Rlr. Lewis, Honiton. 8fi. Second prize, BIrs. Troakc. Hemiock. Cross Breed, or Barn-Door Chicken 0/ 1832.-99. Prize, Mrs. Troaltc, Heiniock. Baktams. — No First prize awarded. Hi7- Second prize, C. Ballanee, Esq., Taunton. 111. Second prize, fllr. Pile, Honiton. Gr.KSE.— 115. First prize, Dr. Jerrard, Honiton. II7. Second pr'ir.c, C. Shirreff, Esq., Pinhoe. Ducks. — 121. First prize, Blr. Brown, Shute. 125. Second ])iizc. T. Blandford, Esq., Orchard Portman. The Judges considered the class highly meritorious. Turkeys. — 135. First prize, H. Adney, Esq., Lympatone. jirize, Mrs. Griffin, Monkton, near Honiton. Guinea Fowl. — No competition. No First prize awarded. prize, Mrs. Venn, Payiiembury. Pigeons.— 143. Prize tor Carriers, Mr. Downton, Honiton. for Tunihlers, Mr. Channing, Heavitree. l(J3. Prize for 1 Tucker, Honiton. llitj. Pri/.e for Nuns, H. Adney, Esq., 137, Second HO. Second !6l. Prize Fantails, Blr. , I'yiiipstonc. DISEASES OF POUI/IRV. IKFr.AMMATIOX OI' THE KUCl-l'ASSAHE. In reference to the inloresting ease mentioned at \iage 2111. two letters linve been received, one in reply to my Feiiri'ary :). THE COTTAGE GAKDENEB. 351 queries as to wlietlier the inflammatory action miglit not ha\e been occasioned by the over production of eggs, &c., and tlie other from Mr. Shepperd, whicli appeared at page ;U'2. It appears that the hen was an extraordinary hiyer, and that the disease was not caused by her being prevented from sitting, or by over-stimulating food. AVith regard to Mr. Sliepperd's letter, I must beg to state that I entirely differ from him ; tliat such a structural tUsease, as a cartilaginous thickening of an internal organ, could be cured by placing the patient before the Hre, is utterly opposed to all medical experience. That one grain of calomel and one-twelfth of a grain of tartar emetic killed tlie hen, I also decline to beheve ; inasmuch, as I have repeati'dhj given those doses to hens laying soft eggs from inflammation of the o\iduct, and in every case have had hard eggs laid on the second or third day after. It is useless to talk of leaving diseases to natvu'e as long as hens are kept in unnatural conditions ; the natural position for a hen is to live in a warm climate, in the open ak; to obtain her own natural food by moderate exercise; to lay only as many eggs as she can cover and sit ; then diseases do not occur, and the animal dies of old age, or becoming decrepid is destroyed by a beast of prey. I agree, however, with the writer, that " half the people who complain would get well without a physician," be- cause they complain when nothing is the matter with them ; but although I have paid very considerable attention to sick poultry, I have never yet seen a heu witli hypochou- tlriasis. I may mention a circumstance which has just occmred in my own yard, in corroboration of what I have said so re- peatedly respecting over feeding. My Grey Dorking pullets, hatched in May and June, have been laying very well since Cliristmas, some are now sitting, and will hatch before the end of January, they are fed most freely on barley, oats, meal, and rice. A few days since, I tried the experiment of giving them some greaves, and the result has been, tliat all the June pullets have been laying soft and imperfect eggs ; some malformed, containing no yolk, otl^ers merely yolk, &c., and this morning I picked up one on the grass llJi inches long, tapering to each end, quite soft, without any yolk ; thus proraig that a vei-y considerable portion of the oviduct was in a state of unnatural initation, and which I have no doubt I can remedy immediately, by giving each one a teaspoonful of castor - oil mixed up with some dry barley-meal, in which form it is taken readily. — AV. B. Tegetjieibk, Tottenhmt. PEA-FOWL. In the present day, when fowls of various kinds are fetching high prices, and nuicli care is required to rear them, it appears singular that the Peacock family are not more considered. It is true, they pick ithe early buds in the garden, but that mischief might be guarded agaiusi at less expense, perhaps, than is required for the erection of poultry-houses. I am quite sure they would repay the possessor ; they require no attention, and are not voracious, very independent in their habits, choosing their roosting places in the liighest trees, from whence the winter snows, muds, and rain, never chases them. A line pair of these regal birds was presented to myself, with instmctions not to take any further trouble about them, beyond keeping the young from the cock bird for the first fortnight after hatch- ing, after which time they would be able to take care of themselves. In the month of June the hen bird introduced a fine little hearty family of five to my admiring gaze. Strictly following tlie caution given, I enclosed the mother and her brood, feeding tliem with the pheasant ant and eggs. Confinement was evidently distasteful to tliem, and at the end of the given time, when I released her, she hiu'ried away with her young to the open field, in search of tli«ir uatm'al food, insects and files, bringing them home to their roosting place in the evening. From that moment all care on my part was at an end. The parent birds were quite tame when given to me, and I have kept them so by letting them feed out of my hand ; the young birds became tame also, coming to my call from any distance. Beyond now and then throwing them bits of bread, and a small quantity of barley, I took no trouble to fatten them for the table ; and the following spring two of the young birds, when killed, were in excellent condition, and were pro- nounced by all who partook of them to be high-tiaAoured and excellent, ha\ing the noble appearance of the turkey, with the high gamey fiavour of the jiheasant. This sumnier I have left the hen to enjoy her liberty with her young, and find that she is quite equal to take the entire management of her brood : carefully did she avoid the haunts of the older birds; and I sliall, for the future, leave her to herself. Instinct directs her, and the AVisdom that provides for the safety of the meanest of his creatures has taught the mother how to secure her young. As a mother, the I'ea- hen is far more interesting than the common fowl. She is so gentle, is never disturbed if you approach her young ; there is none of the noisy eluiddng of the hen, no scratch- ing, and no bustle ; she is quiet and graceful in her move ments, and an elegant appendage to the lawn. I wish I may be a means of inducing others to rear this beautiful and excellent bird.— Juxo. VISITS TO SOME OE THE CHIEF POULTRY YARDS OF ENGLAND.-No. 5. (Penzance.) {Concluded from paije 2id.) In the adjoining parish of Gulval, there are several gentlemen who have given tlieir attention to poultry, and are possessed of some valuable specimens of the ditferent varieties. Now, it should be a matter of rejoicing to poultry- keepers, that taste and opinion dilfer so much in this as in otlier pursuits ; were we all to assign the palm of merit to Cochin-China, Spanish, or any other single race, the cliarm of variety would fail us, ami probably, also, we should expe rience far less pleasure and interest when we tliiis lost tlie opportunity of comparing the conflicting merits of the nu- merous candidates for our good opinion. Thus, Mr. Grenfell has fortunately selected the Hamburghs for his especial fa- vourites, and possesses capital birds of both tlie Silver-pen- cilled and Silver-spangled varieties. The latter appeal-, per- haps, rather more robust, as to form , but as regards laying, and other points, he considei-s the merits of the two very mucli on a par. (The term spani/kd, as opposed to pencilled, implies, that instead of the hght longitudinal markings of tlie latter, the spangled bird has the extremity of each feather, more especially on the wings and tail, hm-yed or dolled with black. ) In every case, a full rose-comb, terminating in a point, must he well-developed, and this, with the white or yellow of the ground contrasting clearly with its darker tints, is always requisite for a perfect specimen. These are excellent layers, and readily raised. No fowl, be it observed, possesses a larger number of synonyms — Moonies, Bolton Greys, Moss fowls, Chitteprats, and many others, belong to them. Mr. Grenfell possesses also some very good (ianie fowls, which were sent to him from Norfolk, but these are necessarily kept at a distant farm. Their indomitable spirit compels their banishment from the abodes of all other kinds of poultry. Mr. Tliomas Pioscoe, who in former days super- intended the famous breed of Game fowls at Knowsley, no mean authority, tells us, that " I have known them" fre- quently attack men, dogs, calves, pigs, turkeys, and geese ; and a single bird has killed seven of its opponents in one day, while fighting in our trial mains at Knowsley." At Gulval vicarage, the Eev. AV. AA'. AVingfield has given his attention principally to Cochin-Chinas, regarding them as the race most liliely to be ultimately kept with profit by the cottager and farmer of this district. For this pm-pose, he considers it essential to have compact, robust birds, adhering closely in this respect to llie opinion cf The Cot- tage GAnDEXEK, that a perfect specimen of the Cochin- China breed " should have no more legginess than a Dork- ing." The birds that here appeared to answer this descrip- tion were still young, but of good shape and colour. AA'e noticed also some very promising cinnamon and buff pullets, from the collection of Mr. Blee. The cock from which the greater number of Mr. \Viiigfield's chickens have been bred, is very light buff, with a rich golden hackle, very short on 302 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 3. his legs, and with a happy ahsence of tail, hut being a very late bird of last season he has not yet attained his full size. Under tlie guardianship of two Punchard hens, nineteen Cocliin China chickens were desporting tliemselves, the two mothers sliaring their maternal duties, and attending indis- criminately to their wants. We were infoi-nied that these birds, i)ullets of last year, laid their first egg on the same day ; and having sat twice during tlie present season, also commenced that process both on the same day, and were alike regular in the i^roduction of tlieir chick's iu due com'se of time. Wlien the vaiious members of the poultry-yard were called together fur their dinner, certain queer, little, round, white balls, like animated powder-putts, eagerly answered the summons. Our attention was at once rivetted, and so unlike were they to anything tliat had as yet ijassed in review before us, that we had at once to confess our igno- rance, and ask for inl'ormation. Si/k foinls from Calciilla were these ; and at once their white, woolly coat, .and black skin, ijictured to om' minds the well-got-up Hindoo mendi- cant, who swept the crossing in Fleet-street, with clothing and complexion both of corresponding hue to what was now before us. Ducks, also, of various kinds, here met our view, the progeny of those who, in 18.')1, were successful in tlieir respective classes at Birmingham. Tlie bulky Kouen, with its ricli grey tints, came side-by-side with its chattering companion, the Call Duck, the beauty of wliose plumage in a mature state is rarely exceeded. The black Labrador and white Aylesbury are also fitly represented. Among the Pigeons, our attention was specially given to a pair of very large copper-coloured Italian Hunts ; tlicy are still young, but their parents attained the unusual size, together, of S\ lbs. Mr. Wingfield seems sanguine as to the jirofitable substitution of such birds for the present inferior pigeons which are reared as occupants for our pies, or to be transfixed by our spits. A pair of Tinimpeters, which were thought worthy of sitting for their portraits to illustrate the " IJovecolc and Aviary," the pm'e bred Blue-rock (Cii/mniia /n-ia), and the white Fautails or Shakers, are also visible; these all inhabit little ap.artments contrived for them at tlie top of tlie dif- ferent fowl houses. At Pendrea, J. Bedford, Esq. has not only a large col- lection of fowls, but on his ponds below the shrubbery are to be found many, both of the useful as well as ornamental, specimens of the duck tribe. First, however, let us describe the fowls. On entering the lodge, we find ourselves in the presence of a tiny white Bantam cock, in proud possession of ten chickens of his race, who, being in early days depirived of their mother's care, are now on the point of attaining maturity under the sole charge and responsibility of their well-pleased father. Although the present taste has declared in favour of the fawn and butt'-coloured Cochin-Chinas, one cannot fail of admiring the rich tints of om' old Punchai'ds (a race 'once well described as of a Blooraerish character), who appear here to great advantage ; the run of the lawn and the shelter of its beautiful evergreens being liberally allowed them. Speckled Dorkings of high east and pretention, silver Hamburghs, and white Silkies swell our list ; while of Ban- tams, Chinese, Siberian, black, white, and yellow, gratify the spectator whose taste may run in their direction. iUr. Bedford has some young chicken bred between the Cochin- China and Dorking, the result mil, at any rate, be curious ; for the Cochin-Chinas that were in vogue some three or four years since were probably indebted to such a union for the fifth claw that so often made its unwelcome appearanco in birds that would otherwise have rewarded our experiments. By passing through the fiower garden, which seems to defy the ravages of the late inclement weather, we stand by the ponds, overhung by lofty elms, and bounded by the dark smooth foliage of masses of Rhododendron. Arau- carias. Deodars, with a remarkably fine specimen of Orypln- mt-ria jnpoiuca, and the genus piniis in great diversity, would silently delay us for their inspection. But noisily do the Call Ducks summon us in their direction — with them ai'e the pale-billed Aylesbury of most satisfactory bulk and consistency, and the black Labrador with its resplendent tissue of ijolden-Uack, if painters will allow us such a word. But a word on these Buenos Ayrenn strangers, for by various names are they designated ; and their common one, the Labrador duck, is the name of a countiy whicli probably 1ms the very worst claim to them. They are magniliceut alive ; excellent, too, when roasted ; and in charity, let us strongly advise any of our readers who may possess a suitable piece of water, to gratify their eye and palate at the same time, by selecting them as its occupant ; remembering, however, to kill them from the poiiil, as the tenn goes, never shutting them up, but supplying them liberally with food at lai-ge. But these are m//i»/i«7tbat our cohuuns have no space for, so let us proceed with our catalogue, which brings some Wild Ducks next to our notice. According to many writere on Natural History, these would claim honourable mention at our hands, as the origmal parent of that most respectable individual, "the farmyard duck;" but this may well be doubted, and, strange as it m.iy sound to some, we are pro- bably indebted to eastern countries for this popular com- panion to sage and onions. Dun-birds, Golden-oyed-divers, and a bereaved widgeon, are the remaining members of tliis happily located family, whose peaceful retreat, however, has been at times disturbed by the presence of a most unwelcome visitor, an otter ; who, finding an exclusive fish diet did not agi'ee with him, took the unusual course of varying it with wild-fowl. The leai-ned in such matters teU us, that it is a very rare occurrence to find an otter under any circumstances preferring fiesh to fisli, but liere trout with eels, their favourite food, were both abundant. However it may be elsewhere, we find that instances of such forays of ottere are by no means uncom- mon in this part of Coi'uwall; there ai'e those who remem- ber an otter being killed in tlie middle of Chapel-street, Penzance. The individual, however, or one of those, who perpetrated these ati'ocities at Pendrea, at length fell a victim to his appetite, and was found to weigh no less than fourteen pounds. Imperfect, however, would be any description of these feathered inhabitants of Gulval, which did not specify some very handsome Pea-fowl belonging to William Bolitho, Esq., at Chyandour; we miss, however, a fine white bird, which we remember to have seen there some time since. These Pea-fowl, old and young, formed a very atti'active pen at the Penzance Exhibition, where tlieir companions, the Guinea- fowl, were also present. Mr. Bolitho has some golden Hamburghs, and a numerous family of Silk-fowls. There are several others, however, in this parish, who ai'e desirous of achieving a triumph ; of those, Mr. Branwell has some good Cochin-China chickens, also Mr. CbiU'les llichards, juii., while Mr. White has given his attention principally to the gold and silver Polands. There are, also, other neighbouring thslricts where similar endeavoui's have been made towards improving their poultry, but to enter into any pai'ticulars at present would demand space far beyond our present limits. CROSS-BREEDING. I WAS one of the very first of your coiTespondents to call attention to jioultiy as a chief delight and help of the cot- tage gardener, and I feel gi'eat pleasure in coming in again now with my little conta-ibution when the subject has attracted so much notice. The system which I have inv.ariably pursued is one which holds, I believe, in the case of all the imiiroving breeds of domestic animals. It is a remarkably cheap and ]>lain sys- tem. I have adopted it ever since 1 comnuiU'cd, and the gradual improvement of my stock has been a yearly soiu'co of pleasure and interest to me. I began with the best fowls I could easily procure in the neighbourhood; these were mostly xilivr phriixniils, so called. By procuring every year a good Dorking cock, 1 have gra- dually had half-bred, three-fourths, soven-eigblbs, fifleen- sixleentbs Dorkings ; but F have been so siitislied willi my system, that every year two or three known good eountiy hens have been among thi' siih-iittrodnrlir of the establish- ment. ]!ut not to be behind the fashion, T have begun to trans- mute my Dorkings, as they now are, into Cochins, by tlio help of a fresh Cochin every year. 1 find my stock to have FEBRCAny 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 353 become famous, and I am continually asked liy my neigli- boiirs for eggs, cockerels, and fowls, either ns gifts, or to sell, or, best of all, to exchange. There is nothing very speculative or uncertain in the system ; for i lind tliat the short-horn blood amongst cattle has been chietly procured among farmers by the same prin- ciple, viz., crossing the best indiviilual country cows with the pnre short-horn bull; following tlie same rule with tlieir progeny and so on.* Indeed, 1 doubt if the short-horn itself be a strictly pure breed. The Knglish hunter, or cariiage-horse, has been gradually brought to be what he is by the same proceeding of i/rn- diiiilhj improvi]ig the common breed of the former witli a cross ol' pure blood. Indeed, it is now contended by Hamil- ton, Smith, and others, that the racer has been made what be is by crossing our native blood with foreign high-bred animals of ancient stocks. On the other hand, I am afraid that the general practice of breeding e.xclusively pedigreed stock on both sides will not prove a very profitable pursuit ; and I am, and always was, indeed, anxious to unite the most pleasure with the least loss in the schemes which I have laid down for my own fol- lowing. I believe that it is hard to naturalise, at once, a foreign race of any kind of domestic animal. Acclimatiza- tion is a very difficult process, and the method above recom- mended, by giving each year a home-bred mother, has natural advantages not to be lost sight of. Somebody, how- ever, must keep up the pure breeds; and, as a means of raising the order of the barn-door fowls of their neighbours, this attention to the choicest sorts is highly commendable in the rich. 'I'liere is also another great point in breeding — to have some good points of similarity between the parties to be crossed. A very singular phenomenon comiected with the subject has been noted casually, and from time to time, although, from the difficulties of the subject, it has not yet been thoroughly investigated. In two words, then, ibn first union apjinara to exert in the lower animals a certain ahidintj in- flnence over the whole maternal life of the female. Such being the case, it is easy to see that many failures, in attempting to improve I'owls, may occur from not beginning with pullets. Nay, it has been suggested, that even a faint resemblance to allied races may be obtained; in this way, and by first mating a good pullet with a cock pheasant, it may be expected that her next family, though of bai'n-door origin, will retain some traces of the glories of the wild bird. Tliis is the pre- sent opinion of highly scientific men. As regards the lowest classes of animals, the principle may be carried on and im- proved ; and it opens a wide field of observation to the ama- teur breeder. ViEcvon.t BEES IN BOX-HIVES. As you solicit returns from apiarians respecting their success in the past season, if you think the following worth iiisertion it is cheerfully submitted to your readers. Pre- mising that this district is in close proximity to the moor, about two miles distant, where heath is in abundance, also being on the border of the South Hams, which is considered the garden of Devonshire, as that is of England, your readers may fairly conclude we ean-y on our apiaries under very favourable circumstances. In the first place, I would merely observe, that with us the wooden-boxes have not altogether answered as could have been wished for, although they did very well for summer use ; in winter, in spite of every precaution in the the way of ventilation, on the most approved principles, I with bell-glass inserted in tin receivers, the combs be- came black and mildewed, and the bees severally suffered very considerably, or died. A^'ith tho old straw-hives * The following is from the Useful Knowledge 9ociety*s Work on Cattle, page 2-11, and i.s from the Rev. Mr. Berry's account of *' Short Horns " : — " A friend of mine had about twelve small, liut nice. North Uevon cows ; with these he commenced, twenty years ago, breeding with the short-horn l)ull. He has since invariably used these bulls. With each succeeding cross the stock hiis rapidly improved in every essential ; the only trace of tiie Devons I could perceive two years ago was a peculiar richness in colour. Here we have twenty years experi- ment, and continued improvement. I have known him sell heifers to jobbers for thirty guineas." t We have written, but cannot find your full direction.— Ed. C. G. this was by no means the case. Our attention, therefore, was turned to adopt some modification of both plans, so as to secure the advantages of both ; and in this I think we have pretty well succeeded. Our box on this plan is of a s(iuare description, with under compartments of fourteen inches square, and seven deep, witli the same amount of space over, in which are placed tlir. bell-glasses, the opposite sides of the under part or store being )iiade of reed, in layers, laid horizontally, as in the old straw-hives. The swarm that occupied this hive was placed l,here the 1-tth of June, 18D1, and lias this year produced the following amount of honey, leaving a store for winter: — I'our bell-glasses placeil on the 1st of Jidy; on the 3!Jth t0(dc nil' tliree weigh- ing about ;1J lbs. each, leaving one which, at the present time (December), the bees have just began to consume, and the stock is above 20 lbs. in weight. A stock in a wooden- box of the same form died, and another in an American form of wood-box, although liaving lived through the winter, has produced no lioney in the glasses on the top, nor swarmed ; and of four stocks in the old reed-hives, one only has swarmed. The whole of these, with the exception of the modified hive, being very light at the present time, and will consequently require to be frequently fed, when weather permits ; the heaviest of them being under 'JO lbs. I may merely add, that although I have been an ardent admirer of the wooden-box system, and have pursued experiments in testing their capabilities which have cost me many jiouuds, I have sorrowfully ccjme to the conclusion, that to the cottager who is to make keeping bees a matter of £. s. iL, they will not pay, taldng cost of box, vicissitudes of seasons, ifcc, into consideration ; and although I lament that the system of keeping bees on the humane priuci[ile is not more carried out in this neighbourhood among the agricul- tural population, I can by no means, as far as ray ex]:ierienee goes, recommend them to incur the expense of keeping bees in the modern wooden-boxes but for the purpose of instruction and amusement. Although I obtained in the glasses of tho American hive above referred to, SM lbs. of pure honey, in a good season, about four years ago, 1 have not succeeded in taking any- thing like that amount in any season since that time, and I have been informed by apiarians, that they would not put a swarm in a wooden-bo.x under any consideration. — EXONIENSIS, Ashhurlon. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *♦* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottagb Gaedenbb. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener ^2, Amen Corner ^ Paternoster Row, London,'* M£LTONiA SPECTABILIS (Amateur, Dublin), — You say your Miltonia has two strong shoots from one of the old bulbs ; and you ask if the con- nection between the young and old were cut through, without more dis- turbing the plant, would it induce growth in the old bulb? Of course it would; stopping has the same effect on iitt plants; but whether or no the old buUis will be able to make another growth, depends on how the buds near their base stand. If these buds are alive they will certainly push ; but if they are dead, the old bulb has no power to move, or to make a fresh bud. Young bulbs or shoots of orchids should not be cut off from the plant until the first growth is completed and ripe ; but by taking a portion of the old plant olf with a young shoot the separation may be done at any stage of the young growtli ; but the first plan is best and safest. Indigofera DECOttA {Ibid), — You are now too late for this season. The end of October is the right time to prune this plant, and it ought to he pruned like a Fuchsia, and receive more than greenhouse heat all through the winter and on till I\Iay. This very beautiful plant, which will stand out of doors near London, ouglit to be in a forcing-house, such as they put Roses and Lilacs. K:c., into, from November to April ; then it will flower all the summer just as Fuchsias do. When a plant comes to full size, it may rest all the winter, but it is perfectln impossible to get a specimen of it from a young plant by summer growth. Some ot i the best of the Peruvian plants lately introduced are in the same predica- ' ment. They must be set to work just as other plants are going to rest. BoRONiA SERRULATA (W/f^).— Scc what Mr. Fish said at page i;6 of our last volume. He gave the best directions for this tribe of any we know of. We might throw out some more hints about them, had you not overwhelmed us with so much writing at once. Flower-garden Planting {C. M. D. and R. S. E.). — We have received your ways of planting No. .s plan, and shall notice them about the end of March, when we hope to have many more trials to record. Azalea Seeds (Something yet to learn). — You may just as well try to stop the March winds, as expect any improvement "from the seeds of n;U TITK COTTAOF. OAKDKNRU. Fiirr.fAUY -"I Chitieai?, or any oilier Azaleas gatherail af random. Give them to some , iVieinl going: to Australia. i AnBOR viT-i; Seeds (If/id). — When you see the seeil-f)oili begin to I cracl: the aeetU are vipt;; tins is Renerally in April. At wliutftver time tlie sfcil is ripe, that is the liest time to sow it ; and ilo so in lonniy soil, in Hat pans, and rover one-fmirth-of-an-inch. 'i'hen place the pans in a colli frame, and look after them as you would alter a pan of cauliflower ! seedlings. Heath Cuttings (/Airf).— There is no composition for presen-ing the bottom of lieath-cuttincs, or any otlier cuttings, from decaying. J\Ir. | Fish, in some of our former volumes, gave the best and newest directions \ for rooting heath cuttings; and the best of the old authors on cuttings is ' (lushing, who was once a propagator "in Lee's Nursery," and who could i Btiike anything. ClTARA-CTEttlSTICS OF Si LVEn-PRNClLLED HaMBURGIIS (.V, P.)-— I The silver-pencilled Hamburgh cock should have a bright rose comb, rifict and regular, carried well back to a jioint ; liead fine, « itb a short ; bill. His colour should be clear white ; wings and tail alone excepted ; thi? former shtmid be regularly barred, a great test of purity ; the latter , full, with the sickle feathers of great length, and of rich metallic black, j In a jicrfect specimen we would admit no appearance of white in the tail. , IJut this is seldom attained. 'I'hc hc/i displays Mie peculiarities of this j variety, as to plumage, to a much greater degree than the male bird. | Her hackle, and some portion of the lower part of the body — the less of 1 the hitter the better — is white; any stain, indeed, in her neck hackle [ would be fatal ; the rest of her plumage, to the extremities of the tail, ' should be regularly ]ienrilled, i. e., each feather should be distinctly , marked with at least four parallel bars of black, about one-sixth-of-an- ; inch in width; the extremities of the tail is often furnished by a somc- wliat broader band of the same colour. Any rimuing of the colours one ! into another is objectionable, especially when they are so blended as to i produce the appearance of what is commonly called the Silver-moss ; fowl, an appellation which bespeaks its origin. Both sexes should { have clean, pale blue legs, and any appearance of feather on them at i once disqualifies; their carriage is erect, and appearance emphatically 7ieut. i ScAELET Geraniums {Subscriber, Isle of Man).— Tom Thumbs, i Superbs, and Emperors, being potted from the borders as late as No- ! vember, and kept almost dry in a room, the shouts are nov.' green with j very i&w leaves, and the puzzle is how to go on with them from the early part of Feljruary. It so happens, that we ourselves have some Gera- niums in the same state, and others, that were not taken up from the borders till the lOrh of January, are the same. We mean to water them ; at least, keep the mould in the pots moist from this time, to encourage young roots to come. About the middle, or towards the end of Ularch, we shall cut them all down to within a joint or two of the old wood, and make cuttings of every morsel we cut off. VJe have only a very dry greenhouse, and then the cuttings must take their chance. Some hundreds which we put in last September arc now^ beginning to root nicely. Pruning Ivy [J. G.).— The best time to trim Ivy is the moment it throws out breast-wood from the upright wood which clintrs tu the wall. This breast-wood is what gives beauty to Ivy planted against trees and ruins; but when it is intended to secure brickwork from the weather, damp, &c., it must be kept constantly close to the wall, otherwise it Vi \ apt to ruin a wall by drawing water to it. If you have any of your Ivy hanging out from the wall, pray cut it in close ewrly in April, and never allow it to come so again ; by looking over Ivy once a month during the summer, and cutting back all breast-wood, and thinning the leaves where they are too thick, it will last a great many years, and keep the wall perfectly dry. September is the best time to put in cuttings of Ivy ; I but tlie truth is, you can plant cuttings of it all the year round, if you water them in dry, hot weather. Feliruary, and to the end of April, is ; not at all a bad time for planting the cuttings. ' Soil {A Cottntrj/ma n) .^'l''hc soil you sent us will not grow any of the ] Rhododendron or Azalea tribes. It is very good, however, for almost j any kind of trees and large shrubs, and to mix with poor land for i corn crops. Magnolia grandipl^ra {Ibid}.— This will not grow from cuttings. | If any of the branches are so low as to admit of layering you can grow i as many jilants of it as you have branches lit for layers. I>ay them next April, as Mr. Beaton said lately, and next October twelve months ynu will have good rooted plants fit to cut from the mother plant. Kveu if they seem rooted enough at the end of twelve months, and you cut them olf, you will lose time in the long run. Black Siiangiiaes.— "K. M. begs to inform "T. A." he is decidedly mistaken in his opinion as to there being no black Shanphac fowls in England, as E. SI. has at the jiresent moment a ^■ery fine one. Her eggs are very dark. K. i\I. received her black hen, with others of various plumage, a remembrance from her husband (last month), who is cajjtain of an English clii)per ship in the China trade. " T. A." says, ' Imported is BO commonly used with reference to China fowls, that it goes for nothing.* He must also lie aware there are exceptions to every rule, in consideration of which K. M. begs he will receive her intelligence aa something to be credited." Gangrened Fancy Geraniums (Troub!esn7ne).—Tbey have been under very favourable circumstances, but they die off between the young and the old wood, the parts either turning black, or shrivelUng. We cannot conceive how that particular malady could appear under the circumstances, and -wc rather think that something bad at the roots has killed all the bottoniH, although the symptoms did not appear till death entered the young parts. We have known geraniums to keep green at this season long after the roots were dead. If this is not the case with youra, you are better otT than we venture to expect; at any rate, cut away all dead and decayed parts down to sound living wood at once, and try to raise fresh plants by cuttings of the tops which you take oif. Work on Pigeons (ir. J. iJ/.)._We do not know of any good one. UoTTOM-iiEAT FOR CuTTiNGS (A SuOscribey) .~A temperature of 80'* in the jdunging material will be abundant for this purpn^e. We know of no yi'parate work on tlie sul'ject. Advertishmknt iJujiiiihu2i).^Ser\i\ it to our office (Amen Corner, Paternoster Kow.1, and you will be informed the charge before it in in- serted, if you so recjuest. Classifying Pui'i.Tr.v iAshbocI.-hig). — W'c fear that Iiowever de- sirable in some respects, it would be very ditficult and objectionable in others ; and we do not know where the judge is who would undertake the task. Poultry Show Rules. — C. S. W. we have no doubt could obtain those of Birmingham, by writing to the Secretary, Mr. J. Morgan; and those of the Metropolitan of its Secretary, Mr. Houghton, the Oval, , Kcnnington. A^'iiiTE SiiANGiiAES. — Sir. Jamcs Cattell, of Mosely. near Birming- ham, obliges ua by saying : — " In reply to " T. A.," relative to the }Mire White Shanghae fowls, I have a cock and hen brought direct from llicre by Capt. Darke, last M.\y. They were seen, immediately I got ihcm home, by Mr. Bissell, of Uirmiugiiam, a well-known judge of poultry, and also by many amateurs in the neighbourhood. Capt. Darke at the same time brought over some White Silk or Negro fowls to W. S. Partrige. Esq., of Birmingham. A friend of Capt. D.'s, and I went on board for the fowls, they have never been out of my jiusscssion since, and I shall be happy to show them to anybody who may wish to see them.*' Cooking Fern Shoots.— Capt. Beauchamp Walker, of Uedland. near Bristol, has obliged us with the following note:—" In answer to a question in jour number of January 20th, as to the use of Fern slioots as a vegetable, I beg to inform you that they are in constant use in the British North American province of New Brunswick. I have often eaten them there, and thought them very nearly, if not quite, as good as Aspa- ragus. The extract Irom Hue's Travels in Tartary quoted, is exactly descriptive of the qualities and mode of use of this vegetable." Bacon-uoiteu. — --1 Hulf-piiij Officer nays : *' I do not wonder at the works on Natural History not mentioning the Bacon-hopper attacking bacon, for it is only in that which is not well cured that it is ever found. It is moat generally found round the bone in the gammon and in the shoulder, when lift in the meat, in consequence of which, the most expe- rienced curers of bacon have those bones removed as close down to the hock as possible, when the butcher is cutting-up the hog into fiilches, &c.; and filling the vacant space with salt and saltpetre render It pr-iof against their attacks; it has, however, uccn/iionully been found in tiie fat part of the belly, but only, I believe, when there has been a great deficiency both of salt and of care in turning, &c.. previous to its being placed on the rack to dry. I am also greatly obliged to i\Ir. Westwood for his reference to Vol. iV., as not being a cheese-eater, I had entirely forgotten it ; I now recollect that fly, or one so nearly resembling it, that an unscientific person like myself would not be aware of the difi'erence, frequently crawling or running over mv book while reading. I shall note its first appearance with interest." Please to send specimens of the flies to I. O. Westwood, Esq., Brunswick Cottages, Hammersmith. NA:\tES 01' Plants {Alpha). — I, I\Iahonia Aquifolium ; 2, Andro- meda axillaris; 3, Rhododendron Catawbiense Ci'l; 4, Lanrus nobitis (the Sweet Bay); 5, Vebernum variety; 6, Viburnum Tinua (Laures- tinus) ; ". Quercus sp., we think, Gramuntia; 8, Something in the way of Crata'g:us crusgalli variety, but uncertain ; send us this in bloom and wcwill set you right; y, Buxus senipervirens i.Uus); 111, Cytisus hirsutus ; 11, Ithamnus alatcrnus ; 12, Uncertain, send us this when in bloom; 13, Buxus sempervirens, variety vancgata; la, Buddlea i^lobooa; LI, Rhododendron hirsutum variegatum. J. B. W. — Your Orchid is Oncldium roseum. Tuuers of Tropo30lum edvle (ir. U.).— Can any of our readers say how these ought to be cooked. CiN KB arias. See. {A. HI. L.). — All your Cinernrias are robust, showy flowers, and will be good border flowers. The only two likely to succeed as exhibition flowers, are the white one (No. 4J, and the Albert blue one, with the liUc circle round the eye. This is very beautiful. The flower is small, but good in other points ; it h likely to be au acquisition. Names of the plants next week. Pigeons (W. Birkenhead). — The pigeons that would be most suitable for the purposes you require would be the Runts, and their near rela- tions the Trumpeters ; both handsome in plumage, tlie latter esjiecially so, and, moreover, very productive; but the Runts are not always found such good breeders. These should be the main stock, as, being of great size, they form a valuable addition to any bill of fare. If you wished for further variety, the Dragons — across betrt'cen the Carrier and Pouter — might suit you ; they are hardy, and attain considerable size. The house need not be fittcd-np with any complex arrangement of net^ting boxes ; for if shelves be placed, in proportion to the number of pigeons kept, aroimd the sides, fifteen inches wide, and one foot apart, with partitions every eighteen inches, to keep the breeding birds separate, further ex- pense need not be incurred. Many fanciers use earthenware saucers, about eight inclies in diameter, and two inches deep, for nesits, and the birds take to them readily. A concrete floor would be easily swept, and prove a protection against vermin. The " self-fceding-troughs " we have never used. Your " .\unnini:*' place would be con venient for the birds till they are accustomed to their new home, M'hcn we presume you will give them their liberty. You may, indeed, keep them confined, but they will seldom do so well, and their cost is consi- derably increased, even in those kinils which, like those we have recom- mended, seldom go far from home. Any dealer could nt once supply yim. London; Printed by Harrv WooLDninOE, WincheBter High-street, ia the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by M'illiaw SoMERViLLB Obr, at the Office, No. 3, Amen Comer, in the Pariah cf CUriat Church, City of London.— February 3rd, 1S63. February 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 353 WEEKLY CALENDAR. m' w Dt 1> 10 Th 11 P 12S 13 Sdn 14 M 15 To 16W FEBRUARY 10-16 1S5.3.; WEATIIEtt NEAR LONnON IN 1852. .Sun Rises. Sun Sets. Moon R.&S. Moon's Age. Clock Day of bf. Sun. Year. Barometer. iThermo.lWind. Rain in In. 1 Queen Victoria .^iaeried 1840. Platysoma depressus ; bark. Platysoma oblongus ; bark. I Sunday in Lent. Valentine. Hydrophilus caraboides ; ditches. Ember Week. 30.036—29.631 45—25 30.099-29.998 44— ir 29.914-29.664 43—25 29.324 — 29.584' 42—30 30.206— 30. 003I 43—22 30.191—30.100 49—33 30.176 — 29.777: 53—43 N, N. S. S. S.E. S.W. S.W. 02 04 03 26 a. 7 24 22 20 18 16 24 4 a. 5 6 7 9 11 13 15 7 40 3 51 10 0 11 8 morn. 0 15 1 23 3 4 5 6 7 3 14 33 1 41 14 34 ' 42 14 33 43 14 32 44 14 29 45 14 26 ! 46 14 23 i 47 Meteoeologyopthe Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-sis years, the average highest and lowest tcmnera- tures of these days are 45.3° and 31.3° respectively. The greatest heat, 65°, occurred on the lOthin 1831 ; and the lowest cold, 3° onthellth in 1845. During the period 115 days were fine, and on 67 rain fell. ' THE FOREST TREES OF BRITAIN. Under this title, as opportunities occur, we intend to give portraits of such trees in the British Islands as are remarkablo for their size, or beauty, or association with historical events. To aid iis in this, we shall be very much obliged by any of our readers sending us drawings of such trees as they are at present existing, with par- ticulars of their dimensions, and a narrative of anv traditions connected with them. ^.<^;eettMW^5e..-a^^^r^ THE SALCEY FOEEST OAK. Wo should not act worthily, either as Englishmen or as lovers of the picturesque, if we did not give pre- cedence to " the sturdy Oak — th'eternal guard of England's throne ; " and, " confessedly, both the most picturesque tree in itself ; and the most accommodating in composition." It is suited to the grandest; and may with propriety be introduced into the most pastoral. It adds new dignity to the ruined tower, and gothic arch ; by stretching its wild, moss-grown branches athwart their ivyed walls, it gives them a majesty coeval with itself; at the same time its propriety is still preserved, if it throws its arms over the purling brook, or the mantling pool, where it beholds " Its reverend image in the expanse below." No. CCXXVIII., Vol. IX. " " Of all such forest antiques, not one is more re. verend than " the Salcey Forest Oak ; " and most justly has it been thus addressed — " Thou wert a bauble once ; a cup and ball. Which babes might play with ; and the thievish jay. Seeking her food, with ease might have purloined The auburn nut that held thee, swallowing down Thy yet close-folded latitude of boughs. Time was, when, settling on thy leaf, a/tt/ Could shake thee to the root— and time has been When tempests could not — ■ Time made thee what thou wert— iirmg" of the woods — And Time hath made thee what thou art— a cave For owls to roost in 1 " This magnificent ruin of a tree stands in the Forest of Salcey, in Northamptonshire, between the forests of Rockingham to the north, and of Whittlebury to the 356 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. February 10. south-west. This Ofik, whic]i bedi-s a iiolile pre-eminence over .all its brethren iu the forest, in 17".l-l, acoorjiug to the account of H. P.oolce, Esq., V.S.A., was in circum- ference at the bottom, where tliere are no spurs, forty-six feet ten inches ; at one yard from the grounil, twenty- four feet seven inches ; at two yards, eighteen feet six inches; and at three ya.rds, sixteen feet two inches. Tlie lieight witliin tlie hollow was at that time fourteen feet eight inches, and the height of the tree itself thirty -nine feet three inches. From the data given by Mr. South, in his letter to the Bath Society, on the growth of Oaks, Mr. Rooke calculates this " monarch of the woods " to be not less than fifteen hundred years old. No historical tradition, that we know, is connected with this Oak, but there is a fellow veteran in the same county, of which Morton, writing iu 1712, says: — "I must not pass by the capacious hollow old tree, called Stephen's Oak, or as vulgarly Kiii/j Stephen's (Jul!, one of the boundaries of Hockingliam Forest, njion the borders of Brigstock and Sudborow Lordships, it being famous in the neighbouring county upon those two accounts. I. From this very tree, according to tra- dition, King Stephen once shot at a deer, which if we may give credit to, the tree must be at least 550 years old (now 700). 2. So capacious is the hollow trunk of King Steplien's Oak, that at tlie Brigstock Processions (when it is their constant custom to fill the hollow with a company of boys) they .generally put into it between thirty and forty of them, for so many will it hold without any difficulty." {OUpiit. Stnitt. Mor- ton, (C-c.) We purpose next to give a portrait of " Wallace's Oak," and shall be glad of any relative particulars. We concluded our last article on orchards (page 337) by exhibiting the low condition, and almost total ex- tinction which had befallen those of Kent, at the close of the last century. We then remarked, that the ob- servations we were about to make with respect to Kent would apply equally to the orchards in otlier parts of the country ; and, as a proof, we find about the same time, the late Mr. T. A. Knight was devoting his time and inQnence to the resuscitation of those of Hei-e- fordshire, which had fallen pretty much into the same declining state. We have no means of judging; but, in the absence of positive evidence on the subject, we have every reason to believe that, iu consequence of the gradual decrease of the home supplj', the importations from foreign fruit must at that period have been con- siderable ; and so, again, we ai-e brought to a crisis similar to that with which Richard Harris had to eon- tend nearly 300 years before. We are warranted in stating this supposition ; lor no sooner had we entered on that long and disastrous war, wliich I'aged from 180'2 till 1815, during which time our commercial intercourse with the Continent was cut off, and our importations were either considerably restricted, or entirely stopped, then the price of fruit rose to an enormous height. But, till then, men had forgotten all about tlieir orchards, and it was not till " the pressure from without," and the old urgency were brought to bear upon them, that they bethought themselves of the old trees, and the old orchards, which they had neglected and thrown away years before, and all at once they began to wish them back again. Numerous, doulitless, were the regrets and self-reproaches which many a one expressed, when his neighbours returned from Coveut Garden, or old Fleet market, rejoicing over the five golden guineas they had got in exchange for a bushel of Apples. Many were the grave councils held across boundary fences of adjoining farms ; and weighty were the sage remarks that met with ready acquiescence at market-rooms on market-days, and church-doors on Sundays ; and then, after each and all had talked themselves into the assurance that no doubt could exist as to the remuneration to be obtained, they set to work witli all possible rapidity, liberality, and liope, to redeem lost time, by planting orchards, which some seven, or eight, or ten yeai"S afterwards might come into bearing — for there were no dwarf orchards in Kent in those days. The liigh prices continued : those who liad a supply congratulated themselves on their good fortune, or good judgment; and those who had none, grumbled because they had neither. Thus matters went on, with the usual attendants of complaint, disappointment, or dissatisfaction, till the conclusion of the war, and then, in 1810, there was an iuiportation of foreign fruit. Tlie protecting duty at this time was 3s. 2d. a bushel, but this was not enough, and great was the outcry against such importation being permitted. Me- morials were prepared, signed, and presented, for an in- crease of duty. Orchards were again to be grubbed up, which had only a few j'ears before been planted. Families were to be ruined, parishes dcjiopulated, and tlie country sacrificed, because the orehardist could not realise " war prices" for his fruit, and because the con sumer was enjoying his apple-dumpling twice a-week, instead of once as before. The outcry succeeded, and, because tlio price of Apples had fallen one-third, govern- ment raised the protecting duty from 3s. :.'d. to -ts. in 1 1-!]'.}. Tills was a great deliverenco, and so the worlc of planting progressed to such an extent, that where there was an acre planted in 1802, there were ten planted in 1810. Still, notwithstanding the increased duty, there were 02,21'! bushels imported that same year. Planting increased ; Apples realised from (is. to 8s. per bushel, and fruit beciuno again one of the most important articles of produce in all the county of Kent. We shall here subjoin a tabular view of the quantities of Aei'LF.s imported into this country, from ISlrt to 1W37, a few months lieforo tlio Is. duty ceased, and also the average prices at (Jovent Garden in each year. Februaby 10, THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 857 Next week we shall review the siiliject from 183S to the present time. — H. Average Average Yenr. Duty. Quantity imported. price at Covent Garden. Year. Duty. Quantity imported. price at Covent Garden. Bushels. s. d. ;>'. Bushels. s. d. 1S19 92,212 notknown. 1829 4 31,093 3 0 1820 45,321 notknown. 1830 4 22,462 6 6 1821 80,887 8 0 1831 4 52,615 6 0 1822 45,830 8 6 1832 4 16,537 3 6 1823 31,123 7 0 1833 4 27,037 3 6 1824 68,758 6 9 1834 4 18,447 3 4 1825 68,304 S 0 1835 4 11,574 3 0 1826 40,865 7 6 1836 4 14,859 3 fi 1827 28,670 4 6 1837 4 20,502 2 3 1828 48,202 5 6 We liave been favoured with an early copy of the Prize List and Rules of The Blrminglmm and Mklland Counties ExMhition of Poidtry for the present year. In them we see very gratifying marks of liberality on the part of the committee, demonstrating their willing- ness to increase the number and value of their prizes ; and some improvements in the classification, but there are other portions of their arrangements still open to censure. The days of exhibition are December the 13th, 14th, l.^ith, and IfJth. This we cannot bnt again hold up as deserving the most determined reprehension ; and we advise those gentlemen who are circulating their me- morial for a reduction of the days of exhibition not to relax from their efforts ; but to persevere in obtaining signatures, and to present it to the Committee. The intention to exhibit for four days is not like a law of the Medes and Persians — irreversible, and wfe think that the committee, when they see the recorded opinions and wishes of some of their best supporters, will give way upon a point which, we think, has no one vlea in its defence, except a supposed advantage to the Society's fund ; every dictate of humanity, and the interests of exhibitors and purchasers are totally opposed to such a lengthened period of exhibition. A great improvement in the rules is that which declares that " Chickens of 1853 cannot be shown in the classes for fowls above one year old." This, as we long since pointed out, will save the matronly hen from being brought in unfau- comparison with the freshness and neatness so peculiar to the pullethood. We are well pleased, though not quite satisfied, with this modified regulation : — " High condition, quality, beauty of 'plumage, purity of race, and uniformity in the marhings, combs, and other characterislics, will, in all the classes for Foivl, be taken into consideration by the Judges in a greater degree than mere iveight rvithout these distinctions, if the more perfect specimens are at the same time of a fair average size" We are not quite satisfied with this, because it has omitted some such warning as this : — " Trimming, or artificial alteration of the plumage, or of any otJter part of a bird, will disqualify it for receiving a prize." Such an announcement is fair to exhibitors, for with the liberties which we have seen taken with the top-knots of Polands, and with other parts of other varieties, it is evident that some exhibitors do not consider trimming inadmissible. The amount of most of the second and third prizes, and some of the first, are doubled ; and a fourth prize is added to some of the classes. In Poland fowls, all distinction as to ruffs, or no ruffs, is done away, which is a step in the right direc- tion ; as is, in the class for " any other distinct breed," the annovmcement that the judges will " nmlce their awards separately on each variety shown in the class." It is also an improvement giving prizes for Turhies hatched in 1853, as well as for birds exceeding one year old. There are two separate and new classes for Black Shanghaes; and this, with some other increases, makes the number of classes amount to fifty-six, notwithstand- ing the reduction in the Polands, whereas last year there were only fifty-two classes. FORSYTH MSS. Next among these MSS. occur the letters of John Weugewood, Esq., the originator of the London Hor- ticultural Society. Of this amiable man and most assiduous gardener, we have been obligingly furnished with the following brief memoir, by the Rev. J. A. Wedgewood, rector of Dumbleton, near Evesham. "As to the immediate subject of your enquiries, the time and place of my father's death and burial, I have to observe that he died at Tenby, of bronchitis, con- sequent on an attack of influenza, on the 23rd or 24th of January, 1844, and was interred in the burial- ground of the parish church of Tenby. I am not certain as to the exact day of his death.'i: but if my pi'csent information is not sufficiently exact, I can obtain the precise date from my brother, Lieut. -Col. Wedgewood, St. Mary's Hill, Tenby. "As to any biographical details of my late father's life, there is very little to be said likely to be of any public interest. His life was so entirely private and domestic, and so much out of the way of public men, or learned societies and institutions, and his disposition was so retiring and unobtrusive, that it alfords very scanty materials for any notice of his life. He was the eldest son of the first Josiah Wedgewood, the founder of Etruria, and was born in March, 1700. He was sent at an early age to a school kept by a dissenting minister, a Mr. Holland, I believe, at Bolton-le-Moors, in Lan- cashire. Here he learnt the classics, and other branches of rudimentary learning. He remained some years here, and then returned to his home at Etruria, near Newcastle, Staffordshire. Some time afterwards he went to Edinburgh, along with Ms next brother, Josiah Wedgewood, and there studied various branches of science, especially, it appears, cliemistry. After he had finished his residence and studies at Edinburgh, my father seems to have remained at home, assisting his father in the management of the works, and at the same time maintaining and extending a friendly inter- * 26th January, aged 78. — Gentleman's Magazine, 1844, i. 333. 358 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 10. course with many young people of the neighbouring famihos, to whom the house at Etruria was ahvays most hospitably open. During the years 1789 and 1790, my father resided abroad, spending one winter at Paris, and another at Rome. On returning to England, he con- tinued at Etrui-ia, assisting his father as before, till 179;!, when he formed an affection for Miss Louisa Jane Allen, of Cresselly, Pembrokeshire, whose elder sister had previously become ilr. Josiah Wedgewood's wife, and was accepted by her, and their marriage shortly afterwards took place. By her he had a family of four sons and three daughters, and I may with truth say, that a happier union never took place, nor continued to the last with a warmer and more undeviating aifection on both sides. " After my father's marriage he resided some time at Tallaton ; then for a few years in Devonshire Place, London. Then he bought a place called Cote House, on Durdham Downs, near Clifton. Here he continued till the beginning of 1803, when, in consequence of the ill-success of a bauldng house in London, that of Messrs. Davidson, Noel, Templer, Middleton, and AVedgwood, in which he had vmfortunately embarked the larger part of the fortune which he inherited from his father, he was compelled to sell the place, and retired with greatly diminished means to Maer Hall, in Stafibrd- shire, and then to Etruria Hall, where he remained till the end of 1810. Erom this time my father lived in various places ; at Heavitree, near Exeter ; at Betley, in Staffordshire; at Kingscote, in Gloucestershire; at the Hill, near Abergaveney, in Monmouthshire; and lastly, at Seabridge, near Newcastle, in Staffordshire. In 1843, he was aftected with a partial failure of eye-sight, owing to a paralytic affection of the optic nerve, and in con- sequence of this privation was obliged to give up the pursuit of gardening, to which he had always been ardently devoted, and took up his residence for the few remaining months of his life, with his second son, Lieut.-Col.Wedgewood, then married, residing in Tenby. " Wherever my father lived, he took the greatest pleasure in his garden, and at Cote House, especially, his gardens, both out-ofdoors and under glass, were kept in the highest order. And even after his greatly diminished means prevented him during the remainder of his life from an expensive mode of culture, he never failed to make his garden, both kitchen and flower- garden, the admiration of all who saw them. My father, I may, perhaps, observe, was particularly fond of his kitchen-garden during the latter part of his life, even preferring it to his flower-garden, and by his regular and judicious arrangement of ci'ops was emi- nently successful in producing a very abundant and excellent supply of vegetables from the limited space he had usually at command. " My fatlior was originally, as his parents had been, a Unitarian dissenter, but as far back as I can remember, he was a sound evangelical churchman. In politics, lie was, by inheritance, and from personal conviction, a staunch Whig. But no one could be more loyal, nor more attached to the constitution of his country. Of my father's character and personal qualities, I may, perhaps, as a son, be suspected of undue piuliality, if I expressed myself as warmly as I felt. But I feel sure that not only his own family, but every one who eujoyed his acquaintance, will bear me out in testifying to his un- varying sweetness of temper, kindness of heart, and generous disposition; and to his eminently modest, retiring, and unselfish nature. He was well read in botany, viz.. in the Linnaean system, then in vogue, but not iinacquainted with the natui'al system also, knowing Mons. Decandolle's works, and having the ad- vantage also of his personal acquaintance. He also had a considerable experimental knowledge of chemistry, and was not deficient in a knowledge of geology or mineralogy, in which subject he was much interested. He was also extremely fond of music, and was so far a proficient in it, that he used to perform in concerted pieces on the violoncello. " It was during his residence at Cote House that my father, as I always understood from him, first suggested the plan of a Horticultural Society, which afterwards, under the able presidency of W. Knight, of Downton Castle, Mr. Sabine, and other able and influential col- leagues, ripened into the Horticultural Society of London, of which Society my father was a fellow to the day of his death." Mr. Wedgewood's letters to Mr. Forsyth extended over the years between the early part 1799, and the close of 1804, but they relate chieHy to gardening topics, of in- terest only to himself The first notice of any proposition to found an in- stitution for the promotion of gardening, occurs in this letter, dated from Etruria, June 29th, 1801. I have been turning my attention to the formation of a Horticultural Society, and have drawn up such heads as have appeared to me necessary for tlie first formation of the Society. It would be proper to add a preamble just stating tlie ideas of the first founders of tlie Society, and intimating that we wish to clash with no Society at present instituted, whose plans are different from ours. By this means we shall give no ofl'ence to any party. By not binding ourselves to publish annually, we shall not be obliged to expose our- selves to the world in an imperfect state, by publisliing papers not worth inaldug public. When you have read the enclosed, I shall be liappy to have your opinion on it. I'.S. If you sliould see Sir .Toseph Banks, will you be so good a^; to ask bim his opinion of the plan, and learn how far we mii,'ht have a chance of having his patronage of the scheme. That a Society be formed, to be called The HonTicin- TiiitAL Society. Tliat the object of this Society shall be to collect every information respecting the culture and treatment of all idants and trees, as well culinary as omnmentiil. That every new member shiiU be ballotted, after a Society of — original members has been formed, arid lliat every such member at bis admission shall pay one guinea besides liis annual subscription. That a certain number of honorary members may be elected, who sluiU be adnutted to the sittiiigs of the society without paying any subscriptions. That two black-balls be suHicient to reject such honorary candidate. Tliat llie Society shall, from time to time, publish n volume of papers of tlie same size and form as the transac- tions of the Adelpbi Society, and that eadi member sliall bo entitled to a copy, but no honorary memlier uidess he has furnished a paper judged worthy of publication. February 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. S-OD That the Society shall annually choo;3e a President, four Vice-Presidents, a Committee of Inspection, and a Secretary. That tlie Committee shall have tlie po-\ver of selecliug the papers for publicatiou, and that no pape-r shall be published before it has been read at a sitting of the Society, That no paper shall be published whicli does not treat of Horticultural subjects. That it shall be considered within thp intention of this Society to give premiums for improvement in Horticulture, whenever it shall be judged expedient so to do. (To be conliinied.) COVENT GARDEN. Notwithstanding the dense fogs in wliioh we have for several days during the past week been enveloj^ed, reminding us of November, rather than Eebvuary, the market begins to assume a good deal of the aspect of spring. The usual displays of early spring flowers are being exhibited on the gardening-stalls, and the gay Primroses, Crocuses, and Daises, with clumps of Snow- drops, remind us of the springs and summers that are past, and of the fleeting hours of this mortal life. How many of those of us who bave written and read this short record may live to see the Primroses and Snowdrops of another spring? There is still a good supply of all sorts of vegetables, and for the last week there bave been numerous arrivals of very fine Broooli from Cornwall. They are of a beau- tiful white colour, large, and close-headed. The sale of these is, however, dull, scarcely realising 2s. per dozen. Savoys continue as before, at from 6d. to Is. per dozen. Oreens from Is. to 2s. per dozen bunches. Brussels Sprouts, Is. to 2s. per half sieve. Sea-Kale is abundant, and produces from Is. Od. to 2s. 6d. per basket. As- 2^aragus is also more plentiful, and of much better quality than it has been, being much stronger than heretofore, and makes from os. to 7s. Gd. per bundle. Txmiips are from Is. to Is. 4d. per dozen bunches. Carrots 2s. 6d. to ;is. Cd. per dozen bunches. Onions 3s. 6d. to 3s. per bushel. Leelis 2d. per bunch. Blm- harh comes more plentifully, and realises 9d. to Is. (jd. per bundle. Celeri/ 6d. to Is. per bundle. Potatoes 84s. to laOs. per ton. Fruit of all kinds is scarce. Apples still continue to make as high prices as we stated last week, and Fears, what few there are, cannot be bad under 4s. and 6s. per dozen. The sorts are the same as we have enu- merated in former reports. Plants and flowers are very plentiful, and the supply daily increases. They consist of Camellias of all colours. Hyacinths, Geraniums, Boses, Violets, Chinese Primroses, Heaths, Tulips, Cinerarias, &o. — H, GOSSIP. Every gardener knows that the upper part of the roots of his young Cabbage plants are liable to be studded with very numerous small white lumps. These are galls caused by the puncture of a small Weevil, or Beetle, and upon being opened, each gall will be found to contain a small ctn'ved grub, white, with a darlc yellow head, and almost black jaws. They come forth when perfect, remain underground in the pupa state, and become perfect weevils early in the summer. It is the CurcuUo pileurostigma, of Marsham, and the Citroulio, or Bliyncliccnus, or Ceutorhynchus sulcicollis of other en- tomologists. It is a very dark-coloured weevil, witli gi-eyish down over the wing cases, and the thighs toothed. If the wounds they make do not gangi-ene and swell into that form of disease known as Club-root or Anbury, they do not cause any apparent injury to the cabbage plants they attack. There is no need to remark further upon the wetness of the now-closing winter, and we may sum up all that has been reported upon the subject by observing, that in every locality of the Biitish Islands about one-third more rain than is usual fell duriug 1852. Of the mild- ness of the season we have had many reports sent to us; but, as they came from favoured spots in the south-west, we have not considered the results very extraordinary. The following, however, from Mr. J. Perkins, Thoruham Gardens, Suflblk, from whom we shall always bo glad to hear, is not open to the same objection. He says : — " I beg to forward a few remarks respecting the mildness of the season, which perhaps may be interesting to a few of the numerous readers of your valuable work. The Cottage Gaudenek. The following plants are blooming in the open air here : — " Stocks, Delphiniums, Senecios, Coronillas, Pansies, Mig- nonette, Verbenas, Clarkias, the beautiful Nemophila macu- lata, Anemones, Yincas, Violets, Virginian Stock, Hepaticas, Helleborus niger. Primroses, China Roses in abundance ; also a Bourbon Eose {Pierre rle St. Chjr), which, hy-the-by, is one of the best Roses for a bed. " Geraniums, Verbenas, Petunias, Gazanias, Anagallis, Salvias, and Calceolarias, are as healthy as we generally see them at the end of September. A Cijtisiis Rhoilophena is coming nicely into bloom. Fuchsias have made shoots two or three inches in length, and a Ribes wUl soon be in broad leaf. The whole of the above have been without the least protection, and many of them in very exposed situations. " Peach, Nectarine, Apricot, and Plum trees are very forward ; and many of the feathered tribe ai'e pouring forth their delicious notes as in the months of April and May. " I should be glad to hear of the ' state of things ' in other localities." We are not of the number of those who tbinli: that Meteorology will ever rank among the exact sciences ; so that a gardener may tell for a certainty what he may expect on the morrow. As far as he is concerned, he will neverderive more benefitfrom the science than being able to know the probable extreme heat, cold, and wet, of any particular period. Yet we are glad to see efforts made to gather facts in the science, even in the Island of Mauritius. There is there a Meteorological Society, and we perceive that the Society is putting itself in a condition to supply information collected not only on shore, btit also at sea, in accordance with the recommendation made some time ago in a report on the best means of carrying out its objects. The land and the sea are the two sources whence information can be obtained. Meteorologists have hitherto confined their observations almost ex- clusively to the land, apparently forgetting that, as nearly five-sevenihs of our planet ai'e covered with water, the laws that regulate the winds and weather are to be searched for on the wide ocean, where they act 360 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febkuary 10. with greater uniformity aud on a more extensive scale. Aware of tliis, the Society is endeavouring to ]irocui-e all the knowledge it can from vessels trading to the port. A cleric is employed in copying extracts from ships' logs, so that, should Government be inclined at any future time to bear the expense of constructing wind and current cliarts for the Indian ocean, at least some of the necessary material will be at its disposal. From tlie report of a recent meeting of the Society, we. observe that the President has applied to the Major General Commanding, for the services of a few intelligent soldiers, to assist in talcing hourly observations with the instruments expected from England. As tliere can be no doubt that tlm General mil accede to a proposal having for its object tlie ad- vancement of science, in this case'a branch of science in which soldiers have already distinguished themselves as obseiwers, we may expect to see at no distant time a volume of Mauritius observations inferior in no respects to those that have been made at the other colonial observatories. The annual pub- hcation of a volume of observations made in the colony and some of its dependencies, of another volume of the logs of vessels that may have experienced hurricanes in the Indian Ocean, and an ample collection of materials for the con- struction of Wind and Current Charts, are objects the attainment uf which would do honour to any society ; and we hope that as the neeessaiy zeal and intelligence are not wanting, the Mauritius Jfeteorological Society will not be prevented, in consequence of any pecuniai-y chfficulties, frora pursuing the important course on which it seems to be now entering. , ,. , - The expenses incurred in making and pubhshmg the oli- servations will, we should suppose, be defrayed by govern- ment. It is oidy the otlier day that the American govern- ment authorized .£-.iOO to lie expended in copying abstract lo°s, for the purpose of furnishing Lieutenant Maury with materials for bis ^^'ind and Current Charts of the Indian Ocean. We hope to see a similar display of liberality on the part of the Englisli government. Poultry is still looking up. Captain Hornby is selling Spanish eggs at four guineas the dozen, and has £28 worth ordered. He sold a Spanish cock and hen the other day for twenty guineas, and refused sixty guineas for his London prize pen; hut sold a pen (four) of chickens for thirty guineas, and sells all liis chickens for five guineas each. Our correspondent may well say, "Now these are wonderful facts!" PEACHES: I'EACH-UOUSE CUI/rURE. About this period the early Peach-forcer will have his blossoms past setting, aud "the fruit as large as peas, or, it may he, more advanced ; the majority, however, will be only commencing, and it will he well to show forth the necessary proceedings in detail for the sake of the uninformed. The first tiling is to thoroughly cleanse the house, if one be approjuiated to them ; walls cleaned ; lirae-wash, with plenty of sulphur combined, applied ; and, indeed, everything done which can contribute to the wholesoraeness of the air within. In addition, a slight stoving with sulphur, by blending a handful or two with decayed sawdust, and burning it in a vessel con- taining some red coals. 'I'he latter is an awkward game ill unpractised hands; but 1 have been in the habit of using sulphur extensively for the last twenty years, and never suflercd but once— that severely— which has in- duced the necessary amount of caution ever since. In applying it as a jiaint to Hue-pipes, or other heated surfaces, I have never known any damage ensue, pro- vided the surface to which it was ajiplied never became too hot to grasp tight with the hand. It is to be lioped that the trees, whether planted out or in tubs, in pots, or boxes, have received tlie dressing over their shoots so often recommended ; if not, it is too late to venture it above half strength. And now, we will suppose the trees ti'ained, and with another leap imagine them (the house having been closed a fortnight, and a moist atmospliere sustained), just unfolding their blossoms. A somewhat drier air must be maintained now, in order to etl'ect the impreg- nation of the blooms, without which all labours will be lost. There are those who disregard this point; but most good gardeners recognise the importance of a dry air lor the dispersion of the pollen. Livelier fires should be kept, especially in bright days, getting them up betimes in the moniing, and giving all the air possible about ten o'clock. About twelve, the trees may be well shaken with a kind of short sharp jerk ; this, of course, has a tendency to disperse the pollen or male dust, which, under the above circumstances, will have become subtle ; and this process may be repeated daily, uutil the corolla falls, when, of course, the I'ate of the tree is sealed as to its fruit. Syringnig must now be resumed morning and atternoon — the ibrmer about seven to eight, the latter about three o'clock, battering the trees smartly from both ends of the house, and crossing the dnection of the water in every conceivable way. As to temperature, I will give a table before concluding this subject. At this period the development of the young spray will take place, for this follows innnediatcly on the blooming process, and constitutes a most importunt period. Of course, everybody knows that disbudding has to be practised on trees artificially circumstanced. We slionld pause at this crisis, and endeavour to ascer- tain what relation the mere leaf bears to the infant Peach. Th.at a tree in full health contains sutKeieut nourishment to set this infant Peach " on his legs," there can be little doubt; but that tins stock is inexhaustible, must be denied. Nature, with the buds of trees, even as with seeds, has been exceedingly bountiful ; not only is there enough for present need, but even a surplus; sufficient, indeed, to sustain the young fruits until the new elaborations take place. Such being the case, we suggest very moderate forcing until a fresh and e.Ktra supply of accretive matter is obtained, which will be when some of the first leaves are pretty well developed — say in another fortnight. Disbudding then must be attended carefully to, almost daily, in order to force a free development of the foliage on the reserved shoots, and to prevent confusion. On no account should a general disbudding take place at once ; it is too severe a procedure, and, doubtless, has a tendency to paralyse the root-action. Comuienciug as soon as the quality and position of the shoot can bo well dis- tinguished, we would have the process carried on until tlie fruit is as large as marbles, by which time it may be completed ; and the next point is to commence a coiu'se of judicious stopping. Let us now take the root into consideration (or a moment. I have said nothing about watering, at pre- sent, thinking that, as a matter of course, the borders (inside) would be necessarily dry, and tliat watering had been resorted to. If such has been omitted, let the loose and exhausted soil be scraped oft' the border surface, and then the border thoroughly watered with water of the teraperaturo of 1)0°. The very next day, let a second application be made, using, in the second case, good manure-water of the same tempera- ture. Eour ounces of Peruvian guano to the gallon will bo very proper ; I prefer, however, combining willi it soot and dimghill-drainings. The day following, Iho border may receive a new surface-dressing, about three inches of such loamy compost as Peaches like, rather rich; and this may be coated with two inches of rather fresh horse-droppings. Thoso will constitute a good Fbbbuary 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 3(51 medium for subsequcut syringmgs and waterings, the latter with a roscd-pot, to lilter throiigli. Return wo now to the branches. In disbudding, care should he tal;en to leave the lowest shoots in any given angle or space between two branches, in order to preveut nakedness. Where two can he found in such situations, the lower may he pinched when throe or lour inclics in length ; this will make it a reserve or nursery slioot; it will ibrm many buds towards its base lor suc- cessive wood in future years. As to the rest of the dis- budding, one remark is necessary : so manage atlairs as, that at the end o! the disbudding period, not a shoot is reserved hut what is needed for the next year's opera- tions. In general, from three to four young shoots may he reserved on any given young twig of the preceding year; say, one a leadei', a couple on its sides at several inches apart, and a lower one, which, as before observed, if needed for reserve shoots in suoceding years, may be pinched when three or four eyes in length. Let not, however, our readers be bound by this prac- tice alone ; we would not have them slaves to any mere routine. There is, alter all, a sort of wilfulness in trees which is ever at variance with dry rules; and there are many occasions in wliich, instead of attempting to lead, we ought to follow. Many exceptional cases will arise which will require slight deviations from rules of prac- tice, however good the latter may be, or however con- sidered useful as general maxims. Disbudding having been thus carried out, let tiie dresser turn his attenliou to what are termed " Robbers," that is to say, over strong shoots of the present year. in order to know these well the character of the wood must ho studied. One thing is tolerably certain, and that is, whenever any young shoot shows tlie least tendency to burst its side-buds, such, unless assuming the character of leaders, where there is much trellis space to cover, may have their points pinched at once about six inches above the point, whero this axillary spray is sprouting. This course persisted in, tlie wood next in point of strength, or, in other words, the true bearing wood of the succeeding year, will be much en- couraged, and thus the strength of the tree, in a great degree, equalised — a most desirable result. Indeed, it is not possible to carry out this equalisation by any other means. I have tried all other plans during the last thirty years, and have conned over every opinion during tliat period, hut if equalisation of strength be a maxim, there is assuredly no other way by which to attain it. But the benefits of this process do not end here. The fruit is enlarged in consequence. It is a well ascer- tained fact, that the fruit from young and gross Peach and Nectarine trees is not so lino as from mature trees, steady in grov/th ; and why? Simply because in the former ease there is a too rapid dispersion of the sap to allow of that kind of concentration of accretive matter which the mature and steady-growing tree possesses, and which is the surest accessory to highly fed and tiavoured fruit. But whether or no tliese reasons may suffice, certain it is that such is the case. My advice then, is, continue stopping as long as a proud shoot remains, even, if necessary, past the ripen- ing time, unless, as before observed, a space of walling or trellis requires covering, when, of course, it becomes necessary to promote the extension of the tree ; albeit, young laterals are employed to carry out that most necessary object. I may now point to the absolute necessity for thorough cleanliness in every thing connected with Peach forcing ; at least, as far as the atmospheric conditions are concerned ; and as to insects, no man will ever excel in Peach culture who permits their ravages, even for a very short period. I will venture to affirm that two-thirds of the evils which have formed the subject of complaint abovit the failure of Peaches, and which have been both loud and long, have arisen from the ravages of the Peach aphis alone. Climate is blamed, soil is blamed, winds complained of, a too damp situation, &c.; they must he covered, says one; they must not, cries a second ; wrap the stems in haybands, cries a third; whilst a fourth insists on the necessity of glass walls, &c. Now it is notorious, that first-rate Peaches, in abun- dance, iho crops seldom or ever missing, are gi'own annually in situations combining all tliesc disadvantages, the only nostrum being a simple mode of treatment, in pei-fect accordance with the natural habits of the tree, and a retarding of the blossoming period by all possible means. But somebody may say : liow do you prove the ravages of the aphis or peach-louse to be so im- portant? This way. The aphis is sure to commence operations the moment the trees are out of blossom; the development of the young spray takes place at this period ; this young spray it is which should furnish the future crop ; if this first etlbrt is crippled and paralysed, which it will assuredly he by tlu'ee days ravages (unmo- lested) of tlie aphis, so surely will the next eflbrt be de- layed three weeks, at least ; and this loss of three weeks it is which our climate may not tolerate. In very truth, if A. B.'s wood is three weeks later than C. D.'s, the pre- sumption, yea, the fact is, that it will be less ripened by three weeks in October. Now this, although somewhat directed to out-door Peaches, may, I trust, enlighten our patrons as to their in-door trees; let them, we say, emphatically, beware of insects. 'Tobacco-water and fumigation are within the reach of all. I may now close this paper with a few things of a more general character, previously omitted ; and, first, temperatures. 'Througliout tlie Peach-forcing season, beware of high night temperature ; the Peach can do little in the dark, yet it is astonishing, when the ela- borative powers of the leaf commences, what progress may be made by taking advantage of an afternoon's sun, enclosing a great amount of pure sohir heat. A very high maximum, as well as miuimuin point, therefore, may be given, or in other words, a wide range of tem- peratures ; at least, so I have found it. As a broad maxim, let the heat exactly follow the light. 'To begin, dating from blossoming-time, let us say 40° to 30° by night, and C0° by day, laying on 1,")° more by sunshine, if convenient. When swelling fast, say h't" by night, and nearly 70° by day, running to nearly 1)0°, if you will, if sunny. During the stoning process be more cautious ; no disturbing causes now. Be content with a somewhat moderated pitch. Through all these pro- ceedings let young peach-forcers take care to give ail the ventilation ])ossible. Ward's cases will not suit Peaches so well as Ferns. And remember, that at ripen- ing time they must not ripen fast ; if luscious Peaches are required, throw your sashes wide open as often as you dare. R- Eriungton. BULBS. {Continued from pmje y2L) CoLLANiA DCLcis (Sweet-fruited). — 'This genus beai's the same relation to AUtrumeria as Uamantlius does to Amaryllis; tlie fruit being a kind of berry, and the pulp of tills species is eatable and agreeable to the taste. It grows near Pasco in Peru, at an elevation of from 12 to 14,000 feet, and is called Onmjjanillas-coloradas, or Blush Bells, as we say " Blue hells," in Scotland. Both Matthews and Cruikshauks sent over specimens of it. j\Ir. Cruikshanks told me that it was the Blush Bells of the Spaniards, and that it grows in very poor land, and would he quite hardy in England. It has exactly the same way of growth as Fritillaria, with narrow leaves, 302 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febrcary 10. and more of them, aud with only two pinkish flowers on a stiUlc. CoLi.ANi.i Andixamarcana. — I'VoM the lofty mountains of Audinamarca in Peru. A sjilendid thing certainly ; half-a-dozen flowers, or more, of a beautiful pink colour mixed with yellow, hanging down in a close bunch from tlie top of the stalk, and not unlike the flowers of some Elandfordia. CoLLANCA ixvoLucRosA. — ^Is a stiU mors noble plant, and the best of the genus known to us. The flowers are large, very long, for this genus; the stamens longer, and tl)e style longest of all; the colour a delicate pale yellow tinged with green. It has not been brought over alive yet ; but it must come. It grows at St. Mateo, near C'ldluay, or some such name, in Peru, where it blooms in November. They all want the same treatment as Bomareas. CoNANTHERA BiFOLiA andSiMsii. — "\Ve call these bulbs Conanthers, and of all the bulbs in the world they are the most difhcult to deal with by the gardener. Bota- nists, I believe, were nearly in a fl.x witli tliem some twenty years back (see Cummiwjia), but now the wliole group, and there are not many of them, is placed in a transition state. To understand what that state is, let us suppose the Lihjicorts to be an irregular field of say, corn, having anotlier regular field lying a little way off beyond it. This second field, let us imagine to be AmarylUds ; then the " little way," or isthmus, or narrow piece of land between the Lilies and the Amaryllids are occupied be the Gomintlters. Twenty years ago they thought Conanthers were tvuo Amuri/Uids ; but now, that these things are better known, it is found that they are ouly '■ Squills with the ovary (seed-pod) partially adher- ing to the calyx and corolla," or, as above, in the transi- tion state. iVe gardeners are worse off' than this, for none of us can keep them for any length of time, and never flower them but once, and that only if we happen to get them from their native places in a fresh state. They come from the most singular climate on the face of the globe, that of Coquimbo, the northern part of Chili which borders on Peru, being that part of the coast where rain ceases, where the little rain that does fall hardly ever sinks three inches deep in the barren, hungry soil. Bulbs from this province (Coquimbo) have hitherto defied our ordinary rules of cultivation. Under Oiim- mingia I shall give my own latest notions about the way we ought to deal with them; suffice it to-day to record my last trials of them. Mrs. "Wray, of Chelten- ham, had a large im]iortation of bulbs from the plains of Coquimbo, twelve distinct species, with a statement of the sizes and the colour and habit of the flowers. Find- ing them sulky they were all sent to me ; and I am sure that seven, if not eight of them were never described by any English author. I tried them experimentally for eight years, and only flowered one, a Leucocoiyne. The Conanthers are very low plants with blue flowers, but they are not true bulbs, as represented in our books, but tuberous-rooted plants, with the habit of bulbs. Sep- tember and October (the spring months in Coquimbo) is their season to begin their growth ; and if hard frost is kept from them it is all they want, and I believe they would grow well in sand. If any of our readers could send me bulbs from this coast, carriage-free, 1 think I could find an easy way to flower them. ^ CooPERiA. — This is a genus of small bulbs, natives of Texas, whence they were sent by Driunmond. There are only two species, or kinds, of them known to us, and one of them (peduncidala) with a stalk or peduncle comes so near Zepliijranlhcs as to have deceived some writers. There is a figure of it in Sweet's " British Flower Garden," but not very true, under the name Zephyrantlies pedunculata. The late Professor Graham called it Sceptranlhus Dnimmondu. The one called Chlorosolen in our Dictionai-y is only a slight variety from the stalkless (sessUe) one called Drummondii. Both are all but hardy, and prefer a sandy border in the open air, where they flower from Midsummer till late in the autumn, without leaves, and ripen seeds freely. The scape has but one flower, and when that is over, the seed-pod begins to ripen, aud up comes another scape to go the same round, and so on they go till after the leaves rise in October. CoopEiiiA Drumjioxdit.- — The flower scape of this species rises four or five inches high, aud the flower stands upright on the top of it. The- tube of this flower is nearly as long as the scape, or rather longer than the tube of Fiiclisla corymhijiora, and about the same size and shape, greenish at first, but dying oti' a faint pink colour. The top part, or opening of the flower, is not unlike a large white Chinese Primrose, only that there are six divisions in the flower. This and the next one open the flowers only at night; but ouce opeu, they stand so for three or four days, and then fade with a blush tint 'J'he way to show tliem oti', is to have from twelve to twenty bulbs in a patch. There is no difficulty in getting a stock of them, even from one root, the first season, and the seeds ought to be sown, exactly like Ixia seeds, early in October. Cooi'ERiA PEDUxcuLATA. — A shortor tube to the flower, and the flower having a stalk and peduncle, is all the difference between this and the last. The leaves of botli are flat, very narrow, a little milky-green, and from a foot to eighteen inches long. Although they come very near Zepliyrunlhes in affinity, and to Z. atainasco in locality, the latter growing in the southern parts of Carolina, the two families must not be planted togetlier, because every species of Zephyrantlies, without exception, goes to rest during the winter, while Cooperia is in full growth. Will any of them cross with Z. Candida ' a plant very unlike them in appearance, but differing very little from them in the private mark, that is, botanically. Crixu.^i. — If it were generally known that some kinds of Crinum are as hardy as the new Gladioli, much easier to cross, and that they run into forms and colours, with which nothing that ever appeared in a Dutch Tulip can vie, surely people would grow them out in the borders, where they only require strong, rich soil, such as would suit brocoli and beans, and abundance of water for three or four months during hot summers, aud in very hard winters to cover the bordi^rs with three inches of littery dung from the stable or franuug ground. The largest and the best specimens that we have yet seen of the Japan Lilies are not to be com- ])ared in beauty or stateliness to some hardy crosses of the genus Crinum that we have seen, and yet the best of the original species, Forbcsianunt, has never been brought in contact with breeders till the summer of lNo2. I have now only two bulb correspondents, and one of them thinks he has eU'ected a cross last summer with the pollen of Crinum l''orbesii, a splendid largo bulb, from the banks of the Delagoa River, on the south-east coast of Africa, having from thirty to forty large flowers on a tall scape, as rich in colour, and something in the same way, as the flowers of I'assijlora liermesina (laitissime ptirpureis). Now, this Crinum is just as hardy as Gladiolus jisitiacinus, from the self- same locality : and yet you will not meet with one gardener out of five hundred who ever even heard the name of it. AVhen I say that the best-known Criuum in England is a stove plant called Amahile, that it is a cross betwee?! two others (procerum and xeylianivuin), neither of which are half so handsome as Forhcsii, and that it is quite possible to have nuich liner Crinuuis than Aniahde, aud hardy enough to flower outoftloors with >is, not only that, but that such bulbs are already in existence, and that they do flower from May to Octo- ber every year, surely it is time to ask anuiteurs to take up the genus Crinum lor cross-breeding, and to sell the February 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 363 seedlings among the gardeners, who ought, before this time, to have worlced them for themselves. Oriniim amahile is quite barren; it never furnishes pollen, neither will it seed ; and there have been many sudi instances in the genus — seedlings coming to a dead look at the lirst cross. There are three or four kinds of white-flowered Criniims from Australia, which cross freely, and produce fertile offspring, but as they are very little known I shall pass them, and mention only the three or four kinds from the Cape, which are well- known to bear seedlings from any of the Indian Crinums as hardy as themselves with the first cross. The best of the tln-ee is a dark pnrple variety of Grinum cnpease, named Riparium in Bot. Mag., 2(isn. Tlie next best is the white variety of the same, which they grow in Holland, and which tliey sell by the name of Amarijllis Afrwaiia, Candida, and so forth. The third best is a comparatively small bulb, witii a long neck ; it comes in every one of those boxes of bulbs which our friends purchase for us from the Cape dealers; the name is invariably called Amarijllis lonrjifolia, or capense : this has a dull white flower, aud milky-green leaves. There is a hardier kind even than this, with the leaves perfectly green, and the flowers die of a bright pink colour. It is difficult, however, to get it through the bulb dealers. Criiium capense, or Amaryllis lonrjifolia, is a very common plant in England, where it is quite hardy, and flowers from the end of May to October, and ripens seeds by the bushel, if it is planted in strong soil by the edge of ponds or lakes. It is a regular swamp plant, and rests all the winter out-of-doors; but in a pot in the greenhouse it is evergreen, aud I have known it to flower in February. It will cross with almost all known Crinums ; seedlings of itself, without being crossed, will flower the fourth season, and some the third year; when crossed, some of the seedlings take longer tune to flower. Grinum Goveni figured in the third volume of the Hort. Soc. Trans., and named after B. Gowen, Esq., present Treasurer to the Society, is a cross from C. capense by the pollen of G. zelanicum, yet it is perfectly hardy, and very handsome and fertile. Grinum Herhertii, named by Sweet, is a plant of great beauty, bearing ten or eleven flowers on a scape three feet high, and quite hardy in front of a greenhouse, although a cross by the pollen of G. scahrum (Bot. Mag,, 2180), a bulb from Rio Janiero, and the hardy capense. The Grinums called Lindleijana, purplish on the outside of the Bower; Lod- digesianmn, from Mexico, with a large portion of purple in tlie flower; scabrum, striped with red, very beautiful; zelanicum, deep purple; speciosum, white, striped witli pink ; and reoulutum (Amaryllis revoluta of the Cape), striped much like speciosum, are those that I would i-ecommend for crossing with capense for beautiful, hardy, border plants. It is true that such crosses have been already obtained; but then they are in private hands, aud by an illiberal and jealous system, they are likely to remain so until we raise them afresh, and get some to surpass them from the breed of Forbesianum. I once had half-a-peck of the seeds from, or, rather, said to be from, the best collection of them in existence, thi'ough the influence of an officer high in the Councils of the Horticultural Society ; but after uU my trouble in nursing five hundred, bulbs for four years, the whole turned out to be nothing but the common Grinum ca- pense. Tiie seeds of this species are as large as horse- beans, but some species have them much larger. D. BE.iTON. COMBINING A GREENHOUSE AND VINERY. " Will the ordinary sort of greenhouse plants sufier from having a vine trained above them ; there will be I no heating, except in frosty weather, as the grapes would not require to bo forced ? " The above is one of a series of similar applications from subscribers I would ever be anxious to serve. The matter has already received a fair amount of attention, but yet scarcely so much as its importance demands. The cheapness of glass has given both power and ease to the gardeners in some large establishments, inasmuch as they are thus enabled to devote a structure to one definite purpose. Success in such circumstances is not only more certain, it ought to be of a higher grade. Taken in the mass, gardeners have not been provided with houses at all in proportion to the greatly increased demand and supply required from them. At a vast increase of labour, therefore, which keeps us ever on the move — preventing us, at least, from getting ricketty or gouty by inaction — • most of us are forced to turn our houses to many pur- poses, though a main feature be preserved in each. I cannot say that ever I have been so fortunate as to have the superintendence of a vinery that was not, during part of the season, made to do the duty of a greenhouse. I recollect a great nurseryman ominously shaking his head at me, many years ago, and muttering something about " madness; " and no wonder, perhaps, for there, in a small house, in a forenoon in spring, were grapes and peaches set, a guava and figs swelling, Freneii beans and strawberries fit to gather, melons like ;f)igeons' eggs, and cucumbers hanging like short gun- barrels, plenty of chicory and rhubarb in a corner, while, in addition to other plants, flowers of Passion- flowers and Franciscea scented the atmosphere. Now, I would by no means recommend our inexperienced friends to attempt such a variety of things in one house, each requiring different treatment ; but, as the cheap- ness of gla.ss has led many to build a house, I have alluded to the circumstance here, to show they need be under no alarm iu attempting to combine the useful with the beautiful, by getting grapes to eat, as well as flowers to admire. Tiie successful results obtained often under such circumstances leave no doubt of this. Some of the finest grapes I ever saw were shown in September ; and I knew well, from the same single houses, their respective owners exhibited good specimens of Calceolarias, Cine- rarias, and Geraniums, at previous exhibitions, and also splendid Fuchsias. Of course the shows were made no secondary matter. Wherever there is a thorough deter- mination to accomplish an object, difficulties only whet the invention, and increase tbe diligence. It has just started into my mind what Mr. Appleby said so favour- ably in the autumn respecting the Northampton show. I can fully confirm his statements — nay, more, I would say, that he by no means saw the best that the gardeners there could do ; for, not to speak of other things, I have seen Cinerarias and Achimenes there such as I have never seen exhibited on London tables; but what struck me most of all was, in visiting some of the places, such as Courteen Hall, to find such small apparent means and conveniences to produce the seen results. A wag once solved my difficulty in respect to the above place by stating that, whatever the glass conveniences, it was no Aowhi doubly gardenered ; but, however evident that Mr. Gardener had got a share of the professional mantle, it was also conspicuous that it was no stranger to the shoulders of his neighbours. Indeed, had that gentle- man the power, he could not have had the willingness to keep it to himself Paradoxical though it may seem, it is no less true, that young beginners, who wish to make the most of their conveniences, will often gain more suitable information in visiting small and mode- rate-sized places, than in pilgrimating to large and more celebrated establishments. From these remarks, it will be seen that it is perfectly practicable to combine greenhouse plants and Vines in one structure. It will be necessary, however, for the 364 THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE February 10. proprietor to determine tlie definite uses to wliicb ho applies his house, and tlie things to wliicb, when the pull of destruction comes, he will give the prelercnce. He must also determine whether this single house is to constitute the whole of his glass, or whether, as often advised, he will treat himself to a light or two, in the sliape of a hotbed Iramc, and a few more lights in tlie form of a cold pit, with walls of tiu'f, brick, wood, or whatever is most handy. Any of these conveniences would enable him to have more variety in his bouse in I summer, and also, if he thought proper to give a sliglit forcing or extra boat to his Vines when they were in | blossom, as the hardier plants would be placed out-of- ! doors ; the more tender, as respects lull exposure, in bis ' cold pits; while tender annuals and Achimenes, assisted by the frame, would come in as summer ornaments. Let it be taken as a general rule, that the lower the temperature which a plant will stand in winter, the more it will be injiu'ed by a closisb, shady atmosphere ! in summer. The not having a few Vines merely to , give a slight shade, but covering tlie roof with them, is i the reason why so many, who pride themselves on their , bushy plants in spring, get disappointed with the same I plants being drawn and leggy in summer. A greater j amount of light and of air would have prevented this ; but tlie gi-eater quantity of air would not so well have suited the Vines. In such circumstances, they receive i only a few advantages over that they would possess when trained against a warm wall. Another general rule to be kept in mind is, that every vinery may be used as a greenhouse from the time the fruit is cut until the bunches are again freely showing themselves; then you may give grceu- bouso treatment for tho season, or a little extra heat, cither by fire, or confining tho heat from the sun, just as you give a preference to hardy greenhouse plants, or a superior well-swelled crop of grapes. 1 have said after the fridt i.s cat, but an amateur friend, who fills his house in October, has managed to have grapes at Christmas, simply by encasing the bunches in bags of bladder after a cUy forenoon. During sum- mer— his flowering plants are chiefly confined to his wide front shelf — bo apjiropriates tho stage to a few Achimenes, Balsams, and the growing of his Camellias and Azaleas, before hardening them out-of-doors in August. In that house, 1 have seen Bulbs, Epacris, CameUia, Genista, Acacia, Erica, &o., all in bloom in winter ; Cineraria and Calceolaria in spring, and adorn- ing exhibition tables in May ; Pelargoniums equally beautiful in June; Fuchsias in July; Achimenes and Gesncra Zebrina in August and September. In the latter month, grapes have taken a prize at a country show. In addition to the bouse, there was a small pit of four or five lights, used chiefly as a preservative for choice florists' flowers in winter, part of it used as a cold resting place for favourite plants in summer, and another part used as a hotbed, for helping on tender things, and growing regular exhibition cucumbers. 1 must state, however, that all this was done by sacri- ficing qutmUli/ to qualily. He was much more gratified with two bunches of grapes that beat all his neigh- bours, tlian if be had had six times the number of bunches, and four times tho weight, but the individual bunches inferior. His principle was — trlutl can you show as proofs of good gardening, not what luive you ijol at home — a principle of lirst-rato import for all intend- ing exhibitors to study, as has been |)roviously demon- strated. The most of his soft-wooded plants, and the hardier hard-woodod ones, being out of tho house early in dune, except what could be accommodated on the front shelf thiiihj, lie was Ulus enabled to keep his house closer; and if, during the times when the Vines wore coming into bloom, or swelling freely, a few very dull cold days intervened, he would give air, but also put a little fire in his flue. The Vines, as they ought to he in such circumstances, wore trained and pruned on the spur principle, — one Vine to each rafter, the rafurs being rather more than four feet from each other. The Vines were planted oiUsido, in a raised border, two feet deep, with a drain and nine inches of open rubble underneath. The border was twelve feet wide, the part next the house being eighteen inches liigher than the front, and that even slightly raised above the surround- ing ground. The soil was equal parts of the garden earth, which was good, and fresh turfy fibry loam, mingled together with several loads of brick rubbish, and a few bushels of broken bones. In winter this border was kept mulched with good dung. In summer it was raked oH" and the border forked on the surface ; but nothing was grown on it but a row of mignonette at its front. In summer it generally receives one or two manure- waterings, and now and then it has had a spriulcling of guano, or bone dust. Tho Vines were pruned and trained, and summer-managed much as detailed in No. 'M ; or, perhaps, it would be more proper to say, according to the copious, clear instructions of Mr. Errington. Our friend has been so successful, that among his acquaintances his practice is getting to be looked upon as a good model for imitation. Now such a combination of good grape and plant grow- ing is founded chiefly on two facts, the basis of the above general rule. First, that a general collection of green- bouse plants may be successfully growii and bloomed, in winter and spring, with an average night temperature not above -1')°, allowing from b° to 10°, and even a lew degrees more, for sunshine. And secondly, because such a temperature will not start the vines much sooner than the buds would have swelled under glass with no artificial heat whatever during the winter. As will have been seen, the future treatment will depend upon whether grapes, or greenhouse plants, arc con sidered tho most essential; whether a little extra heat be given, or not given, in summer ; or whether the plants may not be so changed that the greatest amount of beauty may bo realised, with, in the circumstances, the greatest amount of profit. Keeping in view that the inquiries made relate chiefly to a house tliat is to receive little or no artificial heat in summer, I will, to meet a number of cases, say a few words on such a house when used as a Prescrratory in winter, lor win- dow and out-door adornment in summer, when green- house plants arc to be reckoned of most amount at all times ; imd again, when grajies and flowers arc deemed equally valuable, and there is a small amount of glass; besides alluding to the management, and some of the plants that will be best suited for the dirt'erent cii'cum- stances. But those matters I must defer to another opportunity. 11. Fisn. THE rELARGONirM. In no class of florists' flowers has there been so gi'eat an improvement as in the rclargonium, or, as it is commonly called. The Qeraniiim. Tho race now in existence, as exhibited during the past year, is as much superior in form, size, and colour, to the iirst hybrid, as the finely-formed and highly-coloured double Dahlia of the present day is to the first raised semi-double, half- formed, and badly coloured Dahlia, 'fbcu, again, tho culture of the Pelargonium is greatly improved. Gar- deners advanced in years, like myself, well remember the day when the Geraniums were grown on tho stage of the greenhouse, almost as tliick as mustard for salads, so that if a jilant was taken out from amongst the crowd to be placed in the parlour window, oi' in a basket in the sitting room, its tall lanky stem required a strong February 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 3(15 stake to keep it from betraying its weakness ; but, if we consider the plants tliat are grown now, wlictlier for exiiibitiou, or only for ornament, even tbe most fasti- dious observer must allow that the schoolmaster in culture has been abroad and learned more than a little to teach the young race of cultivators that the old mode of growing plants is now only a mark of ignorance and stupidity, or something worse. To discern a good grower, a clever, industrious, and enterprising man, we need only look at bis plants, whether they be a common Geranium, a Fuchsia, a Cineraria, a Heath, or any other plant. If any of these, whether young or old, are grown in an iudilfereut, care- less way, the cultivator is sot down as one of Lkc old scliool, and valued accordingly. As one of my corre- spondents, now in want of a gardener, justly remarks, in a letter now before me, " it is better to grow one plant well than 500 badly." If a plant is worth growing at all, it certainly is worth growing well. The great difliculty is to be content with a certain number of plants, so as to allow each its due share of light, space, and air. This is the great stumbling-block of most cultivators, they want to grow too many varie- ties, or too many of each in the space they possess. Perhaps it is easier to raise plants than it is to have courage to throw away the superfluous stock ; or, it may be, that a gentleman or a lady visits a Nursery cele- brated for plants, sees them well grown, and in lino bloom, and is struck with their beauty. Desirous of possessing a plant of each, a considerable order is given and sent home to an already over-stocked stove and greenhouse. They arrive, and the poor gardener is sadly puzzled what to do with them. The old ones he dare not throw away, and the new ones must, at all events, be taken care of ; and the consequence is, that although probably a very good gardener, dis- satisfaction arises, and he is discharged or rendered very uncomfortable. In such dilemmas, all that is required is a consultation between the parties, and an understanding that if new plants, whether Gera- niums or any other tribe of plants, are to be piu'- chased, either room must be made for them by dis- carding an equal number of plants of older varieties, or more glass must be put up to cultivate the additional plants under. The grand rule to be observed in growing Pelargoniums, or any other plants, is never to allow the leaves of each plant to touch or interweave with its neighbours; the moment they do, in consequence of growing larger, they must — aye, , must — be set farther apart; there must be no doubt or delay on this point. With these few preliminary remarks, I commence a paper or two on Pelargonium culture, with a view to finishing with a descriptive list of tbe best kinds or varieties for 1853; and should be glad if some of my readers would assist mo by sending lists of such as they know to be first-rate in properties. Already, without asking for it, I have had a list from one person, my esteemed Berwick correspondent, for which 1 heartily thank him. In this day of railroad speed, it might reasonably be supposed, tliat as soon as a good variety of any florists' flower was raised, the fact would be known almost im- mediately, though the parties were as widely separated as the Laud's-end from John o' Groat's house; yet it is not so, unless the parties, through the medium of pages as widely circulated as these, made known their success. We have already seen what has been done by the growers of Pansies ; they have sent lists of their collec- tions of that charming flower; and I know, in more than one instance, changes have been made in con- sequence. No doubt the lists of Pelargoniums from many of our readers would lead to similar results. As usual, I shall divide Pelargonium culture into dillorent sections ; a method which renders the subject more perspicuous and more easy to remember. 1st, Propagation ; 2nd, Summer treatment ; 3rd, Winter treatment; -Itb, Preparing for e.Khibition; 5th, Diseases; (Jtli. List of the best kinds for lK5o. It is well understood that both myself and my able coadjutors write principally for amateurs and the be- ginners in cultivation, and therefore the directions given on any subject of gardening or floriculture are as simple and full as our space will allow. Many of our observations may possibly call up a smile on the i'aces of the knowing ones. For such wo do not write ; and 1 must deprecate their criticism, by stating the fact over again, that we write for the information of those who are willing to learn and value the directions given in tlie pages of The Cottage Gardener. — T. Appleby. {To be continued.) CONIFERS. {Continued from i^aije '^2b.') 1st — section of pinus, wrru leaves two in a sheath — (CONTINUED.) PiNUS laricio (Larch Pine). — This is an European species, inhabiting the island of Corsica, Spain, Greece, apd Italy. It is a handsome species, and attains the considerable height of 100 feet. Our readers must not confound this with the common Larch (Larix Europaa), which is, as is well known, deciduous, whereas the Larch Pine is a beautiful evergreen, easily distinguished by its very intensely green foliage, long tapering buds, and small cones, and its regular mode of growth. It is a suitable species to plant on sandy soils, and will bear the severest frosts of our winter. There are several interesting varieties, which are all worthy of cultivation. Their names are P. laricio pygmaa, a small, dwarf, slow-growing variety, seldom exceeding from three to four feet ; P. L. monspeliensis, P. L. altissima, P. L. Oorsicana, P. L. (Jalahrica, and P. L. Oaramanica. PiNus Massoniana (Mr. Masson's Pine). — So named, by Mr. Lambert, in honour of Mr. Masson, a botanical collector, vk'ho resided several years at the Cape of Good Hope. It is a native of China and Japan, where it grows to the height of seventy feet. A handsome dis- tinct species, and perfectly hardy. PiNus MiTis (Soft-leaved Pine). — An American spe- cies, producing the yellow deal of commerce, and is a very handsome species. Its young shoots are parti- cularly beautiful, being of a rich violet colour; the leaves" are long and slender, the cones long, and the scales prickly. From the fact of it growing in New England on the poorest soils, in low situations, it might be advantageously planted in similar situations in this country. It is perfectly hardy. PiNus MuGHo (Tbe Mugho Pine). — Its native name. This species is found, but rarely, in the forests of Austria. It is a curious species, and there are two distinctly marked varieties, named P. M. pumilio, and P. M. obliqua, very proper, on account of their curious aijpearance, to be planted in a conspicuous place in the Pinetum. PiNus tiuRioATA (Prickly or Scaly-coned Pine). — There is a great peculiarity in the scales of the cones of this very distinct species : the outside of tbe scales are round, and lengthened out, and bent back near the base ; but those in the inside are square, and nearly flat. It is a rather low-growing species, seldom exceed- ing forty feet. It was found in California, by Mr. Hartweg, growing in mountainous places near tbe sea. PiNus Pallasiana (Pallas's, or the Tartarian Pine). — Native of Taurus. A fine species, and very ornamental, with long leaves, and very large cones. As it is such a fine species, and coming from a cold country, it is well worthy of extensive culture. SCO THE COTTAGE GARDENER. EEBRtlART 10. PiNus Persica (The Persian Pine). — So named by the Hon. AV. 1'. Straugways, but very little is liuown of it. It has proved to be quite Iiardy in Britain. Pixus PINASTER (The Cluster Pine).— This well-known Pine forms a handsome pyrimidal tree, with long leaves and fine cones, whicli are produced in clusters, and have given it its specific name. Like P. initis, it grows rapidly on poor, loose, stony soils. The late Lord Cal- thorp planted it largely on some stony hills near Llart- ford Bridge, iu Hampshire, and lived long enough to see those previously barren hills covered with this beau- tiful, dark, evergreen tree. It bears the strongest blasts without being uprooted, because the roots descend deep into and amongst the small stones in such situations, hence it is a proper tree to plant as shelter to the more spreadiug-rooted Coniferie. Having been introduced so long since as 1596, and producing its fine cones full of good seeds, it is now almost as cheap as the Scotch Fir, or, at least, very soon would be if it were required, or if there was a call for it by planters. It grows to the height of fifty to sixty feet. The varieties of this beautiful sjseoies are somewhat numerous. They are — P. pinaster Leinonianus (Sir C. Lemon's) : this was raised in England ; P. pinaster Hamiltonianus, raised iu Italy ; P. pinaster Escavenus, from Italy, and P. jrinaster maritimus, which, as its name imports, is a suitable species to plant on lands near the sea. PiNLs piNEA (The Stone Pine). — The botanists Bauliiu, Brothers, named this P. satioa, because the nuts are safe and good to eat. In Italy it is cultivated to orna- ment the villas to a great extent, as is also the variety named P. J'rayilis. Unlike the generality of the Pine tribe, this species is what is called a round-headed tree, growing to the height of sixty feet. In its young state, the foliage is of a beautiful milky-green hue ; it is quite hardy. PiNus puMir.io (The Dwarf or Mountain Pine). — Though named the dwarf, this sjiecies, in good soil, and rather crowded, will attain twenty feet in height. The leaves are short, and branches numerous. There is a fine specimen on the lawn in the Royal Gardens at Kew. Pisus piixGE.N'S (The Prickly-coned Pine). — Native of North Carolina, growing there from forty to fifty feet high. This is a remarkable tree, producing its cones iu clusters round the stems of the branches. They are of a beautiful yellowish-brown, and remain on the tree for several years. PiNus Pybenaica (The Pyrenean Pine).— Though a native of the Alps of Europe, this beautiful species was not introduced here till 18:34, by Captain Widdriugton, who says of it that " it is quite hardy, of quick growth, and, from its noble appearance, the beauty of its form, and the clear transparent colour of both the bark and the foliage, it is likely to be a vast acquisition to our pai-k scenery. The timber is white and dry, being nearly without turpentine ; but the cones exude a most delicious balsamic odour, as do also the leaves." In its native mountains it attains the height of seventy feet. T. Ari-LEBY. {To be continued.) HOTBEDS FOR EARLY VEGETABLES, AND ROUTINE OF THE SEASON. From the great demand there is for early vegetables, it is not to be wondered at that varieties have been mul- tiplied almost to infinity, and every means available devised to bring them into use at the earliest possible period. Now, many vegetables present a delicacy and freshness in a young state which are in vain looked for in a more perlBcted one ; consequently, it need not be surprising how much more popular the one is than the other. Potatoes aro especial favourites when in a young state ; the first Peas of the season as so likwise: Turnips are scarcely less so ; while Carrots, French Beans, and a host of other things, are alike desirable, if to be had some time before they are produced abundantly in the ordinary way. Now, though most of these things may be grown with a fair share of success on some heated bed under glass, yet the scarcity of the latter commodity at this time renders it impossible to give each of them that advantage. It is, therefore, advisable to try some other mode, whereby an amount of artificial heat may be afforded them without the glass protection, but some rough substitute adopted instead. Hot dung and leaves, tempered into the condition of furuishing a steady, regular heat, may be made into a series of beds, and a few rough slabs, nailed together at the corners, may be placed thereon to keep on the soil and the soil thrown on. Potatoes may be planted, or seeds sown, wdiich may be protected by anything handy at the time. Mats, supported a few inches above the surface on some rough frame-work, or even laid on boughs or other rough contrivances, will do very well, only they must be taken off in the mornings when the plants make their appearance, in order that they may get the light so' essential to their well-being. An oiled calico covering will be better, because it will admit a large amount of light through, and may be useful on cold or stormy days. Additional covering may be put on over this if necessary, and the whole may be made as snug as some ordinary frames on hotbeds. In this kind of forcing the growth of certain vege- tables, the accelerating power is at the root, the top derives but little assistance from the heat supplied, but this, though doubtless a loss to the plant, it is still an object to obtain it with the least possible expense, and consequently, these rough-made-up hot- beds, wdth their skeleton I'rame-work siuTOunding them to keep up the soil, are, nevertheless, extremely useful, from the little trouble they give, and the sturdy growths of most things cultivated thereon. We there- fore advise our young friends, who have fermenting materials at hand, to select a suitaLde open, sunny place, and there erect them. Slight beds of two-feet-and-a-half high will do; and we have often used very rough mate- rials in their formation. Soil of a suitable light and open te.xture may be thrown to the depth of about eight inches, and the seed sown, taking care to select the best early variety of the kinds used. irootl's Earhj-fiame Radish, Lee's Early Horn Carrot, Fiiinier's Earhj- forciiuj Kidneij Bean, and the best and most prolific Early Potato known. Of Potatoes, generally, each district has its own pecu- liar favourite, and for forcing in this way w-e prefer a round one to the Ash-leaved kidney varieties, while the latter is preferable under glass, because the shortness of its top gives it a preference where the haulm is sure to get large enough. When, therefore, there is no parti- cular wish to have a kidney potato, the round ones will be fouud more prolific and useful for general purposes; but if a preference bo given to the kidney from its superior eating qualities, it may then be planted some- what closer than the larger top round kinds. It is usual to jdant them on these elevated beds iu rows about fifteen inches apart, and sow an alternate row of some- thing coming into use shortly, as radishes, lettuce- [dants to prick out, or any other small crop ; but, bo it remembered, that if the potatoes flourish and succeed, they will speedily grow and overrun the frame or bed, and smother all extraneous crops. Much good must not, therefore, be expected from this mixture, and it is better to have the seedlings by themselves, where they may be sown thicker than usual to allow of the casualties that are likely to attend a crop in which contending agents of heat and cold Febkuaky 10. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEJa. »G7 ol'teu operate upou at one and the same time. Pro- tection li-ora lieavy cold rain ought also to he applied if posbihle; and those vvlio have a series of hrick pits with wooden shutters will have all tlie henoiits they seek at'tor in that way, as their coverings turn the rain; but where anytliing of that kind is to make, it had better be ghized at once, for however useful a deal door may be to exclude frost and cold, it is worse than useless in the day time, and we often have very cold, chilly days in spring, to say nothing of snow and other evils, against which the delicate foliage of a newly-developed vegetation has a poor chance of surviving. A still more homely, yet not-to-be-despised, protection, is by sticking the bed all over with evergreen boughs, which, however, must be renewed betimes. Attend carefully to Melons and Cucumbers that may he progressing. The dull weather at the end of last month was very unfavourable to these fruits ; however, the increased length of days, with other advantages, will accelerate their growth, to encourage which, be sure to maintain a nice, sweet, lively heat, sufficiently moist to be agreeeble, without being entirely enveloped in steam. If you have bad recourse to dung-beds, be sure that due and efl'ective linings be applied in time ; if fire-heat in any shape, the amount of warmth supplied is usually more at command, although the due proportion of mois- ture that accompanies it is more difficult to regulate, but it must be done if possible, otherwise a sickly growth and premature decay is the consequence. Give air very sparingly, except on mild days, when the ad- mission of a little will be grateful to the plants inside. Give a little tepid water to plants in pots that may be standing about, and prick out others from the seed-pot as they require it, sowing more when needful. Attend to the diijging and preparing of ground for sowing the principal spring crops. Onions, which require sowing early in ilarch, ought to have the ground pre- pared for them at once, otherwise it will not have time to mellow down prior to being wanted. Manure and dig any places left undone until now, and let all other work connected with the winter be finished as early as possible. Dung, or leaves that have been used in forcing Sea-kale, &o., may be wheeled away to vacant squares, leaving, however, sufficient around each plant to secure it against cold and frost that may visit us yet. Plant Potatoes on warm, sheltered borders ; and plant out Beans that may have been in for forcing purposes. Examine and cut the various Brocoli that come into use, and note down any peculiarity respecting each individual kind. The past winter having been mild, these have been more plentiful than usual, and notes on the excellence of any particular variety, though good in its way, must not be implicitly relied on another season, which may be severe, and, consequently, death to some of the kinds difl'ering but little from the Cauliflower. Brussels Sprouts, and the whole tribe of Kale, have never ceased to grow during the past season, and, consequently, there is no lack of them. The same may be said of Sjnnach, and, in many instances. Lettuce and Colewort Gahhages as well, while Celery has kept worse than usual, the wet weather inducing decay, while the mild- ness of it eneoiu-aged growth in such as resisted decay, and the consequence is, that abundance of what was expected to be good Celery is run away, and will speedily be rendered useless. The earliest Peas will now require sticks, %■ e., if they have escaped the mishaps many of them are liable to in an unusiud season. Those which hitherto look robust and strong, desire a little extra protection when bad weather does set in, otherwise they are liable to become what gardeners term " black in the leg," which is a disease analogous to what carries off many plants and vegetables that have attained a too forward state when the bad weather sets in. Sticks of a closer kind, or what is better, mats occasionally thrown over them on cold nights will save them very much ; but still we ex])ect the second crop will, in many instances, exceed the first one for earliuess and truitfulness. Beans are hardier, but when too forward, are likewise subject to the misfor- tune named above. A sowing of each of these may be made ; Peas, in fact, may now be sown every fortnight, and Beans the same, provided the demand for them be equally great, which, however, is not always the case. J. KoBSON. A WORD TO SPINSTERS. Bij the Authoress nf "My Flowers," &c. In one of my former papers I drew the picture of a widow wlio gave up the " promise," to enter upon a second married life. I am now going to address the unmarried women who may be thinking of taking a first step in matrimony, and would earnestly call their attention, now, while it is not too late, to a few facts which may be a wholesome warning, and prepare them a little for circumstances which do occur sometimes, and which mmj come upon thera in an hour when they think not. Eliza Gibson was a highly respectable young woman, the sister of a wealthy farmer ; she had received a very fair education for her station in life, and had been brought up as a governess. For some years she had settled in a village as the mistress of a little scliool, and she had a number of very respectable children sent to her as day-scholars. She was going on quietly and comfortably, and I suppose she had saved up a little money, for it fell upon a day, that she was asked in marriage by a man who looked much younger than herself, and who was very busy with all lands of con- trivances for getting a living. He was always cd something ; making hay-rakes, buying old tumble-down liorses, taldug little hits of copse-wood for faggot-making, in short, turning his hand to anything, and seeming to he very active and industrious in all his ways. Very much to the dissatisfaction of her friends, Eliza Gibson became Mrs. Jolliffe. She was quite old enough, and independent enough to marry wlien and wliom slie pleased, but I never yet heard of, or saw a marriage under- taken against the mslies and advice of friends that had not a thorn in it. There must be a somnthlii;/ ; affection blinds one's eyes, but lookers-on see clearly; and when the deed is done, and we have settled quietly down, many things rise up to the surface that are not nice, and it is too late then to skim them oif; the hitter and the sweet cannot be separated then, they must be mixed together for ever. Mrs. .lolhfte kept on her little school, but they took a much better house, and seemed to be going on pleasantly enough; but she very soon repented of her choice, and doubtless wished herself Ehza Gibson again. She found her husband a man of low tastes and habits, difierent from anything she had ever been used to, and this shocked and distracted her. He used to have dealings with gipsies, about old horses and other things, and he would bring these people into his house, into his wife's neat parlour, and keep them talking, and drinking, and smoking there, to her horror and disgust. His conduct to herself must have been brutal too, from what has since taken place, but she could not help herself; she had taken him " for worse," as well as " for better," and all she had to do was to hear it. At length, however, her health began to give way. She kept on her school, hut she was evidently breaking down ; and in the course of the last autumn she was obliged to dismiss her little pupils, hoping that after Christmas she might be well enough to take to them again. Alas ! that time never came for her. Before the winter holidays were over she was laid in the churchyard, and her place knew her no more. Very strange reports got about during the few weeks before poor Mrs. JoUifl'e's death. Her husband would let no one go near her; he had a little girl in the kitchen, but no one else, and he waited upon his wife himself. When any one called to enquire, he said his wife was much the same, but could not see them ; not a creature could get to her. This seemed strange, but at first it was not partiou- lai-ly noticed. At last, a very respectable woman, who knew oOH THE COTTAGE GARDENER. I'ebruaky 10. Mrs. JoUifit! well, really forced her way to the room where sho lay, and was agonized at the sight slie saw. Tlie poor creature was in a state of deUrium, lying on the bed, covered over with one dirty blanket; nothing else! There was no comfort; no common necessary things ; no food by her bod- side ; all was wretclicdness, cold, and misery ; and in the midst of this lay Mrs. Jolhfle quite delirious 1 Her friend said all that she felt to tlie monster who stood beside liis victuii, but lie took no heed ; he only passed it olf, and got her out of the house as soon as possible. Nice, nourishing things were constantly sent to the house, but (/ is said he never gave them to his wife, and his conduct wai'rants our behevLng it. Enriuirius were made of the local authorities wlietlier somolhiug could not be done, whether j the poor woman could not be rescued from the liands of so cruel a liusband, and be taken proper care of. The answer was, that a man was master of his own liouse, and of his own mfe, and that if ho refused to let any one in an entrance could not be enforced. Whether this is, or is not, the law of the land, Jollift'e gained his point ; and if he did not Icill his wife outright, he caused her to die ; in what state, and what suftering, the eye of Him who neither slumberoth nor sleepeth, and "from whom no secret is hid," alone can tell ; hut " His eyes are upon the ways of man, and ho sceth all his goings. There is no darlvuess, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." Tlie tears of poor Eliza Jollift'e are put into " the bottle " of tlio Lord ; not one of them is lost. Every sigh is wi-itlen dofl-n, and every sorrow is noted in a book. The day will come when that booli and that bottle will both be opened before the eyes of him who caused them, and in the presence of men ancl angels. " Woe worth the day." It will he, indeed, a " cloudy day " for that cruel spirit, except he repents of the evil ho liath done. He shall call upon moun- tain and bill to cover him, but they shall stand fast ; tlie Lord will " modi when liis fear Cometh." EUza Gibson thought nothing about Jollift'e's character when she married; she laiiJit have cared nothing about it. She was getting on in life, rather looking down the other side, and perhaps the prospect was somewhat dreai'y, as she gazed upon advimcing age. But what dreariness can be so sad as an unhappy, an unlioly marriage? Better live in a cell with a spider for company than be tacked to one who neither fears God nor regards man. We are too apt to disregard this. We are too apt to take those wlio have pleasant manners and civil tongues, instead of roundly and fearlessly asking tliein " the reason of the hope " that is in them, and wailing for a sound answer. We do not know, or care, about cm' own " hope," and therefore we neitlicr ask tliat first and greatest question, nor could tell, if we did, what tlie reply ought to be ; and this is the reason why old and young luarry .ind are miserable nine times out of ten. We may not be beaten with stripes ; we may not be starved, neglected, and iU-treated; but we shall lind a worm gnaw- ing ; we shall find, as Jonah did, the gourd wither above our head, and be ready to faint under the "vehement east wind " and the sun. Happy, thrice liappy, is slie who by Ciod's mercy is delivered from the snare, tliougli it were with loss of hie or Umb. It is a very uncomfortable thing, too, to feel that we are a kind of " chattel" in the hands of oui' masters. If no one is to interfere in our behalf, wliat may become of some of us? Does not this doubly prove the need there is for looking into the spiritual atfairs of those who speak honied words to us ? " AVhat are your means ?" is a prudent ques- tion of worldly caution ; but "Who is your iiiasUr ; whom do you serve ? " is a greater question of spuitual wisdom, and of ten tliousand times more consequence. Let us not fear to grow old in single blessedness ; it is far better than mained misery ; and if we cannot or will not look to a man's wall; and conversation, whetlier it is with (Jod or Satan, we had niucli better sit by a lonely iireside, and fuUil some otlier appouited work, for no blessuig goes with marriage unless it is undertaken " in the Lord." May tlie story of Eliza JoUill'e, hy the blessing of God, lead us to great caution in this matter, and may we seek lielp and direction from the Lord in every alep we take. POULTRY SHOWS, ToisQUAY.— This exhibition took place on the lIHh and 2mh of Januai-j', in the Old INIarket place, liberally b/nt for the occasion by Sir Lawrence I'alk. The pens were ranged in a double tier round the whole building under the piazza, and in the ccnU-e was erected a spacious tent, beneath which were placed tlic Devonshire collections ; the whole being tastefully decorated with evergreens, and the entire arrange- ments reflecting great credit upon the Committee and Hon- orary Secretaries, whose labours had been most incessant. In the following List of I'rizes those classes ai'e omitted in which there were none awarded. Judges; G. J. Andrews, Esq., Dorchester, and the Eev. GrenvUle F. Hodson, Chew Magna, Somerset. CiiAiiPioN Prize,— Wr. Thomaii H. Potts, KmgBwood Lodge, near Croydon, Surrey. IlEvoN Collection (Not less titan 3 varieties, nor mure than 20 birds).— First Prize— Mr. Wm. Wevill Bone, Longbrook, Miltou Abbot, Devon. Sccuntl Prize— E. Vivian, Esq., Woodlicld, Toriiuay. Tliird Prize— ^ev. St. Vincent L. Harauuck, Milton Abbot, Devon. 149, H. Adney, Esq., Lymp- . K. Brunei, Es Black China). Class 17.— Bantams.— ffoW Laced. First Prize.— No. 109, Capt. Wyndham Hornby, K.N., Knowsley, Present. Februaky 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 309 Class 21.— Bantams. — Any othervariety. .Second Prize, — No. 123, Mr. William Nosworthy, 7, Prospect Place, Exeter. Class 22.— Pigeons. Fh'st Pyize.—^o, 128, Miss Selina Northcote, Upton Pyne, Devon. (Nuna.) First Prise.— No, 124, BIr. W. L, Channing, builder, Heavi- tree, Exeter. (Almond Tumblers.) First Prise.— No. 125, Ditto, ditto. (White Dragoons.) Class 23,— Geese. First Prise.— No. 133, Mr. William Wcvill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton Abbot, Devon. Seimid Prise.— No. 132, I. K. Brunei, Esq., Wateombe, St. Mary-Church, Devon. Class 24.— Ducks. — White Aylesbury. First Prise,— No, 136, Captain Wyndham Hornby, R.N., Knowsley, Prescot. Second Prize.— No. 138, Edward Vivian, Esq., Woodfield, Torquay, Devon. Class 25. — Ducks. — Coloured. First Prise.— No. 139, Mr. William Wevill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton Abbot. Devon. Second Prise,— No, 141), Mr. Thomas Blandford, Or- chard Portman, Somerset. Class 2(). — Ducks. — Any other variety. First Prise.— No. 144, Mr. .lohn Moon, Lapford, nearCrediton, Devon. Class 27. — Torkevs. First Prise,— No, 149, Henry Adney, Esq., Lympstone, Devon, Second Prise.— No, 146, Mr. William Wevill Rowe, Longbrook, Milton Abbot, Devon. Mistakes at Poui.Tr.Y Shows. — I would venture to call your attention to the mischief which may be caused by a degree of carelessness iu the minor arrangements of our poultry e.tliibitions, and sometimes tending to cast a shadow of blame upon the judges, which I feel sure they do not deserve. The circumstance which induces me to bring this prominently forward, is the fate of the poultry belonging to a Birmingham .amateur, whose readiness in sending speci- mens has always been conspicuous. Tliis gentleman, Mr. Peters, of Moseley, had a lot of beautiful White Cochin- China fowls disiiualified at the Metropolitan Exhibition, not for any fault, but simply because the men employed had placed them in the wrong pens. I presume the judges had but one alternative, and that was to disquahfy them, thereby bringing on themselves an imputation of injustice, from wliich, knowing well their usual strict Impttriiidity^ I should be as anxious to free tliem as I am to call down censure upon the habitual carelessness of the inferior officers. P.S. — You will be pleased to hear that there is every probability we are to be favoured at the next Birmingham Exhibition with a separate class for Black Shanghaes. — Wm. LoRT, IVard Endj Birmingham, [We ai'e glad to have the subject of these mistakes brought to our notice, not only because it will also impress the necessity for more attention upon this point, but because it enables us to state, that the Committee of the Jletro- politan Show very handsomely awarded a prize to Mr. Peters upon the facts of the case being made known to them. — Ed. C. G.] .JiiDGES AND Auctions.— The exhibitions of domestic poultry are now becoming so general, that as each show is over many alterations suggest themselves as regards the judges. I am glad to see you so strongly advocate a change from the present system, for upon that so much depends whether the future ones will be supported. If judges were appointed by the committees, instead of being the mere nominees of one or two, as I fear is too often the case ; or if gentlemen judges would refuse to act with dealers, the managers would not risk the responsibility of appointing dealers only ; but from our best judges refusing, many are induced to act with dealers, for the poj)ularity, that are not at all competent to judge, without thinking the great harm they are doing such societies. The quantity of pens to be inspected, I think, might be reduced, by judges for the Cochin, Spanish, Dorking, and Malay, and another set of Judges for the other varieties. The two last years' show at Birmingham were 1851.— Cochin, Malay, Spanish, and Dorking. .. . 349 pens. Other Varieties of Fowl 314 ,, 1852. — Cochin, Malay, Spanish, and Dorking 491 ,, Other Varieties of Fowl 527 „ gi\'ing a very fair division on these two years' show. The time for exhibition, I think, could not be reduced to less than four days ; one receiving, judging, private view, and public view. The new feature of public auction might bo advantageously introduced as regards tlie prize pens, for on several occa- sions I have found them sold a few minutes after the doors were opened to some having superior information ; and it would give the owner some chance of claiming his fowl again, and would take very little time at the private view. — An Amateuk. Sales ry Auction at Poui.tey Shows. — The sale by auction at the Metropolitan Show, taking it all in all, was, no doubt, a miserable affair, and pronounced by many a complete failure ; enliancing, in some instances, the interests of a few, but generally tending to the detiiment of the majority. It was, however, quite a new feature in poultry exhibitions, and its originality should not, I tliink, be too hastily condemned, at any rate not in Into. It is almost impossible, under the iBirmingham system, to obtain even a commended pen, as all the best bu-ds are claimed shortly after the opening of the doors of Biugley Hall, and many of them at one-fourth of the price which they would have commanded under the hammer. I beheve that I am ex- pressing the wishes of many influential exhibitors, by suggesting, that only the prize and commended pens be sub- mitted to public competition ; and the time selected for the purpose should naturally be when most of tlie amateurs would be present. A sale of this kind would not occupy more than a couple of hours, and ought not in any way to interfere with tlie disposal of the other pens, which could b,e can-led on as heretofore. It appears to me that it would be nothing more than just and fan', both to the exhibitor and the imrchaser, to adopt some method by which the owner can obtain the fuU value of his specimens, and all have an equal chance of obtaining the winning birds, and it was, no doubt, with this laudable view that the Metropolitan Committee conceived the idea of a sale by auction. This bold step towards an improvement might, I think, with the above modifications, produce the desired object, and prove advantageous and satisfactory to all lovers of the feathered race. Should these few lines meet the eye of any of your readers who may coincide with my views, I trust it may induce them to make some further and improved suggestions on this subject, which my homely occupations will not allow me time fully to digest, and oi' which my want of experience iu this new branch of domestic and agricultural industry renders me but an incompetent agitator. Incognito. Spanish Fowls at Teueo and Penzance Shows. — It is but fair to Mr. Peck, of Wigan, to state that the birds be- longuig to Mr. Lawrence, which took the first prizes at the above-named exhibitions, were from the stock of Mr. Peck, and not from that of Capt. Hornby. Our reporter was misinformed. Metkopoutan Show. — In your notice of the Great Metropolitan Poultry Exhibition, in your number for January 20th, you give me credit as the sole originator, which has given Mr. Houghton oft'ence, and mshing to do justice to hun, it is certainly due to our indefatigable secretary, to state, and I hiive pleasure in so doing, that had he not oflfered the Oval at Kennington, for the purpose, to a friend of mine, and who referred him to me, knowing my desire, with others, to have a London Poultry Exhibition, no show would have taken place this year. Although the Oval had many objections, being the only available place, I immediately consulted my active neighbour, Jlr. Fletcher, and soon fonned a small, but " hiird-wor/cing committee," to which you have in very kind and apiproving terms alluded, in consequence of the great success with which its labours were crowned. Haring now given our indefatigable secretary his due praise, he cannot escape TOthout censure for not looking more strictly into the covenants of his lease, which pro- hibited any exhibition being held at the Oval; thus deceiv- ing all parties, and compelling the committee, at great increased expense and trouble, and to the inconvenience of the exhibitors, to postpone the show for ten days, until the Bazaar could be got ready. H. Gilbert. 370 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. Febbtjary 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER'S PONY. I SEND you the enclosed notes for an outline of an introductory paper on the subject which I proposed to myself. You will see that it prepares the road for sundi-y and singular disquisitions on the economising of draught ; the education of animal muscular power ; the natural, or acquirable adaptability of a given animal (or too probably a bought, and dearly bought one) to certain tasks ; the pro- bable cost of keep ; and the amount of protitable work to be calculated on as a set off; the man's wages according to the time he is occupied in pottering about the stable, ttc. I believe I have read nearly all the books on horse-Hesh easily to be come at, and my general impression is that they are too ambitious ; the authors mount with their subject; they get on the high horse. My friend, Jlartin IJoyle, appears to be so mucli of the same opinion with myself, that in his little work for small farmers, an invaluable manual for cottage gardeners and farmers, he entirely dissuades against keeping any horses at all. If I understand rightly the requirements of cottage gar- deners and small occupiers, such as would be likely to be edified by my lucubrations for cottage gardeners, I sliould be inclined to lay down the following propositions :— A small allotment, of say from iive to twelve statute acres of land, either your own, or tal;en in a good state of cultiva- tion on a fair lease, or taken cheap for a long lease, for im- provement, ought to afford a great deal towards the comfort- able enjoyment of a family, and should provide a fair remu- neration for the undivided attention of a clever labourer ; or, if his own, should be a little competency for him (such small allotments were the very earliest /'rec/io/rfs that ever existed;. I once wrote a paper on their great antiquity ; throughout the history of the Egyptian soldiers and priests ; the lioman soldiers (whose"quatuorjugera" (four yoke-lands) were syn- onymous with peace, retirement, independence) ; the Saxon half-sacred Boclands ; the small freeholds of the Belgians, etc.; and our own old English forty-shilling freeholds, which I sup- pose may, at the time of the defining of their now nominal rental, have been valued at about five shillings per acre. This by-the-by ; for in order to make out my case, I had to go into the history of the feudal system, as contradistinguished from the freeliold; and to trace through the one the pro- gress of men living in connection with cities, as civilised men ; and along with the other, the more picturesque, primitive life of the shepherd kings of all ages ; from the tune of the great King of the Vale of Gerar, through the proud but humble Etruscan nobles, who only held in tenure, and let to theii' vassals, whose feeling was " ^^ita que mancipio nulli datur ; omnibus usu." (Life itself is not given in freeliold ; but only on lease.) and thence down to the very Affghans, Caffres, and Thi- betins of this day, who are mostly feudalists. You see this is too long and unmanagealile a subject to bring in ; I only allude to it now, thinking it might interest you, and to shew yon that I have looked into my subject : so now to return to our mutton. Then, I suppose our cottage gardener, of this degenerate day, to employ a man, for hire, to do what his prototype in ancient days did with his own hands, unless the sad fellow had got hold of an unfortunate slave in the wars. But, as the keep of a man-servant, and his wages, is a serious ad- dition indeed to the expense of the small occupier, who, unless a clergyman, or small freeholder, will probably have to pay a good round sum in rent and taxes, a horse, super- added to a servant, and a fine London caniage added to the horse, and then, unless we take care, foi-ewell to rural simpUcity and cbauntings of " Happy the man whose every care a few paternal acres bound." The story then becomes, " It is very pleasant living in the country, but then it is so very expensive." Just so ; if people will take down with them into the country all their juiserable cockney habits and stylish notions. If you go to Homo you must do as they do in Rome ; and if you go to live in the country, you are not to do as they do in Rome, or in London either ; but as as they do, or ought to do, and used to do, in the country. This, then, brings me only just to my starting point, viz., that an equipage f(M- the counti-y need not be exactly the same as one for London; nor the counti-y servant as fine a follow as the Loiulon servant. You might as well ti-y to have your own dairy and your own poultry-yard in Spring Gardens or I'ark Lane. But as for the better class of your readers, who keep their carriages and servants, and live in the country " en prince," they will have no need to look into The Cottacf, G.vic- DENEB for information how to save a penny in their stable expenses. I purpose not to write for them. Now you have my ideas, and some little sketch of my plan, which very likely I shall not adhere to after all I I)o you think the " diggings " will be worth working out ? And can you tell me liow often I might be allowed to appear in my stable dress, if I continue in stable mind ? " The Cottage Gar- dener's Horse " would, perliaps, be better than " Pony." And I must be anonymous. — ^ibgvoe. [Y'our programme is too good to be lost. Write as often as you like ; the oftener the better.-— Ed. C. G.j PHEASANTS. [If our readers will refer to page 13.5 of our last volume, they will find a paper under this title, and with this ap- pendage, " To he coiilinued." We have no excuse if any one enquires — Why was it not continued before ? — Ed. C. G.] AVhen the chicks are about ten days old they will require a larger range than that which the net protection atibrds. To accommodate them, draw it away from the coop about three inches ; the little things vrill soon leai'n their way in and out, their increasing strength and activity of limbs enabling them now to reach the shelter of the coop, or front, quickly on the alarm of danger ; the tit-bits remeiining, in the mean time, secure from jJillage, out of beak's reach from the elder birds. The proper time to place the youngsters away from their foster-parents into the pheasanti-y they will pomt out for themselves, by a natural weaning and inclination to roost away from the hen at night ; or otherwise they become too l.irge to gain admittance between the bars of the coop. When allowed the society of their elders, the same ti-eat- ment adopted for the old birds will serve for them ; namely, barley and wheat alternately, with the supply of other et ceteras adrised upon when I described the pheasantry. I lay particular stress upon the item, liirl'i/-rEiER, Tottetiham.] HONEY HARVEST OF I8.J3. I SEND you a note of my last season's doings in bee- keeping. By " net " I mean the weight of the honey, liees, and comb in stocks, and of the honey and comb in supers and glasses. I may as well state tliat the weather iu om' parts (North of England) from April to the end of .June was wetched — cold, wet, and windy ; in .Tuly, inagnificent ; in August, moderate. No. 1 : SwAEJi OF 1848. — The net contents of this hive, in September, 1851, were 'J41bs. On a4tli of May the hive swai'med; no second swarm came oH'. On 7th of August I took a glass, net weight 7. J lbs., and on the 22nd of Sep- tember fumigated the hive, and carried olt' 25 lbs. of honey. The swarm from this hive, which had to be fed constantly through .lune, weighed, on the 2Cth of August, 27 lbs. net. No. 2 : Sw,utM OF 1849. — In the lieginning of .Tune most of the drones and drone grubs were turned out and de- stroyed, and towards the end of the month a few bees died from starvation. On ;ird of July the hive swarmed ; no second swarm came off, and on the 20th a young queen was thrown out. On 2iid August, I took a small glass, :) lbs. net ; on (Jth of August, another small glass, .jilbs. net, and a box, 2 lbs. net. On 2flth of August this hive weighed 2."i.;< lbs. net. The sivnrm from this hive weighed, on 2IJth of August, 20 lbs. net. No. 3 ; SwAEM OF 1800. — In the beginning of .Tune most of tlie drones and drone grubs were tm-ned out: in the middle of the month the bees began to die in large num- bers, and I was obliged to feed liberally. Tlie hive did not swarm. On the 12th of August I took a small super, 4J lbs. net ; and on the 2Cth another super, 8 lbs. net. On the 2(lth of Augitst this hive weighed 20J lbs. net. From this it will be seen that from three stocks I have taken 28i lbs. of honey in glasses and supers, and have had two swarms, the net contents of which amounted, on tlie 2lith of August last, to 52 lbs. — in all 70 J lbs., or an average of 2llrl lbs. for each hive; this, at a shilling, or even ten- pence per pound, makes each hive a source of considerable annual profit, even in a poor season like the present. "Wliat a pity it is that we cannot induce our cottagers to keep bees in greater numbers than they do ; there is really no mystery about it — a slight Imowledge of first principles, and a little care and cleanliness, and " there you are." Flourish is of no use ; the jiicturesque is a sham. I believe that the improved cottage system is the simplest and the best; and I can for myself safely say, that I have derived more pleasure (to leave the profit out of the question) from bees tlian from any other amusement ; though, when I do get stung, I present more the appearance of a jirize-fighter than an ordinary mortal. It is of no use beginning mthout some knowledge of the habits of bees, and a fair stock of apparatus. The greater part of the apparatus any intelli- gent cottager can ma];e, and even if he cannot, 1 am sure .t'2 or ,£;T of his hard-earned savings would be well in- vested in providing what is necessarj'. K. PRESERVING SPECIMENS OF ANIMALS. (We have been favoured with a manuscript written by the late Dk. L.atham, so favourably known by his " History of Birds." We are not aware if it has been published previously; but even if it has, we are quite sure tliat many of our readers will be glad to know tlie preservative process adopted by so distinguished a naturalist.) TiiEEE are two methods of preserving Ijirds or other animals, the one by preparations which ai'e antiputrcscent, the other by an heat regulated in such a manner as to cause the aqueous parts to evaporate, while the Uesh becoming thus dry nothuig is left that can grow putrid, and the animal is immediately preserved without further trouble. Botli these are liable to some exceptions, yet both will answer well with care. It must be premised, in regard to the subject to be prepared, that it be as free as possible from apparent in- jury in the killing, such as the loss of many of the feathers on the parts most in view, or the feathers being bloody, &c. ; tliough if a wing or a thigh he broke, or even one side only ihsfigured, it will not much signify. But if the bird can be had alive, being cauglit in a net or othemise, it will be best. In this case, one way of Idlling it* will be by confining it in a towel, or other means to prevent its fluttering, wliilst a knot is made in a piece of fine twine, which being put round the neck and drawn tight will pre- sently strangle the animal. The feathers must be raised up where the twine is aj)plied, lest it may rumple them. As birds are often obliged to be transported to some distance before they can amve at the hands of the person who is to preserve them, it may be not unworthy of notice that a bird wUl keep longer free from putrefaction if the intestines are not di-ami. They will often keep fit for presen'ation for ten days m winter, or even much longer in hard frosts, hut in summer a much less time, according to the heat of the air. The bowels, tlierefore, should not on any account be taken out, except tliey cannot arrive at their journey's end witliin the above time; in this case they should be extracted by an incision in the belly, without soiling the feathers if possible, and the cavity tilled with wool, moss, tow, or the lilie, sprinlding here and there some pepper and camphor mixed together, or pepper alone, also putting some in the mouth and down the throat. But if it is possible to send them to their place of destination within a moderate time, nothing is to be done, except in each case the feathers, especially those of the neck, ai-e to be laid smooth; the whole bird to be laid at length, or, if more convenient, the neck to be doubled back with care under one of the wings. Each bird to be wrapped sepai'ately in clean paper, to be packed up with hay, Jtc, tight enough to prevent rubbing in the cai'riage. Anotlier thing not to be omitted is, that as many birds have remarkable coloured irides (or cu'clcs on their eyes), it will be best to rennuic them at the time of their being killed, or soon after, as their colour will disap- pear in a few days. No more needs be done than to draw with a pencil on paper tlie size of the pupil and iris, and remark the colour beneath it, lest the memory should not furnish a suHicient idea of it afterwards. The use of this caution is that the eye may be imitated by paintuig, as mentioned liereafter. Suppose a bird to have anived as wished for. llrive two long pins or nails in a table or dresser, wide enough to admit of the neck of tlie bird, and to rest against them at the shoulders; two more are to be driven through tlie Mesh of the thighs into the board, to keep them aparl ; by these means the bird is kept steady. Then open it from the vent to the breast-bone with a pair of scissors,+ being careful of * Small birds are killed by pinching them very tight with a finger anil thumb under each wing, which, preventing them from breathing, soon finishes their life. t I now open it, on the side opposite to the sight, under the wing, all the way down, and, dissecting back the skin over the breast to the other side, I take out the breast-bone, flesh and all, as well as the contents w ithin, and, sewing it up again, stutF the cavity with the stuHing. This I have adopted, as I think it easier than any other ; and if the edges of the skin arc drawn back, as fast as dis.sected, by crooked pins, fastened with a string to each, and a loop to tack them dawn with, the danger of bloodying the feathers on the breast will be entirely avoided. When all is taken away that can be, I thrust up each thigh through the skin that February 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 373 wounding the intestines ; then let all the contents be drawn out with tlie fingers, if a large bird, or a pair of forceps, if a small one. Let some of the anliputrescent mixture be put in, and a layer of wool, cotton, or any proper substance, be stnfl'ed upon it, and then another layer of tlie mixture, and so on till full, and rather ramming them in than other- wise ; which done, continue the opening, already made, up the breast quite to the throat, and, stripping the skin back on each side, cut oif the flesli entirely from the breast-bone. Then take a needle and thread, and, by small stitches, unite the opening you last made almost to tlie place you began it, and putting in some of the mixture as above, with any soft stufling to fill out the breast to its usual size, or rather more, continue then the stitches to the vent, and replace the feathers, and this part is finished, the which, if carefully done, it will not be known that the bird has been opened at all. Open then the eye-lids, and introducing a strong needle within the upper lid, on the outside of the globe of the eye, push it into the back pai't as far as you can, and, carrying the point upwards, let it come out through the pupil. You may, with the needle in this situation, pull up the whole globe from the socket, if you hold the lids with your fingers to prevent their bursting open. When they are thus emptied they may be filled ./)'o?7j witkoid with cotton and some of the antiseptic mixture ; or, ivlud is hMcr, by making a hole within the bill upwai'ds on the outside of the upper beak to communicate with the orbit (which in small birds, especially, will be found the best way), through which the stuffing may be introduced. The eye then is to be put in upon this stuffing, for which purpose half of a common black bead {it being split) is to be placed in the socket on the stuffing, and covered with the eye-lids as in a natural eye. If a coloured iris is wanting, it is to be jiainted with water-colour or oil,* and afterwards varnished, which will give it a very good lustre, perhaps not quite so well as enamel, but a very good substitute. Some of the mixture ought also to be thrust down the throat, but this with very little, or rather no stufling. An opening is next to be made in the mouth, through the palate upwards into the brain, and some mixture and cotton thrust into that cavity as well as the rest. If the bird has exceeding fleshy thighs, the skin on them may be opened as in the breast, and the flesh taken off, to be sewed up again and stuffed as before ; though this is scarce ever necessary in small or middle-sized birds, as the mixture will sufficiently penetrate the flesh without that trouble. Nothing now remains hut to put the bird in a suitable position to di'y ; for which purpose let a piece of board of a proper height be placed upright upon the edge of another placed horizontally, and a perch placed in tlie up- right one if the bird is to stand so. Then run a stifi- poiiited wire down the throat into the body,+ letting it come out at the side under the wing of the bird, which is to be placed from the eye ; this part to be bent and stuck into the side board at the height necessary, whether the bird is placed on the perch or the ground. A sufficient length is to be left for the length of the neck, the end of whioli is to be thrust upwards into the skull, by means of which wire the neck may have any direction given to it. Wires also are to be put through the wings to support them, and other parts, as may be necessary. The bird thus supported is to be set by for some weeks in order to grow stiff, and the mixture to penetrate when it is done. The mixture is pepper (i oz., camphor 1 oz., alum 3 scrup., eommon salt 9 scrup. ; powder separate, and mix. { covers it, and cut off all the fleah from it also ; in general there will not want any stutHng to fill up its place, but it may be done if thought neces- sary, as also some of the antiputrescent mixture added. * I have left off oil colour, for I find it stands well enough if the colour is laid on with gum. water and well varnished, as the oil is so long drying. t I find it best to place the wire before I put in the stuffing, as it is difficult to thrust a wire, however pointed, through the stutBng without bending. i I now add brimstone powdered, or flowers of brimstone, equal weights of that and the mixture if the bird is to be dried in the oven, or if not, only one-third, (7*0 he continued.) STONES ON LIGHT SOILS CONDUCE TO FERTILITY. It is a common practice with the farmers in my neigh- bourhood to employ women to pick stones oS' their light and gravelly soils. The plan is one of doubtful utility. Stones intercept the force of the sun's rays, check evaporation, give fixity to the soil, and retain much moisture under them. A stone will often nourish four or five blades of corn, in eon- sequence of its shade and moistui-e, and the spot round it is brighter and greener than wheie stones are absent. An intelligent friend of mine, who cultivates about 1000 acres, has carleil stones on to some of his hghtest soils with excel- lent effect. — S. P. RusHHEEE. TO PRESERVE EGGS FOR SETTING. Place a box in a dry place in your kitchen, not too near the fire ; partition the box, so as to hold separately the dif- ferent eggs of the various sorts ; let bran be well dried in the oven, and put into the partitions, and cover the eggs with the bran as they are placed in ; and this should be done soon after they are laid. In this manner they will be prolific from a fortnight to three weeks in the winter. Always mind to place the thin end of the egg downwards, so as to stand upright. While your hens are laying, feed them w'ell twice a week with pork-butchers greaves ; 1 mean those that cut like collared brawn ; not tallow-chandlers' greaves, for these ai'e worthless for poultry. Your chickens must be fed occasionaUy with hemp and canary seed, and some meat cut very fine, but not too much, or you will lose them. They are apt to get the cramp in their legs in the months of March and April, especially the Spanish chickens. Nothing but good feeding and warmth will bring them round. Set your hens in a dry, warm place at this season, or you will find your mistake out when you look for chickens, — J. Amphlet, Walsall. CALIFORNIAN AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE. Aftek hearing so much about the golden harvests of California, it is refreshing to find that the more permanently productive " diggings " are not less promising. The follow- ing, written by an American, is dated San Francisco, No- veniber 30th, 1859 :— The opinion is quite prevalent in the States that the resources of Cahfornia consist almost entirely in her mineral wealth, and that hut a small portion of the State is adapted to cultivation. There is no greater eiTor than this. So far from the soil being as barren and sterile as it has been represented to be, nearly the whole State possesses a wonderful fertility and adaptation to easy cultivation. To be sure, much of the country in the latter part of the dry season appears to be incapable of producing anything, yet this very same soil, if sowed with wheat or barley soon after the rains set in, yields the most wonderful crops. However, a few facts, showing what has been produced here already, although this branch of indusU'y is still in its infancy, will give a much better idea of the Agricultural capacity of California than any mere description could give. Through the enterprising and the most indefatigable industry of Colonel Wai-ren and Co., of Sacramento, an Agricultural Exhibition was held last month in that city, at which some most astonisliing productions of the soil were exhibited. The following are the weight and dimen- sions of some of them. Squashes weighing 108 lbs., and six feet eight inches in circumference. Pumpkins weighing 110 lbs., and seven feet in circum- ference. Watermelons weighing from .10 to 44 lbs., and from 91 feet to ;i J feet in circumference. Beets weighing from :!0 to 40 lbs., and 40 inches in cir- cumference, and one beet 7 J feet long. Cabbage weighing Sr> lbs., and 45 inches in circumfer ence. 374 THE COTTAGE GAEDENEB. Fkhruahy 10. Turnips Tveif;hing 10 lbs., and 24 inches in circumference. I'otatoes weighing 4r} lbs., and several sacks of them whicli averaged o lbs. each. Onions weighing 4J lbs., and '-i2 inches in circumference. Corn -iO feet higli, from a field of five acres, averaging 50 bushels to tlie acre. Samples of wheat averaging 50 busliel? per acre, and barley averaging from 75 to 100 bushels per acre. Incredible as the above account may seem, it is none the less true, for most of the products mentioned were seen and examined by your correspondent, as much to liis suiiirise as this description of them is to that of your readers. TO CORRESPOIMDENTS. *** We request that no one will write to the ilepartmcntal writers nf TuE CoTT.\GK GAaDKiNEK. It glvcs them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " Tn tJie Editor u/ the. Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.*' Eruor in the Price of No. 226. — Several correspondents have written to complain that they were charged foiirpence for No. ri^G, and they may well complain, though not of us, but of our printer, and their booksellers. It is quite true that, after finishing the stamped copies, wliich are charged fourpence. the printer for a few copies omitted to change the 4 for a 3, and the booksellers, in some instances, have con- sequently charged fourpence for those copies. This they ought not to liave done, for if they had looked at their invoices they would have seen that those copies were charged to them as retailed at threepence. Every subscriber is entitled to have his over-charged penny returned. Saponabia Calabrica Culture (Swiscn'ier). — If you sow the seeds of Saponaria Calnbrica any time in February, in a Iiotbed, it will vege- tate in twelve or fifteen days, and be fit to move to a cooler place in three weeks from the sowing of the seeds. If you have a good stock of plants of it in single pots, and you arc pinclied for room, you may plant out the younsr Saponarias close under a south wall, by the middle of April, and four inches apart. They may remain so till early in June, or any time in Blay when the lieds are free from the autumn-sown annuals. Thus treated, tlie Saponaria begins to bloom a little after Midsummer, and will go on slowly and flowering freely until stoppr'd !)y the frnst. It will not bear to have any other plant with it. Saponaria ocymoides is a very pretty rock or border plant, but one of the most difficult to manage for an amateur. You had better have nothing to do with ori/moides lor a year or two, unless by way of expL-riment. By that time we are almost sure you will be alile to manage any plant, however difficult to grow, and that will l)e time enouijh to tliink about S. elegans and tittea, two which we never recommend for general use. GitEENiiODSE Climbers (S. E. S.).— Your "tubs," about a foot square, are only the smallest sized boxes that one would use for a Scarlet Geranium, and liardly that. 'J'hey will never do to plant any good climber in. Have you never been in the conservatory of the Horticul- tural Society ? They went to the expense on purpose to convince ama- teurs like you, that small boxes, troughs, or tubs, are entirely useless to grow climbers in. Ulandenitlca, for instance, would fill a tub a foot deep, as much in width, and at least a yard long, in one season ; flower in it the second year; and, perhaps, the third, with abundance of liquid manure, but after that you would have nothin;^ but red spiders from it— from sheer starvation ; and a Ulandevitlea, with less than one hundred flowers open is hardly worth looking at. The new Tropa-u/ums, which flfr. Beaton mentioned lately, are the only plants suited for flowering in your tubs in winter ; and Acaria prostrata of the nurseries, with the smallest kinds of the old Kenncdija breed, spoken of by I\Ii-. Fibh more than once, for summer. White Bedding Plant (A Subscriber). — "A bed is to be planted with three rows of Tum Thumb Geranium next tlie outside, and the middle with S«//»m ;?n^(?H.v. What is the beat white flowering plant to divide the scarlet from the blue, and be in the proper degree of height lietween Tom and this Salvia ? " Here is a concise letter, and much to the point, and from a lady correspondent. 'I'o be aide to subdue the power- ful effect of three rows of Tom Thumb to the right degree, you must use a large white flower, and allow the white to occupy about two feet of space. If you can do that, the bed will be all that one could wisli. The Shrub- land White Petunia is the plant we would use, and we would keep it on a little slope, by a little training and pruning, all the season. Any good white Petunia will do, however, except the old nyctugynijlora, which is too strong for this row. SiiANGiiAE Eggs {A Ludr/).—lSlr. Sturgeon never sold an egg from his fine stock, and probably never will. Buying eggs to breed from is but a lottery. " Long legged, and not sutticiently feathered," are two points which do not belong to the true qualities of a Shanghae fowl. Pray wait till the beginning of fllarch, and take the first number of "The Poultry Book." Flower Garden Plan (An Amateur).— Our apace is engaged for February and March, and your plan will come in April, with your own valuable and practical illustrations of it, &c. PORPIIYROCOMA LANCEOLATA {Amatcvr, iJ»Wltt).— TrCftt it lu flU reapccta as you would Jmticia carnea, or Aphelandra cristata in a voung Btatc. The best hardy Ferns to plant along a running stream ore 'Pterin _ aqvilina, Osmunda regalin, Asplejtium Tricoma?ie8, md tbo different Aspidiums, as FiHx mas, F.fmmina, &c. Climbing Roses (J. B. ir.). — Your climbing Koses have done remarkably well for the first season. Prune them next March, as follows: Fclii-ite perpetuelte, ten feet high, prune back to four feet, and the weiikest shoots to three feet. Maria Loai-it; and Rampant, five feet high, prune down to the very bottom. The same kinds, eight feet, for arching over the walk, prune to two feet. (jREENnousE AND ViNERY (W. D. A.). — You wiU scc tbis has been alluded to to-day by Mr. Fish, and will meet with more attention. BALSATii Sowing {Rcadins;). — Sow the seed not earlier than the end of March, or the beginning of April, in a slight hotbed, and harden the seedlings off to greenhouse or cold pit treatment earlr, if you wish to have fine flowers. Most likely we shall allude more in detail to this subject before you commence operations. The sooner you commence before April the more trouble will you have to obtain good flowers and bushy plants. I.MPREGNATioN oi' EoGS (Qucrcus). — The egg is certainly impreg- nated whilst a mere yolk of very small size in the ovary ; and as to tfie time before being laid, it is quite demonstrated tliat this may be as long as three weeks. The following letter, from a poultry-keeper of eminence, is, in fact, an answer to your (|uery, thougli unintentionally; — "With reference to the opinion oi ^ B. P. D.,' in the Cottage (Jakdenrr of the '27th (if January, my experience would lead me to the belief that three weeks is not long enough to insure purity of breed from a hen, wiio had been with one cock and then removed to another. ^ly reason for suspecting that chickens from the eggs produced from the second cock might (I do not say will) possess some of the strain of the first, consists in the fact, that I once separated a hen from her cock, and an egg laid on the '2:)rd day of her sejiaration produced a chicken. A friend of mine also tried the same experiment, and he found the egg of the aoth day was hatched. — K." Black-breasted Red Game Fowl {Raumond). — The queries of " Raymond," as to the points of merit in the black-breasted red tramcfowl, are best answered by a reference to Mr. Thomas Uoscoe's description, communicated to the Rev. E. S. Dixon, and published by him in his work on Ornamental and Domestic Poultry. Mr. Itoscoe, it will be re- menibercd, had the charge of the late Lord Derby's birds, which, being long considered as the best blood of their race, were emphatically termed the Derby Reds. "The cock is a fine round shaped bird, with white striped bill ; daw eyes and fiery; round and strong neck; fine, round, close feathered hackle, with feather points to shoulders ; short, stiff, broad back, close feathered and hard ; tail, long and sickled, well tufted at root; wings, round and well prolonged, so as to protect the thighs; breast, broad and black ; belly, small and tight in the pinions; thiglia, short and thick, well set to the body; legs, long and white; smooth insteps; claws, strong; nails, long and white; the comb of a stag is rather large and red before being cut; weight, about 5 lbs. The lien is ufafine round shape, in colour reseiiililing a partridge, with daw eyes, white legs, toes, and nails, and large and fanned tail." We have not observed prizes given during the jiast year to any pens of birda that did not match in colour as well as other jioints, and their difference in this respect would be justly considered as disqualifying them alto- gether.—W. Vines in Pots (B. H.). — We know of no work upon the subject exclusively. Feathers (Cochin). — \^'e have some engraved, and shall begin pub- lishing the series, probably, next week. Tlicy will not be coloured, of course, but they will instruct you in all the distinctions you require explained. Gold Fish (A Nfiv Subscriber), — Can any of our subscribers inform us whether there is a publication instructing how gold fish should be treated when kc|)t in a glass vase ? Poultry (.1/2 i^;/m(f«?'}-— The best fowls you can keep without fear of encroacliing upon your neighbour are the Shanghae, The Buff and the White are the sub-varieties most in request. Poultry .Tudges (,'1 Well-wisher nf Poultry Exhibitions). — We do not think the objection should be carried as far as you suggest. Every judge has a preference for some strain ; but we do not think that he dare give a prize to an inferior bird merely because it was of that strain. Glossary of Poultry Terms {W. W. ir.),— Wc will sec what can be done in the way you suggest. Space between Raspberries (Nemo). — In so narrow a space as three feet between your rows of Ras|, berries, nothing will grow so well as p'pinach in a drill up the centre. None of the crops you mention will do well there. If your ground is light and well-drained, plant your Ash- leaved Kidney Potatoes immediately, during open dry weather. Foulstone's Budding Instrument (John Rtibinaon). — We have applied ourselves, and can obtain no reply. An advertisement from the makers will, perhaps, ap])car one of these days. Navies ov Plants [A. HI. L.). — Stove plants— No, I, nromelia. but cannot name the species; 4, Zygopctalum Mackayi. .*\Icsembryanthc- ' mums — No. I, M. inclaudens; 2, ]\I. hlandum ; 3, M. aureum ; 4, M. coccineum ; 5, I\I. acutangulum ; 6, Linum flavum ; 7, Chrysncoma comaurea '.' 8, Ibcris semperilorens ; 9, Cheiranthus mutabllis, var. longi- folius ? The rest unknown to ua. London: Printed by Harry Wooldbidce, WinchcBter High-street, in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendarj and Published by William SOMBHVJI.LB Orx, At the Office, No. 3, Amen Corner, in the Poriihof Church, City of London.— February 10th, 1863. I'KBTtDAnY 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. .375 WEEKLY CALENDAR, ■ 1 m' w Wbatiiee NEAE LONnON l.v 18.'i2. FEBRUARY 17—23, 1833. i - Sun Sun Moon Moon*s Clock ' Day of D U _l 17iTll Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Rises. Sets. R. & S. Age. bf. Sun. Year. Small Eggar Moth ; bushes. ,29.858 —29.5.J8 i6— 3; j W. — 12 a. 7 17 a. 5 2 30 9 14 IS : 48 13F Orange Upperwing. '29.737 — 29.596 46— 27 1 N.W. — 10 IS 3 34 11) 14 13 ' 49 19 s Spring Usher i dry leaves. 3O.O1S— 29.783 39-2.1 1 N.W. — 8 20 4 34 11 U 7 50 20 Sun 2 Sdnd.y\ in Lent. ,30.136-30.117 33—15 i N.W. — 6 22 5 29 12 U 1 51 21 M Sun's declination, 10° 26' s. 30.302 — 30.233 42—32 W. 01 4 24 fl 14 13 13 54 32 22 To Early Moth ; hedges. ;30.574 — 30.423 40-22 N.E. ; — 2 26 6 30 14 13 46 53 23 W Small Brindle ; oaks. 30.637 — 30.57,40-23 N.E. : — 0 27 rises. © 13 37 i 51 Weteoeology or the Week.— At Chisvvick, from observations during the last twenty -six years, the' average highest and lowest tempera- 1 tares of these days are40.4°an(l 33.1° respectively. The (greatest heat, 57°, occurred on the 17th in 1847 ; and the lowest cold , 16°, on the 10th in 184.5. During the period 104 days were fine, and on 78 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. POPPYWOETS. — PArAVERAOEa:. ^Continued from }>a(/e .'i.Ou.) GLAU0IU3I. — nor.NED POPPY. Generic CiiAnACTEn. — Oali/.v l)elo\v the seeJ-vessel, of two oblong, concave, pointed, deciduous leaves, Palais four, much larger than the caly.K, roundish, reversed-cgg-shaped, wavy, crumpled, spreading, with sliort claw.s, deciduous ; two opposite ones rather the smallest. SiKmens numerous, witli capillary, short filaments. Anthers roundish, terminal, of two lobes. Gcnnen cylindrical, or somewhat compressed, longer than the stamens. Style none. StUjina large, abrupt, permanent, of two or three cloven, compressed, downy lobes. Pod linear, very long, of two or three linear, concave valves, and as many cells. Seeds numerous, convex at the outer side, pitted in regular lines, without a crest, disposed irregularly in two rows in each cell, being sunic in the hollows of a spongy or membranous 2'artition, connected witli the linear marginal rrccpttit-le!:, which are placed between the edges of the valves, and bear the seeds on sliort stalks. Annual or biennial herbs, mostly milky-green, witli yellow fetid juice. Leaves more or less pinnatifid, and subdivided ; the upper ones stalkless. Flowers solitary, stalked, lateral or terminal, yellow, scarlet, or violet, very handsome. Glaucium h'teuji : Yellow Horned Poppy ; Sea Celan- dine ; Sea Poppy. Description. — It is a biennial. The whole plant very milky- green. Boot spindle, or carrot-shaped. Stem round, smooth, about two feet high, strong, and much branched. Iloot-leavcs stalked, divided into many sections from the margin to near the mid-rib, waved, variously lobed, and indented ; the sections gradually larger towards the upper end of tlie leal'; hairy on both sides ; living through the winter. Stem-leaves embracing the stalk with their heart-shaped base ; deeply indented, hairy above, smooth beneath. Brunches in opposite pairs. Fhiwer-stullis thick, rather hairy, mostly one, but sometimes two-flowered. Calijx large, oval, hairy, falling off as the flower opens. Petals large, egg-shaped, golden- yellow, with brownish blotch at the base. Seed-vessel about ten inches long, variously bent, rough, with small wart-like projections, but not hairy, terminated by a brownisli, arrow-headed stigma. Stamens sixty or more. The flowers droop down until the day preceding their opening, they then become erect. The petals fall off the second day after they have opened. Seeds blackish, curiously celled. Places where found. — On the sands near the sea-shore. Time of flowerinij. — June to August. Historij. — Its name GUiucium, alludes to its strikingly glaucous or milky-green colour ; Inteiim was applied to it on account of its yellow flowers, but fluvnm, or bright golden- yellow, would be more appropriate. Its large and numerous flowers, although of short duration individually, succeed each other so profusely, as to be very ornamental. The whole plant abounds with a yellow, fetid, and poisonous juice. It is said to occasion madness, and probably is the Glauciiim of Dioscorides. It succeeds if sown upon rock- work, and there is very effective. The named of Horned Poppy refers to the shape of the seed-pod. {Martijn. Smith. Soiverby. Gerard.) Whatever may be said for or against tlie doctrine which we have endeavoured to propound in the leading article of our number for December 16 (page 100), respecting the origin of buds, so far as it is exemplified by our e.xperiments on the Willow; or in whatsoever degree we may estimate the other ideas, hypotheses, or speculations, to which the mysterious origin of the purple Laburnum has given rise, both here and on the continent, that doctrine which admits the possibility, or, rather, the probability, of the soft or cellular matter, formed by two allied plants, being capable of intermix- ing together, provided the parts are brought into close contact, and so kept during the formation of the soft wood, is by far the most important, in a practical view of this curious subject. To this point, therefore, we shall draw tlie attention of the reader to-day, after first bringing before him, in one view, some of the principal bearings of the question, so far as they relate to this part of the subject. Some va- rieties of the Pelargonium are known to gardeners as notorious for making a kiad of warty growth on the stem. We ourselves have seen this form of growth so far approach to the condition of the natural growth, that rudimentary leaves appeared in clusters on the upper No. CCXXIX., Vol. IX. 376 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febhuary 17. side of the wen, as it may he called; but we have never observed, neither have we heard from others, that they ever knew an instance in which a shoot-like growth issued from the wart or wen on a Pelargonium. There- fore, without altogether asserting the impossibility of such origin to a shoot of this i^lant, we may conclude that its appearance is of extremely rare occurrence. Here, then, is the first departure from normal growth, where the new growth is, or seems to be, incapable of extension. By artificial means, we all know that a vast number of plants can be forced to form a warty growth — the callosity, first formed on the bottom of a cutting before roots are to be seen is of the nature we mean ; and such growths, in many instances, are capable of forming buds, which buds expand into plants that are even more true to their origin than if they had been raised from seeds. The simplest means by which this may be proved, and tlie most excitable plant for the purpose of doing so, is the Fuchsia, for at this season, and for the next two months, it may be inci-eased by the footstalks of the leaf In a few days after the application of heat the bottom of the leaf-stalk makes a callosity, or warty growth ; and in a few more days, a bud issues from the new matter, which grows as fast and freely as a seedling. Compare this rapidity, from the most slender footstalk of a leaf, in the Fuchsia, with the case of the Willows mentioned at page 197, which, at the end of seven year's growth, were utterly incapable of forming a single bud, even from a large surface of bark and wood ; and yet we account the Willow to be fully, if not more, ex- citable in growth than the Fuchsia. We instance them, however — that is, the footstalk of a leaf of a Fuchsia and the Willow stems — as the extreme points of the question. The comparison must, therefore, lead to this conclusion — that we are totally in the dark with respect to the cause, or force, or principle, with which the origin of buds is involved; and that, in the absence of direct exp'iriment, no one can foretell whether this or that part of a plant or leaf is, or is not, capable of originating an adventitious bud from an accumulation of growth forced on the plant, as it were, by any process familiar to the gardener. If that be so, there can be no solid foundation on which to raise an objection against any experiments which we may propose with the view of testing the possibility of an amalgamation of the growths of two allied plants, in the first instance, and then to see ifsucli united growth is, of itself, capable of forming a bud ; and if it is, whether that bud is likely to combine in itself some of the properties peculiar to the two plants whose united growth and force caused this bud to spring into life. If it could be easily proved that this is really within the compass of possibilities, the principle, thougli hitherto it was hidden from our eyes, is of the utmost value in the improvement of I'aces, either of fruits, vege- tables, or flowei-s. The easiest and most speedy method tliat we can sug- gest for arriving at this knowledge is the following, and wo appeal urgently to our amateur friends to put the experiment to the test this very spring: — Practical gar- deners have so many calls on their time at this season, and, indeed, at all times, that no one can expect them to be able to give the requisite attention to any experi- ment which does not directly bear on the requirements of the day. We all know that tlie Fuchsia will root from the ibotstalk of the leaf, and that the new bud comes from the upper part of the warty substance which is first formed, or from the very end of the stalk, which is now much swollen with the force of growth. Tlie Oramje Tree, and a hundred other trees and plants, will make increase after the same manner ; indeed, there are a large number of plants, whose very leaves, if cut across the middle, and the top part inserted like a cut- ting, will thus form roots, buds, and shoots, with less or more difficulty, accOi'ding to the kind, and the complete- ness of the arrangements in the propagating department. There is one tribe of plants, however, whieli, for tlie ease and rapidity with which this experiment may be decided by them, we recommend to begin with, and they are the different species and varieties of (Jloxinia. Less than a square inch from the blade of the leaf of many of the kinds will make roots, buds, and plants, if a portion of the rib or vein is taken with it, and the wliole is placed under favourable conditions. A leaf of this kind, taken with the whole stalk to it, and the stalk inserted as a cutting, will soon form a regular, solid bulb from the warty matter sent down by the leaf and stalk, and this bulb will produce a bud and shoot in five or six weeks. Now, does it not seem very feasible that, if two such leaves were first united together by inarcliiug their foot- stalks, and then planting them as one cuttuig, that in- stead of two little bulbs they would expend their juices in the formation of only one bidb ; or even if a disposi- tion to form two bulbs showed itself, could it not be sub- dued, and so the union of the two leaves be forced to foi'm only one bulb ? The next question is, would one such bulb form two buds, or two sets of buds, each of which sustaining the character of one of the leaves only? and if so, would it be possible, in the next trial, so to mnnnge the issue of two combined leaves, as that it would produce but one set of buds only? We see no dillicuUy in arriving at conclusive answers to these questions. We shall, tliere- fore, show how the experiment is to be handled, so as to insui'e, as much as possible, the exact degree we our- selves would aim at. First, make choice of any two kinds of Gloxinia ; wo say kiiids, because there is now no limit between S])ecics and varieties in the genus, and kind includes both spe- cies and varieties ; let the two be of different colours, force tliem into strong growtli, full in the sun — tho hack' of a cucumber bed would be the best place, on account of tho air being admitted over them. Wlicn tlie leaves are fully ripe, or say, when the fiower-buds rise prominently, take one loaf from each plant, cutting tlie footstalk as low as is safe to do so ; then cut olfa slice from t)te front part of each of the stalks, about an inch- and-a-lialf long, forming tho bottom of each into a shar)) wedge; after that, splice the two together, and bind February 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. srr them closely with a soft woollen thread, leaving only about a quarter-of-au inch bare at the bottom. After drying for an hour or so they will be ready for insertion as one cutting ; the two leaves ought to look face to face, and he so placed in the cutting-pot that one side of the spliced parts may rest against the side of the pot for safety, as that side is less likely to damp than the other which is covered in sand. The sand should be higher in that side of the pot where this doubled cutting is planted, and the water to be applied in the lowest side, so that no water may touch the spliced part. At the end of twelve or fourteen days after this, the hall of sand, or very sandy peat, being damp throughout, will bear to be gently turned out of the pot and the progress of the bulb or bulbs below ascertained; then, if two separate bulbs appear, the edges of them next each other should be dried a little, so as to cause them to unite and form, ultimately, but one bulb. We believe, that the bud on a single bulb thus produced is always formed on that side of it which is immediately beneath the front part of the leaf; hence, our reason for slicing off that part from each of the two leaves to be united. As soon as the union bulb is full grown, and before the decay of the two leaves, it should be stimulated by increased heat and moisture to cause it to form a bud, or buds, and to grow, ere the force of the vegetable action is over for the season. Upon the same plan and principle, other experiments with different kinds of plants might be instituted, such as cuttings of two kinds of Dahlias, Pceoniea, or, indeed, of such other plants as form tuberous or fleshy roots, from which the annual growth proceeds. Should it turn out, as we may reasonably suppose, that two united leaves will, each of them, form an independent bulb for itself, might we not endeavour to get the two to unite into one mass, and confiue the future growth to one side only, and still be able to procure some share of the quality of the other side into this growth ? If that is practicable, how dexterously the beautiful shades and variations of the Oesnera zehrina might be inoculated into auy of the allied kinds. Whatever may be the event, the question, as it stands at present, is full of promise and very inviting. Let us now turn our attention to trees and shrubs, fruit bearers, or merely ornamental by their gaudy flowers, and bear in mind the experiment on the Willows (page 197), which goes to prove that a-year-old shoot, if once divested of its buds, is for ever afterwards incapable of reproducing adventitious buds, and conse- quently, that two such shoots cannot assist in the forma- tion of buds, from cellular matter formed by one or both of them, even were the two growths made to run into each other. But take two-year-old shoots, or, for "reater certainty, say three-year-old wood, and inarch them together, keeping the buds on each as nearly opposite one another as can be ; then, when the imion is firmly made, let the buds on each shoot be destroyed, and all other buds also that may start from the same parts ; now the two shoots must be cut back to within one or two joints of the inarched part, and no more upward growth allowed to them, in order, if possible, to force a bud from the new matter between the two united shoots. D. B. FORSYTH MSS. (Continncd from page 359.) Me. Wedgewood having suggested the foundation of the London Horticultural Society, as mentioned in our last number, we find that he proceeded sedulously to strengthen the list of those who would aid it in its infancy ; and that among those were the Marquis of Lansdowne, Mr. Augerstein, and others of similar influ- ence, and similarly attached to gardening. On the 8th of March, 1802, he wrote as follows to Mr. Forsyth : — " On tlie other side, you have a Icind of preface to the rules of our intended Society, which I have drawn up at my leisure. I must trouble you to fix some hour that I can spend with you to talk this matter over, and put things in a train that we may put om' intentions in execution. Since I saw you, I have written to Dr. Smith,* explaining our intention, and hoping to have his concurrence in the scheme. He has gfven me a very obliging answer, and desired me to use his name as I thought proper. I hope we shall thus steer clear of all jealousies and animosities with other societies." " HOETICULTUEAI. SOCIETY. " In almost all the counties of Great Britain are now es- tablislied societies for the improvement of agriculttn-e, which have been attended with more or less success, by the intro- duction of new breeds of cattle, or new implements of hus- bandry, &c. Some of these societies have considered orchards as a branch of agriculture which deserved peculiar attention, and have given premiums accordingly : — For ex- ample, the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, &c., in the Adelphi, and the Bath Agricultural Society. This last society has given a premium for raising new sorts of apples from tlie pippin. These apjiear to be the only instances where any branch of gardening has been encoiu-aged by the agricultural societies, and they only so far- as they ai-e consi- dered in an agricultural point of ^iew. It is now proposed to form a society for the sole inirpose of encouraging horti- culture in its tlifferent branches, to form a repository for all the knowledge which cau be collected on this subject, and to give a stimulus to the exertions of individuals for its farther improvement. It is well known to all persons who have made inquiries on this subject, that there are various facts relative to gardening confined to small districts, which would be of general service if communicated. These facts will be collected by the society, and the knowledge of them generally dispersed over the country. The following rules and regulations have been drawn up as the basis of the society, by which it will be clearly seen that there is no intention of interfering with any other society whatsoever, but, on the contrary, a wish to concur in the general im- provement of the country." Mr. Wedgewood was timid as to the reception the proposed association would meet with from other socie- ties, but this nervousness was misplaced. The Lin- nsean did not object to the formation of a society having for its object the culture, and not the scientific arrange- ment, of seme of its own subjects ; and the Society of Arts had never made gardening one of its pet proteges. All, therefore, was to proceed over a smooth road and beneath a cloudless sky. It was not, however, until the appropriate spring time of 1804, that a sufficient num- ber of supporters had been obtained, and the plan was sufficiently matured for even a preliminary meeting. On the 7 til of March, 180-1, this meeting was held at * Sir J, E. Smith, President of the Llnnrean Society. 378 TPIE COTTAGE GARDENER. February ]■; the house of Mr. Hatchai-d, in PiccadOIy. This meeting was attended by the Right Hon. Charles Greville, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph iJauks, Richard Anthony Salis- bury, Esq., AV. T. Alton, Esq., Mr. Forsyth, and Mr. J. Dickson. Mr. Wedgewood presided, and the necessary resolutions were adopted. It was also agreed that each of these original members should have the privilege of recommending three persons as additional members. Who these were, was to be determined at another meet- inn- on the 14tii of the same month ; and who were Mr. Wedgewood's nominees appears from this letter to Mr. Forsyth, dated on the 9th. " I shall be much obliged to you to name for me at the meeting on ■Wednesday next, Dr. Smith and James A'ere, Esq. I expect a letter will be left for me at Jlr. llatchard's, from Mr. Hawkins, to say whether he choosas to become a member of our society or not. Be so good as to open the letter, and if he chooses to become a member, add his name to the list. -If be does not choose, and you have a fourth name, you may add it to my list." Then came the always diffloult question of nominating the officers, with all its usual attendants of jealousies, and conflicting struggles. The Secretaryship was espe- cially a subject for these petty influences; and one corner of the veil that was dropped over the mysteries is raised by the following letter. It is dated April lird, 1804 :— " Since we last met I have been employed in the business of the Society, and have been talking about the election of a Secretary, and am sorry to say tliat I find so strong a prejudice against Dr. Anderson that I should advise bis friends not to propose him. As a member of the Society, be is thought a very proper one, but not as an officer. You wUl excuse my giving you this liint, but I tliink it more friendly to you tlian to let you name the Doctor as a camli- (late, and tlien liave these objections brought forward, and the Doctor be rejected. You will now be best able to judge how far you thiuk it advisable to nominate Dr. Anderson as a candidate. " There will, on the lltb, be laid before the Society the outline of the rules for the Society, who (the members) amount to sixty-one in number. I was at Angerstein's on I'riday last. There are no early grapes coming forward, for Stewart has been employed all winter rather as bailiff to the estate than as gardener. He is a determined enemy to grafung Vines. I wish to see a fair experiment made on that subject, and would myself enter into it if I had leisure to attend personally to it. He says you will liave plenty of wood but no fruit. I say you would have improved fruit in plenty, as well as plenty of wood, but experiment must determine the fact." Finally the Association was incorporated on the 17th of April, 1«00, as The HoiiTicuLXUR.vL Society of London. The Charter states the Society to be for the improve- ment of horticidturo in all its branches, ornamental as weU as useful, though the president, Mr. Knight, declares their I attention to be cbiedy confined to the latter. This exclusion of all writings that relate to landscape gardening from their 1 Transactions has been blamed by some persons, I think inconsiderately, for nothing new can be stated upon its general principles, and particular details can be of com- paratively little service, for the genius of every place, and the taste of every proprietor differs. The original corporation of the Society consisted of George, Earl of Dartmouth; Edward, Earl I'owis; Brown- low, Bishop of Winchester; John, Lord Sclsey; Cliarles trrcville, Es(i. ; Sir Joseph ]janl;s, Bart.; \V. T. Alton; John Ehiot; T. A. Knight; C. Miller; 11. A. Salisbury; J. Trevelyan, Esqrs., and J. Dickson; T. Hoy; and W. Smith, Gardeners. The Society has power to purchase lands, &c., and is liable to be sued, and able to sue; to have a common seal; an indefinite number of Eellows, the power of naming which was to be in any five of tlie above-named original members before the first of May, Lso'j, but afterwards to be in tbe power of any seven or nuire Eellows. The Society is to have a council of fifteen Fellows, a President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Tbe first President to be the Earl of Dart- mouth ; Charles Greville, first Treasurer ; R. A. Salisbury, first Secretary. New ones to be elected annually. The president is every year to appoint four A'ice-Presidents from among tbe members ; three of the council to go out an- nually, and three other Fellows elected to tbeir places. Vacancies in the council, etc., are to be fiUed up within two months. When bye-laws are made or altered, which must be at a general meeting, a majority at least of two-tliirds of the Fellows present is required, and those present must amoimt to seven. COVENT GARDEN. There is a great deal of sameness pervading the market at this season of the year. Instead of the continual succession of variety which is always presented during the summer and autumn months, we see now, week after week, as it were the same old faces. We cannot expect there will bo any great alteration in this respect for some time to come, and it is very evident that even the dealers themselves feel the difficulty of keeping up the interest which is requisite, for positions that are usually occupied with some choice home production, we find now set apart to Chestnuts, Oranges, and other such foreign introductions. The greatest display is produced by the Cut Flowers and Oranges, they make, in fact, a perfect glare, but we see nothing of late Apples and Pears, unless it be a few Gulden Knobs ; but there are a dozen or more other sorts we could mention which could be there just as easily. In Pe.vrs there are a few shrivelled Ne plus Meuris and Buerre de Ranee, with here and there a parcel of Easter Buerre : but that is all. There has been a plentiful supply of all sorts of Vegf.t.ujles during the week, and w-ith little or no varia- tion in tbe prices. Savoijs are still making from (id. to Is. per dozen. Brocoli, good-beaded, is. to 2s. Gd. per dozen ; but tbe small in bundles are from -Js. Od. to 3s. per dozen bundles. Greens, 1 s. to 'is. per dozen bunches. Brussels Sprouts, Is. to 2s. per half-sieve. Carrots, 2s. (id. to -'Is. (id. per dozen bunches. Turnips, Is. to Is. (id. per dozen bunches. Onions, 2s. Gd. to 3s. per bushel. Leelcs, 2d. per bunch Stdnach, Is. to 2s. per sieve. Lettuce, Gd. to Is. Od. per score. Forced As2M- rayus, 5s. to 7s. Gd. per bundle. Sea-Kale, Is. Gd. to 2s. Gd. per basket. Ehuharh, Od. to Is. Od. per bundle. Good Potatoes still maintain high prices, particularly Rer/ents, which realise from i.'G to .f7 10s. per ton. Plants in pots and Cut Flowers are very plentiful and fine ; the former consist oi Heaths, CnmelUas, Hyacinths, Polyanthus, Narcissus, and Tulips. Cut Flowers con sist chiefly of Camellias, Chinese Primroses, Geraniums, Cinerarias, Violets, Snowdroj^s, iC-e. H. Febrbaby 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 379 GOSSIP. The long-disputed question, whetlior a Shangliae hen ever lays three eggs in a day, seems quite determined by tlie following letters from a lady with whom wo have corresponded : — " So much has of late been said touching tho merits and demerits of the Cochin-China fowls, as compared with others, that it is only right that anything remarlv- able respecting them should be stated. I have a pullet which was hatched in April, and on the Sth of December laid her first egg. Since then she has five times laid three eggs in one day, and this occurring twice in one week. On Monday last she laid three eggs ; on the three following days one egg daily; and on Friday, again, three well-formed, good-sized eggs; and this morning (January i22nd) one. "The pullet is a well-shaped bird, buft' colour, and bred at New. Brighton, from a pair sent as a present from America." AVishing for fuller particulars, and for a detail of cir- cumstances, we ventui-ed to send a list of queries, which elicited the following satisfactory reply ; — ■ " In answer to your inquiries resjiecting my Shanghae pullet, the strongest proof I can give you, and I think an unquestionable one, of the eggs being laid by he)- is, that she was the only fowl laying amongst my small stock, which then was only four, and is now si.-i. The iirst day she began laying she gave three eggs ; I am sorry I have not taken note of the number of eggs she has given since beginning, but I was from home until the 3rd of this month, and unable, from ill-health, to pay particular attention to them, but the servant who has attended to her, says she is sure, during the first five weeks, she laid upwards of fifty eggs. " I have only had four pullets laying, and can tell for a certainty the egg each lays. This one lays eggs very deep coloured, and nearly round in form. The eggs have never all three been found in the nest at once, such frequent visits are paid during the day that the egg is brought in as soon as laid ; but having now only three pullets laying (my fourth has been sitting the last fortnight), and getting five eggs in one day, and two of those so different to the other three, there can be no mistake, I am sure, about them. The bird is, of course, a great favourite, and an object of much interest, and is, I should say, in good health, lively, and takes her food ; but whenever she is going to give the three eggs becomes very heavy, and unable to move about much : when this is the case we frequently lift her into the nest. She has not been laying the last week, but has commenced again this morning (January 28th). " I am quite willing that notice should be taken of this in The Cott.\ge G.\rdenek, but should prefer (if the purpose will answer as well without it) that my name should not appear in print." We are very glad to observe that the Caledonian Hor- ticultural Society have offered a silver medal to be awarded to the journeyman or apprentice gardener, who shall produce the most approved original plan for laying out a flower-garden and shruhbery (together not exceed- ing an acre), with a list of the plants best suited for the design, and a brief detail of the management best cal- culated to produce ornamental effect throughout the year. We equally rejoice that tlie same Society offers another silver medal to the journeyman or apprentice gardener who shall produce an original plan for the best arrangement of a Icitchen-garden (not exceeding an acre, and which may include the space allotted to jMelons and Cucumbers) ; and a third silver medal to the similar party who shall produce the best plan of similar extent (one acre), being a combination of the flower and kitchen-garden. In both there are to be full details of the plants to be employed, their management, &c. The plans, &o., must be sent to the Secretary, Professor Balfour, before the 31st of next July. Any one desirous of competing, had better apply to the Secretary for full particulars of the conditions and requirements. We repeat, that we rejoice to see such prizes offered by one of our national Horticultural Societies, and we hope that other similar societies will follow the example. By so doing they will more fully carry out the objects spe- cified in their charters thau by all their annual ex- hibitions. We should be sorry to see these Exhibitions diminish, but we certainly do wish to see some more of the funds directed to the object emphatically named in their charters — " the useful." If they ofl'ered such prizes as those now offered by the Caledonian Horticultural Society, they would soon have original materials for publications worthy of being published in their at present mis-named journals or transactions. The right course is being pursued by Mr. M'Glashen, of Edinburgh, to effectually bring to notice his Patent Tree-lifting Machine. Next month, in the gardens of the Horticultural Society and elsewhere, he is to exhibit practically its efficiency. The Gardener's Journal states that the Brazilian Pampas Grass (Oynerium argenteimi) is in such demand, that although half-a-guinea is the price of a small plant, and one guinea that of a large one, the supply is not equal to the amount of orders received. So gross has been the mismanagement of The Royal Forests, that in the year 1851-52, the total returns from them amounted to no more than £61,437. To obtain this, the mismanagement cost ±'38,926, so that little more than £22,500 was received as profit to the revenue. The only crop which the Forests excel in pro- ducing, is a crop of poachers. We once heard a Magis- trate say, that from the purlieus of the New Forest it would be no difficult matter to collect 0000 well-armed good shots from among the labouring classes. The following is extracted from the first number of a very excellent and cheap periodical, entitled I'he Scottish Florist and Horticultural Journal. The essay, which we give nearly enth'e, is by Mr. James Cuthill, of Camber- well, and is entitled " 3[-\EKEI GAnDENS ROUND LONDON. " The readers of this periodical must understand that the London market gardeners are a most exclusive set of people, 380 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. February 17. and detei-mmed to a man that all their secrets shall remain with them, and in tlieir hands alone. If a question is put to them, their jnoutlis are at once sealed. They will not give information ; but they will endeavour, if possible, to deceive you, and even when anything new is discovered, this prin- ciple of secresy is carried out with their next neighbour. All admit that London furnishes the finest flowers, fruits, and \egetables in the world, and the reason is, London con- tains the world's wealth, being the great resort of the aris- tocracy, and the very centre of commerce. This being the case, market gardeners have always got the highest prices for their goods. This stimulates them to greater exertions to get heavier crops, and those of the finest quality. Ma- nure, the very "gold dust" of high cultivation, with them is cheap and plentiful ; without this the London market gardeners would not be one bit better than those of any other neighbourhood ; in addition to this, London being such a large city, the suburbs even, on account of the laige number of horses, cows, pigs, etc., which are kept in theui, jdeld great quantities of rich manures. Therefore market gardenei'S so situated get their manure at the cheapest rate, and they sell their produce at the very dearest. The large competition which exists among growers makes them very quick, and most excellent men of business. They have good selected seed, proper times of sowing and plantuig, with an enormous quantity of seed-beds always ready. ■ I have seen myself nine acres of seed-beds of cabbages upon one man's ground, and every one of them planted out by November. " I liave lived in what are called the Fulliam Fields, which are now mai'ket grounds ; this district lies west of London on the north bank of the Thames, with a very gentle slope to the river, running westward some eight mUes, and bounded on the nortli side by the Brentford or great western road, containing many thousand acres. This is the spot where the finest things are grown in general ; but there is a tract of ground, less or more on the Surrey or south side of the Thames, reaching from Camberwell all the way to Pdch- mond, a distance of some ten miles, which is little, if any, inferior. The Surrey market gardeners also produce first- rate things, and were they as close upon London, with no tolls to pay in taking their produce to market, they would match the Fnlhara growers. Then, again, there is a distilct between London Bridge and Greenwicli called the 'Jamaica Level,' this is also on the south side of the Thames, nearly all of which is in Kent. Tliis low-lying piece of ground is very rich of itself, having been washed by the Thames, which has left a rich deposit of soil many feet deep, — so deep that the very best Liquorice has been grown there. This pai't produces very fine strawberries, rhubarb, horse- radish, and the finest sea-kale of all. Tliese, then, are the principal districts near and around London. Then further into Kent, " the garden of fruits of England," great quan- tities and great varieties are grown there for the London markets ; for instance, very early peas and asparagus round Gravesend, &c., with enormous crops of fruits of all sorts, spread here and there all over the county. Then we cross the Thames into Essex; there again they produce peas, beans, cabbages, onions, &c., even as far down as Colchester, whence famous early asparagus, etc., is sent to town. In leaving Essex, passing along the northern skirts of the city, touching part of Hertford, the land in general is not so congenial, being mostly clay ; here very little, except at Enfield, is produced for the London markets. Then west- ward of Brentford, in the districts of Isleworth, Hounslow, Teddington, &c., the very finest productions are raised, such as (Beach's) strawbemes, by wliich he surprised the world in the Crystal Palace, many of them weighing three ounces, I have seen his grounds there when in full bearing, and such heaps of British Queens upon one plant, and such big plants I had never seen before. Then Bedfordshire supplies cucumbers by the waggon-load. Turnip-tops come as i'ar off as from Buckingham and Berkshire; besides the enor- mous quantities of hampers of all sorts of vegetables sent by families, &c. Limdon swallows up everything, with its three millions, and its tens of thousands going in and coming out; still no town in the world is better sujiplied with fruits, vegetables, and flowers. " Some years back, I took IMr. Smith, of Deanston, over part of the Fulham gardens ; ho was perfectly astonished. He looked for big hedges, big tUtches, and weeds, but none were to be seen. The grand secret alter all is in a nutshell. Continual dmigiug, trenching, or bastard-trenching (that is, tlic dung and part of the top mould put iu, and one spit afterwards), hoeing whether there are weeds or not, with tlie best of seed, ami attention paid to tlie proper times of sowiog aud planting. There is no di-awing up of the mould to keep the cabbages, as some suppose, from being blown down. Drawing up the mould is never practised by the best gardeners. I " It was at one time considered by market gardeners to be ] beneath their notice to grow flowers : but now they all do so, 1 — such as Stocks, Pinks, Picotees, Cloves, Piannncnluses, j Anemonies, Heartsease, Daisies, Ariculas, Geraniums, Mig- nonette, Polyantliuses, \'iolets, Pioses, and every saleable blossom of every sort. I have seen myself nine carts and waggon loads of vegetables from one man's ground, all sold in Covent Garden by nine o'clock in the moniing. Tlie fii-st loads are put down in tlie market, and they go back for more in the com-se of tlie night, — this is at the height of the season. Some idea may be formed of the quantity, when I state that a London waggon contains LOIt dozen of Spring cabbages. 'J'he market iu Covent Garden, some ten years ago, commenced at two o'cloclc in tlie moniing, but now between three and four ; this dill'erence i^ caused from the enormously increased supply ; the buyers know now that they cannot be disappointed, as they often were ten years ago. No longer can such prices be realised as •J.'Js. per lb. for grapes, nor £-i for a pine of two lb., nor las, for a melon, nor 10s. for a cucumber, nor -Is. for a pound of potatoes; these days are gone by; — raih'oads have done wonders. Tlie old market gardeners are astounded at present prices ; but they do not suffer so much, since they get everything cheap for their use. " Growers of seeds suffer most, as the Continental cul- tivators sell their rubbish so cheap ; tliis, in the coiu-se of time, will entirely destroy our fine breed of vegetables which we have taken many years to improve, .lust think of foreign onion seed at !)d. per lb., that for which we used to get Os. and is. Foreign growers grow all sorts of cucumbers together, and all sorts of cabbages and onions, so that our vegetables will soon be as luLxed as an Irish stew. Just look at the tons of horse-radish tliat come over every winter from the Continent ; you may just as well try to scrape a broom-stick. Their asparagus is all white, and as hard as their horse-radish. The worst of it is that tlie English people don't know what it is ; it ought to be sold, as the chicory is now, with a ticket on it, the stub' would very soon find its level— let any one try to eat a Dutch melon, or a Frencli cucumber — compare them with our growth. All this cannot now be helped ; but the seed ought to be jnit a stop to directly — deal with no house a second time where tlie seed turns out all sorts of mixed rubbisli, you may be sure that it did not grow in Kent, Essex, or Surrey. 'The other day I asked a large grower in the Fulliam fields if he still saved cucumber seed ? He said, no ; the seed merchant would no longer give a fair price, as they could get foreign so cheap. He used to grow twelve acres. Again, some years ago, he used to save two tons of cauliflower seed — this he was obliged to give up. Now, one tiling is certain, market gardeners grow seed for their own consumption; but wluit will become of the growers elsewhere, who are obliged to depend upon the London merchants ? I know every one ol' them, and tliey have no desire to buy the foreign ; but they say that the country people apply to those who advertise far below tlie real mailiet prices. Growers ought never to buy of tliese people, it is ' cheap and nasty,' and sure to end iu disappointment. " We must not overlook tho herb grounds round London, which are very interesting. The distrii't whore lierbs are i cultivated, is Mitcham, in Surrey, about nine miles smilh- | west of London, where hundreds of acres of nil sorts are grown. As the sti'anger approaches tliat locality in Iho | summer time, with tlu^ wind in the south-west, tho com- i liination of odours can easily be discovered in tho air, which is ' redolent with sweetness ; ' tliere are hundreds of acres of liquorice, of lavender, aud poppiu'iuiiit, for dis- tillation, Ac. Tlie cnllivation of mint is very easy and simple ; it is ploughed-iu every winter. This does not destroy the mint-roots, on the contrary, it improves them, as February 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 381 it kills all weeds, and the mint grows up in rows abundantly strong the next year. Liquorice is planted in deep, well manured ground, eighteen inches in the row, and nine inches plant from plant. When the stems and leaves are in full growth, they look like a plantation of sapling ash trees, growing to the height of four and live feet ; these are cut down every year, and the horizontal root or rhizomes, travel along the surface: these having joints and eyes, are the projiagating root. Every one must he forked up every winter. Tliey are sold for sweetening beer, &c. ; hut they are not near so sweet as the real root, which descends many feet into the ground : the crop is talten up once in four or five years, according to the state of the land. The price for the best roots is about i£(i(l per ton; an acre will produce four and five tons. Tlie price of the ground at iVIitcham is three to four pounds per acre. Lavender is a most impor- tant crop ; tliis occupies some two oi' three hundred acres ; for this the ground is trench-plouglied. The land being all very light, this is easily done. It is planted in November and March. The old plants are split down by the hand, the more they are split the finer the plants, for on this depends the number of roots. Generally about three to six are dibbled in every hole — they are planted about five inches deep, leaving only three inches of tlie tops above ground. They are planted two feet each way ; and during the second year, an acre will fetch i'20 for distilling purposes. The heads are used for fine oil, the flower-stems for rougher oils. The proper time to cut, is when the lower blooms are just be- ginning to turn brown ; and, after cutting, the sooner it is distilled the better, for if left too long, it loses much of its fragrance; but Mitcham grows all other sorts of herbs; and even the London birds are not forgotten — groundsel, chickweed, and all other things. I saw, in fact, men, women, and children, who had nothing else to talk about but herbs I herbs ! herbs ! " SHANKING OF GRAPES. After the numorous disquisitions concerning tliis serious evil during the last twenty years, it is strange that complaints are still abundant. Scarcely has a week passed during the period referred to but one portion or other of the gardening press lias contained remarks con- cerning it. From this it might be inferred very fairly that the subject is a most diiiicult one, and that in some soils or situations the evil must prove invinoible. 1 am, however, (juito of a difl'erent opinion, and would rather suggest that tlie subject has been overlaid ; that an aflair simple in itself has been too much mystified. It is in gardening difficulties, as with those in many other professions; the mind, in endeavouring to collect facts throwing light on the subject, gathers many that are of little import, and the whole matter becomes confused, whilst, pei'haps, the greatest point of all is made to assume a mere secondary position. As to the consequences of what is termed shanking, I may just inform those who have not yet made so unlucky an acquaintance, that it consists of a great portion of the bunch shrivelling up, generally about the period of colour- ing and acquiring flavour. They of course become fla- vourless and worthless, and assume a peculiarly crabbed taste. It is almost needless to add, that the disappoint- ment is great to a lady or gentleman who, possessing but one house, loses one of the most important items of the dessert table. To market gardeners it must be almost a ruinous aflair, but I imagine they are less liable to it than the rest of the community. Hich rentals, and an enormous outlay in labour, &c., produces a kind of caution, and a business-like way of doing things, which in general stands the test. These men cannot afford to indulge in whims; they do not theorise much, but generally seize hold of one or two of the chief facts connected with culture, and at once jjrooeed on them ; thus tlieir views of things are generally simple and bold, and devoid of extraneous considerations, it must hero be observed, that oin' first-rate men of prac- tice have at tifnes taken dilFcrent views concerning shanking ; such views, however, may in the main be comprised in two points, viz., bad atmospheric manage- ment, and imperfect root action ; beyond these, I am not aware that any point worthy of consideration has been urged. To prepare the mind of the reader for a fall and free examination of this serious matter, let us for a moment take a glance at out-door vines and pot vines, as com- pared with those of the hothouse or vinery. Having lived several years in a northern county, where the culture of out-door vines is seldom attempted, it might be imagined that the writer of these remarks could scarcely take a fair survey of the matter. In my younger days, however, having spent many years in the vicinity of the metropolis, I became perfectly aware of the position of out-door vines ; for, be it understood, their culture on the open wall is much in the same position it was forty years since ; nothing is really new, as far as I am aware, beyond tlie late Mr. Clement Hoare's ingenious mode of culture — more ingenious than sound. As to pot vines, it is notorious that shanking has not been attributed to them, as in the case of vines planted in what are termed borders, yines against the open wall, too, out-doors — many are the complaints about their non-ripening, but few indeed about shanking ; as to imperfect ripening, through defi- ciencies of climate, we beg our younger readers to beware of mixing this case up with shanking — it is altogether different. Having thus opened the matter as to its most salient points, I will endeavoiu' to show forth some material circumstances, wliich at all times afl'ect the well-being of vines, and in the present case are, in my opinion, the mainspring of the evil in question. In doing this I will take hold of the two chief points under consideration — viz., the influence of badly con- stituted soils on the root action, and the influence of corrupt or hadly graduated atmospheres on the leaf action. Who has not seen vines in a damp house produce roots from their stems, and why ? Because they want to change tlieir character, and assume the habits of orcliids? No; let us rather infer that there is some discrepancy between the functions of the roots and the branches — in other words, nature is baffled. I will almost engage to defy any practical gardener to aiBrm that he can compel vines to evolve stem-roots in-doors, if the vines have a sound, ijood, and ivell- manaijed border, and an internal atmosphere the reverse of stagnant. Now, I think it will be found that vines which are so very apt to produce stem-roots in the house are bad ripeners, and are very apt to shank ; if so, I have made out a case in favour of the opinion, that capricious, or rather imperfect root action, is at least one of the pre-disposing causes. And how could it be otherwise? Admitting that the vines were rooted in a border too deep, or too stagnant in its own character, or the soil too adhesive, and that about the period of the commencement of the last swelling an unusually wet period set in, what would any practical man imagine as the consequences? — ^What state would he expect to find the finer fibres of the vine roots in, supposing that they could be exposed to the eye in all their ramifications? Nine out of ten men of experience would, I am persuaded, at once answer thus : " I should expect to find precisely the same oflects as happens to any tender plant in a pot, which, after being injudiciously planted in too tenacious a soil, and badly drained, had been much over-watered, most of the tender points and spongioles of the roots discoloured, decayed, or decaying, and consequently, as some of our writers now say, ' the supplies cut oH" until a new set of fibres can be produced." This, in the case of the vine, is a matter which, under a return of the most favourable 382 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. EEDRUAr.Y 17. circumstances, must be a tlirec weeks' aflair, but tbis is, indeed, making tbe best of it. Well then, tbis granted for the sake ot argument, into what position would a croji of grapes be thrown at the period of their changing colour? It would, doubtless, be thus: the supplies or alimentary matter requisite for carrying on tbe ripening process must be drawn from whatever secreted stores existed in the vessels of tbe vines, as long as sucli resources could be obtained, and tbe moment the supplies ran short something must give way, and what, but a portion of the fruit? We know that in such cases the foliage does not decay, it simply becomes lean, and active growth in part ceases — the vital action is reduced. Thus, shankhig cases assume varying appearances, consequent on the extent of the injui-y ; some Grapes will simply lose the mere point of tbe iaunch, in others a whole shoulder will go, and sometimes even the whole bunch. The e.xtreme points, however, generally shank first, and no wonder ; for, the berries having the power of taking up the accretive matter as it reaches them, those situated near the shoulder, after helping them- selves, doubtless suffer little to pass on to tbe e.x- treraities ; and besides, the sap vessels appear of greater calibre near the stalk than at the extremities. I know not whether this course of reasoning may prove satisfactory, but it has long been my opinion, that the matter of sliankiug, although so puzzling to many, is traceable to a very simple affair. And, in- deed, what more is it, than an attemjit by nature at self-preservation : a part of the crop cut oil', in pre- ference to a permanent injury to the constitution of the tree ; a phenomenon of annual recurrence in our fruit gardens with Apples, Plums, Cherries, cS:c. It must not, however, be understood that I wish to insist on an imperfect root-action being the sole cause. Other causes may, doubtless, tend to produce it, or may act in concert with a bad border in bringing on this sad disaster. As two of the chief, 1 would beg to direct attention to imperfect ventilation and hurried ripening, as being, in a number of cases, productive of serious evils to the grape crop. I well remember, about thirty years since, having grapes under my charge that were sadly given to this shanking, and as a youngster, I was puzzled with the case. I sought advice from a very sage-looking old gentleman who wore a blue apron, and who, in pursu- ance of the fashion of those days, marclied about almost in military style, with a huge knife-handle sticking out just below bis hip. " Clap on plenty of beat," said he, " that's tbe only plan." Well, I got my fives to work in earnest, and in order to benefit hy tbe old gentleman's advice in tbe fullest manner, 1 was very chary of giving air. This made quick work of it ; I soon had the mortification of seeing the shanking much increased, and that already commenced making a speedy finish. My advice now is, if your vines have not energy to carry out tbe ripening process well, give them moie time to do it in. As for imperfect ventilation, our friends may depend upon it, the vine does not enjoy a stagnant atmosphere any more than a stagnant soil, especially during the ripening period. Our out-door grapes might teach us a lesson ; they generally colour well enough without any coaxing or coddling, provided the autunni is line enough and early frosts do not super- vene ; and yet in Septemher and October they 7mist very frequently bo subject to a temperature of from 3?)° to 40°, with chilling blasts into the bargain. 1. now venture to express a hope that some of our readers, who have had much exi^erieacc in grape cvdture, both in-doors and out, will be induced to offer any opuiions, based on facts, that may either tend to refute or confirm what I have here advanced. 1 can only add. that I shall be happy to be corrected by any gentleman in possession of such useful _/((i7i; and a good temper. R. Ekrinctox. I VINERY— GREENHOUSES. A iiiw men possess tbe rare faculty of speaking and writing upon a subject with such a combination of sim- plicity and high-toned intellectualisni, that the philoso- pher is delighted if not instructed, while a mere child is at no loss thoroughly to comprehend the statements and arguments. When a man gives his attention to a totally new ]iursuit, be may be said to be a child in his knowledge respecting it. When enquiries respecting the primary simplicities of gardening have forced them- selves upon our attention, I often have wished that I could get hold of a small portion of the valuable faculty above referred to ; feeling but too conscious that many statements that would meet the case of a certain class of enquirers, would be looked upon as dull and insipid by another class, as well, if not better, qualified to give in- formation than the writer. We are natiu'ally so selfish, that in judging of an article, or a volume, we are too a))! to decide by our own standard of advancement, and thus give or withhold our meed of approbation in pro- portion as we find a favourite doubtful practice con- firmed, new ideas propounded, or sources of extended improvement opened \\\i. Now, these are all proper courses to pursue when we wish to Iceep a record of our oun progress, either by taking notes on paper, or, better still, fixing them upon the tablets of memory and judg- ment ; but they by no means furnish data by which to judge of the beneficial inliuence of the works referred to. To do this, unless in sjiecial exceptions, when works are written to meet the case of a certain advanced class of students, wc must not look down upon the simplicities, but recollect that if some of us are vain enough to suppose that we are reaching manhood in intelligence, there are many of our best friends just what we were once, merely babes and striplings. I confess I never read some statements of my honoured coadjutors, which, with more or less success, I have endeavoured to practise for years, without thinking bow beneficial they will bo to a large class of readers, and how uselul they would have been to me years ago, when enquiries upon such matters were pooh-poohed, laughed and sneered down. If facts within our own circle of acquaintance and private correspondence furnish any test of judging, then I may fairly conclude that our little serial, though it has not missed tlie approbation of the greatest gar- deners, has more particularly gained the full confidence of those who have become convinced of tbe high degree of pleasure which even a small garden can yield : and I earnestly trust that attention to idl the wants of such will ever form an element in its pages, becoming thus an incentive to enlightened progress, and a protection from errors and tlicir consequent disappointments. Last week I promised to allude a little more to the combination of plant house and vinery, and, in tbe first place, to the using of such a bouse cbiefiy as a preservatorij of plants intended for sunnncv display. Since I last wrote, an article has appeared from Rlr. Errington on the management of the Vine. Keeping in view that such rules, only varying the time, will be as applicable to a late house as a moderately early one, our inexperienced readers will find that it contains the jnth of the matter. Whcthiu' »ucli a vinery have fire applied to it now, or tlie Vines be allowed to break of themselves, it will, during winter, bo a better preser- vatory for summer plants than the best cold ]iit; but iiro nuist be used to keep out frost, in unison with sliglil coverings, while in tlio pit fires may be altogether dispensed with, involving thus more care, but less Febbuaby 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 383 cost. The great advantages of keeping such plants in a house, rather than in a pit, are comparative freedom from damp, and the ability to clean, pick, and attend to the phiuts in all weathers. 8uch plants would rarely require an artificial temperature above 40°, while I have already stated that no undue impulse would be given to the Vines, if the average night temperature did not exceed 4ij°. We do not mean liere to enter into the question of exposing vines to the open air, or, if under glass, allowing them to get a good nip of frost. We are sure that our friends with only one house will find none of these things at all essential to success, though ideas on these matters have prevented many from making that use of their glass which they might have done. When a selection is to he made, such soft-wooded plants as Senecio, Anagallis, Petunias, and Pelargoniums, should have a place in the house, while Calceolarias and scarlet Geraniums may remain in the pit. Verbenas, if potted or in boxes, will be better in such a house, though I have never preserved them better than by pricking out young plants in autumn, in a prepared bed, in a cold pit, taking care that the plants were not more than nine inches from the glass, and scattering among them some dry earth and charred rubbish during the winter. Planting out in light sandy soil saved the plants from many vicissitudes tbey would have been exposed to in pots. Even in the vinery house they will keep better in small wooden boxes than in pots. When a great number are required, everything may be kept in cutting pots or boxes, and be thinned about the middle of March, the hardiest re- ceiving shelter out-of doors, or in a pit. As example is often a better monitor than precept, I i mention the following: — Not so long ago, I was invited to see a vinery thus filled with stubby, healthy, bedding i plants. In a pit near it were Endive and Cauliflower, | as salads, grapes, and flowers were deemed essentials. Some years previously, advice was asked under circum- stances very different. The vinery was empty, with the exception of a little Endive on its floor. The first part of the winter had been mild, which had encouraged weak growth among a mass of bedding plants, potted, and placed in a cold pit. Many of the things had been obtained in the autumn, and were expensive. The pit was extra damp from being sunk beneatli the ground level. After the middle of January, the weather had been changeable, cold, and frosty, requiring frequent, deep, and long continued covering. When 1 saw them, a fungus damp had crawled over almost every pot, and wherever it touched a stem of a plant it became quite rotten. The theory had been dunned into our friend's ears, that though he only wished grapes in the end of September, he must grow nothing but Vines in his vinery. He made resolutions ibr the future, but what was to be done for the present? Singular enough, the weather being dull, the tops of the plants were yet sound, though gone below. In a day or two more, all might have gone to the rubbish heap. In a twinkling, every plant was cut over above the damped part, and laid down in a warm damp place just sprinkled with water. Then two or three lights were cleared ; a hot- I bed, consisting of a couple of feet of warm dung, made in the pit, covered with si.x inches of rotten leaf-mould, and fom- inches of sandy soil, covered again with a half-inch of silver sand. In this the erstwhile plants were inserted, after having been made into cuttings, and when growing, were topped and struck again; and from what our friend called this lucki/ hit he had a fine supply of plants during the season. Since then he strikes his plants out-of-doors, and in his pits in autumn ; keeps them there until his grapes are out ; then cleans his house, and brings his young plants in, and allows them to remain until the buds of his Vines are breaking, when they are thinned by removing the hardiest first. When the pits are cleared of the plants, they are filled with vegetables, and when these are gone part of the space is wanted for plants from the vinery, and- part for cucum- bers, &c., and when these again are over, or a supply is obtainable from the hand-light ridge, a space will be wanted under glass for cuttings. The house, too, is made somewhat ornamental during summer, so that it would be a rare thing indeed to find, at any one period, a yard of glass for a couple of days unoccupied, i have lately shown how to keep plants in cold pits iilone ; it will now be perceived that there is less difficulty when they can have standing room in a vinery unforced foi' three or more months in winter; but in the latter case the expense of a fire to keep out frost, and to keep the air in motion in dull weather, will be necessary. The above fact of striking cuttings from the tops of plants after they had gone at the collar, is of importance in the case of valuable plants, decaying or sickly, as, if not too far gone, the kind may thus be perpetuated, when other- wise destruction is inevitable. 2nd. Having Vines wp the rafters, hut mahing them a secondary consideration. — In such a case, the Vines would only give the shade, which creepers or twiners would do. In such circumstances, eveiy plant we have treated on for the Greenhouse would be suitable, pro- vided the Vines are not allowed to shade too much. In such a case you will obtain fine-flavoured, well-coloured fruit, but in general the berries will not be so fine as if you could have managed with less air, when the Vines were in bloom and swelling freely. In a single house I would always prefer Vines, even ni such circumstanpes, to creepers, as some of the finest of these could be trained round a trellis or a bush, while, independently of the pleasure of eating the grapes, there would be a great advantage to the pot plants in having no shade above them in winter after the Vines were pruned. In such a house, avoiding too much shade in summer being kept in view, different tribes of plants would require the identical treatment we have hitherto de- scribed, so far as growing, resting, training, potting, watering, and placing either in the open air or in a cold pit, are concerned. The very shade of the Vines will, therefore, be of importance to plants beginning to grow and making their buds. But this will better appear under a third division, where Plants and Vines are to receive an equal amount of attention, and where there are the means of a hotbed, if not also of a cold-pit. R. Fish. THE PELARGONIUM. (^Continued from page 363.) Peop.\oatton by Seed. — Perhaps in all the events of a florist's life there is none so interesting as that of being the successful raiser of an improved flower. It is no wonder that there are so many new ones annually raised; for, independent of the profit, there is an ex- quisite enjoyment from the time of the seed being sown to the period of blooming the seedlings. Like all other pursuits of life where there is an uncertainty in the issue, the fruition is waited for with an anxious, pleasing anticipation. In Pelargonium raising there is a greater uncertainty than in most other florists' flowers, for the foliage is no guide whatever in judging whether the bloom will be improved or not, and there are thousands of seed- lings raised annually that, instead of improvement, are found to be worse than the parents. In this j^oint I think the raisers are as much to blame as nature ; they are not sufficiently careful in selecting the varieties to seed from. High-bred varieties are very difficult to seed at all, hence it is saved from such (probably infe- rior varieties) as produce it freely. This seed, as might ■iSi THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. Februaky 17. be oxpeotej, does not produce bettor llowcrs. The remedy is easy enough. If a flrst-rate rdargouium does not produce seed, there is a cause why. It tlic flower is ciuet'ully examined, it will be found the anthers are barren, and consequently the stigma is unfertilised. In such a case pollen must be had froui souie other flower with jiropcrties as good as the barren variety. Apply this pollen to the stigma, and seed full of vitality will be the fruit of the application. It is not good to save seed only from one variety unhyliridised ; save it from several of different colours, and the chauccs of success are in proportion multiplied. Care must be ta'ien that the pollen is procured from well-formed flowers, and applied to the stigma of such as are well-formed also (this form 1 shall describe shortly). By such precautions, good seed, that will produce more or less improved varieties, will be obtained. As soon as this carefully hybridised seed is ripe it should be gathered, or it will be blown away. Put it in a paper bag, and hang it up in a dry room till spring. About the middle of February bring under cover some loam, peat, and leaf mould to di'y, and, as soon as they are so, mi.K them in equal proportions, adding some sand to give it a sandy character, and to allow tlie water to pass through the compost in every part. Place a seed-pan or two also to dry, and see that they are clean, and also have ready a quantity of broken potsherds for drainage. Place a good layer of this drainage over the bottom of the seed-pan, and upon it a layer of the rougher parts of the oom]iost. Pill up the remaining space with the compost itself, and level it gently with a flat piece of wood, or the bottom of a common garden pot: give it then a good watering, thoroughly moisten- ing the whole contents of the seed-pan. Let it stand by quietly till the surface is partially dry, and then sow the seed carefully in rows across the seed-pan, giving each seed about half-an-inch square. Jly reasons for thus sowing the seed are to prevent them from damping off by being too much crowded if sown irregularly, and to give each seedling a better position, and more space to expand its roots and seed leaves ; for it must be remem- bered, that if only two or three seedlings fog off, these may be the very ones that would be superior to the old ones ; therelbre, sow thin, and, to make sure, sow in rows singly. When all are sown, cover them a quarter- of-an-inch with some of the compost that has been sifted, give a very slight watering, just to damp the covering, and place the pans in a house or frame heated to 55° or 60°. The seed will quickly vegetate, and as soon us the seed leaves are fuUy formed, and the real leaves are advanced a little, pot them off singly into what are called thumb-pots, and replace theui in the gentle heat as near the glass as possible. Let them have a due portion of air every mild day, and as soon as the roots reach the sides of the pots, shift them into others two sizes larger. By this tune the days will be longer and warmer, and the seedlings may then be placed in a cold frame, or pit, and have the glass light drawn oft' every line day to cause the plants to grow stout and dwarf. After they have been so placed for a month, give them their tinal shift, till they bloom, into •i-iuch pots. Several may flower that season, and evei'y one that is well formed, with bright colours, should be carehiUy preserved, whilst inferior ones may either be thrown away, or planted in the borders till frost destroys them. Should the raiser bo rewarded with a really first-rate flower, let him name it, and send it to some exhibition, aud there it will obtain the ap|aobation of the judges, and thus have a character and a value set upon it. Any that may not flower the first year, will certainly do so the second. These should bo kept in their !)-inch pots, which will cause them to flower early the following year ; but as soon as they show flower-buds. they should have a gentle shift to bring out the blooms in full perfection and show. Should any of these seedlings prove excellent and superior to any old varieties, or obtain prizes, the raiser should immediately propagate them by cuttings, for fear the original ]flauts should perish, a cireuuistance not at all unlikely to happen if they are at all neglected. The space allowed me is nearly filled, and 1 shall close this paper on raising seedlings by observing, thai the zealous and enterprising florist must not despair if he fails in his first attempt at raising seedlings, but per- severe and try again and again, till success crowns hir, ellbrts and rewards him for all his pains. T. Appleby. t^To be continued,) PRESERVATIVE WALLS. {Continued from page 344.) LIST or PLANTS SUITABLE TO PLANT AGAINST THEM. BiGNONiA CAPREOLATA. — An Ornamental eliuiber, with reddish flowers ; produced ft'om side-shoots of the last year's wood. BiGNONiA cRuciGERA. — Another handsome climber, from South America, with yellowish flowers; requires more protection than the first-named species. BuDDLEA GLOBosA. — Tliough tliis plant is hardy enough to bear our ordinary winters, yet, it is so very ornamental, and jiroduces its fine bunches of yellow globular flowers so freely, that I think it worthy of a place against a wall, especially if it is not heated or covered with glass. BuDDLKA LiNiii.EYANA. — This spccics is more tender, but will live aud flower much finer against a Preserva- tive Wall than in a pot. The flowers are ornamental, and of a violet colour. BuGAiNviLLyEA spECTABiLis. — This plant has been thought difficult to flower. It has been hitherto grown in this country in warm greenhouses, and that is the reason why we have not flowered it. I'lanted against one of these walls, and allowed to run almost wildly, I am confident it would produce its sjileudid rose-coloured flowers. BuRCHELLiA cAPENsis (Cape BurchclUa). — Though this plant is usually considered so tender as to re([uire the stove to grow it well, I am of opinion, that it would thrive well against a Preservative Wall, covered with glass, and heated : especially in the southern countries. I have grown it very well in a warm green- house, and flowered it there during the summer months, long after those grown in the stove had coased to bloom. In fact, I believe it to be much more hardy than is generally supposed. Bnxus BALEARicA (Miuorca Box). — In the northern parts of Britain tiiis fine evergreen box requires a slight protection. A cold wall will suit it admirably. Calotiiamnus.- — This genus is a native of Australia, and, liko most of the plants from that country, only re(juires protection from i'rost. As they are all beautiful shrubs, with bunches of scarlet flowers, they are worthy ]jlants for the Preservatory Wall. The best are G. gra- cilis, 0. h'nightii, and O. quadrifoliii. Camellia .iaponica.' — A large family of handsome shrubs and splendid flowers, now luiiversally known. There is no class of shrubs so suitable for a structure such as I have described luidor the name of a " I'reser- vatory" and they are well worth a considerable ilogrcc of attention to grow them well. The Imriler should be formed of peat and loam in equal ])arts, and jiut in without sifting; tho drainage should be elfectual, for the roots of Camellias aro very inqiatient ol' stagnant water, or wet, sour soil. Therefore, let the drainage be Fjsbruauy 17. THE COTTAGE GAllDENER. 385 liberal, tliat is, plenty of it. The kinds best adapted I'oi' this pur])oso are the Old Double White, the Varie- gata, or Old Double Striped, the EeticulaUt, or Veiu- ieaved, and the WaraLah. The last one blooms better in sueli a situation than in pots. There is no need, however, to be confined to these lour varieties ; any other would thrive equally well. 0.\MELr..iA SASANQ0A (Tea-leavod C). — Supposed to be a distinct species, the leaves are smaller than G. juponioa, and also the blossoms. The latter are very beautil'ul, of a light rose-colour, and are produced very numerously. CaNTOA BIOOLOR, 0. DEPENDENS (oR BUXIFOLIa), AND 0. PYKiTOKME. — Tlicse three species, of a new genus, are very beautiful, half-hardy shrubs, which do not flower freely in pots. Against a Preservatory Wall 1 have no doubt they would flower freely, and their flowers are so very beautiful that they are well worthy of a trial. Citrus (Orange-Tree). — Like the Camellia, this genus is exceedingly well adapted for a Preservative Wall. In Devonshire, it flowers and fruits against a common wall, without any heat, having only, in winter, the shelter of a mat hung down in front of it; but, as every county has not the mild climate of Devon, they require, more nortlierly, a more certain and efl'eotual protection. A glass-covered wall, even without beat, will grow them very fairly, especially if the canvass covering, suggested by one of my correspondents, be used to cover the glass in severe weather. But the blossoms are so sweet, and so much used, as my friend Mr. Beaton observes, " for bridal bouquets," and the fruit is so handsome, that the complete Preservatory, with glass and heated walls, is just the situation to grow both flowers and fruits to perfection ; witness the fine specimens in the Preser- vatory at Chatsworth. The soil of the border should be richer than that I have recommended for the Camellia, and the loam should enter more largely into the compost. It should consist of two-thirds good strong loam, one-third peat, and about one-eighth of well-decom))osed cowdung ; this will suit them, and grow them satisfactorily. The species I would recommend, are the common orange (Gitrus auraiUiumJ, the Shaddoclc (G. decmnana), the Lemon ( G. UmonumJ, the Citron ( G. Medica), and the Myrtle-leaved (C. vulgaris myrtifoliaj. Clematis. — I had passed over the plants of this genus, thinking they would be too rambling for this purpose ; but as the very handsome flowering species, C. aztirea grandiflora and G.Jiorida Sieboldii, do notgrow so ram- pant, and are not quite hardy north of Birmingham, a plant of each might be placed against this wall with the happiest effect. Clethka arborea (Tree-Clethra). — An old plant, with fine foliage, and nimierously produced bell-shaped white flowers, deservedly worthy of a place to ornament this wall. Olianthus puniceus (Crimson Cliauthus). — A free- flowering, handsome, free-growing shrub, well adapted for the purpose, but requiring good protection. T. Appleby. (To be conliiiued.) A CHAPTER FOR COTTAGERS. Since the repeated failures of the Potato crop has induced cottagers to turn then- attention to other things, a few words on the culture of such crops as present the best substitute for that useful root may be of some service to that very niunerous class of cultivators, whom we may, with perfect propriety, term " Cottage Gar- deners," and shall commence our remarks with a notice of one of the most useful roots we know, as a substitute, hoping that some kind friend will add the equally im- portant instruction — the best and most economical way of jiroparing the article for food. Parsnip. — This hardy and much-neglected vegetable is not grown to one-half the extent that it deserves. It being a free-grower, not very choice about the kind of soil, and costing little in the shape of seed, it certainly has not found its way into such general use as might have been expected. One tiling is, that, like the Potato, if not well grown, it fails to give satisfaction ; and, though it will grow under almost any circumstances, yet it is only where well grown that it is really good. A rich alluvial soil, rather damp than otherwise, seems to suit it best. The cottager, therefore, whose garden presents such a soil, had better procure some of the seed and sow it as soon as he can manage to get his ground into anything like order, which, if it has lain stiff and untouched all winter, will work; but, if dug-up and sown at the same time, rows about fifteen inches apart, and the plants thinned out to about ton in the row, will, in most cases, be enough. It is almost need- less to observe, that for this, and all other roots of a similar Idnd, the ground oaglit to bo stirred pretty deep. One good property this root has over many others is, tliat it may remain in the ground where grown all winter, not only without detriment, but with advantage ; only, when the spring sets in, the roots must be taken up and housed, otherwise they needlessly exhaust both themselves and the ground that produced them. Although as we have said the Parsnip likes a rich, deep soil, yet abundance of dung near the surface is hurtful, ratlier than otherwise ; the tap-root, instead of being long, straight, and tapering, is often rendered forked and crooked. Every soil, however, does not produce good Parsnips, the best being grown in the south and west of England. In the north, except in some favoured localities, this root never attains that perfection which the Potato does under similar circum- stances ; and, as we have before observed, unless it be well grown, it is not good. Beans. — Although not capable of furnishing the table at the season when the Potato is most prized, yet, while it lasts, it is a favourite with many. It has also the advantage of being very hardy, will grow on almost any soil, and is tolerably prolific in regard to the number of dishes that may be gathered ofl' a limited space of ground. In this latter property it certainly exceeds the Pea, besides which, it requires very little attention in the shape of culture. Stifl' ground suits it best, and sowings of it may be made from the first of January to the end of June ; of course the progress made the first two months will not be in proportion with tlie advance afterwards. The early Long-pod or Hangdown is better than the Wonderful for the first sowings, and the after crops may be the White Windsor, which is a better bearer than the Oreen. Rows two- feet-and-a-half apart, and the Beans about four inches apart in the row wUl not be too wide. Earth-stirring, &c., may be practised so long as it can be done without injury to the plants, by working amongst them ; and, when the blooms are fully expanded at bottom, go over the rows and nip oft' the extreme tops ; this prevents their running away in a long, useless stalk, and they become more fruitful in consequence, and the bottom pods come sooner into use by receiving that support which woidd have increased the stem upwards. This class of plants may be benefited by dung, althougli they are not such gross feeders as the Cabbage, and its kin- dred tribes, and on some ground that is already rich, additional manure would produce grossness instead of fruitfulness. Beans are less subject to disease than most other crops ; but the black fly, or what in country phrase is called the Dolphin fly, often preys on their upper ex- 386 THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. February 17. tremitios; aud last yeai-, a sort of blight, or a something in the sliape of atmospheric influence, destroyed whole fields of tliem, by rendering abortive the organs of fructification. This evil, however, is not of frequent occurrence, so that the cottager, who plants this crop on any ground not too light nor under trees, may count witli more certainty of getting a crop than in most otlicrs tliat he commits to the ground, and that, too, with very little trouble. (Jabbage. — This numerous family, next in importance to none for the long and faithful service it performs, is perhaps, ne.xt to the potato, the best and most useful vegetable grown for the poor man. Three or four sow- ings, aud planting out at the proper time, will furnish a something for table every day in the year, either in the shape of full-grown well-liearted Cabbage, or, what is scarcely less useful, nice sjn-outs more or less turning into heart, or it may be perfectly green, in which case they are Cabbage Oreens. Unlike the Bean, this vegetable can scarce have too rich a soil, it being a gross feeder, delights in tlie juices of the dunghill, and a soil of a medium character in regard to lightness or stirtness. The cottager who has only a few poles of ground, \yiU find it more advantageous to buy a few plants of some reputed good grower than to grow them ; but if he prefers the latter, seed sown about the rfdth of July is early enough for the first batch, and the l^th of August for the main crop ; another sowing may be made in .March and one in May, and if the above be all planted out into rows about two feet apart, and the same distance plant from plant in the row, a supply will be kept up for the whole year. As the first autumn-sowing will, after being cut, produce three or four more heads, all likely to become good useful vegetables, provided the variety be good, for there are spurious sorts which have a tendency to run to seed the same season, and this propensity is much increased by sowing early in au- tumn, it is rather a critical point to hit on the e.xaot day at which they may be sown. The time specified above is early enough for most places, except, perhaps, some bleak situations in the north, where tbey may be sown earlier. It would be useless mentioning the varieties, because each district has its own peculiar " best one ; " but for very early use the Fulhiim is a good Cabbage for a general after crop, the London Market is also good, being larger than the former. There are several others of ei^ual merit; other matters connected with them are both simple and easy. One thing we may observe, that they do not like to grow year after year on the same plot, nor on one lately tenanted by one of the same family, a change being beneficial to all. If the cottager has not yet planted bis intended plot, he had better do so now without delay, selecting his plants from those that have been pricked out in autumn to some nursery bed, as they are shorter, and not so crooked in the stem, aud sooner become good useful vegetables. Peas. — Although this cannot properly be called a substitute for the Potato, being a summer vegetable only, yet, as the failure of the former has directed attention to every thing likely to furnish our tables when tbo former is not there, a few may be grown ; and if the space be limited, which it often is in well-kept gardens, rows six or eight feet apart will admit three or tour rows of Urocoli, or similar crops, being planted be- tween, which, though they would not make much pro- gress while the Peas were there, would grow last alter their removal, and a good crop would be the result. The kinds of Peas proper to grow ought be be good bearing oues, not too tall, nor too short. A good early white one, as the Emperor, followed by the SciviUar, which is, after all, one of our best blue ones. Sticking carefully must be attended to in time ; aud the ground stirred and other attentions paid them will usually ensure success. The first sowing may be in the middle or end of November ; the second, about the now year ; aud succes- sional ones, as retpured, up to 'Inly, after which we do not advise the cottager to try them ; for though they may succeed well after that, they are a very uncertain ci'op then, and, in point of economy, fall short of many other things. Nevertheless, a few early Peas are always acceptable, that we recommend a few to be sown for use then ; after which the ground may be more profitably employed. Where sticks cannot be had to support them, a dwarf Idud must be grown, as Bisliojjs Daar]\ Woodford Marrow, Bedman's, and some others of more ' recent date; but they are less prolific than the tailor kinds, and, consequently, are not so valuable when sticks can be had. ! There are other useful substitutes for the Potato, to which we shall return at another time ; but, as our space is fully occupied, it is only necessary to call on the cot- tager to look carefully over his ground, and see what can be done to bring it into good working trim at the : shortest possible time. Directions given in former articles will materially assist him in that respect. He must also look over his stores, and see the condition his ; remaining Potatoes may be in. His Onions will also want looking to, and any very small, useless oues may ! be collected together, and at once planted in some favourable place ; they will produce bulbs fit for use somej time before the spring-sown ones come into use. A few good bulbs may also be put into the ground to produce seed, and, of course, while looking over these and other stores, all decayed or faulty ones must be removed. J. Kobson. GARDEN LABELS. ExrEEiMENTS are the stepping-stones to progress, and progress is the pioneer of discovery. I hit upon a plan lately for labelling my border-liowers, wliicli seems likely to prove a good one. The label is of wood, but, instead of lieing irrillcii upon, a number only is used, and this number is burnt htio Ihc tciiod. The following simple plan ett'ects the object : Get two flat pieces of iron, one of them half-au- iuoli, and the other three (luarters-of-an-incli wide ; let both be about seven inches long, an eighth-of-an-iuch thick, aud tajjered to points at one end; lea^e the narrow piece of iron flat, but curve the broad end of the other iuto the form of a C ; insert the pointed ends of each iuto a cork, to serve for bandies ; aud witli these tools, which a blacksmith will make for twopence, you may mark any number of labels you please, using, however, letters instead of ciplicrs — thus, !10 would be XC. It is a nice amusement of a winter's evening to sit by the fireside, with a table before you covered with labels, aud by means of these irons (I use two), inserted in the Are, stamp the labels, one after the other as the irons become hot. Practice makes jjerfect, and a few trials will insure accuracy and disj)atch. The advantages of the plan are, simplicity, cheapness, and durability, besides which you have the operation in your owu hands, aud can mark any odd label, or number of labels, as you want thein. A lady, who is one of my family, says that the plan is a capital one ; the truth is, that she excels me in marking the labels, both in speed and execution. Tlio following sketch may illustrate the subject better: X O — S. p., Iiii,\luin'rr, Eebuiiary n THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. 387 EASY MODE OF HEATING. As ynu ivera l;ind enougli to say that you would insert my description of my greenliouse if I would send you the par- ticuhir dimensions, I have forwarded you a sl;ctch of the wliole apparatus, which I tliink you will understand better than I can tell you by words. You will see by the sketch that the apparatus for heating the water is formed of three pipes, going riglit up the back of the tire-place, but it gives much too strong a heat for my small greenhouse, and I tliink it would lieat one three times as large. In the closet, which you will see goes under the stairs, 1 have put two good large boxes, filled with leaf-mould, into which I put,- on the 20th of December last, some roots of rhubarb, dug out of the garden, and is known among us as the common red rhubarb; and yesterday (the Ititli of .Tanuaryj I got from them seven sticks of rluibarb, the length of each stick being twenty-two inclies, full an inch in diameter, and of a beau- tiful colour. Since I wrote to you before, I have fixed a box on one of the pipes, about twenty inches long and nine inches wide, filled with wet sand, into which I put three pots of cuttings, two of calceolarias and one of verbenas. They \\a,\e been in about ten days, and they have grown 1 think full an inch-and-a-half in length, and look very healthy indeed. I covered the box with glass. R ffl A K B m B LL mm a u a bed e a The fire-place, with tho three pipes instead of boiler. 6 Cistern kept with water in it, for the supply of the pipes, with which it communicates. c Closet under the staircase. d Staircase. e Greenhouse. The greenhouse is twelve feet by eiglit feet, and three feet higli on the walls, with a stage the whole length of the place. The pipes are shaded dark, and pass through a closet from the kitchen fire-place to the greenhouse. The return pipe comes along the front of the grate, and passes through between the bars at the bottom, to the back of the fire-place, and then, in an incUued plane, forms the back of the grate. The flow pipe comes over the top of the grate, at the back of tlie oven, and lies on what we call the hob at the end of the grate. — E. Beadbuey, King's Bromley. THE MAEKING OE FANCY COLOURING OF FOWLS. As there appears to be a great want of uniformity in the appellations of the various marlcings of fancy fowls, I think it may be useful to describe all the different fancy colours that I am acquainted with, and as these markings show best on the feathers of the hens of the respective varieties, it is to them I shall confine myself. But I must beg my readers to bear in mind, that difl'erent individuals vary slightly, and that feathers from different parts of the body of the same bird also vary. I shall commence with the Spangle. This marking is becoming scarce. I am only aware of two varieties of fowls thus adorned ; the true old Spangled - Poland, and the Spaiigled-lia.-a[.B.\\\\ some approach to it may sometimes be seen among the common barn-door fowls. The ground colour is various — as black, brown, or golden, sometimes marked with black, but always tipped with a clear shining wliile spot, giving the wearer a beautiful appearance. This, then, is the true Spangle, and to these white spots sparkling out so bright and clear from the darker ground, in my opinion, is Dr. Johnson's definition of a Spangle quite applicable. 1'heasanted. — Of this variety of marking, there are two sub-varieties, those with golden or silver-ground colour ; but each having a black spot at the extremity of each feather. Being black where the true spangle is white, this marking receives its name from its great resemblance to the feathers of the neck of a cock Pheasant; not as some persons fancy from any cross with Pheasant blood. The Pheasant-marking is found in the Gold or Silver Pheasant Dutch Every-day-layers, the Pheasant Bantams, and the Plamburghs (/ mean those with the tuft, or the Poles with combs), for since the name of Hamburghs is applied to the Dutch Every-day-layers, these fowls have no name left. for they are certainly not Spunrjled Poles, as some call theaii, whicli their colouring, being either pheasanted or laced, is quite sufficient to show, independently of their having a comb ; nor do I tliink that the black spots can properly be called spangles. Laced.— Of this marking, like the last, there are two varieties, the Golden and the Silver-laced ; the feathers are clear of either colour, edged with a narrow black border, which gives their wearer a scaly or imbricated appearance, and received its name from some fancied resemblance which it bears to the meshes of net or lace ; of this marking are the Gold and Silver-laced Bantams, some of the Dutch Every-daij-layers, and occasionally the nameless fowls, or Tufted Hamburghs. This marking used to be called " Pheasanted," and is still frequently confused with it, for it is true many of the feathers of a cock Piieasant also show this imbricated marking, and some fowls blend the two. PENCii.r,ED. — In this variety the markings vary rather more in some individuals, and is principally confined to the Dutch Every-day-layers. There are also two sub-varieties, or the Golden or Silver-pencilled. The most general arrangement of the markings is that of regular bai's of black on the ground-colour. SUght variations sometimes occur ; thus under the black is often a shade of brown, and often the extreme bar of black will be bent round into an arch, or intersected in the middle, the markings always being regular and decided. Moss. — This marking is found among the Bolton Greys or Bays, which are only another variety of the Dutch Every-day-layers. The feathers, either golden or silver, are lined or grizi^led with black, or some dark colour, and from a slight resemblance of this graining to the sprays or branches of moss it has received the name. When very indistinct, it is called ijrey or (jrizzled. Cuckoo. — This niarldng is very frequent among common fowls. It consists of the feathers being shaded in alternate bands or bars of light and dark slate, one band being nearly black, and fading gradually into one almost white, and is thus continued to the end of the feather. The breast of the Cuckoo is thus marked; whence the name. Geouse. — Is of a rich reddish brown, lined or grizzled with a dark brown or black, and so called from its resem- blance to the colour of the red grouse. Pai'.teidctE is of a duller brown, not so much grizzled as tlie Grouse, and the shaft of the feather being of a straw colour through part of its length, it is from its resemblance to the feather on the back of a Partridge that it received its name. 3S8 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. February 17. GiNGKR mill Nankeen are the old names for what are now called hujl's. It may not be out of place here to rcmarlc, that if feathers arc pulled out it very often happens that those that come in their places will have white tips ; and i. have not unfrc- cjuently kuowji a wing feather of a black or dark fowl to come white, if the one tliat previously occupied the place was lost by any unnatm-al means, more parlicidarly if it was not full-grown at the time of its removal ; and 1 have also noticed tliat, when a fowl has moulted unnaturally fast, the feathers are very much tijjped with white, wliero pre- viously not a white spot was to be seen. — B. 1'. Beent, Bessch Green, near Seven Oaks, [Mr. Brent has enclosed a variety of feathers for our inspection, as illustrating the marking of the different varieties. In the papier explanatory of his views on tliis subject, he commences with the SiMinileil birds, of which there ai'e two specunens sent, black and golden. It would seem that he is as yet unwilling to abandon the old, and as so many tliink, confused system of nomenclature, and that under the name of Spangled Polands, he alludes to the Spangled Hamburglis. We had hoped, indeed, that Mr. Dixon's admirable work had set this question at rest for ever, for inevitable confusion follows its resuscitation. Nor can we assent to the Spangle being " n elenr sliiniiii/ w/iile sput" on a dark ground. So far from this being the case, Mr. Dixon insists for a clear white or yellow-ground colour in both varieties of Hamburghs, under which name lie thus arranges the whole race of fowls that so iiorplexed the fancier of former days : — HAMBURGHS. PENCiLLiiD Fowls, WITH LIGHT HACKLE, J. Either pure I i. J Clear unmixed A\1iite hackle, i ® | Ochrcy Yellow, Chittaprat. Bolton Greys. Pencilled Dutch. Silver Ham- burgh. Creole, or Coral, Either White | hackle, striped I in the centre with Black, Spangled Fowls, .with darker hackle, that is, Yellow hacUlc, striped in the centre with Black, Brown, or Green. • n Bolton Bays. Silver Spangled, j Gold Spangled. Golden Ham- ,, Pheasant. I ,, Pheasant, burgh. ,, Mooneys. ,, Mooneys. ,, Moss. r Red Caps. > Copper Moss. N. B. — The [ .4(/«/^Cockahave I in some fami- | lies pure white hackle. The terms " Silver a]id Gold Pheasant " are admitted into this list, simply to point out what they are not : the sooner they are discarded the better. Speaking of these Humbnriihs, for it is evidently this bird to which Mr. Brent refers under another name, Mr. Bailey tells us, '* tJiere fire two sorts, the ijoldcn find the silver ; thei/ differ in one respect only ; the Jounflatioii cidour of one is white, of the otiier yellow ; their bodies spotted, or pencilled over with black." The same ground colours, and the same black markings, are, moreover, always required in both folands and fian- tarns, the only other Spangled fmvls of a distant breed, properly so called. The black and golden Spangled feathers, enclosed by BIr. Brent, do not, therefore, answer the description that judges would assign to the word Spanf/lc. Those marked i/oUlen-pheasanted are a much niearer ap- proach to the Spangle, which would, however, be required of a more oval form, and from the bright bay ground-colour of his f/olilen-lficed, they were taken, if wo mistake not, from Polanils, whose feathers, especially those on the breast, are often found more pointed at the extremity than is the case in other varieties. But let us keep the Spmi'jle, the Pencillinfj, and the -Laciiifi, clear' and distinct, and we aro having engraved a good specimen of each, to enable our readers to steer clear of nuich confusion. This is the more necessary, since day liy day the hyln-id inhabitants of our farm-yards are ex- hibiting more or less strongly the varied avid oftentimes strangely blended plumage of their different ancestors. Penfillinfj we must, of course, regard as limited to the Hambiu-ghs, for we have never seen it tolerably developed in a harn-door fowl ; and we do not despair of inducing Mr. Brent to assent to the classification now generally adopted, when we read his opinion thai the Bolton Greys are only another variety of the Dutch Kveiy-day Layers, whieh is one step in the right direction. His golden -pieucilled feathers are good, but the silver should bo more tUstinct ; the lacing should be carried far more round the margin of the feathers, keeping an even width, than we lind in any of those now before us ; but those from Smftfilor's Gold and Silver-laced Polands are perfect, especially the latter. As to I'heiisiintefl Ibwls, we think the less said the better; they are simply Golden-spangled liamburghs. The Cuckoo feather is very good. This marking, Mr. Brent justly observes, is usually found in the mongrel lireeds, but when it is well-developed ui the Dorking race, it is justly prized. Sir. Brent's specimen is remiirkably good, the alternate hands being so delicately sliaded one into another. The specimens marked Grouse, reminds us how cautiously we should speak of tliose markings which are not strictly defined as the properly and characteristic of some one dis- tinct family. Many Game fowls are seen thus attired; and many more besides, of a parentage beyond the reach of inquiry. It will be sufficient, we think, for those who ai'e interested in tliis research, if we eventually attain accuracy in the recognised varieties, mthout regarding illegitimate offshoots, whose shoots and transformations, as to colour, must defy the regularity of any systematic arrangement. For Pfirtridr/c, what better than some of om- dark tihang- haes of Mr. Punchard's stock ? The changes of colour that occur after moulting ai-e attended with much uncertainty, especially with black poultry. Instances are on record, and quoted, if wo re- member rightly, by Mowbray, of hens of the black Spanish breed becoming perfectly white. Fowls that have had a prolonged moulting, no less than an unnatm'ally fast one, are sub.ject to the appearance of white leathers where jire- viously none e.xisted. — W.] THE COTTAGE GARDENER'S PONY. [Continued from pnyc o7ll.) I HAVE often bad to advise my friends on the propriety of keeping some sort of jiony, one-horse chaise, phaeton, or other means of enjoying the country air. I have found that nearly as many people try the experiment and fail (after being at great expense and trouble), as succeed in deriving any rational source of enjoyment from their stable. Others, again, carry their fondness for horseilesh to as great an excess as the young gentleman in Aristophanes — "By Neptune — the god of horses," passionately exclaimed the misgiuded youth. " Say not so," says the father bitterly, interrupting him; "no god inspired you with the love of horses ! " A sentiment which most prudent fathers would agree in. The injunction " not to multiply to yourselves horses," has been, I think, justly considereil liy commentators to cai'ry with it something of the nature of a moral precept, as well as of a positive command; and much curious informa- tion has been brought to bear upon that point. Well, there is no doubt that the last I'luropean war convinced all good soldiers that, in the long run, it is the infantry which carry all before them ; and tliat cavalry is an arm of stronglh but little to be depended on — a fact of which tliey might have fully informed themselves beforehand from a book which, J am afraid, soldiers do not read as often as tlicy should. It is my proposal to conlino my remarks, as nearly as possible, to the most useful and least showy slyle of nag, which, without being an "uncommonly clean cob," a "well- seasoned linnter," or a high-stepper, or " remarkably fast in harness," will yet supply most of the reasonable recpurr- ments of country life — and those requirements arc manifold. Except that we cannot get rid of a bad liorse, by givin.^' him " a month's wages, or a month's warning," and that the ex- pense of frequently changing one's nag involves one of the most serious drawbacks against keeping one, willi this ex- ception, hoi'ses ai'e not very unlike (loniestic servants — and the horse of which 1 have to write may be considered as a FEBRnAEY 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENEE.. 389 sort of raaid-of-all-woi'k. It is best not to expect too much of them ; and a little patience in bearing with faults we know, rather than flying to others that we know not of, is not iinfreqiiently rewarded by the discovery of many latent virtues. The grand mistake lies in too often looking for impossibilities, and vainly expecting to iind an ordinary and rather humble servant endowed mth qualities not always met with in the most favoured of his kind. The Baron Cnvier has told us that horses are used up in England ten times as fast as in any other state of Knrope. It is the speed that kills them, generally speaking ; the speed first of all, and next the enonnous loads which we put behind them — enormous, I mean, considered in relation to the too usual rate of travelling ; though probably, in regard to the class of horses of which I would be under- stood to treat, not such heavy loads after all, if the speed were slackened. Here then, at once, is opened a wide field for wandering in — • I mean the matter of cai'riages and draught ; and yet I can give but little advice about the choice of a horse, or his subsequent management, unless we have come to a clear understanding about what he lias to do, a*l what weight to draw. In general, country carriages are too heavy and too fine. They are mostly ordered in town, where they are intended a good deal for display, and are more of a luxury, and less a matter of a necessity, than in the country, and are kept by people of ample income almost exclusively ; again, the dis- tances in town are shorter, and the road more level and better kept. The distance between the hind wheels and the fore shoiUd be no more than just to enable you conve- niently to ascend between them ; yet for London work, where ladies are continually stepiiing in and out of the car- riage, this distance between the wheels is in general much too great. The wheels themselves, also, are generally too small. Tho power of the wheel, considered as a lever, is directly as the semi-diameter, and inversely as the semi- diameter of the axle in the box. In all cases of the lever, however, viewed as a mechanical contrivance, the necessity of economising power has its limits. Mere mechanical power is sometimes constructed in order to attain rapidity and safety of action, neatness, and convenience ; and hence, not seldom, as in animal mecha- nics, so in mechanical contrivances to economize animal jiower, a form of lever is adaiJted which, at first view, seems to imply a considerable waste of strength. The London builder, then, was probably not far wrong when he designed that very light-looking, but uncommonly heavy-following, vehicle, which you have encumbered yourself with to begin with. It would answer the purpose of London calling, shop- ping, or park work, pretty welly I dare say ; but ten miles of country work on end, upon indifferent roads, with a stifi' hill or two to every mile of the way, and with a horse who had not yet learned to know his work, and a driver still less ac- quainted with the profound secret of adopting his speed to the road ; a day's won-ying with such a bai'gain as I have supposed you to have picked up, and a new horse, is just the thing to set all awi-y at the very first. It takes from six to twelvemonths to train an ordinary horse before he knows how to draw a pheatou without fatiguing himself, supposing even that he is not greatly overmatched with the work to begin with. Now, my mare, "the maid-of-all-work" is to bring us all the manui'e into the hay-field ; she shall fetch hme ; coals for the house ; frequently turn over (after the first plough- ing, which requires two horses) some part of an acre of " field-garden " attached to the ground, wherein early pota- toes, mangold-wm-tzel, carrots, cabbages, &o., ai'e produced in. help of the winter provision ; she shall fetch the market- stuff, new gravel for the walks, and what not. She must not take too much grooming ; that will never do. I propose that she be turned out every night for the whole of the summer ; and merely eat a couple of small feeds of corn during the day, in which case she will not require a great deal more looking after than a cow. And, if you are in pretty good health, gentle reader, and inclined to busy yourself and Caleb Balderstone, yoiu' man, in the garden, and the weather is favourable for long walks, why you must really give " the maid " a few weeks run out altogether, night and day, during the early part of summer. 'Tis the best method of pro- longing the usefulness of the horse that I know. In the stable it is, I think, indispensable that my horse, which has not got a groom on purpose to give the exact proportion of daily exercise, should have a large box, wherein to turn about, and shift from one posture to another. Take it alto- gether, I almost think that as much work may be got out of "all work" without interfering with the pretty frequent occurrence of pleasure excui'sions ; almost as much work as will pay for the grooming; that is, supposing the lady or gentleman of the family usually drives. It is a serious matter, if the man-servant has anything else to do, that he should be perpetually taken off his work; put into livery, and set to drive about a gypseying, or taken to a country market town, perhaps to loiter about while liis master and mistress is engaged. It is the ruin of a good hard-working servant ; and a man who is expected to execute some remu- nerating labour for his wages. By-the-by, I would never recommend you to load home your own hay from the field with your own horse. He is only occasionally put into the cart, and the hurry of the hay- field, the dangerous operation of loading, to say nothing of the casualties from a slippery barn-floor in unloading, all make it desirable that only practised horses sliould be em- ployed in this process ; and as any talk about maliing hay at Christmas is somewhat unseasonable, I think it is still l)etter to turn my by-the-by into a good-bye, at least, for the present. — A'ibgvoh. {To he con/hutetj.) POULTRY SHOWS Reigate. — This Show was on the 1st and 2nd instant but being confined to birds belonging to residents within a circle of fifteen miles roimd the Town Hall, was propor- tionately deficient in interest and utility. The object of such exhibitions ought to be comparison with the produce of distant localities. This affords stimulus to fresh exertion, and a good test of merit. To be the best at Reigate is very far below being the iirst where all England competes. The following is a list of the prize-winners.' Classes in which no prize was awarded are omitted. Class 1.— Spanish,— For the best Cock and two Hens of any age. First Prize— No. 3, C. AUoway, Dorking. Second — No. 1, J. Ivery, Dorking. Third — No. 2, J. Thompson, Wolvers Farm, Reigate. Class 2. — Spanish. — For the best Cock and two Pullets^ chickens 0/1852. First Prize— No. 4, C. AUoway, Dorking. Second— No. 5, C. AUoway, Dorking. Third— No. 1, J. Nicholson, Reigate. Class 3. — Dorking (Single-combed). — For the best Cock or two Hetts of any age. First Prize— No. 9, Earl Cottenham. Second— No. 8, .1. Wicks, Cot- tager, Leigh. Ttiird — No. 2, J. Ivery, Dorking. Class 4, — Doeking (Single-combed). — For the best Cock and two Puttets, chickens of 1852. First Prize— No. 2, S. Roots, Kingston. Second— No. 3, R. Clutton, Reigate. Third— No. 5, J. Lee, Horley. Class 5. — Dorking (Double or Rose-combed). — For the best Cock and two Hens of any age. Second Prize — No. 1, Rev. J. Herbert, Leigh. Class 6. — Dorking (Double or Rose-combed).— i^'or the best Cock and two PulletSy chickens of 1852. First Prize— No. 5, J. Kitchens, Horley. Second— No. 2, R. Wol- laston, Reigate, Class 7. — Dorking (White). — For the best Cock and two Hens of any age, First Prize— No. I, Emmeline Parrat, Effingham. Seco7ld — No. 2, J. Giles, Betchworth. Third— No. 4, J. Compton, Reigate. Class 8.— Dorking (White).— For the best Cock and ttco Pittfets, chickens of 1852. Third Prize— No. 1, D. B. Hunt, Edenbridge. Class 9.— Cochin-China (Cinnamon and Buff).- Foe the best Cock and two Hens of any age. First Prize — No. 12, E. George, Coulsdon. Seco7id — No. 2, T, H. Potts, Croydon. T/iird—No. 8, E. George, Coulsdon. Class 10.— Cochin-China (Cinnamon and Buff).— For the best Cock and two Puttets, cliickens of 1852. First Prize— No. 15, W. W. H.iyne, Sutton. Second— No. 10, E, George, Coulsdon. Third— No. 8, C. Kawson, Walton. 390 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 17. Class 11.— Cociiix-Ciiina (Brown and Partridge Feathered).— for the best Cock ami tim Hem of ami age. First Pi-jte- No. 1, T. H. Potts, Croydon. Scconi—'Ho. 2, T. H. Potts, Croydon, third— ^o. 6, T. Bridges, Croydon. Class 12.— CociuK-CnisA (Brown and Partridge Feathered).— for the best Cock and two Pullets, chickens o/ 1852. First Prize— No. 4, T. Bridges, Croydon. Second— No. 3, .T. Ormis- ton, Shabden. Class 14.— Cochin-Chijia (White).— for the best Cock and two Pullets, chickens u/ 1952. First Prtee— No. 2, E. N. Harper, Riegate. Class 15.— Game Fowl.— for the best Cock and two Hens of any age. First Prize— '^0. 2, S. Akehurst, Copthorn. Second— 'No. 3, S. Ake- hurst, Copthorn. Third— No. 4, T. Bcrney, Croydon. Class 16.— Game Fowl.— for the best Cock mid two Pullets of any age. First Prize— No. 2, R. Clutton, Reigate. Second— No. 3, \Y. Purvis, Croydon. Third— No. 1, S. Akehurst, Copthorn. Class 17.— Golden-pencilled Hamburgh.— for the best Cock and two Plens of any age. Second Prize.— No. 1, M. A. Harper, Reigate. Class 19.— Golden-spangled Hambuegh.— for the best Cock and two Hens of any age. First Prize— No. 1, C. Rawson, Walton. Class 21.— Silvee-pencilled Hambuecii.— for the best Cock and two Hens of any age. First Prize— No. 2, M. A. Harper, Reigate. Second— No. 5, Rev. J. i Herbert, Leigh. Third— No. 3, J. Lee, Horley. j Class 22.— Silver-pencilled Hamburgh. — For the best Cock and two Pullets, cltickeim of 1852. First Prize— No. 3, A. Way, Botchworth. Second— No. 2, Emmeline Parrat, Effingham. Third— No. 1, J. Fisher, Reigate. Class 23.— Silver-spangled Hamburgh.- for the best Cock mid two Hens of any age. First Prize.— No. 2, C. Rawson, Walton. Class 24.— Silver-spangled Hamburgh.— for the best Cock and two Pullets, chickens of 1852. Second Prize— No. 1, G. Larmer, Reigate. Class 25.— Polands (Black with White Crests).- for the best Cock and two Hens of any oge. First Prize— No. 4, A. Buckland, cottager, Reigate. Second— No. 1, Hon. and Rev. A. Sugden, Newdigate. T/iird—No. 2, W. Truelove, Buckland. Class 26.— Polands (Black with White Crests).— for the best Cock and two Pullets, cliickens of 1852. firs* Prfee.— No. 1, G. Wythes, Reigate. Seconr?— No. 2, H. Sayers, Reigate. Class 35.— For any other distinct breed.— for a Cock and two Hens of any age. f;rs« Prtee—No. 3, J. Giles, Betchworth. Second— No. \, Hon. and Rev. A. Sugden, Newdigate. TAirii— No. 5, J. Arnold, Betchworth. Class 36.— Fob any other distinct breed.— for the best Cock and two Pullets, chickens of 1852. Second Prize— No. 1, W. W. Hayne, Sutton. Class 37.— For the best cross between any breed.— for the best Cock and two Pullets, chickens of 1852. firs(Prfee—No. 3, J. Fisher, Reigate. Second— No. 2, C. C. Elgar, Reigate. (Cochin-Dorking.) T/iird— No. 1, Rev. J. N. Harrison, Reigate. (Dorking- Game-Cochin.) Class 38.— Bantams. First Prize.— No. 3, W. Relf, Reigate. (Silvcr-laeed.) First Prize- No. 4, M. A. Harper, Reigate. (White Cochin.) First Prize— No. 0, G. G. Richardson, Reigate. (Black.) First Prize— No. 6, S. Roots, Kingston. (Gold.laced.) First Prize-No. 9, A. Smythe, Re.gate. (Bulfs.) Second— No. 2, Emmeline Parratt, Efflnghani. (Sebright.) Second— No. 7, J. Compton, Reigate. (White.) Class 39.— Geese. fiVsiPrtee— No. 4, J. Lee, Horley. (Toulouse.) Second- No. 2, C. Rawson, Walton. Class 40. — Ducks. Fir.it Prize— No. 6, C. Allowav, Dorking. (Aylesbury.) First Prize- No. 10. R. Clutton, Reigate. '(Labradors.) 'firi( Prize— No. 13, T. Page, Holmwood. (Aylesbury Muscovy.) firs* Prijrc— No. 15, W. W. Hayne, Sutton. (Rouen.) Second-No. 4, J. Giles, Betchworth. (Black.) .Second-No. I6, Earl Cottenham. (Aylesbury.) Third— No. S, A. Way, Betchworth. (Aylesbury,) T/iird— No. 11, R. Clutton, Reigate. (Wild.) Class 41.— Turkeys. First Prize— No. 2, A. ^^'ay, Betchworth. Second— No. 1, J. Giles, Betchworth. (White.) Class 42. — Gui.nea Fowl. fJrs^PWje— No. 2, J. Fisher, Reigate. Second— No. 3, G. Wythes, jun., Reigate. EoYAi. Dublin Society. — This Society's clays of exlii- Ijition tliis year are the 'JOth, .'intli, and :tUt of Slarch. Only one prize (£l) is offered for " a code and two hens " of eacli of the usual varieties. The only peculiarities in the prize list, are one for " Three Capons," and one for " .Vmerican " ; Turkeys. Specimens from England and Scotland are ad- missible. . i "Bath and West of Exgland AGnicri.TrTi.sj.. — This long- established Society has a very rich prize list for poultiy ! (£'■1, £'2, iT) in each class, amounting to ,£«.j 10s. in the ' total. The Meeting is to be held at Plymouth, on the sth, !lth, and 10th of June. Birmingham Cattle and TorLTnv Show. — The first I meeting of the Council of the Birmingham Cattle and Poultry Show was held in this town on Tliursday?&st, the [ members present being the Karl of Aylesford, Eicliard Spooner, Esq., M.P., C. M. Caldecott, Esq., Howard Luck- cock, Esq., ■\\iUiam Lucy, Esq., .(. ^\■. 'Whateley, Esq., ilr. .John Bright, Mr. Charles Wedge, Mr. T. B. Wright, Mr. John Lowe, Mr. B. Dain, Mr. H. Lowe, Mr. John Shackel, Jilr. Joseph Hardwick, and Mr. George I^owe. The principal business for which the meeting was called, was the conside- ! ration of the prize lists and regulations for the Exhibition , in December next. In the lists for Eat Cattle, the prizes for Hereford, Short Horn, and Devon Steers, not exceeding three years and three months old, were fixed on the same scale as those for oxen and steers of any age, the first prize in each case being ill), and the second it") ; a change which will still further carry out one of the distinct objects of the society — the encouragement of early maturity. The stock excluded from the classes for pure breeds, in consequence of the breeder being unknown, or from otiier causes, will in future be shown separately, in competition for silver medals only, and not in connection with cr(iss-bred animals. The only other alteration, with regard to cattle, was the increase of the extra prize from .£1') to i'-iO; so that the best ox or steer of any age or breed will be a winner of -iTO in his class, £iO as an extra prize, and a gold medal of the value of £M; and the same will bo the case with the best cow or heifer. In the an-angement of the classes for Sheep, a change has been made, which we have no doubt will be considered judicious by the breeders of this stock. These classes now stand as follows: — Leicester Sheep; Long- M'ooUcd Sheep, not hcinij I^ciccsters ; South and other Darn Sheep; Shropsliirc and other Black anil Grci/-faced, Short- Woidled Sheep, and Cniss-bred Sheep. The first pi-ize in each class has also been raised from .i'H to X'lO ; the second remaining at £b, as heretofore. In the classification and prizes for Pigs, no change has been made ; and the regulations of the Sliow remain precisely as they were last i year. The increase in the amount of prizes for Cattle, I Sheep, and Pigs, is .£(il) ; the total amomit being i,'.")18, ex- clusive of gold and silver medals. The prizes for Domestic I'oultry were also ai'ranged, and will be at once issued. Several changes have been made, the most important of which it may be useful to notice. Instead of old and young birds competing together, as was the case last year, the classes will now be thus divided — -"Birds exceeding one year old ;" " Chickens of In,'):!." The classes for Double- combed Dorldngs are discontinued, as are also the second classes for Golden or Silver Polands. There are lino classes for Turkeys — one for old birds, and the other for poults of in.j.'i. The amount allotted for Poultry prizes has boon increased this year by about £»{1; the total last year, exdu- sive of the extra classes, having been £l'i'.'<, while this yeirr it is i:201 Kis. The only change in the regulations will be the substitution of the following paragraph with referonco to the principles by which the .ludgos will he guided in making their awards, in the place of that which was in force in former years — " High condition, quality, beauty of plu- mage, purity of race, and uniformity in the markings, combs, and other characteristics, will, in all the classes for fowl, bo taken into consideration by tlio Judges in a greater degree Febtiuary 17. THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. 301 than mere weight without these ilistinctions, if the more perfect specimens fire at the same time of a fair average size." Tlie subjoined resolution, with regard to the manage- ment of the I'oultrj' Show, was unanimously adopted: — " That the following members of the Council, namely, Howard Luckcook, Ksq., Mr. T. B. A\'right, Jlr. Benjamin Dain, i\Ii-. Hubert Luckcock, Jfr. W. B. Mapplebeck, Mr. John Lowe, and Mr. .Joseph Harrison, be appointed a com- mittee for the general management of the Poultry Show in December ne.'ct ; and that they be respectfully requested to ascertain if any and what alterations can be made in the arrangement of the jjons, so as to facilitate the inspection of the specimens by the visitors ; to decide upon the best mode of conduoting tho. sales ; to engage a jioultry salesman, and other assistants ; and to make such regulations, with regard to feeding, and the kinds of food whicli are to be used, as shall, in their opinion, be calculated to ensure the preservation in good health of the birds sent for exhibition." The new prize hsts will, we apprehend, be considered by exhibitors generally as a great improvement, in many re- spects, on tliose of last year ; and they will be received as a further evidence that the Council are prepai'ed to employ every means at their disposal to ensure tlie continued success and utility of these popular meetings. The subject of holding exliibitions of store stock and agricultural imple- ments was discussed by the Council, and a committee was appointed to consider the resolution to which we have before alluded, as liaving been passed by the Committee of Ma- nagement for last year. This committee was requested to report in May next ; and as it is desirable that tlie proposi- tion should be maturely considered, and the opinions thereon of the leading agriculturists in the midland counties ascertained, the committee nominated is a numerous one. It comiirises the following members of the Council : — The President (Earl Howe), the "S'ice-President (the Mayor of Birmingham), Lord Calthorpe, the Earl of Aylesforcl, Vis- count Hill, Lord Hatherton, Lord Leigh, Sir George Pdcliard Philips, Bart., Captain Dilke, Pi.N., Charles M. Caldecott, Esq., Baron Dickenson Webster, Esq., Darwin Cialton, Esq., "William Lucy, Esq., Howard Luckcock, Esq., Mr. T. B. Wright, Mr. Benjamin Dain, Mr. Hubert Luckcock, Mr. Henry JjOwe, Mr. John Bright, Mr. Charles Wedge, Mr. John Lowe, iMr. John Shackel, Mr. J. Mathews. The Council unanimously agreed to present the sum of i£35 to Mr. Morgan, tlie seoretai'y, in addition to his salary, in con- sideration of his assiduous attention to the duties of his office. Mr. Morgan was also re-appointed. — Midland Countks Herald, Februanj 3, 1H.j3. PRESEEVING SPECIMENS OF ANIMALS. {Continued from pmje 373.) The second method is what I generally use, and is a much quicker one, where the convenience of an oven can be had. In this case, the bird is to be prepared by opening as before, and stuffed with cotton or wool, but instead of the mixture, I pour in along with the stuffing as much common or Barbadoes tar as may be imbibed by that stuffing, but not more, as it would run out, and disfigure the plumage ; the only use of this, to give a remaining scent, as little or none can enter the flesh. The proportion I allow is about ten drops to a bird of the size of a sparrow. Now, if the bird be placed in the posture by the means aforesaid, the rest is to he done by an oven of a proper degree of heat, by putting the bird therein. The only difficulty is to regulate this. The test is by putting some downy white feathers on a clean paper in the oven, and shut them up for five minutes, after which, if they are not discolourad, you may be sure that the birds will not be hurt. I generally feel the fleshy part of the thighs, to tell when they are enough done, and if this feels pretty hard, so that you can scarcely make an impression, I conclude it finished. I observe, too, the neck, if that is stitf, I suppose it enough. It will be necessary that, after the opejution, the bird be put in a state of security from insects immediately on its growing cold, as they will be more liable to attacli those done by the oven than the first way ; indeed, I generally either put them in a very close di'awer, or in the case I intend they shall remain, directly, for on neglect of tliis I have lost many birds, notwitli- standiug any preparation. Should, therefore, any one intend to send a collection to his friend at a great dis- tance he must attend to this. The way I should think likely would be this : As soon as any bird is done, have a large bo.x or hooped-barrel, and lay a layer of very clean and dry sand, on this set each bird, sifting some more sand over it, to bury it tlierein, which, being carefully done, will not ruffle the feathers ; put among the sand, here and there, whole pepper, or any other spice, and bits of camphor, tliis you may do till you have made the wliole of the collection intended, and are desirous of forwarding them on ship- board ; I should then pack them up in a ligliter manner, by putting them in a box or barrel with soft cotton or wool, tight enough to prevent jostling against each other, with spice here and there, and when closed up for good, pasting tliick paper on every crevice, with thick paste, adding to each pint of it twenty or thirty grains of corrosive sulilimate (or white mercury), which will hinder insects eating the paste, and if the cotton or wool be put in an oven for half-an- hour before it is used for package, you may use it the more safely for that purpose. And I should think that even moss, dried in an oven, may pack them as well as any thing. Tlie time I allow for a Viird of the size of a sparrow, is an hour or two at furthest, the larger ones much longer, and some will requke twice putting in the oven, remaining each time till cold. These methods need not be confined to bh'ds alone, but the smaller kinds of quadrupeds, if curious, may he done by either of these ways, "\^'ith a little more care, reptiles and fishes may be preserved likewise by one of these methods, though tlie general method is to put them into spirits of wine, brandy, or rum, which is a good way, where time or opportunity will not serve for the above. Some sort of insects, as beetles, centipedes, tarantulas, scorpions, ttc, may be put into rum or brandy, putting them one upon another without any care, except the not bruising them in the catching ; but as many of tliese are adorned with beautiful colours, I have found it useful to add to the brandy as much loaf-sugar as it will take up, this prevents the spirits preying on that colour as much as may be. As to butterflies. After catching them in a net con- trived for that purpose, a squeeze on the body, ivithoiit injuring the wings, while in the net, generally kills them, upon which the pin is to be run through the body, a little beyond the head ; the head of the pin inclining forwards, and the point backwards, so that when the pin is set upright in a piece of boai-d the back part of the fly will be nigher the board than tlie fore parts, which, if raised one-sixth part of an inch, or one-fourth in large ones, will look the better ; the wings are then to be spread, and kept in that manner by a slip of card, with a pin run through it, which is to bear gently on both wings, just so much as to keep them from displacing : thus they may remain for a week or more, when they will be stift', and may be taken off and placed in a row on slips of deal, which may be made to slide one above another, in a box or case made on piu'pose, and if stuck very tight in, will transport anywhere thus without further trouble, except, on exportation, taking care to paste up the crevices everywhere with the sublimated paste before-mentioned, as well as sticking pieces of cam- phor in every slider, to guard against insects. PHEASANTS. {Continued from }}a(je 371.) Having disposed of thus much, respecting coops, phea- sautry, etc., we will now turn our attention to the birds themselves : premising a cock and two hens as a minimum of either variety in possession. I'lach kind require the same treatment, as regard to rear- ing and food ; otherwise than that, the Silver and common breeds are capable of roughing it more, and may be allowed game, or common hens, as foster-parents. In our case, however, nothing of the sort was practised ; equal arrange- ments, care, and attention were given to all. Sir John Sebright's Golden spangled Bantams were the vaaiety kept to serve as matrons in our pheasant estaldish- ment, for which purpose no other sorts, so fai' as I am aware 392 THE COTTAGE GARDENER February 17. of, ave comparable. The true variety of these hii'ds are of themselves very ornamental ; tUey are also good layers, and, generally speaking, good sitters. Besides, a couple, or even three of them, when well fed, properly cooked, and placed on a dish at one end of the dining-table, witli a pig's cheek vis-a-vis, flanked with caulitlowar, asparagus, and appen- dages, such as gravy, melted butter, and bread-sauce, might serve a select gasti-onomic faculty to form a judgment, and pass a far weightier decision than that which would possibly emanate from a private individual like myself, upon a subject, at onco so important, delicate, and interest- ing withal ! Sir J. Sebright's Siher-sfiiiiigled Bantams are even hand- somer than the above, but this is all ; they do not answer in any respect so well for the purpose I am treating upon, and are even more difficult to rear than the Golden Pheasants. I thus mention them as a caution. A cross between the pheasant and the fowl there never was, nor ever will be. Jlr. Beaton has let us into the secret of cross-breeding as much as anybody. As a devourer of his articles, and as a tittle of compensation, I hereby state, that it would be about as reasonable to expect a cross between the Shrubland Geranium and the Hollyhock, as to hope for a like feature between the fowl and the pheasant. Varieties of fowl, even emanating from a cross with their own species, require to be nan-owly watched, and kept up to the feather, or back to tlieir matei-nal origin (otherwise sterility) they inevitably go — Sir John Sebright's Bantams not excepted. A new and established variety of Pheasant, by intercrossing with their species, I do not think can be amved at ; a few hybrids occasionally form a result, but are they not invariably a sterile generation ? Enough has been attempted this way to allow the experiment to be faiiiy given up as hopeless. Place a strip of turf, in the form of a half circle, at the corners of the pheasantry, for the purpose of securing, as a lean-to, some pointed spruce fir bouglis ; and form in the process two rather ixnobstructed entrances, on either side, with the gi'ound for their base. The pheasants will at once adopt the concealment, and hollow for themselves a bare nest on the loose gravel, in preference to the exposed part of the plieasantry, retiring to lay their eggs there. Their Creator imprinted within lihem this modest fear and elegant instinct. One might suppose the birds could be induced to sit also under these circumstances, but, no; repeated trials impel me to say— No. Possibly, the stimulus afforded them by an easy and bountiful supply of food is a reason why they almost invariably lay a larger number of eggs in con- finenient, than pheasants are commonly observed to do at large, but they appear to lose all interest in the sitting affair. When by chance a bird with us offered to sit, she performed the office in so irregular a manner that suc- cess never attended it. These stubborn facts led us to deprive them of their eggs on the day they wore laid, excepting one or two to remain as nest eggs. If we had not a Bantam, who desired to sit just at the time we wanted, or a sufficient number of eggs for the purpose, those by us were placed singly on bran, in a place of even temperature, with the day of the month on which they were laid written upon them, and they were turned once in forty-eight hours ; in a case of necessity, and thus preserved, they would be safe to place under a hen at a period of six weeks from the time they were laid. No one should thi)ik of placing a hen to sit otherwise than on the ground, for whicli the boxes already figured are pm'posely adapted ; I can safely recommend them after ten years' trial. Procure a sound turf, three inches in thick- ness, of the same dimensions, and place it at the bottom of the sitting box ; ram a slight hollow in imitation of a nest on the surface of tlio sod ; a position to receive the eggs, inclining to that side of the box not opposite the entrance ; thus placed, to see and not be seen, is what the hen so highly approves of; a thin layer of the newest and cleanest wheat- straw may be placed upon the turf. Procure two nest eggs, to be temporarily placed there; and now, madam, to prove your power of endurance. I'wo or tln-ee days : — well ! I find you have made up your mind, like a reasonable hen, firmly and determinedly bent on becoming a mother. Come, come, you need not bo so angi-y ; but take care, do not peck a hole in one of those eleven eggs, for they come of a pedigi-ee even superior to yourself, though it be of a lUie sounding oreriferous nomen- claliu'e. However, an egg is an egg, all the world over with you, you are no respecter of eggs, whether they come of a golden pheasant, or a grey goose ? More especially, when I tell you they were laid very recently, nearly all of tliem upon the same day, which you may observe by the writing, and by consequence vnW save both yourself and myself a vast deal of bother and anxiety ; for tliey will Ijrobably all of them hatch on the same day, in three weeks' time. There, I place water for you, and barley shall not be wanting; I now feel myself perfectly justified with leaving you to perform all those little et ceteras nith which I cannot possibly be thought to have any concern ; those matters remain incumbent upon yom'self as a hen ; therefore, enjoy your own reflective, felicitous ruminations upon the subject ; you may depend on me with regard to ulterior aiTange- ments, such as chopped egg, and all that sort of thing. Au re voir ! A watchful eye must administer, for it sometimes happens that the hen will play truant from her nest too frequently, and too long at a time ; this must be sbictly guarded against ; when you perceive her this way inclined, place something opposite the entrance of the box; remove the ohstniction once in the coiu'so of the day, and then and there provide water and food, so that she may not have the slightest shadow of an excuse for neglecting her duty. At the expiration of nineteen days, something interesling may shortly be expected ; the hen now heai's the first cry of her little ones ; her mother's heait warms towai'ds them, and she will sit imcommonly close : do not disturb her, though it becomes advisable, at this critical state of afl'airs, in the first of the morning, and the last thing at night, to interfere somewhat by way of observation ; for if, as it does too often happen when a sitting of eggs is placed mider a hen, some are fresh and others stale, the fresh ones will ine^•itably hatch first ; the consequence is, the hen becomes so excited and anxious to be oil' with tliese her first progeny, that she will unwittingly allow the remainder to become buried aUvo in their shells. To prevent a misfortune of this sort, remove those firstling instigators to all this mischief, and place them not too near the fire, in a piece of warm Hannel, out of harm's way, and they will do very well there, for several lioiu's even. To prevent her thus taking an early trij) in the morning, before people are stining, place an obstruction opposite her entrance at night. Sufficient aliment remains to the infant creature within itself to allow a sustenance for the first twenty-four hom's ; though it is not advisable to pusli the extremity of these powers quite so far as that. I merely mention the circum- stance, in'ecautionary, as a guard against an over anxiety one often finds among good-natured people, to relieve the cravings of a supposed hunger the moment the birds are hatched ; contrary to this, if the process go on well, and all is as it should be, they become considerably strengthened by allowing them to remain several hours quietly imder the hen. Returning from this digression, I will resume the worst feature, by supposing the remainder of the chicks come forth within the tvventy-fom- hours ; if not, and the eggs show no sign, place them near your ear, and gi\e each a gentle shake, you will thus be made awai-e if they me addled. This is all the doctoring I resort to ; I dishko, unless it becomes absolutely necessary, to assist the partmiUon of a chick from the shell. I always consider the merest novico of a hen more competent, agreeably with nature's dictation, to perform these functions. I also confess to be om^Jof tho worst doctors in the world. I do not like doctoring ; and to tell the real truth, this science in oiu' practice witli jioullry has always been at a nonplus. Keniedy preferable to dis- ease is our motto : therefore, as a leave go to this incubation process, I advise every sitting of eggs, pheasants, or what- not, to be fresh as fresh can be, and then, ten to one, but they all hatch freely, and at the same time. A dry lawn or grass plot, is, if possible, tho projiev station to place the coop upon for the reception of tho hen and her petite brood ; they could not possibly l>o thought dero- gatory to the best situation that can lie found. The not protection figured with tho coop servos admu'ably Febuuary 17. THE COTTAGE GABDENER. 393 for the young pheasants to feed under ; also to pi'otect them from birds of pi'ey, or other disagreeables during the day. Tlu! front sliding boai'd acting as a preservative against rats and other prowling vermin by night. It requires to be withdrawn very eaily in the morning, say by sunrise, and the coop shifted on to a fresh position. The birds are then fed, a repetition of which should take place every two hours lit least during the day, consisting of variations from the following bill of i'are. Hard boiled eggs and bread cnimbs mixed. Crushed groats, fresh from the mill, if to be had. Alum curd, ant eggs, with the ants and lUes accompanying them. "Wheat after the first fortnight. Dispense with the egg, bread crumbs, and cm-d, after the first three weeks. AVith the groats at a month. Alternate barley with wheat, when the birds arrive at the age of six, or seven weeks. Any kind of fruit will always prove acceptable ; and, above all things, a constant supply of clean fresh ivater. If they are not jjlaoed upon turf this necessary adjunct must be given in the shape of sods. Often scatter calcined, and jjounded oyster shells, or ijounded egg shells, for them to peck up at their pleasure; it keeps off the rickets, I.e., it strengthens their bones. This to some will appear a very civic mode of living ; nevertheless, each and all of the good things mentioned above will Vie found as necessary to the artificial rearing, and proper personnel of the Pheasant tribe, as turtle soup, &c., is to tlie proper wellbeing of an alderman. The curd is produced, simply by pouring half-a-i)int of milk into a saucepan along with a piece of alum about the size of a nut; place it near or upon the fire till its casslin or muscle -forming properties (cheese) become apparent: strain off the whey, crumble the curd, and it is ready for use. Upwards and Onwakds. HINTS ON POULTRY BREEDING. As it is desirable the highly desciiptive and euphonious Saxon term, " gawky," should not descend in the persons of our Shanghae pets, I would venture a word in season to our zealous poulti^-lceepers, not to breed from very younif birds; for assuredly, in the generality of instances, "like prodi^ces like ; " and the oldei', and, consequently, more developed the parents are, in sliortness of leg, breadth of frame, Sjo., so much the more "will their chickens take after them in early maturity and precocity. If you wish to have chickens (high bred), loose and leggy, running about for six or eight months before they fall into shape, and deser\ing the characteristic term of the YVmt'.s Editor, then breed from young parents before they have attained their size and character, which is frequently done with birds under seven inonths of age. The hen should, at least, be twelve months, and the cock two yeai's if possible. It is also of importance that you select hens which produce the longest egg ; for there is a marked difl'erence in this respect, and our breed will fall into disre- pute if this point is not more attended to, I maintain, one of the chief points of excellence in the Shanghae, is their property of laying throughout the cold winter months ; in this respect somewhat singularly resembling our Chinese plants, which usually produce their flowers during our incle- ment winter season. — Henry Curtis, WesiMtry-on-Trymy Bristol. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *** We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjuatifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To /Ae EdiYor of the Cottage Gnrdenef,2t Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London." Error. — At p. 351, col. 2, line 34 from the bottom, for "longitudinal'* read '* tvanaverae," Impressions of Leaves and Flowers (}V. H.). — Our corres- pondent will be obliged by information as to the best mode of taking these. Thorough-bred Dorkings (Charlotte Eli:z!abeth).—Apit\y to any of the chief prize-takers either at the late Birmingham or Metropolitan Show. To give you the characteristics of these birds in the compass of a note is not in our power. Vou will have them given fully in the third number of "The Poultry Book." In the meantime, it will be a sufficient guide to say, that the ritck bird should he single-combed, that the comb should be stout, well arched, and regularly toothed or jagged; wattles long and large, and l)right crimson like the comb; breast wide and very prominently round; bacit broad and stout; neck hackles long, and forming quite a pelleiine; tail ample, and well sickled ; legs white or blue, shore and stout ; toes five in number. Weight not less than lulbs. Carriage peculiarly bold and erect, and, when standing fully upright, about y2 inches high. The double, or rose-combed, differs only in that peculiarity. The hen bird, when fully erect, is about 19 inclies high, and should not weigh less than 7lbs. Comb single and very low, in tliis or in the rose-combed variety ; breast broad and prominent; compact in form; sliort in the legs, and these blue or white ; feet five-toed, as in the code, by an extra one behind. The colours are very various. If the skull of your Spanish Pullet is scalped, or laid bare, nothing, we fear, will induce the skin to re- form over it. We should put on a piece of Diachylon plaister, and leave the rest to nature. Keeping Eggs (fl. 5.). — For using in puddinc^s, we have known eggs laid in August good at Christmas. They had their shells greased all over with melted suet. Others have been kept as long in lime water. For sitting purposes, or breeding, tlicre is no doubt that the fresher the eggs {he better. A fortnight, or three weeks, is the extreme age of an egg that we should take for this purpose, where a choice is practicable. At the same time, if eggs are of a choice variety, we should not despair of their productiveness, though more than two months old; for we have been assured, by a practiced breeder of poultry, that six out of nine Bramah Pootra eggs produced chickens when full nine weeks old. Vines for Cold Greenhouse {Amicits). — Your eleven Vines should be — Six Black Hamburghs ; two Black Prince; two Royal Muscadine, and one Dutch Sweet VVater. You could start them a little earlier in thtr spring by a hotbed within the house ; but take care to start the roots a little earlier by a similar application. Can you not let tlie Vines into the house, by having the front lights made as depicted by us a few months ago? Carry this year's shoots into the house, and shorten them just within-side. Plant immediately Vines growing now in pots. We only know the Raisin de Calabre by name. Nothing more than this is given in the Horticultural Society's Catalogue, Soft and Imperfect Eggs (7. 5.).— Your Shanghae hen, which continues to lay so irregularly and so imperfectly, we have no doubt is suffering from inflammation, either of the ovarium or of the egg-passage. Take her away from the cock for a few days, giving her at once one grain of calomel and one-twelfth of a grain of tartrate of antimony. Keep her in a moderately-warm, dry place, and repeat the dose at the end of two days if the imperfect laying continues. Spanish Cockerel (IK. H. S.).— We never knew a bird affected with white lumps, like maggots, below the tongue, therefore cannot advise you. "The Poultry-Book" will be published in half-crown parts. Leucothoe {Subscriber), — Leucofhoe is one of the many second names given to Andromeda ; you may see whole beds of them at Kew under that name, also the one you inquire about, Andromeda neriifoUa. The Pentstemon gentianoides, the CobcFa, and the blue Lobelias, men- tioned by Mr. Appleby, are on sale at his own nursery ; and if he or any other nurseryman chooses, he can get for you any plant that is on sale, either in Europe or America. A plan is in contemplation whereby you may be aided. Cyclamens {Well-wisher, /s/e o/ il/«n).— The leaves perished on the way from London, and the growth is suspended — what is to he done ? They must have their time ; you cannot force them. Keep them in a state between dry and damp till they show growth, or enter their natural period of rest. Amaryllis Atamasco {Ibid). — It is ZepJii/ranthes Atamaseo, and a pretty little thing it is, and as easy to grow as a Crocus, and very much in the same way when they are in pots, only that the Atamasco requires lighter earth, not peat. A five-inch pot will grow and llower seven full- sized bulbs of this Amaryllid, but they will do much better out in front of your greenhouse, in pots. Ata7nasco will not bear the least forcing. If the leaves do not come up soon, plunge the pot in the border outside at once. Amaryllis formosissima, ob JacoB/EA Lily (Sprekelia). — Itmight be forced into flower from this time to the middle of May, exactly as they force Hyacinths; this blooms when the leaves have advanced from three to five inches, not before or after. This bulb should be planted out-of- doora by the middle of May, and left out till the frost comes, then to be taken up and dried for the winter ; and, where there is only a greenhouse, April will be time enough to pot them ; they will grow in any soil that will grow good potatoes. '' Hajidsome climbers'^ wiU tease you to des- peration, if you attempt to confine them to a space of two feet wall below the windows ; pray be advised from your purpose, and put in Tea-scented Roses, or, indeed, anything hut climbers ; but if you must have your own way, take Clematis azurea g)-andi/lora, and Sie/ioldi ; Calystegia pubes- cens, Mitruria coccinea, and Lapageria rosea at one end, with Bomaren actdifolia at the opposite end, and these two to make a fringe across above the others. Flower Gaeden Plan (E. B.). — Has there been a revolution in the Isle of Man lately, or have the ladies got the upper hand in the island, that so many of them find time to write such extraordinary long letters ? If so, let us hope the rest of the " western islands " will not turn upside down also. This "plan" is drawn perfectly well for our purpose; the four corner figures in it, marked 10, are in better taste than any we know of near London. In the centre figure, the Lobelias in 2 and (j ought to lie in 2 and 5, being the opposite and match pair. Tlie two kinds of Calceolarias in 5 and 7 should be in 5 and 2, or in 7 Rnd 4, according 394 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Februat.y 17. to the same rule. Such figures are not read like a book, straight j on but like one's fuce— two evea, two eyebrows, two dimples, two blushes, one on each cheek, with one nose for a centre, and the fore- head and chin, as end tit,'uie3. To have one cheek PuiUhuudiui, and the other, Azareus or iuteus, would be very odd, would it not? 3, 8, very (;ood. 9's generally so (Standiird-roscs) : nothing except Nemo- philas, Sitpiinnriu calabrira, or small Campimulas, or LobeUns, or some- thin i; very dwarf, !>hould be planted under standard roses. But four of your 9's, the corner ones, would be a ijloire de Jiusnineue rose to be planted with each Standard, and be trained up to the head of the rose. 1 0 and 1 -2 very good ; 1 1 and 1 3 ditto, that is, each pair matches pretty well- Tubs will not be in character at all where the Cypresses stand ; but Irish Yews will answer th«re better than the Cypress, as to elfect ; and they ought to be from 5 to 9 ft- high, not lower or higher ror the par- ticular situation. We must not write private letters even to young ladies. Seedling Geraniums (1001).— You are certainly one out of a thou- sand ; six whole pages, filled with what a lady from the Isle of Man would put into a quarter of a note page, shows how little you know of the nature of time or of human patience. Let your geranium seedlinjis go on just as they arc, be they ever so gawky, till tliey bloom, or else they may take another vear to prove them. A needling is more likely to flower sooner in a 'three-inch pot than hi the largest ; pinching, stopping, bushyness, and all that sort of thing, is downright nonsense when applied to -Seedling Geraniums. Geranium seeds do equally well sown with or without the " huak." You mistake the philosophy of gar- dening altogether. A gardener who could not tell zy/i// tlie Moss Roses come not from cuttings, ought to have asked you why the nightingale sings at night. In your next letter, let us hear you}' rtasoa for the breast of the robin being red, or why ducks like water, while we know they would do as well without swimming. | Weigela rosea Peuning {W.F. H.).— Full-grown plants of this | beautiful shrub require the older wood to be removed annually, any ; time in winter, and to encourage young wood, which produces tlie best ' flowers. The young wood ought to be shortened as soon as the tlowenng is over ; at the same time, very weak or very crowded shoots ought to be cut out altogether. FoESVTiHA viniDissiMA (74i(Z).— It flowers on the old wood like the white and red Currant, and it may be spurred-in exactly like them after it comes to a full size ; but while it is in progress, cut only a tew of the second-sized shoots about one-half their length, and the stronger ones pass by. Now is a good time to prune both. Many thanka for the brevity of your letter. Flower-gaeden Plan [A. It. F.).— Your plan is very good indeed, and your style of planting still better. 12 and 33 are the only two beds we dislike, as the height of the plants {Ageratum} in them strikes off the view looking from either end. To keep to your own tints, we would plant them (12 and 33} with Heliotropes: Hamciis in the centre of the tigure, as you propose, will have a very fine effect, and better if you had them with three, four, or five stems from near the liottom for these beds; but when Humeas are planted as accompaniments to architecture, they look best trained to one stem. This plan is well worth engraving. The Ruses now in pots, and which you want to bloom next Christmas, prune them now on the close system. See to the drainage, and then plunge the pots in front of a south wall or vine border; and in the hole under each pot place a 48-pot, with the mouth unwards, and on this open mouth place the bottom of your rose-pot: that is the best contrivance for good drainage, and for keeping out the worms. Keep the plants free from insects, and give liquid manure occasionally; prune again by the middle of September; and early in October place in a cold pit, and in November begin forcing. Cuckoo Featiiee {Poultri/-i/urd).—The enclosed feather, which we presume was taken from a hen, is a dusky specimen of cuckoo plumage. This marking, being found in both Dorkings and the common barn-door hybrid, will not be suflicient to determine the class to which your birds" may belong; hut the small turft of feathers on the hen's head would appear to indicate some relationship with the Lark-crcsted fowl, a common inhabitant of homesteads, and highly esteemed for its laying properties. Specimens of one or two feathers can only serve to ascertain, and that, too, with no great accuracy, the distinctive colour and markings of a fowl. To assign a specific species requires particulars of form, habit, and other details, with which such queries should be accomjianied. The rose-comb of the cock would strengthen the supposition of your birds being descended from the Dorking, as well as Lark-crested, variety; the male birds in the latter being usually seen with an upright single comb. We should be glad to know whether the chickens you may breed from these fowls revert to the characteristics of either of the races to which we have referred their origin. — W. Pears in Nortiiumdeeland (A Lover of Fmit).—Beurre did has a rich and generous flavour when mellow, with a alight musky taste : when good, it is everybody's pear, and an enormous hearer. It should, probably, have an east or west wall in Northumberland. Hncon^s, with you a similar situation, though vou might try this as espalier. We do not know " The Green Park." Fondunte d'Automne a similar situation to B. diet, and Winter Nmlis should have a stout wall with you. As espaliers, try Beurre d'Amnulis, Dunmore, Althorpe Crassanne, and WiUia7n*s Bon Chretienne. Get them on the Quince. Fruit in Derbyshire (A New Comer).— Your elevation is great (1200 feet), and your climate we know. We would, however, by all means try our more hardy fruits, and with many you will succeed very well ; but if you will take advice, we say, make platforms according to directions in our hack numbers, the soil eighteen inches deep only for Pears. We should have Quince and Paradise, and should not fear llivcrs' trees. Try dwarfs, by all means, and be prepared to cover them annually. In Apples, any of the well-known hardy kinds ; in Pears, Dunmore, Beurri d'Amaulis, Beurrt- diel, Fondante d'Automne, Louis Bonne of Jersey, Soldat Laboureur, Flemish Beauty, and Glout Mor- ceaux. Cherries: the l>ukc's, Klton, and IMorello. Plums: Precose de Tourw, Orleans, Uoyal Hative, and St. Rlartin's Quetsche. Plants for a Veranda ('/i/d).— Try Calampalis scabcr, I-ophos- permum rubescens, iVIaurandya Barclayana, Troptenlum adhuncum anil pentaphylluiu, thecUtubing Hoses, Honeysuckles, Clematis, Jasmines, ike. \ Shanking (B. C). — See an article by I\Ir. Errington. Orchid Coltuee (.-1 Reader, P. D.). — You have entered upon a situation, and have some orchids committed to your care, hut profess not to understand their culture, and ask what kind of soil will suit Cattleyas. and if the last year's hulbs should be cut oft" when this year's are half grown of Dendrobiums and Cattleyas, when the leaves decay'/ You ask these questions because some gardener has told you that Cuttleyas re- ■ quire a rich soil, such as half-decomposed tree haves, and half-decayed \ branches of trees, broken into small pieces, and that the year-old shoots of Dendrobiums, and the back bulbs of Cattleyus, should be cut off. We \ have thus extracted your questions in order to answer them succinctly. Cat- tleyas do not require such stimulating compost as your friend recom- mends. The finest ."pecimens in England arc grown in simple fibrous ' peat, with all the fine particles beaten and sifted out. Then, the back , pseudo-bulbs? Unless wanted for increase of the number of shoots in ' one pot, or for increasing the number of plants, they need not be cut off; in fact, they strengthen the leading shoot or pseudo-bulb greatly. The last year's shoots of Dendrobiums? These, in many varieties, are the ones to flower, very few flowering upon the same year's jiseudo-bulbs ; so that to cut them off would be an act of madness. The heat of your house is almost too low for Dendrobiums, but right enough for Cattleyas, Cattleii'i ArtandiiB is a delicate little growing species, extremely scarce, and difficult to manage. Keep it on the block, as also C. mar^inata and C. pumilit. Cattleyu superba would improve, if it, and the block on which it grows, were planted in a pot filled with very fibry peat and broken potsherds; the block to stand above the pot-edge three or four inches. Place foe a Pigeon-house {An Amateur). — Your proposed site for a pigeon-house, about six feet cube, represents, we imagine, a to/t of that size. Well-ventilated, and the birds allowed their liberty when once reconciled to their new abode, twelve pair would be commodiously settled there. Egress should be given at the south end, the entrance being opposite. Shelves, as were described in our number of February 3rd, with earthenware saucers for nests, will be all the furniture you will require. The south iront should have a stage, which may at times be closed in with a latticed front, to confine your birds ; and this trap should act with a cord and pulley. As to the selection of sorts, our own expe- rience would point out Trumpeters, since projit is what you aim at ; they are as productive as any variety, and attain a large size. If well-fed, each pair should rear, on an average, nine or ten young ones annually.— W. Royal Ageicultueal Society's Gloucester Meeting (J. T R.). — This Society will h^ve an improved list of ))rizes, we hope, at Glou- cester. One of the Committee writes as follows in The Midland Counties* i/ecH/rf—" The Council, on the motion of filr. Jonas, gecondcd by Mr, Urandreth Gibhs, voted the sum of .^MOO, as the amount of prizes to be offered at the Cloueester RIeeting, for improving the breeds of poultry best adapted for the purposes of the farmer ; and referred to the com- mittee of last year the report with which the Council had been favoured by the Society's Judges of Poultry at the Lewes Meeting (the Hon. and Kcv. Mr. Lawley, Mr. T, B. Wright, and Mr. John Baily), witli a request for recommendations on the Hubject of the particular prizes to be offered in this department. We have not yet seen the list of prizes for stock, but we believe they will be issued immediately. We congratulate poultry amateurs on the very liberal vote of the Council for the purpose of encou- raging the improvement of domestic fowl ; and, should the prize list prove to have been judiciously framed, we have no doubt this part of the exhibition at Gloucester will show a marked advance as compared with what was witnessed at Lewes in .luly last. The importance of ]ioultry as a source of profit to the farmer having been recognised by the moat influential agricultural society in the world, wc may hope to see a rapid improvement in the appearance and quality of the feathered tenants of our farm yards. In this case, as in all others, it is good stock only that is profitable ; and the farmers who shall displace the unhappy race of nondescripts, now seen almost everywhere, for pure-bred J>orking8 or Ilamburghs, will find their advantage in the increased value of the I produce. As the Times has very properly shown, it ii a matter worthy ■ of attention that our markets should be supplied with better and cheaper ! poultry and eggs ; and it will be obvious, that what is profitable in i France would, if pursued with the same care, be still more so in this i country, where a much higher price can be obtained. It must, at the name time, be admitted, that there has never been a movement connected with rural economy wliich has so rapidly sprung into importance as that of poultry-keeping; and this is mainly to be attributed to the establish- ment of an exhibition on a large scale in this town— conducted on sound ! principles, and in the progress of which the promoters have sought the valuable co-operation of those whose experience and position enabled i them to render great practical assistance. The step from the first small | bhow in a corn-loft, in Worcester Street, to the wonderful display in | Bingley Hall last December, has been the work of hut four short years ; j and there can be no question as to the utility of an undertaking which 1 has not only obtained so large a measure of support for itself, hut has been the example on which similar meetings have been already esta- blished in nearly every district of the kingdom." London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Wincheater High-Btreet, in the Pariah of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Someeville Oer, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— February 17th, 1963. 1''ei;buaky 2-1. "'■^^ PEBRUAUY 24-HARCH 2,1653. TIIK COTTAGE GARDENER. WEEKLY CALENDAR. 305 24 Til 25 P ■27 Son asM 1 Tn 2 VV Weather near London in 1852. Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In CInndcd Brown ; oflka. Citmdecl Lead; oalts. Ilosy Day Sloth ; liedges, H SuNDA\ IN Lent. Curve-dotted ; hedges. David. Peacock ; lanes. '30.500—30.362 42—31 l30.3;):l — 30.205 45—29 30.334 — 30.225, 43—33 30.13(5 — 21J.963 4f)— 32 29.71.5—20.823 50—30 29.803 — 29.710 49—34 29. 8.-.0 — 29.749 49—19 N.E. E. N.E. N. N.W. W. N.E« 01 01 01 Sun Uitscs. Sun [ Moon ! Moon's Sets. I R.«i S. : Age. 49 47 45 31 33 34 36 38 40 Oa20 7 47 9 9 10 35 II 58 morn. 1 21 17 18 19 20 21 Clock Day of Ijf. Sun., Year. 13 28 13 19 ' 13 8 12 68 12 40 12 34 12 22 55 56 57 58 59 CO 61 Metkoeolocv or the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-si.t years, the average highest and lowest tempera- tures of these days are 48° and 3.5.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 04°, occurred on the 28th in 1840 ; and the lowest cold, 16°, on the2ath in 1844. During the period 99 days were fine, and on 83 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOAVERS. POPPyWOItTS. — PArAVEEAOEJE. [Continued from pat/e 370.) GLAUCIUH. — HORNED POPPY. GLATTCiiijt fionNicui.ATUjt : Homed Glaucium ; Red Celan- dine ; Red ]1orned Poppy. Description. — It is an annual. The whole plant of a milky-green. Eont spindle, or carrot-shaped. Rimt-haves grow in a circle on short stalks ; cut in sections down to tlie mid-rih ; sections alternate, indented at the ends; the upper sections largest, and the end one broad, blunt, with three or four indentures, hairy. Stem about eighteen inches high, sUghtly hairy, liairs spreading ; furrowed, with branches in two ranks. Stem-leaves cut into sections, lialf- stem clasping, alternate. Flower-stalks at the ends of branches, and springing from between a leaf and the branch, slightly hairy, with, sometimes, one or two leaves on them resembling tliose on the stem, but smaller. Calyx very haij-y, oval, and rather pointed. Petals oval, scarlet, with an oval dark purple spot at the base, veined ; soon i'alling oft'. Seed-pod very long, nearly straight, very liairy, or rather bristly, the bristles stiff, close pressed, and pointing up- wards ; terminating in a blunt knob. Seed round, and black. Time ofjloweriiiij.- — June and July. Places where finiiid. — Lobel found it in the Isle of Port- land, and Mr. StiUingtieet found it in sandy corn-fields in NorfoUc. It has never been discovered since. History. — It has been variously named by botanists Papaver cuniicalatum phreniceum, &c. ; Chclidoninm corni- cnlatum, and Glaucium pha'iiiceum. This last name, or Scarlet Glaucium, is the most characteristic, for cornicu- latnm, or horn-like podded, applies to the whole genus. Ray says that it has but little yellow .inice. It is common in most parts of Europe, but whether really a native of England is doubtful. We are not aware of any botanist now alive who has seen it wild in this country. {Martyn. Smith. Pay.) Wk have always held that the cultivation of fruit in this country has not received that attention which the importance of the subject demands ; and in reviewing, as we have done in our former articles, the history of the orcharding of the past three centuries, we have seen that, instead of forming a permanent and systematic branch of rural economy, it has been allowed to wax or wane according to the ever varying taste of the various periods to which our attention has been directed. Our firm belief is, and we have the evidence of the past to confirm it, that the cultivation of fruits, if judi- ciously and well practised, is much more important and profitable than in the present day it is generally consi- dered to be. We have shown that for centuries past there have been, at certain periods, great movements in this direction ; numerous and extensive plantations were formed, but in time they were invariably allowed to fall into decay, and no succession provided till ur- gency compelled it, and then, in many instances, it was too late. We have seen that at the close of the war in 1816, notwithstanding the higli prices at the time, the demand was greater than the supply, and foreign fruit No. CCXXX., YoL IX. was imported to such an extent, that the few growers which there were became so alarmed as to apply to government for an increase of duty. This they obtained, and, as will be seen from the tables at page 307, the importations decreasing from 1819, the supply would become less still. From 1810, a great system of plant- ing was commenced, and carried out to such an extent, that in 18:18 the breadth of orchard land in the county of Kent alone was upwards of 15,000 acres. Now, taking these 15,000 at 100 bushels per acre, which is allowed to be the produce for an average of years, it will give l,f)00,000 bushels. Yet, notwithstanding this seemingly enormous average quantity from the county of Kent alone, when the orchards were in the highest state of productiveness, and before the displanting con- sequent on the removal of the 4s. duty, in 1838, bad commenced, the value of the apples imported in 1839, as shown in the table below, amounted to no less a sum than .£43,806 13s. ; clearly showing that, even then, the home growth was insufficient for the consumption, even at tlie average price of Os. 6d. per bushel. In 1838, the duty of 4s. was removed, and one of 396 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febrcaby 24. 5 per cent, ad valorem substituted. This called forth strong remonstrances from the growers, who represented that nothing hut ruin would befal them; that they could not maintain their orchards and their population ; and that the total extinction of both must he the conse- quence. This became a subject for parliamentary in- quiry, and a committee was appointed to investigate the suhject. Thirty-five witnesses were examined, and out of these only four or five were in favour of the altera- tion. In the evidence before this committee, it was stated tliat the remunerating price to the grower would be from 3s. 6d. to 4s. per bushel. One witness was of opinion that, taking tlie average of years, 3s. would be ample remuneration. Judging from the evidence before this committee, the main object the powers had in view was to induce the government to believe that, from the comparatively low prices arising from large crops ob- tained between 1S32 and 1837, it would be impossible to continue their plantations unless the protecting duty was restored. They were, however, unsuccessful, and many of them, in their visions of despair, did actually begin to displant, some to the extent of eight and ten acres, supposing tliey would never again see their remu- nerating average of 4s. But, notwithstanding the great reduction of duty, we find, from the table subjoined, that the price has been actually greater since than it had been for 13 years previously. In 1843 the duty was altered to Bd. per bushel, at which it still continues; and what has been the con- sequence? We find that in 1846, with an importation of 292,427 bushels, the average price in the markets was 8s. per bushel, or 4s. more than the most sanguine expectation of the most doleful witness could possibly have reached ; and that in 1850, with an importation amounting to no less than 467,629 bushels, the average price was 5s. 6d., or Is. 6d. more than any other doleful witness would have been satisfied with. Now, what we want to know is, why do the orchardists and occupiers of laud in this country allow 467,629 bushels of foreign apples to he brought into our markets, when an average price of os. 6d. can be obtained for our own growth of that article, and for which 4s. is a remunerating return accoi-ding to their own statement '? Here, again, we are forced to remark on the total disregard to the importance of treating orchards as a branch of rural economy. We hear of Agricultural Societies, and Horticultural Societies, Cattle Shows, Poultry Shows, and Flower Shows ; and what would the cattle, and poultry, and flowers of this country have been, were it not for these societies, and these shows '.' But why is it we hear nothiug of Orchard Societies, and Fruit Shows? Why of no premiums for the best cultivated orchards; the best grown fruit; nor for the be.5t essay on the adaptations as to soil, climate, and use of the best varieties of fruit ? Surely these are subjects worthy of attention in this age of progression and improvement. Look at our increasing population, and increased con- sumption of all kinds of produce ; the facilities of com- munication from one end of the country to the other ; the oompavative luxuries that our mechanics, artisans, and laboui'ers now enjoy ; and contrast this with the low, limited, and laggard state of our orchard cultiva- tion ; it would seem that in proportion as other pur- suits progressed this was reti-ograding. It is not from choice that our mechanics and artisans consume these 467,629 bushels of foreign apples, tainted and worthless as they generally are, but it is because there are some 4000 or .5000 acres less of orchard produce of our own, that they are compelled to do so. Now, there must be in this country some 4000 or 0000 acres of land in the condition of that on which one of the witnesses gave the following evidence : — " Q. If you could have let your land without any difficulty as a fruit plantation, at id an acre, what do you suppose you could let it at to grow corn ? — A. It is very light land, on a hill, and stony ; I should have great trouble to get i£l an acre for it to gi'ow corn." And as regards tlie quality of tliis foreign fruit, we again quote part of the evidence already referred to, as given by a witness who fought hard for the old duty. How he supported his views will be seen from the following : — " Q. Will not the eftect of the introduction of foreign apples be to lower the price ? — A. Yes. " Q. Then will not the poor have the foreign apples at a lower price; and, of course, will they not consume them when they are brought in ? — A. They are hardly worth consxmiiug, half of them ; they are scarcely worth eating. " Q. Then, if they are not consumed, the English apples will come into consumption ; must we not sup- ])0se that the English consumer, finding that the French are not worth eating, will consume the English'.' — A. I suppose they must. "Q. How will they consume the English, if they have ceased to exist? — A. I am supposing that they have not ceased. " Q. But supposing this alteration of duty should discourage the English planter of orchards, and the present orchards fall into decay, what becomes then of yoiu- supply? — A. You have no other way of getting a supply but from France; and in the event of a war how are you to get that? " Q. But, if the French supply is so very bad, the English consumer will not take it, and the English orchards will not go out of growth, will they, because it will be worth the while of the English grower to keep them up? — A. It will reduce the price." In drawing our observations to a conclusion, we would remark that, from what we have stated, it will be seen that this is a subject calling for special attention. Hitherto it has been neglected among us ; we do not seem, in this country, to be alive to the importance of it ; but it is not so elsewhere. We know that in America there are Societies formed for tlie purpose of directing and encouraging it. In France and Germany it is regarded as of paramount importance, and iu l?oIgium it is honoured by tlie patronage and support of the Government. Can nothing be done here ? Can no Society be organised to aid on and give direction and February 24. THE COTTA&E GARDENER. 397 eomisel in this work ? Let us trust it may be so, and that ere long we shall have such an one as will take its position with those others which our country dehghts to honour. H. QitantitieB of Apples Imported from 1838 to IS-'iO, with the average Prices in Covent Garden Market. Average ( Year. Duty. Quantity imported. price at 1 Covent j Garden, j 1838 4s 2, 162 bushels 4s6d £^ per cent. .£"33,395 12s 3d 4 6 1839 ad. val. 43,866 13 0 5 6 18-1(1 jSb 5s 33,717 13 5 3 6 1841 per cent. 40,849 0 0 4 6 1842 ltd. val, - 6,644 0 0 4 6 6d 111, 586 bushels 4 6 1843 6d 314,954 „ 6 6- 1844 183,590 „ 6 0 1845 197,064 „ 6 6 1846 292,427 „ S 0 1847 .331,073 „ 4 0 1848 243,034 „ 6 0 1849 323,719 „ 3 6 1850 467,629 „ 5 6 Renewing our notes on Landscape-gardening, we now proceed from the " Approach," the subject of our last paper, to a consideration of those principles which should govern the direction and character of the various Walks requisite, whether about the grounds of the country mansion or the villa. It may here, however, be observed, that neither the widtli nor the style of walk is in these two cases obliged to be the same ; they will occasionally have to differ much, inasmuch as the dimensions, the locality, and other concomitants, will of necessity vary. It will, therefore, be well, perhaps, to handle the subject of Villa walks in a separate form, although, in the mean time, it may be understood, that in the main the chief principles are applicable to either style. One of the first things to be thought of, is to provide an extent of mere perambulation, commensurate with the requirements of the family, and the chances offered by tlie grounds. But, then, the great consideration is, how to take in agreeable and legitimate objects, so as to keep the interest of the perambulator constantly on the alert. Now, it will not be expedient so to present views as that the eye may pierce through and discover a limitation of e.^tent, giving an impression of meagre- ness. This is above all to be avoided; but this remark applies principally to the suburban retreat or the villa. It is the business of the planner so to conduct his principal walks as to keep interest alive without show- ing too much of liis picture at once, and without the affectation of fighting against the genius of the ground. Convenience alone points to the propriety of at least one principal walk, and proceeding from that side of the house, if possible, where the noblest rooms are situate. In the modern villa, or suburban residence, to accomplish ttiis is sometunes difficult, but in the case of great mansions in the country, possessing, it may be, a park with far stretching pleasure grounds, the ease is somewhat different. In the former,, severe limitation of space, together with the habits of the occupants, combine to press the pro- priety of being content with one principal line. But in places of high pretension, free from boundary lines hard on the eye, a much greater degree of latitude may be allowed. The terraced frontage, the pasture or flower- garden, or the kitchen-garden, may demand special walks, ruled, of course, by the circumstances of the mansion, and the site of the respective plots; but, nevertheless, proceeding from the drawing-room front. And, now, as to the width of waUcs. We hold it good practice, in most grounds, to have two distinct widths, and in some cases three. Assuming, therefore, three charac- ; ters of walks, it will be well, in order to keep matters dis- tinct, to give them names descriptive of their character and uses, and we ofter the following as illustrative of what is meant, viz. : the Peeajibui.ating, the Episodical, and the Subordin.we. It will, doubtless, be remem- bered by many of our readers, that the Episodical was a favourite appellation with the late Mr. Loudon, who was one of the first to simplify landscape gardening. In order to exemplify those three classes, we may suppose a case, in which one principal walk passes round the whole grounds, and that the Rosary, the American garden, &c., lie at little distances from its sides as by-plcts, the walks to them diverging at nearly right angles, as they should do ; these we would class as episodical walks. Again — suppose that such episodes j required a plant-pit, a small tool-house, &c., concealed by dense shrub masses, the walks to these we would class as subordinate. Admitting, then, three classes of walks, let us come to their respective widths. It may here be repeated, that the country mansion, and the little suburban retreat, may, and must, occasionally differ in this matter, inasmuch as very broad walks, in very limited places, would neither comport with the principle of proportion, nor a just economy in the distribution of the limited space. This premised, we will deal with the mansion of ample grounds, and this will constitute an aim for the villa proprietor; a point to reach as near as he can. It is common with most landscape gardeners to require seven feet in width for the chief or perambulating lines, inasmuch as this is the minimum width requisite for three persons to walk abreast, and this is often a great desideratum as to social converse. Now, although our great landscape men may not have recognised precisely sucli widths as we must here propose, yet, having fully considered the matter, we must suggest sixty-six inches for episodical walks, and let us say tliree feet for the subordinates. As for terrace lines and promenades, instituted for effects sake, they form an exception, and must be dealt with accordingly. Very narrow walks have been much repudiated by our landscape gardeners of celebrity, and justly so ; but a mere enunciation of abstract principles will not meet the spirit of our times ; principles right enough, it may be, in their essence and character, mus* and will be highly modified both by economy and ex- pediency. The business is, so to handle arrangements as that no great principle be extravagantly compromised ; .1 398 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febkcary 94. all trifling depnvtnres from dry rules will then be readily | pardoned on the basis of expediency. We come now to the direction of our walks. It has been said, by authorities somewhat high in landscape gardening, that very sudden turnings ought to be avoided. Turnings, the pretensions of which at once appear as an affectation of fine lines, without existing featm'esto stamp a meaning on them, wo repudiate ; but shall this be counted a valid objection, or shall sucli a rule tie tlie hands of the landscape gardener? Now the bends in walks, we admit, are not very important matters in themselves, although it must be granted that tliere are ugly curves as well as beautiful ones; still, it is well not to lay too much stress on the character of the curve in itself, inasmuch as we have known schemers grievously misled in their plans by suffering these fine lines to absorb their attention too much. " With leaden eye that loves the ground," has been used as a sarcasm ever since Pope's days, and it applies tolerably well to this class of schemers, whose proper title should be ground workmen, instead of land- scape gardeners. Certainly, where entirely new gardens are to be made out of a naked field, and no trees exist, it is another affair. But in improving grounds of some age, and where lines have to be formed among existing trees, and other objects, the true landscape gardener will be thinking more of the sky line than the gi'ound line ; he will closely study the existing objects, and so group them overhead as to make it appear that the line, when complete, could not have been anywhere else. But to return to the ground line. We must confess to a particular liking for bold curves or sweeps, in some cases almost abrupt. It is considered one of the funda- mental principles of landscape gardening so to manage the picture as to keep the mind of the perambulator constantly employed, and sometimes to take him by surprise. This cannot be done by straight lines, or by tame curves, for concealment becomes occasionally necessary. *' Let not each beauty everywhere be spied. Where half the skill is decently to hide." To concealment we must here add another great land- scape essential — intricacy of outline ; a principle equally desirable in large grounds and small: in the former, as taking away baldness of appearance, and adding to the interest ; and in the latter, giving apparent extent and importance. The bold sweep or curve, then, is admirably adapted to this end, for the bolder the sweep the bolder will be the style of planting contiguous to the lines, and thus that partial concealment is accomplished which, as before observed, by not presenting too much at once to the eye of tlie perambulator, keeps his mind continually on the alert. We may here remark, tliat it is considered indispensable that every bend should have an object either existing already, or placed there to render the whole reasonable. Without this, bold, or rather bald curves, are unbearable, and appear as laboured attempts to create effect by more lines alone, or as sheer affect- ation. A judicious planner, therefore, in grounds where old trees, huge evergreens, or other permanent objects exist, will take care to make use of them occasionally, by carrying his line sweeping round such objects, if massive enough to effect the desired concealment. Some of our planners have made a point of taking in, occasionally, any huge or noble tree, if it happen to stand near the line ; tliis, made a centre, and the walk made to sweep round it right and left, sometimes pro- duces good eft'ect, and helps variety, tliat great essential to lasting effect. A circular seat may be made to embrace the tree, especially if the grounds in the vicinity of the tree present a pleasing picture. It is a generally established maxim not to allow two curves to be seen at once, and this principle must be, if possible, carried out by planting, &c. Care should be taken not to force the lines of walk too close to the exterior or boundary, although we see no reason why, in extensive grounds, it may not be so managed, when a fine champaign country, embracing dignified views, and free from hedge-rows, aflords an opportunity of giving a short relief from the contrasting character of the ornamental grounds. One thing more we may point to, and that is, in selecting the lines of walk, occasional undulations should be sought; the walks should at times be made to ascend for variety's sake — such are always more cheering to the perambulator than those confined to a dull level, aud afford excellent opjjortuuitics for giving variety to the style of planting, &o. Indeed, variety, as before observed, must be ever sought, and mannerism avoided. As terraces and geometric lines do not belong to this class, we must include them in another portion of the subject. E. COVENT GARDEN. TuE market still continues to display an abundance of every kind of vegetables, but the supplies of fruit are falling off. The greatest attraction is the profusion with which the windows are adorned with cut flowers, which are now more numerous and gay than at any other season. Plants in pots are not so plentiful, chiefly on account of the frost which has been so prevalent during the past week. The prices of Vegi-.t.\bt.es continue very much the same as for the last few weeks. Savoys are still plenti- ful at from tid. to Is. per dozen. Owens also at Is. to as. per dozen bunches. Brussels Sj^routs, Is. to 2s. per half sieve. The supply of White Broooli, from Corn- wall, is also good, and makes from '-is. to Ss. per dozen, according to the quality. Turnips, Is. to 3s. per dozen bunches. Carrots, 2s. tid. to Ms. (id. Celery, Dd. to Is. (id. per bundle. Onions, as. (id. to 3s. per bushel. Spinach, Is. to Is. 6d. per half sievo. Lettuce, from (id. to Is. (id. per score. Endive, Is. to Is (id. per score. Potatoes are plentiful, more so thau tlicy Imvo been for some weeks past, and the price is if auytliing lower; but good ii('(7(>«(s still make as high as £7 10s. Rhuharh is plentiful at from !)d. to Is. tid. per bundle, Sca-lcale Februauy 'rlL THE COTTAGE GAEDENEU. 399 is also plentiful at from Is. 6d. to 2s. per basket. Aspa- ragus is much improved in quality, and makes from 4s. to 7s. 6d. per bundle. The supply of FRVii is falling off. Applks are making from Cs. to 10s. per bushel for culinary varieties, hut the dessert realise from 8s. to Kis. Of the culinary kinds, the Wintef Peannain is the most plentiful ; firm, and oi' excellent quality. Among the dessert kinds we ob- served several parcels of very fine Court of Wide, which were not, however, so highly coloured as we have seen them. Oolden Knobs also fine ; and we were attracted by a pile labelled Nonpareils, whicli, on examination, we found to be the Reinette Orise, a French apple, which is imported rather largely at this season. Though this is a pretty good winter dessert apple, it will not pass for a Nonjiareil with those who know what a Nonpareil is. There are also plenty of the Lady Ap2)h and Newtown Pippins. PE.iKS, as we have remarked before, are very scarce, just sufficient to say that they are in existence. Such as they are, though dry and shrivelled, they make from 6s. to 8s. a dozen. They consist of Beurre de Banco, Easter Beurre, and Nepliis Meuris. The Flowers and Bouquets are both gay and abun- dant. We promise our lady readers that we shall take the first opportunity of admitting them to the art and mystery of building a bouquet. We have been at some pains to acquire this art ourselves for their benefit, and we trust ere long to be able to communicate it. The Flowers consist of Camellias of all shades and markings. Cinerarias of every hue, Hi/acinths, Tulips, Polyanthus Narcissus, and a profusion of double and single, white and red, Chinese Primroses; Violets in abundance; Scarlet Geraniums, Snoivdrops, Lily of the Valley, Epa- cris, Pentus carnea, Bletla Tankervilla:, Asalea indica alba, and Danielsiana. H. GOSSIP. We ask our readers attention to the advertisement of The Horticultural and Pomological Association, for it is to them that it owes its birth. So very numerous are the appHcations to us from all parts of the British Islands, requesting us to procure seeds, cuttings, trees, and other objects of cultivation, that we find it quite impossible to attend to the commissions thrust upon us. In future we request that all such applications may be made to the Association. Competent parties, we know, are engaged to procure whatever horticultural matters the subscribers may i-equire ; and acting, as they will, under such supervision as will be given by Mr. Hogg, the author of " British Pomology," and Mr. D. Beaton, the one the best of practical fruitists, and the other one of our best gardeners, the subscribers may be sure of no deficiency of skill being employed in their behalf We have reason, also, to anticipate that the Association will be the means of determining many synonymns of fruits, and whatever is thus effected will be published in our pages. The Newbury Horticultural Society has fixed- its meetings in the present year on the 2-lth of June and 2nd of September, The Lininocharis Humholdtii, a yellow - flowered aquatic, native of Brazil, has been hitlierto considered as requiring stove culture, but it has proved hardy in an open pond at Berlin, where it was blooming early in December. There is no doubt, therefore, that it may be cultivated in England as a hardy aquatic. The value of Shanghae fowls is rising rather than decreasing, and we have no doubt that as tiie knowledge of their quiet habits and otlicr valuable qualities becomes more diii'usod, the demand ibr birds of liigh quality will increase, and tlie prices, consequently, be maintained. Our opinion is sustained by the result of the sale of some of the Shanghae stock of T. H. Potts, Esq., of Kiugswood Lodge, near Croydon. This sale was by Mr. Strafford, at the Baker Street Bazaar, on the loth inst., and although a very large proportion of the lots were small-framed birds, yet the 121 realised the large sum of ^6723 8s. (id., notwithstanding some of the cockerels, very inferior, were knocked down for such sums as twelve and thirty-two shillings. Lot 8. A black cockerel, bred by JNIr. Lort, and took a first prize at the Great Metropolitan Show, sold for .£8 10s. Lot21. A lemon pullet, which took a first prize at the Bristol and Metropolitan Exhibitions, sold for .£13 liis. Lot 2G. Lemon cockerel, which took the first prize at Bristol, for chickens hatched subsequently to the 24th of June, iios 5s. Lot 20. Buff hen, which took a prize at Bir- mingham, in 18.51, £12 15s. Lot 35. Lemon cockerel (Wellington), wliich took prizes at the Great Metro- politan and Torquay Shows, ,=£28 7s ; another cockerel (Lot 09. " Sir Kobert.") sold for ^42 ; he was pur- chased by Earl Ducie. Lot 53. A hen for ^22, to Mr. Baily ; and Lot 52, a hen imported, formerly belong- ing to Mr. Andrews, described in the catalogue as " hav- ing taken many prizes, and considered the best hen in England," was purchased by Mr. Fox, of Snow Hill, for ^30 15s. Lot 102. A hen which took a prize at the Great Jletropolitan and Torquay Shows, £23 3s. BULBS. {Continued from page 363.) CuMjriNGiA. — This is a genus of Lilyworts belonging to the section of Conanlhers. Formerly it was united v.'ith the genus Conanthera, and I believe that the difference between the two was first pointed out to the late Mr. D. Don, by the late Lady Gordon Gumming, whose name the present genus is intended to com- memorate. The species are all natives of the north of Chili, and are difficult to flower, or to be kept in a flow- ering state ; they should be grown in pots, and in poor sandy loam. The herbage is delicate, and tlie flowers are of the richest dark blue colour, such as some varieties of the Hyacinth represent ; and the shape and size of tlie flowers are between that of a single Hyacinth and a Scilla. I believe the roots (they are not true bulbs) would succeed better in small shallow pans than in deep pots, so that they would receive the benefit of a scorching heat, while the leaves and flowers enjoy a dry, airy, or open air culture, in our climate. CuiiMiNGiA CAMPANULATA. — This is the speciss on 400 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febhuaby 24. which the genus was founded hy Mr. Don. It is figured in Siceet's British Flower Oanlen. It begins to grow late in JMay, and flowers for two months in the autumn, and goes to rest before midwinter. It is increased by dividing the roots like an Alstriimeria, but tlie more they are allowed to bundle together the safer they are ; all of them are, evidently, from a poor dry soil, where the few showers that fall to their lot, during the whole circle of their existence, aflect tliem but in a very small degree, and their low, tender herbage seems rather to be nourished by the fogs and heavy dews wliicli are pecuHar to the sea-side plains in the north of Chili. Bulbs, and other plants, natives of a similar climate in South Africa, and in some parts of Mexico, and in other places that are refreshed witli periodical rains, send tlieir roots far and deep into the soil in quest of moisture ; while those on the lower plains in the south of Peru and the north of Chili, where rain, if it ever falls at all, seldom penetrates beyond an inch or two, root near the surface. Hence the reason why bulbs from this quarter fail with us when we encourage their roots to penetrate deep into our loose borders, away from the influence of the sun, which is more natural for them ; and lience, too, my reason for recommending an opposite course for them. I would allow a free course for their roots on all sides, but I would prevent them from going down beyond two or three inches, according to the size of the bulb, by placing a close surface of soft porous bricks or sandstone under them, which I would keep constantly moist while the bulbs were in growth; and this can best be effected in a pit; and, when tlie bulbs were at rest, I would keep the glass constantly over them to increase the temperature and dryness about them. If the artificial bottom were placed on damp clay, all the better, as the great heat in the pit during tlie dry season would not dry up suddenly the moisture from the bricks; or, if it did in part, there would he a constant supply of moisture I'rom the damp clay below ; and we know that some of the large bulbs from the Cape enjoy a damp bottom to their roots all the time they are at rest, lor that purpose, many good cultivators place their pots of these dry bulbs in saucers of sand, which they keep constantly damp. COMMINGIA IRIMACULATA, and TENELLA. Botll of these are very dwarf plants flowering in the autumn. The flowers of trimacnlata are the darkest blue of the three, and the flower-spike or stem branches a little like that of a little Anthericum, a genus to wliich they are nearly related, so much so, that Persoon, a good bulb authority, mistook a little yellow-flowering plant from Mexico {Eiheandia terniflora), with the very aspect of Anthericum, for a Conanthera. The three species require e.xaetly the same kind of treatment, such as is indicated under the first species. Cyanella. — This is a small tribe of very okl-fasliioued plants, chiefly from the Cape, and are about as hardy as Ixias, and much about as large as the middle-sized species of Ij:ia, or say from ten to fliteen inclies high, but tliey are not true bulbs, although they are Lilyworts. Tliey belong to a large section of the order, once called after the Asphodels, but now, more generally, after the Anthe- ricuins. There is hardly a plant in tiiis section with a true bulb. Yet all of them exhibit the aspect of real bulbous plants, and as such they are set down in most of our books. C-JANELLA ALiiA, with white flowers ; ononATissniA, with rosy flowers ; and orciudtforjiis with light blue flowers, are the best species for shows, and also for giving diversity of colours peculiar to the genus. They require opposite treatment to the Ixias, as they rest all the winter, begin to grow late in the spring, and flower at the end of summer. With a little care aud manage- ment at first planting, and by keeping together all the half-hardy bulbs tliat grow and bloom in siunmer, and go dry in winter, tlie whole lot of them may bo grown and flowered in any part of this country, and with much less trouble than in keeping common Scarlet Geraniums : all that is necessary, is to keep the rain from this border from the end of October to the middle of March, so that it is as dry as powder by that time, then the merest protection in very frosty weather will keep it safe, and by the end of March the border should be forked with a gentle hand, a few inches deep, and tliree or four good heavy waterings from some open pond, so that every particle from top to bottom should be thoroughly wetted, like the ball in a pot. A bulb- border should be arranged aud flUed-in just asyou would a large pot — perfect drainage at the bottom, rougli peat, and turty loam, pieces of porous stone, lots of bones broken to a few inches in length, but not crushed. As much of charcoal in pieces not bigger than a dove's egg, all mixed together till you come within six inches of the top, then smother peat and loam, or whatever your bulbs like best. Cyclamens. — The cultivation of these has been given repeatedly in The Cottage Gaedener, and the means of improving them have also been fully detailed, if I recollect rightly. Like the Tigriilia, their improvement is going on very slow indeed, but still on a sure basis, and 1 do not know that T can add any more to them now. Cyclokothra. — This genus of small flowering-bulbs stands in the same relationship to the elegant Calo- chortus, as Collania does to AlslriJmeria. Tliey have nodding or drooping flowers, hanging down from the top of scapes, from eight to fliteen inches high; some of them, as alba and ptilchella, were once included among the Caloclwrts. The genus was founded by Don, not by Sweet, as is supposed. Sweet only figured some of the earlier introduced species in his British FJou'er Qarden. The same directions which were given for Gahchorts are apjilioable to this genus also ; but there is no ditficulty in flowering any of the Cydohothras, nor in keeping them, and most of them seed so freely, that they could be increased to any extent. All bulbs which droop like these should be planted where they could be seen above the eye, if that could always be done ; peat- borders, or very light sandy soil suits them, best. Cyclobotiira ai,i!a. — The uearest plant of any of our common bulbs, to compare to this family, is the little yellow Florentine Tulip wliich we force with other ] spring bulbs. The flowers of tliis alba are about the j same size as those of this Tulip, and the plant alto- \ getlier is about the same height and size. j Cyclobothra barb.\ta. — This, the Fritillaria hurbata of Kunth, is a very pretty yellow-flowering bulb fi'om Mexico, requiring greenhouse culture in a pot. But as I it goes to rest early in the winter, and is not veiy de- ; licate nor difficult to keep, it will do very well iu a border of mixed smmner-grmcing bulbs. It flowers from the end of summer, for two months, and a strong-established ■ bulb, in a light, deep border, will throw u\> a strong scape two feet high. The flowers are much bearded or hairy in the inside — a feature not uncommon to all of them, and to the Calochoris also. CvcLonoTHRA ELEGAXs. — A Very dwarf species with wliite flowers, quite liardy, and succeeds best in peat — say a peat liorder. It is one of Douglas's C<(?oc/ior^<, and is missed in our Dictionary ; and there is one called hitca in the Dictionary, which 1 do not know, unless it be Cyclobotura MONOi'HYT.LA. — A Very dwarf ])lant with small yellow-bearded flowers. This kind was discovered by Mr. Hartweg, on the Sacramento Mountains, in California. It is quite hardy, and not diflicult to keep. Cyclobotura plilciiella. — This is also a yellow- flowering bulb, with greenish sepals, and there is a de- licate fringe on the bright yellow petals. It is a very pretty flower ; the plant rises a foot or more, and is one of the easiest of tliem to keep, and to increase, as it seeds abundantly in the autumn. February 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 401 CyoLOBOTHRA PURPUREA. — A Very old-described bulb, and one of the best of them, and also one of the tallest ; about the same sine as barbata. It is a native of Mexico, and not quite so hardy as the more northern ones. Barbata, pulchella, and purpurea, are the three best, but they are all well worth growing, as their mode of growth, and of showing ofl' their drooping flowers, would make a pleasing variety on a rich border of mis- cellaneous bulbs. Cypella.' — With very much of the aspect of Tigridia, and with smaller flowers and longer scapes, in some instances (plumbea, for instance). The Cypellas have the flowers still more fugacious than Tigridia. The same treatment in every respect will suit the two families ; and also the Rigidellas, Beatonias, and Hgdro- tanias. It is as likely as not that some of these will, one day or other, be found to be nothing more than sections of the Tigridias after all; greater marks of dift'erence 1 may be discovered any day between sections of other families that interbreed very freely. Without some such mixture of blood the Cypellas are not worth much, but j the vermilion hues of O. Herbertii are very rich, while that of C. Plumbea is very curious. Herbertii is the best of the three, Drummondii the next, and plumbea the third. CyRIANTHUS OBLIQUOS ASD CAHNEUS. — The first is very well figured in the Botanical Magazine, 1133 ; and carneus equally so in the Botanical Register, 1462. They are all of this genus that I shall speak of to-day. They are both evergreen, and the only evergreens known to us in the genus. Their leaves are much alike : thick, firm, and very blunt at the ends; the bulbs are con- siderably larger than those of the Belladoua, and they are very diiScult to grow, and to increase, without the exact kind of loam they like. The yellow loam from Wansted Common, near London, suits them remarkably well, with only a very little sand added to it. Mr. Wheeler, of Warminster, used to grow them very healthy many years ago, but Dr. Herbert could never succeed with these two. I have been more successful with them than any one here, or in Australia, where they are quite at home. Once in seven or eight years will do to repot them, and they must have as small pots as they can be got into. They delight to be in a strong draught all the year round, where the air is admitted in the front of ! a greenhouse from May to October ; and in the front of a late vinery, where the air is kept quite dry all the winter, and at a temperature from 4-3° to .tO°, or even 60°. A resting house for Mexican orchids would also suit them in winter, if they were kept near where the air is admitted ; but they will not keep healthy for many years if they are wintered either in a good greenhouse, or the cool end of a stove. In July, 1849, I flowered C. obliquus very fine ; the flower-scape was thirty-five j inches long, and stout enough at the bottom to make a \ walking-stick. I got it to cross, and to bear seeds by the pollen of Valotta purpurea; the seedlings are old enough now to show the cross to be beyond a doubt, and yet there are not two other bulbs in the world whose flowers are so much unlike each other. I have also obtained a true cross from one of the great Can- delabra plants of the Cape (Brunsvigia grandijlora), by the pollen of Valotta, and others have done the like between Brunsvigias and Belladonas ; so that all these should now be placed, in a consecutive arrangement, immediately after Amaryllis. In Australia they can seed the Ggrtanths freely enough, but they cannot get the seeds to vegetate, and I promised to tell why under Brunsvigia, for I learned the why by sad experience. The seed-pod never changes colour, nor will it open imtil long after all the seeds are ripe, and as soon as they are ripe they will sprout immediately in the centre of the pod, and all that do so can never be got to con- tinue their growth after being exposed to the air. I was so fearful of some unlucky accident with my seeds, and I was sure that no one would believe me, that I effected such a cross at all, if I lost my seedlings, and being also aware of the seeds ripening before the pod gives any signs of it, I gathered the last pod in the right state, and sent it to Dr. Lindley, with an earnest request that the seedhngs should be reared in the garden of the Horticultural Society. In a few days after this I was very much amused indeed at finding that the oflioers of the Society thought I was quite daft. They sent me a polite letter, thanknig me for a green pod not half ripe enough ; but they qualified this in the Journal (1850, page l-3(>), and said they had a dozen of seedlings, ripe or not ripe. D. Be.vton. COVERING COLD PITS. Frost and snow have come at length, in unison with the prophetic warnings of the meteorologists; and, as if to rebuke the grumbling unbelievers who already began to dream about a scorching summer, without a bit of ice to cool either eatables or drinkables. It is no small pleasure to oiu-selves, scant as we are just now in time and covering material, to find that such a severe frost hSs not come until a mantle of snow was spread over the tender vegetation : and has snugly wrapped up our cold pits in the very best and cheapest protection we could give them. Only a short time ago, on the principle of fore-warning, I gave, as I conceived, as many of the miuutife of management in such unheated structures as I could cram into the allotted space ; and yet I find that friends, in the same vicinity, will read these state- ments so difi'erently, as to have an argument which of their respective systems is the very best ; Mr. Economy allowing his pits and frames, in such cold weather, to remain without light and air for the best part of a week ; while j\Ir. Thrifty-spare-no-labour has everything un- covered for several hours to admit all the light possible. Both have plants in cold pits ; both have a few plants standing in a pit, on dry ashes, with enough of hot sweet dung luiderneath to stimulate them into growth ; both have a few cuttings in a slight hotbed, and both have the prized luxruy of a radish-bed coming on ; and if I will not minutely discriminate which, in the main is correct, it is hoped that I will state what would be my own practice under such circumstances ; and this I will shortly do, hoping it may meet such ' ' diflicult " cases. Then 1st. All snob half-hardy plants as are generally kept in cold pits may safely be covered up in severe, dull, stormy weather, for a week or two, or longer, provided the plants have been kept stubby by plenty of light and air in open weather ; that the soil and pit are dryish rather than otherwise; and though last, not least impor- tant, the inside temperature is so low, from 34° to 40°, that growth will not take place. I have just now had such a pit covered for a week; I have frequently had them covered, in such circumstances, for three weeks and a month, and the plants sufiered nothing. The green- ness of a pasture, when it has been for weeks covered with snow, when the frost and snow have gradually gone, would give a hint of the same fact. In thus acting, I am not at all insensible to the beneficial influence of light; but often the frost at night is attended with snow, sleet, or even dull black frost during the day ; and in such cases all the light obtainable would not be worth the labour and the additional risk, and therefore I would not uncover. Again, this very day the sun has been shining beautifully after a keen frost last night; but I have not touched the covering: not merely because I was busy at the icehouse, but because I knew tlie plants wei'e all right within — because there was every appear- ance of a night of frost still more severe than the last, 402 THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. PjiERUARY 24. and because, above iny straw covers there was a layer of snow, which, so long as it was dry, scarcely any frost would penetrate, and which I must either wholly or par- tially remove in uncovering. How short or how long the covers will remain, will, therel'ore, depend upon cir- cumstances ; but if a very bright day should soon come, and it still should be frosty at night, it would be advis- able to give light; and the sun-heat would permit of the sashes being tilted at the back, at least, to change and dry the enclosed atmosphere. By shutting up early, heat is enclosed, and thus less covering is necessary. Of course, in warm weather, however didl, no covering will be required. Two precautions here are of import- ance : first, wlien long shut up, exposure to a bright sun must not take place at once; especially if the plants are near the glass, a slight siiadiug should be given. Secondly, if frost by any means penetrate, allow the plants to thaw before you remove the covering ; at least, a considerable portion should be left until then. 2ndly. Plants, that from want of air, or very dull warm weather, or both combined, have got rather weakly in their growth, will not exist in a healthy state so long when deprived of light — at any rate, even more care will be necessary, to see that the heat inside is not su£3- cient to excite them into growth. Taking the chance either of a mild or sunny day to uncover, even when tlie nights are very cold, would be to them more indis- pensable. 3rdly. All plants exposed to an artificial stimulus by heat will always sulfer when loug-conflned from light, and just in proportion to the extra temperature supplied. Not many days — hardly two days — should ever elapse without the plants being partially or wholly uncovered. All pits or frames supplied with fernrentiug matter yield moisture as well as heat. When tlie weather is so cold during the day that it would be unsafe to un- cover, tiltiug the glass for a few hours behind, even for an-eighth, or the quarter-of an-inch, would allow any lieated steam to escape. To our friends who wish to ibrward a few ]ilants or cuttings by using judiciously a slight hotbed, I would say, do not begin too early, say the end of February or later, when the sun is generally so powerful and his rays so frequent as to remove all difficulties of this nature. 1 once lost some nice plants in a shght hotbed frame in January ; tliey damped and rotted at the collar ; the weather was sucfi that I could not uncover them for more than a week. Neighbour plants, intended for succession, in a cold pit were safe. Whatever is growing, therefore, must have light. The tenderer the cuttings, for instance, and the greater the heat applied, the more will they be injured by complete darkness during the day. A radish-bed, getting fit to pull, and that had lost the artificial heat applied, might, in bad weather, be covered up several days without injury; but a young bed, with a nice heat below them, could not be so used. Messrs. Piobson and Errington would tell us, that such covering-up during the day would soon ruin the best early cucumbers. An old cucumber grower once, not very charitably, allowed some young begin- ners to get into a devious courBe. Tliey visited him on a regular " Murpluj" day. It was cold enough to furnish an excuse even for gardeners donning gloves, and warm ones, too. The old man was scarce of heating material, and, rather tluin let his fine plants get starved, be just kept tlie covering on them. The edge of a light was just moved for a peep — "How nice! what, keep them covered'?" said they, "Oh yes!" said he ; and know- ingly they nudged each otlier's elbows, thinking they had got a wriiilcle, and would soon have nice cucumbers. Need I say what was the result of their new-fashioned system ? 'The whole theory of, and the best modes of using, lu'otecting material have been more than once referred to. WOOD-LICE. " I have got a bed ready, or nearly so, for cuttings, con- sisting of dung and loaves, quite sweet, surmounted by a layer of rough ashes; but, last year, 1 lost many cuttings by uvodlice, and, even now, i sec they are in my bed. What can 1 do with them?" Your bed is just the thing for propagating; but it is also just the thing to en- courage woodUce. Dung alone is not such a good har- bour as dung and leaves mixed. Most old gardens swarm with them. I have never been able to eradicate them. 1 will tell you bow I have kept them down. Before making the bed, wash all the walls and wood- I work with boiling water. Get a few toads, and jilace I them in the bed, providing them with a saucer and water. If you use no glasses, and the cuttings are i small and tender, the toads may hurt some of them by ! sprawling over them. Sink a few beU-glasses, or tuui- I biers in the bed, and bait them with sliced turnip, or boiled potato, and a few tender green leaves, and when a respectable number are congregated, turn them into a pail of warm water. Put similar baits into small pots, covered with dry bay or moss, and lay them down on the bed, and examine and empty every morning. Put, in an afternoon, a layer of dry hay, front and back of the pit; have a small pot, with fine rose, and boiling water ready in the morning; turn up the hay with one hand, and wield the rose of the pot on the rascals with the other. Besides each, or all of these, paint the rim of the pot with a mixture of tar and oil, or set it so as it may be surrounded by water, in the case of very scarce and particular articles. I have liad the whole of these means in operation at once. Toads, of course, are use- ful ; but what would a few do among such myriads of woodlice as often collect and breed in such a bed. DEWING CUTTINGS AND YOUNG PLANTS. This is sometimes called " dusting " them with water. " Wliat is meant by this ; is it watering them well over- bead with a rose watering-pot ? Would not this, in the case of Heaths, for instance, especially if the bell-glass was put on immediately afterwards and not moved until they began to grow, cause them to damp?" To the latter question, we say, "very likely." To the first we say, that is not what we mean by Jewini/, nor at all in unison with the explanation given of these new terms. The questions are, no doubt, suggested by the article, pages 'M2 and o2S. I would just remark, in passing, that though the initiated may strike many things without moving the bell-glass, the inexperienced bad better not try it, but confine themselves to the rules for general and particular propagation copiously given; and that the dewimj there spoken of had re- ference, as will be seen from the context, to half-hardy plants chiefly, and not Heaths, as these formed no ]irimary matter of enquiry, such as the article was designed to meet. Even Plcatlis, as well as other hard- wooded cuttings, may often be dewed with advantage, however, if, as has been well inculcated, a little air should be given at night; or after they arc calhisiiig and rooting, it is desirable, for consolidating growth, to give more air and light than they would otherwise stand witliout shading; taking care, however, that the foliage was dry before the glasses were put down tight. In fact, in such circumstances, we often leave glasses oil' at night, and put them on during the day; and when a little hu'tlier advanced, but not sulliciontly so to stand a bright sun unhclped, we prefer very often sucli damping of the foliage, instead of shading, or pulling glasses on, and thus force the leaves to absorb, as well as perspire. Now, we will dew or dust whole beds of cuttings several times in a day, keeping them thus in a moist atmo- siiliere, and yet even tlio surface soil will never get soaked, nor even, we may say, wet, because the water is February 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 403 given to the foliage more like a mist than anything else, there being no necessity for a ilrop of water to be seen bigger than the smallest piu-hoad, or even pin-point if you like. " Tlicu how is this done? I never could get a rose watering-pot line enough to do it ; besides, there is the fiuiekiug, time, and the nasty drip which will fall where you do not want it." ilead's common garden syringe is my favourite instrument; it is so simple, so effectual. With ^very syringe sent out there are three nozzles — -two with holes piei'ced to resemble a rose of a pot, and one with two projections, one of which is the suction medium more particularly, and the other the delivering jet. This last nozzle is my favourite ; in fact, the others are generally put aside as pretty things to look at. A very forcible stream of water can be delivered with this jet; but by placing your finger on the point of the jet, just according to the pressiu'e you give to the de- scending piston, will you be enabled to give out a misty vapour and water in every degree of fineness and quan- tity, from that dewinrj up to the full volume and force of the unopposed jet. Now do not try such a plan with tender cuttings at first. You must practice a little on anything, or even upon nothing, until you acquire a tact, and then you will look on all otlier nozzles of syringes as cumbersome and useless. I once had a youug man that never could do it. It was a regular annoyance to he. He was the only one that did not like it as well as myself. When, with constant wear, the thread of the jet is worn out, the finger is placed over the hole left in the same way; nay, some of my men actually dismantle them thus from choice. A little practice, without any deep study of physical forces, will enable you to send this dusting, or dewing with water, in any direction you think proper. To those who have never tried it I should be afraid to state the short time, and tlie small quantity of water with which twenty frame lights of cuttings niay be thus dewed, every leaf damped, and yet tlie surface soil scarcely moistened. For all bedding plants, propagated either in autumn or spring, after being once watered, I prefer this dewing to watering much, or to shading, unless in extreme cases. A distance from the glass, and this dewing in sunshine, prevent perspiring, without debili- tating as shadius docs. 11. Fisu. CONIFERiE. {CoiUiiiift'dfroni ffttjc -300). fst — section 01' pinds, with leaves two in a sheath — (continued.) PiNus uesinosa (Resinous Pine). — This is the Red Pine of Canada and Nova Scotia, growing to the height only of thirty feet; but, as its name imports, yields an immense amount of resin, and being a native of such cold climates, is suitable to plant in the coldest parts of this country. Pin us sylvesteis (Forest, or Scotch Fir). — A well- known tree, and a very important one. I might fill the whole of this paper by describing its useful properties, but they are so well known it would be a waste of the reader's time. A few remarks on its culture will, how- ever, be useful. It will grow in almost any soil or situation. On the tops of high mountains, and on poor soils, it becomes stunted and blown sideways by the winds ; whilst in low, slieltered places it grows rapidly, but as quickly decays, and in sucli situations the timber is almost useless though, even when decayed it is excellent for fuel. The proper situation to plant it in, where it will lorm fine trees with sound good timber, is where the elevation is intermediate between the high mountain and the lowland valley, upon a rather clayey subsoil, with a surface of loamy peat or gravel. In the Great Park at Windsor, on the road-side leading to Bagshot, I observed, very lately, some beautiful speci- mens. The wood there has been judiciously planted and properly thinned, and the Scotch Firs exhibit most clearly the effects of good management. Several oi them were, and in fact are, remarkably handsome, even as objects of ornament, being perfectly straight, and clothed witli luxuriaut branchea down to the ground. Let those who despise the Scotch Fir on account of its being so common just take a ride out that way. I am sure they would be as delighted as I was. Tlie dark green foliage and reddish bark render them exceedingly interesting. There is no family in the whole tribe of Coniferse that has so many varieties as the Scotch Fir. These varieties are desirable as objects for the PirjCtum ; I shall briefly enumerate them. P. S. Altaica, from the Altaic mountains. ■ argentea, the Silver-leaved, very beautiful. ■ Erzeroiim, from Persia, with broad leaves. Oenevensis, from the mountain near Geneva. glauca, the Milky-green-leaved. • Ilaguencnsii; the Pin de Hagenau, from the south of Germany. — = — monopjit/lla, the One -leaved, a curious variety, with one leaf in a sheath. nana, the Dwarf. pendala, the Weeping. ■ 2'U'J'"'"-'"'' ^^'^ Pigmy. pt/ramidalis, the Pyramidal. Rigeasis, Pin de Riga, from Russia. tortuosa, the Twisted-leaved ; so named by D. Don, of F'orfar. uncinatic, the Hooked-coned ; so named by the same author. variegata, the Variegated-leaved. 2nd — SECTION OE PINUS, WITH LEAVES THREE IN A SHEATH. PiNus AUSTRALis syn. P. I'ALUSTRis (Soutbcru, or Marsh Pine). — A very important species, furnishing the red deal of commerce. It is almost the best of all the North American Pines, the wood being fine-grained, capable of a high polish, and of durable quality. The appearance of the tree is very beautiful ; the leaves are very long, and of a bright green, and it attains the lieigljt, on an average, of seventy feet. It will thrive well near the sea, on a thin soil, and in such a situation is perfectly hardy. More inland it is ratlier tender, especially in the north. The variety from the north- west coast of the same country has proved to bo much more hardy. PiNus Benthamiana (Mr. Bentham'sPine). — So named by its discoverer, Mr, Hartweg, in honour of G.Bentham, Esq., late Secretary to the Loudon Horticultural Society. This is one of the gigantic firs of California, growing [ there to the amazing height of 200 feet, with a stem i nearly thirty feet round. ^Vhat a mass of timber there 1 must be in such a noble denizen of the forest! California is rich in gold, the root of all evil, but it is richer in its i noble trees, which are equal in magnitude to tlie finest forests of Brazil, ilr. Hartweg found this noble tree I growing on the mountains of Santa Cruz, at a consi- derable elevation above the sea. Whole masses of it ! were growing together witli P. Sahiniana and P. Lani- hertiana slightly intermixed, and as both these are known to be perfectly hardy, it may be reasonably sup- posed that P. Benthamiana is hardy also. It is, as yet, very scarce, though there is a fine specimen or two in the gardens at Chiswick. When more plentiful, and its hardihood fully proved, it should be planted largely for its valuable timber, as well as specimens for ornament- ing the Pinetum. PiNus Canariensis (Canary Island Pine). — -ThisEuro- 404 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 24. pean species is found growing on the mountaius of the Canary Islands, in the clefts of i-ugged mountains, where it grows to a great size in circumference, though not in height, seldom exceeding, in that particular, more than seventy feet. In Devonshire and Cornwall it lives in the open air with impunity, but more northerly should either be protected or grown in a lofty conservatory. PiNus Ger.\rdi.\na (Gerard's Pine). — A low-growing tree, with shorter leaves than any species in this section ; not particularly handsome, but it is the hardiest of tlie Nepaul species. PiNus iNsiGMs (Remarkable Pine).— I have, in my " Jottings by the Way," frequently mentioned having seen fine specimens of this most n'markahle Pine. There are also some fine trees of it in the famous Pinctum at Dropmore, the seat of Lady Grenville. So different from all other Pines is this fine species, that it may be known at a considerable distance. It grows very dense, and the foliage is of a bright green. No collection, however small, can be complete without at least one specimen. Too much in its praise cannot be said or written, and as the wood is said to be excellent, it ought to be extensively planted, which, no doubt, it will be when the price is lower. Native of California, where it attains the height of ino feet. Pints Ll.u'e.v.xa (La Llave's Pine).— In the grounds at Delapre Abbey, near Northampton, there is a fine tree of this handsome species. The cones are nearly without scales, a remarkable distinction, and the seeds are used as food. The branches are slender and spread- ing, and are thickly clothed with foliage, which give out a pleasant perfume. Though a native of Jlexico it is perfectly hardy. 'i'. Appleby {To be continued.) THE PELARGONIUM. {Continued from paijc 384.) PRorAGAiioN : BY CuTHNGs. — The grand secret in success of propagation by cuttings consists in having the wood or shoots in right condition. It should neither be too young nor too old ; very young shoots quickly damp oil', and old ones are slow and not sure in making roots. Short stubby shoots make the best cut- tings, and the point where the bottom of the cutting should be made should be in a hall-ripened state. I remcniber, when 1 first had the ambition to try my skill in propagation, reading, in GusJiing's Exotic Oar- (lener, how to strike cuttings of Pelargoniums. He directs them to be put in ]iure loam, and gives the sensible reason for it that pure loam contains the least amount of putrescent matter. I put his recommenda- tion into practice with considerable success; perhaps nearly, if not quite equal to the success that would attend me now with all my, as I supjiose, superior experience. Propagators use now another article to plant cuttings in which most certainly contains still less of any decaying matter that would cause cuttings to rot than even pure loam, and that is pure silver sand. To be more certain of success, the following articles are necessary : — clean cutting pots (the size named in the pottery large 4«'s) which are five-inches-and-a-balf in diameter, inside measure ; clean drainage, formed with broken potsherds ; pure loam, sifted through a coarse sieve ; and the pure silver sand. 'Then the place to put them in— cither a good pro- pagating house, under a small frame covered with glass, and sot upon a heated surface of charcoal or coal ashes;— or a frame set up on a gentle hotbed made of well-tempered stable litter and leaves, and six inches thick with sawdust or coal ashes. With these conve- niences, and a due attention to choosing cuttings in a proper state, with a constant supervision in shading. giving air, and potting off as soon as roots are formed. there is no doubt of success — almost every cutting will grow. The best time i'or the operation is the month of ilarch or April, though cuttings will strike well througli all the summer months. Nurserymen, who pro- pagate this class of plants on a large scale, put in cut- tings most largely when the plants are cut down after the season for ilowcring is over; but such late-put-in- cuttings do not make such fine plants the following year as those that are struck in early spring. For tlie amateur, who only desires two or three plants of a kind, the first season is by far the best ; and it must be a poor plant indeed from which that number of plants cannot be taken then. Having fixed upon the time, go over the plants and take ott' as many cuttings as will fill one pot, choosing them as described above. With a very sharp knife cut the bottom of each cutting right across, close to a joint: this is called an horizontal cut, and should be made, if possible, just at the point whore the .old wood terminates and the new begins, and then cut ott' the bottom leaves, leaving two or three to each cutting. Place a mark, either a number, or the name, to each variety, as soon as all the cuttings of that variety are made, and so proceed till all that are taken olf are made and marked. Let them lay on the bench till the pot is prepared to receive them. This short time will do them good, by drying up the wounds made with the knife. Then take the pot, and put a large piece of potsherd over the hole, propping it up on one side with a very small bit of the same material. This is to allow the superabundant water to escape freely and readily. Over this potsherd place fully two inches of smaller broken potsherds, and upon them jmt a thin layer of the turfy sifting out of the loam. 'Then fill the pot to within an inch of the top, with the sifted loam, and that remaining inch with the pure white sand, give a gentle watering, and let it stand till the water settles, and the sand is firm. With a small smooth stick insert the cuttings round the edge of the pot, pressing the sand firmly to the bottom of 'each. 'Talte care to place the mark to each variety as they are put in. The stick will leave a little hollow to each cutting, these hollows should be filled up with some dry sand ; when this is done, give a gentle watering again, and the operation is complete for that pot. Proceed so till all the cuttings intended to be put in are (completed, then place them in the propagating- house or frame on a hotbed. The attention tliey require after this, is to shade them from bright sim, and give a little air occasionally to let out the damp steam, but do not shade them too loug, but accustom them to bear the sun by degrees. As they form a callosity (a swelling at the base of each cutting), they will soon bear the full light, and will then emit plenty of roots. To ascertain this, take up a pot and turn it upside down, and give it a gentle stroke, holding one hand ready to catch the ball. If they are rooted, the white tender roots will be seen running down outside the ball, between it and the pot. Should that be so, pot them immediately into small pots in a more generous soil, consisting of loam and leaf mould in equal parts, with a free admixture of sand. Replace them in the frame for a week or ten days, giving them tepid water once or twice as they need it. 'Then gradually inure them to bear the full sun and air, and place them on the shelves of the greenhouse near to the glass. After that treat them as the rest of the older plants. Some of the fancy variotics arc very difficidt to strike by cuttings in tlie ordinary way. 'Tlie cuttings of these should be planted in shallow pans filled with sand entirely, the bottom of each cutting touching the bottom of the pan. These should be placed on a shelf . February 34. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 406 near tbo glass of a good greenhouse, and by this method the most difficult may be propagated. for very free growers a more simple and summary method may be adopted, but it must be put into practice during tlie summer months. Choose a shady border, take away tlie common soil and place in its stead three or four inches of good loam mixed with saud. Make the cuttings ni the same way as is described above, and plant them in rows across this prepared border. Water them, and leave them to their fate. The greater part of them will strike root, and before the frost arrives, take them up carefully, and pot them, and remove them into a cold- frame tUl fresh roots are formed, then place them in the greenhoicse among the rest, and give the same treatment. One point must not be neglected, and that is to nip ofl' the top of each cutting as soon as it is potted otf, to cause the side buds to break, and thus form nice low bushy plants. T. Api'leby. {To he continued.) THE ONION. Fhoji time immemorial it has been the common prac- tice of the cottager to sow his Onions as early in tlie season as the nature of the ground and his other duties would ])ermit. Against this rule notliing can be said ; necessity occasions many delays which cannot in every case be overcome ; but there are many instances where a little perseverance might accomplish what an ordinary observer would regard as impossible, and of tliis class of duties is that of putting forth all the latent energies to the forwarding of work which a busy spring is sure to bring with it. On that score, therefore, we urge on our cottage friends wlio have much garden work to do, to be at it betimes ; what is done now need not be done again, in many instances ; while much that is neglected now can never be replaced. Wttft'ess the sad condition of ground which has nev^t been tilled the whole winter, aud pr-obably may be lyittg idle, without deriving the benefit which the little wintev We are likely to have may impart to it. It is not iii every case that such neglect is the result of sheer necessity ; a iitnle determination would often put the affair on a different footing. Now the object of the present chapter is not so much to urge the necessity of endeavouring to make up for the delay which the elements have sulyected all of us more or less to, hut to make some obsettiitions on the sowing of one of the most important crops on ground which we will suppose to have been prepared for it in the best way the season would allow. There are few vegetables can vie with the Onion for its antiquity and wide-spread popularity, and it has been made to accommodate itself to a much greater diversity of clime than many others ; yet it must be admitted, that countries ranging within the " temperate " zone are its favom-ite habitat ; and its culture has certainly attained a degree of perfection in those countries washed by the Mediterranean which we in vain look for elsewhere; and, as may be supposed, its importance there is duly valued. With us, the southern parts of the kingdom certainly exceed the northern for bringing this pro- duction forward; and though we often enough see a bad crop even south of the Thames, yet the chances there are much more favourable than those north of the Tweed, other things being the same; so that we are constrained to the belief that a much greater amount of heat and light is necessary for the perfection of this vegetable than for many others ; although varieties suit- able for a cold climate have been raised. Onion seed will not ripen well in the "far north," and the importation of that from a more southern dis- trict is attended with a sacrifice. The plant may, there- fore, be called an exotic, since it cannot reproduce itself in tlie way ordained by nature. Now, though we expect to see the Onion grown more extensively than it has hitherto been, and used, too, with more freedom than heretofore, we should also like to see some hybrid varie- ties, possessing all the merits of those we have, with the additional one of resisting the cold ungcnial climate of the north, so that we may be able to grow a crop with as much certainty of success in the parallel of the 58th degree of north latitude as in the TiOth. This, however, is not likely to be accomplished if the present system of importing seed from Paris, and elsewhere, be continued, because the constitutional character of the plant cannot possibly undergo any change while the important process of " seed saving " is still confined to a climate so much more genial than the one in which it is sown. This, of course, must be the work of time, and no one can be sanguine enough to expect the seed-ripeuing process to travel northward with railway speed. How many generations have passed away since its cultivation was first directed to that quarter, from the temperate regions of Africa and southern Europe, where it is pre- sumed it was first found indigenous; but the science of the present day being more guided by correct prin- ciples, may effect a change in much shorter time than was accomplished by our forefathers in their hap-hazard course. But to return to the Onion, whose progress seems less dilhcult to determine — we may say, that its capabilities of bearing cold seems to have undergone a gradual increase, so that it is now grown at a higher northern latitude than it used formerly to be ; and we have no doubt but it will, with judicious seed saving, &c., be enabled to bear still more cold, as its culture becomes better understood. This theory is, I know, opposed to that which points out the Potato as being killed by the first frost now, the same as in the days of Raleigh, who introduced it ; but we are not to reason fi'om that cause that the habit of the plant has not undergone a change ; for most assuredly it has, otherwise it would not be in a condition to furnish such fine crops of useful good tubers, as it often does (even now, in spite of disease) in the dampest and most unfavourable districts of the kingdom; and certainly Potatoes may be culti- vated to advantage in localities where but a meagre crop of Onions is expected ; but that the latter may be improved by carefully selecting seed from bulbs grown and perfected (for we cannot expect a good produce unless this be attended to) in a climate as near approaching to that in which the crop is sown as possible, is both likely and reasonable ; we, there- fore, strongly advise the amateur residing in some un- favourable locality in the " far North," to procure his seed from some one who can warrant it as having been grown as near his own neighbourhood as pos- sible. It is likely that he will have to pay a little more for it on that account, but this will be repaid him in the superior crop he will have, if other things be equally favourable ; and we take this opportunity of saying that we are no advocate for " cheap seeds," in the general sense in which that term is understood. Seeds, to be genuine and good, cannot always be grown cheap ; and that ruinous competition in the trade, coupled with a sort of guUability on the part of buyers, has led to various things being offered for sale, at prices lower than those they can be grown for in a legitimate way ; and though Onion seed, as a whole, may be more pure than most seeds, yet it is well known the well-keeping of the pro- duce depends, in a great measure, on the seed having been saved as near home as possible. Foreign seed is notorious for the bad keeping qualities of its produce. This has led many growers to grow their own seed in those favourable districts of England where it will ripen well. We will supipose the amateur to have procured " good 406 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. I'EiiiinAnY 21. seed," and that his ground, which had beeu manured and ridged in autumn, had been levelled down early in i'cbruary, and has undergone the changes of weather during that month ; it will be lit to receive the seed towards tlie end of it, or beginning of March, provided it be sulliciontly dry to allow treading upon witliout kneading it into an impenetrable mass; this, of course, must not be done under any circumstances, for when the weather seems unlikely to allow the ground to be trampled over without consolidating the mass into that slate, it must not be trod upon at all; but the plot, instead of being sown in continuous rows, must be divided into beds of about three-feet-and-a-lialf each, with eigliteen-inch alleys, and the crop then sown l>road- cast. This plan, however, need not be adopted when access to the ground can be liad without injury ; for we prefer sowing in rows about a foot apart, as the crop is easier and better managed during the summer, and the )jroduce for a given space of ground is generally larger. Shallow drills drawn by a lioe is best, which cover up when sown; and do not be too particular and exact in the rakiug, provided the seed be only covered, as that is the principal thing. The smooth nicety with which the ground is sometimes dressed is detrimental to the crop. The rains, &c., which often intervene before the young plants make their appearance, flatten the surface so much, that it presents a very unkind medium for them to vegetate in, while it cannot be stirred until the plants show themselves. When the ground is very still', and likely to form a hardened surface, impermeable to the atmosphere, &o., it is better to mi.N; something with it to keep it open. It has for many years been the practice of those residing in districts where much charcoal is made, to mi.\ a ])art of the " ashes or refuse" with the soil the onions are sown in, more especially the top part. This important addition prevents ground, however tena- cious, from caking into a solid mass. It has other good properties as well, so that when it can be obtained, it may be used with the best possible effect. Coal ashes are not so good, but they ai'e still useful ; still more so, however, are wood-ashes ; and, in fact, any light open- ing substance that will prevent the ground running nito that hard, impenetrable nrass, which a stiff soil is prone to do when soddening rains are followed by dry weatlier. Of the kinds proper to sow it is almost needless to say much. The Stnislmr(jh is, undoubtedly, one of the best keeping kinds ; but the bulbs are uniformly less than the Qlohe, Spcmisli, and some other kinds. The James Aivpiiiij is also a good onion, and keeps well; and, to those who are not particular to keep each kind by itself, we would advise the Utrashargh, James Keeping, and Reading, to be sown together mixed, and the other kinds mi.x.ed also, and sown in the mi.xed state. This mixing we jn-efer in cases where bought or doubtful seeds are used, because the chances are that one of the kinds may be worthless, or nearly so ; consequently, a blank is made on the place where it is sown. This is, in a mea- sure, obviated by mixing the kinds, and sowing middling thick ; it is easy to draw a few when wanted, while it is not always that planted-out ones succeed well in any but favourite localities. As a general rule. Onions like a deep, rich soil ; but, with judicious management, good crops arc often seen on very indifferent ones; but then ar'tihcial assist- ance has been allowed them, and probably the season has been propitious. But, as they unilbrmly form an important crop in every garden, from that of the luun- blest cottager, u|)wards, it behoves the amateur to grant them that due allowance of the " good things " most crops delight in, in order that his crop may be equal with, if not superior to, the poor cottager who may be neighbour to him. Much more may bo said on this matter ; but, as our space is occupied, we must for the present take leave of our young friends, and advise them, wliile planning out wliat crops they think most suitable and prohtable for each division of their garden, to boar in mind, that this deserves one of the best places ; and, if the instructions here given be carried out, and the season be at all favourable, the chances are that a good crop will be tiie issue. J. lloBsoK. FEATHERS. A LiGur title is this, yet bearing fust and fresli to lis retlectioiis many and weiylity; thoui,'h we should hesitate before we ijuite agreed with Mr. JMacgiUivray, in " more admiring the mind tliat had discovered the causes, rela- tions, conuectious, and objects of a feather, than that which had uieasiu'ed the magnitudes of the planets, traced their orbits, and calculated then- velocities." Wonch-ous as is the structure, calculated to unite the greatest strength witli the most exti'eme lightness ; extra- ordinary as is the chemical composition, coagulated albumen, which is most powerful to resist breakage, and, unlike the gelatine of hair, is insoluble in water; cm-ious as is the arrangement of every portion of the feather — and varying in every genus of birds — whether we examine the tube or barrel, the shoj't or sicm, or the vane ; and beauteous as are their tints — yet we must not, for our ju'esent purpose, descant upon any one of those peculiarities, but must con- fine our attention to the markings whicli characterise the feathers of the various varieties of cm' Domestic Fowls. (Jn this subject some ditfereuce of opinion, and much doubt, in the minds of amateurs, exists. After niatme con- sideration, and after listening to many arguments, we have resolved to publish a series of drawings of the most perfect specimens we can obtain ; and our readers will oblige us by sending us any that they consider very superior. 1'i;ncii,i.kii I'K.M'uniis. The term ^' peneilled" is strictly apphcahle only to the gold and silver varieties of the llamburgh fowl, l-'or, although tlie hybrid races of a farm-yard, where Ibimburgh blood has been at some time infused, often exliibit traces of tins plumage, more or less distinct, according to their degrees of illegitimacy, yet, a well-bred, perrccl specimen shoidd have nearly evei-y feather on lier body (lor this characteristic is almost limited to the female bird), the neck hackle alone excepted, distinctly marked wilb, at least, four parallel Iransversc dark bars, about cuie sixtb-of.an- iuch in width. It is this peculiar marking that coiislitutes the pencilled feather; the grotmd-colour of which will be cither a ricli, but clear, yellow, or French-white, as the birds may respectively belong to the gold or silver varieties. b'EBnUARY 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 407 " I HAVE NO ONE TO TAKE CAllE OF ME." Bij the Authoress of "Mi/ Flowers," iC'c. At the risk of being thought prosy and wearisome, I am going to spealc again ou the subjeft of tlioiightless, ungodly niai-riages. Next to the clioice of "whom ye will serve," comes that of whom ye will marry; and awful indeed it is to see the whys aud the wherefores of these joinings toge- llier. It is a subject that can scarcely be too strongly enforced, or too roughly handled ; for not only does it alfect individual liappiness, but it is injurious to the characters and minds of the children that spring up in the midst of misery, aud discord, and sin ; and it has powerful influence, too, upon the good of society at large. Even among the humble classes, what a perfume proceeds from a happy, well-ordered, religious family, where the parents are united iu heart and faith, as well as in matrimony ; where the daily labour is sanctilied, and the hours of rest are blessed ; where the Sabbath is called " a delight, honourable," aud the evenings pass peacefully in each other's company — far from the beer-house and the "way of sinners," and close mth prayer and praise ! I believe that people of decided piety are but too apt to be weak iu this momentous matter. Perhaps no other temptation on earth could move them but this. How needful, then, is close aud anxious walldng with Clod, that when such snares lie iu our path we may be enabled to step over them ; for the arm of the Lord only can do this. Jane Ford was a widow, with two sons. She was a supe- rior person for her rank in life — mild, and gentle, and pleasing in her manners, very trustworthy, and clever in her business. She lived in the family of a rich farmer, was greatly regarded by the family, and was a sort of cook and ]uanager together. Any one would have thought that this was a comfortable place for a person in her situation; that she was settled there by the good Providence of ti-od, and that if she dared to trust in bis promise to the widow, aU woidd go well with her. One might reasonably have thought this, liut a snare fell in her way — one so plain and easy to be understood, that it was wonderful she should have put her neck into the noose. " Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird." John Sims was a notoriously drunken cai'penter. He wag a good workman, but there was no other good in him. He was a by-word iu the village ; his very name made people shut their doors, and his face declared that report did him no wrong. It was a matter of wonder and admiration to the whole parish, that in the time of the riots .John Sims was the only man who did not join tlie mob. People spoke to one another about it : " Think of John Sims, he not being in the mob ! how came he not to be there, and the head aud front of them aU." But so it was. Some yeai'S after that memorable time Sims became a mai-ried man. He chose a very clean, respectable wife, but she very soon faded and died. Every one wondered at her marriage, but no one was surprised at her death. Sims went hammering on one minute, and " drinking himself drunk " the next ; so that no reasonable expectation could be entertained of his making a woman happy, or of her living long upon the earth. John Sims remained for a time in singleness of estate, but at length he took it into his head to fancy Jane I'ord, and he advanced accordingly. In the face of all bygone facts, Jane did not at once dismiss him. She put before him his habit of drinking, and his general character ; but he pro- mised to give up his beer for her sake, and took to go to church. This was a convincing proof, to her, that he loved her, and would make her happy ; and so she became his wife. Every one lamented the folly and madness of this step ; there was no one who could give her a cheering word ; she left a respectable aud comfortable situation to shut herself up in a dark, dismal cottage with John Sims ! The only excuse she attempted to ofler was, " I have no one to take care of me." It was not long before Jane Sims awoke to the full con- sciousness of what she had done when she gave up God's promise for tliat of man. Her cheerful smile and untrou- bled countenance were gone. She was not Uke the same person. It was impossible not to see tliat her mamed life was a bitter one; the tearful eyes, and melancholy face, spoke the ti'uth too plainly. Sims gave up going to church very soon after his second marriage; his red, swelled, ill- looking face was again seen, day after day, in the beer-house; and he went staggering home at night, just as he had done before lie promised to leave otf drink. Let woman lay this to her heart: if a man will not "turn from the wickedness that he hath comrailted, and do that which is lawful and riglit," for the sake of a crucified Saviour, he «ill never do it for the sake of a wife. On a sick-bed we promise in our terror to lead a new life, if the Lord will once more raise us up ; but what a promise is Ibis ! It is like the morning cloud, aud the early dew ! 'When we rise up we forget our fear ; and we go forth again to the mire. Just like this is the promise of a man wlio has a worldly point to gain — a wife ! When he has won her, and seated her by the fireside, he too, will go forth again to the mire, and leave her to bewail her folly, No change cnu take place in an unre- newed heart. Unless we are "born again," we cannot do the thing that is " lawful and right." Let us all remember this. The violence and madness of John Sims, when be is under the influence of drink, is fearful. He enters his cottage like a roaring lion. His wife trembles and weeps, but she dares not " upset " him ; nor, indeed, should a wife at any time do so. Her two boys see tlie condition of their mother's husband; they see her degraded situation; they hear his oaths and violence ; but they can do nothing Oh ! what an example for the sous whom Uod has given her! "What a bitterness, to feel that she has set it before their eyes ; that her own folly has done this ! " I have no one to take care of me," must rise up like an adder in her path JIOIV. Sims driuks sometimes for two days together ; and when he has come to his senses he goes oft' to woiii with his step-son behind him. One sabbath morning we met him iu his dirty dress, with such a face of woeful intoxication, that it made us shudder. He had been drinking, " off and on," for nearly the week before, and had strolled out, be hardly knew where, to cool his burning head. Poor Jane goes out very often to cook aud assist in a neighbouring family. She is obliged to get her own bread, for she has but little of her husband's. She is not often, there- fore, in her own home ; and when she is, it is in fear aud trembling. Slie speaks with great meekness and submission of the trials she has to bear. She went out to seek it, and must now support it as best she may. She lays religious books in her husband's way, and talks to him iu his sober minutes. He will read and hear ; but he lives next door to a beer-house, and he rises up from the Pible and the tract, to go to the haunt where Satan loves to dwell. " I have no one to take care of me." This may be the feeling of many a single woman. Let her beware ! Let her remember the care that John Sims takes of his miserable wife ! Let her remember the home which poor Jane escapes from as often as she can 1 Let her remember that the " arm of flesh " is a broken statf to lean ou, and will surely run into our hand. Let her remember that there is a God " of the fatherless and of the widow," who is the only One to ta/i-e core of ns, the only One on whom to cast our burden, and to look confidently for protection and care. Do not let us deceive ourselves in this matter; we are quite ready to shut our eyes, and stupify our senses, but we do it with a curse and not a blessing. Even if we choose a worthy ob- ject, what kind of a reason is it to give, that we want to be tii/cen care of! Let me solemnly and earnestly repeat to nil my readers, male and female, high and low, forit concerns IIS oil, the awful words of the Lord God of Hosts himself: " Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, and tiiketh man fur his defence, aud in his heart goeth from the Lord." "When we marry to be taken care of, we do depart from the Lord. ALLOTMENT FARMING— Mabch. One of the greatest faults in allotment or cottage garden- ing is the injudicious way in which mixed cropping is carried out. This arises principally from ignorance in the culti- vator of the importance of light to the vegetable world. How often have I received for an answer, ^\■hell urging the impropriety of certain combinations on the score of impeded light, " Oh, they icUl ijei Ihiht cnnuijh." 408 THE COTTAGE GARDENER Febbuabt 24. Now, light is a relative aftair, not to be taken abstractedly ■with regard to cropping, for many of our vegetables do not arrive at tiiat perfection they attain in some other climes where the light is by far more intense. So, then, it is not a question of sunshhie alone, but of tliat free exposure on an all sides which may receive the greatest number of rays. Agaiu, a given crop may be at one period benefited by a certain amount of shade, or rather j)artial depiivation of light, yet the same crop, at another period, requhlng all possible sunlight. Although this question is closely bound up with that of the circulation of the air, yet the two prin- ciples are, in their indiAidual character and effects, different. For instance : a cucumber bed, exposed out-of-doors, will re- ceive abundance of air, or, in other words, a free circulation with theUght; but those confined in a hotbed cannot be said to do so. Or, to come to a case more faraiUar — suppose a few rows of potatoes between two parallel rows of tall peas, can it be said that these potatoes enjoy as free a circulation of ail- as those on the brow of an ojien field ? We will now enquire what the consequences separately are of a partial deprivation of light, and an impeded cir- culation of the air; hoping that such enquiry may serve to widen the cottager's views, and lay the foundation of more judicious cropping. To begin with an extreme case — surely our allotment men may have noticed blanched rhubarb, sea- kale, or celery ! The consequence here is, that parts which would have been green, under ordinary circumstances, become pale, and, in addition, lose much of that intensity of flavom- or strong taste with which natm'e has endowed them, a pai'tial abstraction of which renders them more palatable as food for man. But then, it must be borne in mind that these blanched parts are, in a great degree, deprived of those natural functions which elaborate or prepare for future seasons, or futm-e demands, made by root, branches, flowers, fruit, or seed. Now, although this blanching does not take place with our ordinary crops, under ordinary circumstances, yet precisely the same effects, modified by the degree of the evil, must assm'edly follow, if the foliage of a plant is deprived of the action of a portion of its leaf siu-face. And what about partial deprivation of air ? This has two bad bearings ; in the first, it has a continual tendency to "■drau-" plants, as gardeners call it; and in the second, to engender, through the rotting of decaying and light-deprived portions of the plants, corrupt iuflueuces, which sometimes act in a similar way as corrupt emanations from animal matter, in exerting a morbid influence on bodies contiguous. Our readers must have seen the evil effects of lea\ing over thick young seed crops long beyond the thinning period, perhaps smothered with weeds ; and they may have noticed the havoc produced on them by a sudden Uniiiiiiiii, followed by hriffht sunshine. We have noticed peas lying on the ground, unslaked, engender stagnant damps to that degree, in dull and wet peiiods, as to seriously peril, if not utterly destroy the crop. I willingly grant that the latter examples ai'e of a compnnnd duiracfer, less or more — a matter of light abstraction, as well as of impeded circulation of air ; but it will serve as an illustration of the points in hand. Let every small gardener, or farmer, study well these principles, for they may rest assiured that society cannot, in these dai/s nj' stec{m, remain stationary. A\'hatever takes place in the heart of society will soon be transmitted by the various arteries to the extremities ; and as i'eogkess ia the watch-word in the superior portion of society, so must it soon be with the lower. I may here observe, that most of our root crops, such as carrots, parsnips, mangold, swedes, &c., will endure tolerably close cropping in the mixed way, if necessary, until the real " hulbincj" bcr/ins — say about August — when they require all the light oiu' climate aflbrds on an average. This being conceded, surely our friends may so plan their cropping as to accommodate themselves without discommoding the crops. Space will not permit me to show the \ arious combina- tions of which even our most ordinary crops are capable ; much must ever bo left to exercise the ingenuity of tlie cultivator. This is as it should be. Men are not mere machines ; being endued by God with reasoning powers in material things, nothing is needed but to direct the unin- formed mind as to those principles, which must ever form the groundwork of good practice ; the rest but requires an earnest and attentive mind, with a corresxionding degree of exertion. Now, let us examine the position of affairs, and descend to the dull routine of nrr/enl bnsiness. 1 do think, that for present pnrposes, most of the cropis may be thrown into three divisions, viz. :— Eai-ly crops, midsummer crops, and autumn or winter crops, mostly roots. I do not >\rge that this is tlie most complete division of the subject, but that imder present cu-cumstances it is the most prudential and prac- tical. Let it be remembered in iJl this, that llie poluto, which at present obtains the preference as food for man, cannot endure shade during the whole growing period. It is all very well to talk of a plot beneath an apple-tree having escaped the blight, when those on the hill-top were infested. A\"e talk tluis when reasoning on principles ; but when Mai'ch arrives, the maxim must be " a word aud a blow." What- ever may have been proved about potatoes in shade, my advice is, plant early on the hiijhcsl aud dnjesl ground, unless in a parching district, -is to manuring, the ex- perience of our first-rate men, during the existence of the dreaded malady, is quite averse to it; at least in a fresh state. But here a question arises in the mind of those who have smart rents to i)ay, and many bau'ns gaping for food — " If my family must he fed, and I must pay my rent, I must have a full crop ; can I get one without manm'e ? " My answer is — if you do, your soil must be iu a good heart from previous crops, or you will assuredly reap a very moderate produce. Business ov the Month. — Our February remarks mil serve to point to the chief poUcy wherewith to commence the spring campaign. The unusually wet period through which the country has passed, will have taught our stand- stills a lesson they will not readily forget. Those wlio have been wise in tune, will, before this, have taken at least remedial measm-es as to the removal of stagnated moistiu*e. Extra drains, and water courses of a temporaiy chai'acter, will have been called into use ; and now a fm-ther piece of advice ; do }iot introduce nnij crojys, if possible, unless the soil is in a mellniv state. .\s to cropping, we wiU divide the month into three parts — bcf/innin'/, midille, and end; but it must be imderstood, that many operations cannot be confined to set times ; such merely serve as remindere. Beginning. — Peas and Beans must be thought of. This is a good time for a full crop, and we advise the Green Im- perial Pea, as furnishing a glut, and coming olf the ground in good time ; they, moreover, never ramble and shade other crops. In Beans, the Broad Windsor or the Long-pod. Onions must be got in now, the ground dug deep, and a little manure in the lower pint of the trench. Parsnips sow directly ; they are a hardy plant, and require a long season. Trench deep, and work down manure. If alone, they may be twenty inches between the rows. Cnbbaye plants must be immediately got out ; these may be a stolen crop ; many take to the mangold or swede ground, tiie latter sown in April between double rows of cabbage. Caiili- Jlinrers, too, planted, and tlie winter Lettuce plant; tlie latter a stolen crop, on rich soil. Onions and other store roots for seed may yet be planted. Leeks may be sown directly ; also Lettuces. Tliese may be mixed with the Onions, as likewise a few liailishcs, with some Early Horn Carrids. Spinach, if required, may be sown as a stolen crop ; aird as for Cabbai/es, I say with Miss Martineau, sow a bed once a month, beginning now, and ending in the middle of August. Green Kale, Brussels Sprouts, and Snvoi/s, may be sown ; hut it is necessary for the operator to see well his way, for the sowing of those things must, in the main, be regulated by the period at wdiich the ground will be vacant. In dry weather tlie hoc should be run tlirough the young Cabbages. The Middle. — By tliis time the soil will be getting in mellow order, and now it will be necessary to get the plots ready (whilst dri/) for IMangold, Swedes, Carrots, ic, if not previously done. It is almost needless to repeal, that there is no guarantee for a full crop witliout deep digging, and a liberal miinuriiig; and I think that, as a general principle, the manure should be kept at a rather Ion' level, using a guano mixtm-e in the drills to set the young plant on its legs. A jilan I often practice is, in digging two spades deep in yard-wide trenches to spread the manure, and then dig one full spade's depth of the maniu'e and soil, and before Febbuary 24. THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. 409 digging tlie second, to stir the aforesaid deeply vdih a fork, then to dig a very moderate " spit," and cover tlie other with it. The mere surface may be rather poor, and if such a compost as I have often described be kept on liand, viz., soot, guano, and very old leaf soil, or manm'e, all blended, it may be sown liberally with the seed in the drills, in order to jiush the plants. End of the Month. — We have little fresh croppmg yet, but the beginning of April will bring this business. I may here advise, that all digging be well carried cait before April comes in, and that the whole plot or garden receive a thorough cleaning Vtefore April showem arrivt:. This is generally a good hoeing month, and cai'e should be taken to use the hoe freely, ralcing up as the hoeing proceeds. R. Eebington. By THE APIAEIAN'S CALENDAE.— March. ./. H. Payne, Esq., Author of " The Bee-Keeper's Guide," i'c. Feeding. — Never, surely, was the necessity for feeding so imperative as at the present time, as, from the extreme mildness of the winter, the bees have been in almost con- stant activity, and consequently consuming a much larger portion of food than usual, and this, too, after an unusually bad honey season. I am not quite sure that the Ivy has not aiforded them some little through the winter, for, certainly, they have been attracted to it almost every dry day ; and breeding, I feel assured, has been going on in some of my stocks from the middle or early pai't of .Tanuary, for on every sunny day water has been sought after by the bees with great eagerness. Now, with all this, a rapidly increasing population, a scanty store of honey, and, perhaps, a cold spring, what must the result be, unless a very hberal supply of food is administered, and as the spring advances great cai-e \rill be required in giving it, or robbing will be induced. I would say, feed at the top of the hive in all possible cases ; and I still hold, that for spring feeding, barley-sugai- is the best, and I give a receipt below for its manufactm-e, which, perhaps, is a little more simphfied than the one I gave two or three years since. E.U1LY BREEDING.- — I am well aware of the advantages of early breeding, and have both used and recommended various modes for promoting it ; but in such a season as the present one, unless the greatest vigilance be observed in supplying food, that which is usually esteemed a great advantage will now become a positive calamity. Ceeaning Flooe-boaeds. — When performing this opera- tion, should the hives be found to be at all damp or mouldy, take the precaution of raising them a little for a few hours, on a dry day, in the manner recommended in the calendar for last month. Snow. — Should we, after all this mild weather, have snow, it win be necessary to keep the entrances of the hives stopped whilst it remains upon the ground, or the loss of life will be very great, which at this season should be more especially guarded against. To MAiiE Baeley-sugae. — Put two pounds of loaf-sugai' into a saucepan, with half-a-pint of water, and two spoonfuls of the best vinegar;* put it on a gentle fire, let it boil till the s\Tup becomes so thick, that the handle of a spoon Ijeing dipped into it, and then plunged into cold water, the syrup uj)on the handle is found to be (luite crisp ; when this is the case it is sufficiently boiled. Have an earthen dish or marble slab in readiness, well buttered ; pour the syrup upon it, and, when sufficiently cool to handle, clip it with scissors into strips the size desu-ed. The pi'ocess of boiling takes about twenty minutes. POLANDS AND HAMBURGHS. I THINK I must trouble you with another Poland versus Hamburgh letter, wherein I will write aside-by-side descrip- tion of Polands, Black, White, and Spangled, and of the Tufted * The addition of the vinegar prevents the sugar from graining, or crystalising, which otherwise would ^frequently happen, and in this state it is useless to the bees. Hamburghs, Nearly Black, Laced, and Pheasanted, for you i seem inchned to admit a distinction, but still call the Dutch E very-day-layers, Hamburghs. I hope, however, that you , will clear up this mistalie before your new work comes out ; j as also that of the new fashion of caUing a black spot a spangle , for as long as I have known the fancy fowls, these black spots were called pheasanted, and spangles were tliose white sjjots on a darker groimd, and I think you will find many old fanciers of the same opinions. But the true Poles having almost passed away, and with them the real Spangles, their names liave lately been applied to the Hamburghs, and their name slipped on to the Dutch or Bolton.— B. P. Beent. [Whenever a catalogue of any Poultry Society, during the last few years, is taken up, we find prizes offered, amongst otlier breeds, to Polisli and Hcimhurijhs in their several varieties. When the time comes, and we find our- selves in. the exhibition-room, we see the pens assigned to Folands occupied by birds of different plumage indeed, but, whether black, gold, or silver, with one distinctive charac- teristic feature, and that is, a prominent, fuUy- developed top-knot, with a diminutive, spiked comb. Let us go a little further, and we reach the location of the Hamhurcjh family. Here, again, we have diversity of colour, but uniformity in one sti-iking feature — "a full rose-comb;" one recognised and most essential feature of this class ; but a tufted or top-knotted bird, claiming even remote eousinship with the Hamburgh, would there botli merit and meet with speedy expulsion. Now, let it be remembered, that we are here contending for no mere personal notions of what, in our own idea, should constitute tlie distinction between different I famihes of fowls, but are simply referring to the rule whicli hitherto has been acted on at every Poultry Exhibition at which either we ourselves have been present, or of which we have read the report. We must acknowledge, therefore, ovir adhesion to this general opinion, that the " Tufted Hambtm/li " is rightly excluded from any system for the classification of fowls. For, amid the dilhgent scrutiny with whicli, of late especially, every matter connected with the detail of our Poultry Societies have been investigated, it is most impossible to say, at least, that such an error in nomenclature, as Mr. Brent would imj)ly the existence of, I could ever have received the general sanction of all con- j cerned. .Tust so, too, with the Spuugled birds. Ask any one ■ of those who have acted as judges at our Exhibitions for his I definition of the meaning of the word, and then look at the I pen which is honom-ed by his award. What markings have the birds within ? Whether silver or golden, as in the case ' of the Hamburghs, we find the ground colour clear French- . white, or bright bay, as the case may be, and the " spangle " 1 itself a more or less jierfect oval sjiot, of dark colour, occu- j pying the extremity of tlie feather. East, west, north, or j south, we find the pens allotted to spangled birds thus i occupied, while the public sanctions the award. If an argu- i ment, however, be drawn from the literal definition of the I word spangle, as that which shines or glitters, and it be I thence inferred that its colom' should be white, we would I submit that a dark object on a light ground might equally ! well fulfil the terms of the definition as a white object on a I dark ground. But, though differing on these points, it is ! but just to remind om- readers that those who have lately I derived so much interest from studying the habits of the j various breeds of jioultry, owe much to Mr. Brent and others, who, at a period when the details of tlie poultiy- i yard were usually regarded as utterly imworthy of any ! serious consideration, persevered with the same earnestness and assiduity as is now called forth by the popularity with which poultry has been lately invested. Our thanks are indeed due to them ; and although it unfortunately happens that in this question of "Poland versus Hamburgh," we find om'selves at variance with him, bis frequent contribu- tions to The Cottage Gaedenee must have been read by many with the same interest and profit as we ourselves have undoubtedly derived from them. Our present defini- tion of the distinctive points and characteristics of these two varieties, as also that of the word " spangle," rests on what we conceive to be the declared opinion, as evidenced by their practice, of every Poultij Society in England. And thus, taking even the lowest ground, it would surely be admitted that, with such unamimous assent of competent 410 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. February 2i. authorities to the meaning of certain terms, it must demand sti-onger facts than have yet been brought before us to induce us to hesitate on the propriety of their present apphcation. — W.] MOVEABLE GARDEN SCRAPER. I HAVE observed, for some time past, that you have been most laudably enlightening your readers as to the best description of that most useful implement, a garden scraper. There is no objection to be made to those already submitted, which are good and useful in their way, but they ai'e fix- tures, and may not be to hand at the moment when most wanted. I have, therefore, much pleasm-e in sending you a drawing of one, wliich I liave had in use for many years. It was invented by a gentleman in Hertfordshire, and it is not, therefore, surprising that I should never have seen it elsewhere than amongst those of my friends who have taken mine as their model ; otherwise I should feel inclined to say, "I cannot think how auy^ one can do without it." Nothing can be more simple, and yet nothing more useful, particularly for amateurs of the fairer sex. The handle should be made of a light and elastic wood, so that it be as easily carried about in the hand as a hoe. It is stuck into the edge of the bed upon which one may be going to employ oneself, and is ready for use before the foot be again placed on the gravel or lawn. It may be useful to some to know that mine were made by Messrs. Nunn and Son, of Hert- ford.—H. S. Watson, ToUimjton Park. ^ CROSS BREEDING. Mr.. SHF.rPAED, in alluding to a comnuniication of mine in your paper of December last, musl mean thai lU'lcriorcdimi lakes -place in (he hrcednKj of sheep when they are hred-in-and- in—that is, bred in the same fainihj ; and if the breeding is continvied any length of time, tliat " they degenerate to a marvellous extent mth every generation, until at last the sheep become quite weak and sickly, haxdng none of the characteristics of purity and health ;" and if tliis is what lie means, I perfectly agree witli him, and do not think any of your numerous readers will even for a moment (juestion tlie truth of his statement. But if ^Ir. Slieppard means that sickness and deterioration will only take place when tlie animals are cross-bred, and the breeding continued in the same family, then I differ from him in tota, and say that deterioration will talce place wliether the animals are origi- nally crosses or pure bred, if tlie breeding is continued in tlio same family. Tliis, I should think, no one will ques- tion who liuows anytliing of the breeding of animals. All our domesticated auiiuals having originally come from some wild type, and having a common root, I cannot see how, by any possibility, that crossing animals of tlie same species, but wlio, through length of time and careful breeding have attained some good qualifications, with another having other desirable qualifications equally permanent and well marl;ed, sliould in any way lose their qualities by being crossed witli the best of tlieir respective classes. Sliould 1 be foolish enough to take the progeny resulting from such an union, and breed them in the same family from the same parents, the results would be as Mr. Sheppard states. But surely, no one who knows anything of breeding would ever for one moment think of such a line of policy. Let Mr. Slieppard take the best Cochins in his yard, and subject them to the same test for a year or two, and tlien let your readers have a report of their progress. I doubt not your readers will judge, " priori, the end from the beginning. Sly belief is, if a few parties were to cross the Spanish with the Cochin, stai'ting from fowls not at all related to each other, tliat a distinct breed could, in the course of a few years, be reared, uniting, in a great measure, the good qualities of both by carefully selecting the fowls from which the breed v,-as to be perpetuated, carefully changing the male or female from one to another, taking care to have the breeding fowls as far as possible from being related to each other; and I am convinced if such was the case, no such deterioration would take place, but, on the contrai-y, an im- provement, and that not fancied but real ; and it can only be by takitig advantage of the varied qualities and foi-ms of nature's work, that the variety of om- domesticated animals have been increased and improved; and I think any obsen- ant person, much acquainted with animals, may reason a posteriori from results within reach of his own experience. But in the midst of counsel there is wisdom. I hope much good will be the result of the many inquiries regarding poulti'y, and articles on the subject from time to time ap- pearing in the pages of The Cott.\ge Gakdekeh, raalcing it now an authority on these hitherto much neglected matters. My object in addressing you is to bring out information on a subject wdiich I think not sutliciently understood and taken advantage of. How, I would ask, have we obtained such variety in the vegetable world ? Is it not by ta'dng advantage of nature's freaks '.' And why, in the animal world, are we to abandon a principle which, in the vegetable world, has given us such magnificent results. Nay, I need not say such a principle has been confined to the vegetable world. If it had, our animals would have never reached the state of perfection in which we now find them. That all our finest and prize animals have been reared by placing a standard of perfection before us, and breeding only from those animals who come nearest to the point aimed at, is wdiat no one can question ; and why we should abandon it in tho rearing of fowls I am at a loss to understand. I think your correspondent, Jlr. Sheppard, is rather too severe on those experimentalists in the Ksculapean art who will not "throw physic to the dogs." I admit, at once, that Uttle is known regarding tlie art, in so far as the feathered tribes are concerned ; that in a great measure it is mere empiricism, certainly not grounded on anything like a solid foundation; but surely should we stumble on something of decided value in the cure of a particular disease, it would be worse tlian folly to shut our eyes to the ,/'"''• If we did so, we might have appended to our cognomen the appropriate epithet of bigot, and we should have no right to complain of the addition. The cure of the dumb creation is, however, and must be, from the very nature of the subjects, a very ditiicult profession. They cannot answer our interrogation, but only by silent and often painful expression, not however translatable to be of sufficient use as a guide to the medical practitioner. But I hope, from so much more attention being now bestowed on these matters, in consequence of the increase of poultry keeping, something maybe found out to alleviate their sutl'erings, or cure them of their maladies. It has appeared to me that tho Cochius wdieii young are the hardiest of birds, but that they are very subject to dis- ease as they grow up, exactly the reverse of our common kinds of poultry ; and this, I think, may be accounted for from the damp of our climate (the birds not being yet accli- matised) diu'ing the autumn, winter, and spring ; the .■.'«>»- mer, when they are hatched, heitiij often dry and vurm, is favonrahle to them as chic/,ens ; but when beyond their chick- enhood, wet, damp weather suiTiiunds them, and various diseases follow in its ti'aiu. Last autumn (end of Septem- ber) I put a dozen eggs below a hen, and ten chickens were the result; for a fortnight, wliile the weather was dry, they did as well as chickens could do, even in the summer; but all at once, one after another, gave way in the legs, until there lives, at this moment, only one solitary and miserable looking creature, to jioiut a moral and tell a tale of sufl'ering and woe. It was an experiment, but one I will not rtqieat, for I feel it was one of cruelty to the poor dumb creatures. I shall be glad to coinniuuicato to you how the crosses succeed after a while. — A. S. W. ECONOMICAL HEATING A GREENHOUSE. In this very varying climate of ours (Ireland), we amateurs who do not profess to keep even " a, liandy man," have many dilhculties to contend with, and not the least amongst them February 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 411 is the protection of our greenhouse plants from sudden and unexpected falls in teniperatiu'e. True, the climate on the whole is mild, so much so, that up to the 1st of this month (February), I have not had occasion to light my iimiace more than three times. Now the frosts of these three nights were clearly indicated in the early part of the days, or, at all events, pre\ious to night setting in, and in these cases there was no difficulty in being prepared for the icy king ; but since the commencement of the present month we have had several sharpish and injurious white frosts tiiH-ards llio hreuli uf clay, (and these after determined wet days, continuing up to midnight) ; and it is here that the amateur, who has retired to bed quite satisfied of having no frost for that night, finds to his sorrow, on looking over his pets in the morning, that some of the most tender have all but perished. To guard them against these vicissitudes is what I want to accomplish, without the toil of lighting fires constantly. Now I am passionately fond of my greenhouse plants, of which I have a large and various stock, and often as I sit over my parlour fire I think it a pity that I have not made it available for the protection of my plants, in fact, we do not receive half the benefit we might from our fires. The exclusion of frost, or the ranging of the thermometer between :i5° and 40°, is all I aim at, for in the case of very severe and continuous frost I can heat my lirick flues. I would now, therefore, crave the benefit of a share of that mass of intellect which is brought into operation in the varied and excellent articles that appear in the pages of The Cottage Gakdenek, in carrying out my project, and 1st. Could I not set in the hack of my parlour-grate, or, indeed, in the kitchen fire-place, which is just as convenient, a small copper boiler made to fit in the back of the fire-place, and have hot water piping running from thence into the greenhouse ? I am sure you will answer me, " You can, to be sure." [You are quite right in your anticipation of our answer. You can accomplish what you wish by imitating the arrange- ment of pipes adopted by Mr. Bradbury, of which a plan was given in our last number, p. :187. — Ed. G. G.] •ind. AMiat sized lead pipe would be necessary for the flow and retm'n pipes which are to connect the boiler and the iron pipes in the greenhouse, for, mind you, there is a dis- tance of thirty feet between the kitchen grate and the green- house; and, in addition to asking you what hore will be necessary for the condncliiifj p'qjcs, I must also ask you, after what manner shall 1 lay them in the ground, so that as little coohng as possible may take place in the transit of the hot water for the said distance of thirty feet. [Do not use lead pipes at all. If your greenhouse is small, three-inch cast-iron pipes will answer your pm'pose if carried the whole length of the hoiise and back again. To keep the pipe from cooling in the thirty feet underground, you cannot use anything better than a six-inch covering of dry sawdust all round. — En. C. G.] I pi'opose so to set the boiler tliat I need not let the kitchen fire act on it but when I please ; this can be done by the removal of a fire brick, a furnace door, or such like. If I can accomplish all this, I can let my kitchen fire remain for the night during all suspicious weather, thereby pro- ducing warmth from the hot-water apparatus sufficient to keep out frost without exciting, aud thereby attenuating the plants. It would also save me many anxious hours on nights which would not justify the heating of the present brick flues, very troublesome and very dirti/ work for the aviateiir. [We like yom" idea of only having the apparatus heated when you wish. This might be accomplished by means of a false back of cast iron, made so as to slip in and secure a vacancy of two or three inches between the fire and the apparatus. The air in those two or three inches would form the best non- conductor of heat. — Ed. C. G.] The objects to be attained are, — 1st. An almost inexhaustible source of gentle heat, at all times wanted, from a fire constantly at work for other pur- poses, and without, I may say, the cost of fuel. 2nd. The immense saving of trouble, cost, dirt, and ex- pense of lighting outside fires in the flues, which want con- stant attention, and which very often fail to give out heat at that period (the break of day), when most needed, and when the aniatem' fancies all is right. — A Constakt Sudscmiee. DISEASES OF POULTRY. EXHIBITION EEVEE. I AH rejoiced to see you taking up the subject of tlie late Birmingham Poultry Show, and can fully bear my tes- timony to your remarks, having been a sufiercr myself I bought a pen of Dorkings, and, when they arrived, two of them were much affected with a disease in their eyes, and one could scarcely eat. They have infected all my poultry. The cock I purchased is since dead, and one hen still very ill, and all the rest suflfering. more or less. Now, it does seem to me that evei-y care should be taken by the authoii- ties to prevent diseased fowls being admitted, which I under- stand they were, and, indeed, on the Tuesday 1 was there, I saw some myself in that state, and considering the value of the poultry, and the high prices given for them, it is vexatious to lose them by a carelessness which might be prevented. As your correspondent, Mr. Tegetmeier, is kindly writing on the diseases of fowls, I should much like to know what he considers the proper treatment for this complaint. The symptoms are, eyes closed with froth, a stretching out of the neck, with constant husky cough, total loss of appetite, and evidently great pain in swallowing food put down the throat. I tried the pill recommended in one of your num- bers, of hydriodate of potash, and gentian-root powder, which I think has done good. The pain, however, of swal- lowing became so great, it seemed cruel to force food down, and, as a last resource, we pinned a mustard poultice round her throat for ten minutes, when she evidently felt it. The relief to the throat was immediate, and she has since swallowed the soft bread and water put down her throat without pain. Two days after we rejieated the mustard poultice, always continuing the jjill. The hen, though still \ery ill, is now able to peck a little lierself, and seems to have some appetite, but the eye still requires the froth to be constantly removed. Her excrements are quite green and loose. The i-est of the fowls have the cough, and a httle froth on the eye, and have suddenly stopped laying ; and I should be glad to know what to do for them. — W. A. E. [It will not be until after many of the most valuable poultry yards in the kingdom are depopulated by this con- tagious disease (which has been so characteristically named by our Editor " the Exhibition fever "), that the time which the fowls are kept in an over-crowded show will be shortened, or the gross feeding with greaves and other stimulating animal food abohshed. For typhoid fevers of this kind, whether known as gaol fever, e.xhibition fever, &a., there is no cure. The only mode of treatment that can be recommended, in addition to the precautious advised at page 371, is to treat the symptoms as they arise. If, as in the above case, the liver is much att'ected, as indicated by the green dung, I would give one- grain doses of calomel every one or two days. The mustard poultice to the throat, to relieve the inflammation there situated, I regard as exceedingly judicious treatment. Not so, however, the hydriodate of potash, which has an irri- tating effect on the lining of the throat, stomach, &c., likely to jirove detrimental. Should the bird appear sinking from weakness, a little stimulant might be very advantageous, such as weak brandy and water, or ale, given in small quantities, at short inter- vals. I very much deplore the time for which fowls are detained at tlie shows, and am quite confident that it pre- vents many sending their birds. So great is the dread of the disease, that one of the most successful exliibitors told me, he sold all his pens at the Great Metropolitan, some at a very great sacrifice, rather than take them home again to the risk of injurmg his stock. — W. B. Tegeimeiee, Tot- tenham.} INFLUENCING THE SEX OF CHICKENS. Most persons are aware of the existence of the idea, as old as the time of the Eomans, that the sex of the chicken 412 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. FKBRTIAaY 24. can be ascertaiuetl from the sliapa of the egg. A slight act|uamtance mth the anatomy of the fowl would disprove the truth of this statement. The gei-m of the futm'e bird is formed with the yolk in the ovary, and as it passes alon^' the egg-passage — a tube upwards of two feet in length — it receives in its progress the white, the skin, and, lastly, the shell ; these bemg formed or secreted by difterent parts of the canal, it is evident that the shape of the egg depends on the shell, which is formed after the whole interior of the egg is completed, and can, therefore, have no influence upon it ; moreover, the alleged fact has been disproved by experiment. I beheve, however, that it is in om- power to influence the sex of chickens to a very great degree. In the flrst number of the Quarterly Journal of Agriculture, is related some experiments on sheep, in which two flocks, of 135 ewes each, were made to produce — one, SO male lambs to 30 females; the other, OS males to Hi females. It ap- peared from these experiments that the sex of the oftspriug was chiefly influenced by the age of the male pai'ent ; and I would suggest that those of yom- readers who have the opportunity of experimenting on this matter should do so. and I think it will be as follows ; — When a young cock is mated with old hens, there ivill be a much larger proportion of pullets hatched than when an old cock is paii'ed with young hens, in which case the males would jiredominate. Again, svhen both parents are in then- fii'st year, I would expect more pullets than cockerels. I am now trying the experiment myself, but a single experiment proves nothing. If tliose of your readers who have the opportmiity of ob- serving would do so, and send me the results, I would collect them into a tabular result, and thus, from many cases, the truth of the ojHaion might be tested in one season. I need not stop to point out the great importance of the sug- gestion, if true ; breeders for the table, and those for stock, require the greater number of birds of opposite sexes. — W. B. Tegetjiieiee, Toltcnham. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Melons and Cucu:\rBERS {W. B.). — Your three-liglit frame aviU be just the thing for these, provided j'ou have hot dung, or tan, to form the bed; leaves aloue. we fear, will hardly do, the autumn and winter Mas so wet as to perish them too much for effectively heating: a hotbed. , Turn and mix your heating materiid, as recommended so often by our departmental writers ; and when it has attained a sufficiently modified heat, make up a hotbed, and place your frame on it ; and the one in- tended for cucumbers ougbt to have a mucli lighter soil than the one for melons ; but neither ought to be put in for at least a week after the bed is made up, and only then if the heat be moderate. l\Iound3 at least fifteen inches high should be made under each light, and the plants planted out the next day or so, as the soil ought to be well warmed. We have supposed that, as you say you are a beginner, you may have made friends with some kind neighbour, more experienced in such matters, who supplies you with plants ; but if you determine on raising them yourself, you must first prepare a sort of hotbed, as a nursery, where you can sow your seed in pots to plunge in the heating matter ; and when the plants are up, they may be potted off in pairs ; and when they have got tlie second rough leaf, they are then fit to plant out in the hills ; but if you can get a kind friend to do this preliminary part of the business, you will husband your heating material, and remove many difficulties in the way of an early crop. Other particulars relative to the melon, &c., will shortly foUow'in our pages, which we have no doubt will meet your case. Mandbvilla Suaveolens (Ibid). — This fine evergreen climber is best propagated by slips or cuttings of the young shoots when two or three inches long ; but then they must have the benefit of a mild, steady bottom-heat, and be covered by a hand-glass ; this system, however, can only be successfully carried out by nurserymen and others, who have many things to propagate, all requiring the same treatment. If, there- fore, you only want a plant or two from the one you have, try and layer a shoot into a flower pot, which may be secured in some way or other, and you will have a plant much sooner than with cuttings. Red Spider (Ibid). — Moisture will usually overcome this pest; but when that cannot be applied, compatibly with other things, sulphur will effect the same purpose. Dust, therefore, the leaves of plants sufl'ering from it with flowers of sulphur, and repeat the dose if required ; but some plants, like the melon, cannot endure sulphur. If, therefore, moisture be unable to combat this evil, painting the mside of the frame or pit with a mixture of this and clay, will, by the fumes emitted, generally effect a cure. But you will, doubtless, hear from us again on this subject. Renewing an old Garden (R. H. GjVO.— Your many queries re- lating to the formation of a new, or renovating an old garden, will be attended to in our next, as we have forwarded your note to one of our departmental writers, who will, no doubt, give you all the information you require; in the mean time, you are perfectly right in digging or trenching the ground as a preliminary operation, but you must take care and not turn up any useless or pernicious matter to the surface. If your ; soil he shallow, there is no harm at digging up the subsoil, but it must remain as subsoil still, keeping the top spit to the top again ; but more details will Ijc given nest week. Propagating Pit [W. B.J,— Your small cucumber pit might easily be converted into a propagating pit for soft wooded plants, but would be too moist for heaths and the generality of New Holland plants. You best know whether part of it could be spared for propagating purposes. If you have more cucumbers than the family require, then vou could spare part of the pit. The part for propagation should be divided from the part devoted to cucumbers; (or though some cuttings, such as dahlias, for instance, would strike easily enough in the pit with the cucumbers, yet many others would damp off; besides, places crowded with plants are not desirable. Your cucumbers would soon be full of red spider and thrip from the cuttings. To describe the propagating power at Pine Apple Place, referred to by Mr. Appleby, would occupy too much space here. As it appears you have seen his description, why need we repeat it ? Heath Propagating and Specimen Growing (A Fife Reader). — We cannot say where you can buy " Cushing on Propagating ; " but if you had it, do not suppose that either science or practice has slept since his days. You have stated you have read Mr. Fish's papers carefiilly la fell/, and do not find directions minute enough. His late article on propagating was written for a special purpose ; a house of Heath cuttings being adduced as an illustration. With every wish to oblige, we cannot agree with you, that while other "majims" are attended to, there has not been a word about Heaths. Nor can we think that as an " Old Svb- scribey-," you could have read with great attention the papers on Heaths, not so long ago, even by j\Ir. Fish alone, or you would have met with the most minute replies to almost every enquiry you make. See general remarks, and raising from seed, No. 167. Propagation by cuttings ; sand, soil, pots, glasses; time of making cuttings ; condition of ditto, size of ditto, mode of making, inserting, watering, position, and general treatment, Nos. l6s, 169. Potting, drainage, compost, growing, watering, temperature, winter blooming, 173. I74, 178, 181. Pruning, training, 185. Position, Q^covding to season and kind, &c., 187 ; besides notices, lists for difterent purposes, &c., in many other places. All the most difficult hard-wooded plants have also received minute attention. Verj' likely there will be additional articles before long ; but what has already appeared will insure success, if duly practised and persevered in. You will find some other matters referred to to-day about which you enquire. Fuchsia seerati folia (Gladiolus). — This, growing in a window, without fire-heat, is very rampant, but very lanky, and showing no sign of flowering; but it bloomed in autumn. "Shall I cut down noif, or whe7iV You may place it anywhere noti\ where it will have some light, and be free from frost ; prune it well back in March or April, and then give it as warm a position as you can, and, when it breaks, plenty of light, and then it may receive fresh soil. If you want plenty of bloom in the autumn and the first part of winter, you cannot do better than plunge the pot out-of-doors in .Tune. IVIuIch, and water well in summer; and raise the plant in October, when, probably, the roots will be so over the old pot that a larger one will be necessary. It will require to be kept in a shady, airy place for a fortnight. Errata. — At page 323, under 3rd, first line, leave out ^^ not" — it will then read, " allowing' that bell glasses are essential." Page 364, third line from the top, " distraction " for " destruction." Calceolauias for BF,DniNG IN SiiADEs (S. S.). — Thcrc is only one nameless variety, a reddish-brown shrubby one, that will mix. with yellow shrubby Calceolarias for shading. But AmpLexicatiUs, Kayeii, and Rngusa, will give three shades of yellow, in three distinct beds, in a group of yellows. Kentish Hero does not shade or agree in habit with any other kind for mixing. The shading of Calceolarias can only be effected where the planting is intended for match beds, or for giving difl^'erent degrees of height; then, each bed is of one plant, and in a different shade to the opposite bed, in matching, or the next bed in height, when , three heights and three shades is the arrangement ; and all CoIceolaTias are better without borders. 1 Cineraria amelloides (Ibid). — We never knew it to seed. It is 1 to be had only in plants, and it is altogether a different thing from the pot Cinerarias, so called, because not one of them will do in a bed. \ Arabis graytdifiora : the double Curdamiite : and the Iberis Su.rfitile, can. I be had in plants, but not by seeds, about London. [ ToRENiA Asiatica (L. M.). — This is one of the easiest of all plants to root from cuttings, to grow very fast, and to flower most profusely, in 1 a strong moist heat — first in hotbeds, and in the stove afterwards. After ■ it comes into full bloom — say in July, August, and September — it would I do very well to stand in a greenhouse. Very good gardeners could so j manage with a common hotbed and a good greenhouse, but " young beginners" umst not expect to succeed like old practitioners. I Vinery (Ibid). — You have made a sorry choice of Vines. The St. Alba?is, although one of the very finest-flavoured grapes, cannot be had in perfection except from such men as Errington and Fleming. The berries, in general, are hardly fit to be seen — cracking and damping before they are quite ripe. The Black AUrant and Blnrk Frnntignnr are not worth house room. The White Frontig7iac will only answer in one place out of ten, unless it is grafted on a hardier sort; and from such a house as you contemplate the Canon Hull Miiiirnt will be m> better than old leather gloves. A mistaken wish for novelties, and a premature desire to imitate first-rate gardeners, are the two rocks on which "amateurs" and "new begmners " get wrecked every month in tlie year. The old Black Hambro and the Roi/ul Muscadine, or even the common White Miiscndine and the Black St. Peter, never yet failed, and they are as good grapes as the very best you can pick out of books. The Milthill Hambro, and all otlier Hambros, and the Barbarosa, are grown to perfection by Mr. Fleming, but very likely it would take ten or fifteen years' practice before you could grow them fit to be seen. Who- ever told you that the Mill/iiil Hambro requires to be left to itself, to " grow away like a bramble," took you to be worse than a simpleton. EATAnLE-ROOTRnTROPtEOLUMS.— A Correspondent [l^*(/rf/(f/r;j) says: "In answer to W. I)., the tubers of TrojKtolum tuberosum — if that is what he means by Tropa:olum vdule (No.)— may be boiled about ten minutes, and the water being poured off, set the saucepan on, or close to the fire, for a few minutes, as with potatoes, and they may he served with white sauce." FlSBBUARY 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 413 Rose Prunings (Wareham), — The tops of all China, Bourbon, and Tea Roses will do for ctottings next March, when you prune them, as you can give them a alipht hotbed assistance. The very young wood of Hybrid Perpetuals, Noisettes, and most of the climbing Rosea, will also do for cuttings. Size of Hyacinth Blooms {Ibid), — "How many tiers of pips should a good Hyacinth have on an average? '* For exhibition purposes it should not have less than five tiers ; but some varieties cannot be induced to produce so many. This variation in their power of producing large spikes of flowers renders the task of judging of the skill of the grower rather difficult. The judge should know the habit of each variety. See our 79th number. Hydrangea {U., Fermanagh). — There is something wrong with the soil, else your plant ought to be in great beauty in the north of Ireland. Let a trench, a toot wide, be opened all round it; and let the soil be worked //'om the roots into this trench, with a g;arden or dung-fork. Then fill up the trench with good fresh earth, or peat and loam, witt a little rotten dung, pressing it well to the roots. This should be done about the end of March, and by the end of April cut down the plant quite to the surface of the ground. You will thus get rid of the hard, dry, hide-bound wood ; and next summer a fresh growth of luxuriant wood, aided by your new soil, will come up, and in due time flower wifh great brilliancy." Cuttings from the old tops would only perpetuate the bother.ition of past years. Stop till you get young healthy wood, and then make cuttings of it every spring. To cover the high waif, first of all make one of the best borders in all Ireland, two feet deep, dry at bottom, and four feet wide at least, then plant Clematis montnna; Roses— Fclicite perpetuelle. Princess Louise, and Myrianthes. These will soon reach up to twenty feet ; and to cover the lower parts, use more Dwa)/ Roses, or any other climbers from our former lists; almost any thing will grow in such a border. Trnpa'olum pentaphyltum would be the admiration of that part of the country in such a border ; and so would T. specinstimy Clemcdis cmrulea grandifloray C. Sieboldii, and Solanum jasminoides. Pure Breeding (0.).— As you have had three varieties running together, you cannot with certainty have pure birds from any of them until late in the season. If you separ.ite them now, the eggs laid by them cannot be relied upon as true until after the lapse of twenty-three days, according to Capt. Hornby's experience. Some persons consider the taint of an intermixture remains for life. SULPHDR Fumes {A Country Curate fond of his Garden).— \i these have been excessive, or if the heat in the forcing house was so high as to produce sulphurous acid, either the edges, or the whole surface of the leaves of your plants would become brown, just in proportion as the sulphurous acid was in less or more excess. Cineraria Seedling (/. -R. Jesso^u).— Colour, a good purple lilac, with blue centre ; small, but petals imbricate well, and are only slightly notched. It is a second-rate flower. We cannot name it. Shanghae Fowls {J. B. F.).—\Vt are aware that many imported direct from Shanghae have no feathers on their legs ; and we know of no reason why a class should not be had for them at poultry shows, except, perhaps, that it would give an opportunity for mongrels to be shown in it. Shanghae Eggs {R. Hill). — Their average weight is 2i ounces ; the colour varies, even in the purest bred birds, from nearly white to dark chocolate. For hatching they should not be more than a fortnight old ; but how old they must be to become unhatchable has never been deter- mined. Oysters {G. Jowes).— When they are on the ground they rest with the flat shell downwards. That they can turn themselves over is certain. Breeding in-and-in {G. B.).— To avoid this get someone to ex- change cockerels with you. Exemptions op Age (Spero). — Sixty years entitle you to exemption from serving as a juror and as a petty constable, but we think from no other otfice. Such questions, however, are not within our province. Rabbit-fencing (G. T. S.).— You will be quite safe with galvanized iron-net-work, two-and-a-half feet high. See Mr. Fox's advertisement. Vine-Shoots Drooping (G. Smith). — The case is clear enough. All your vines now forcing are doing well except one, and that one is the only one which has its roots outside the house. The cause of its leaves "flagging, we think, is that the roots do not keep up a sufficient supply of sap, and the only remedy is to cover them with fermenting dung. The activity in the roots must always keep pace with that of the branches. Protecting Material {A Constaoit Reader), — There is nothing better at present in the market, whether for shade or shelter, than canvass or coarse calico. Fancy Rabbits (J. T. M.). — We must not recommend dealers : and those who have any to sell may do themselves and us justice by advertizing. Pyramidal Pears (Amicus). — Unless you require them to he dwarfs, you must not have them grafted on Quince stocks. Our experience sus- tains the opinion that those grafted on the Quince stocks bloom earlier than those on the Pear stocks, and therefore suffer more from the spring frosts. Heating Greenhouse by- Gas (A. B. Webber). — You may exclude frost by having a gas-stove in your greenhouse; but the fumes arising from it must be carried cut-of-doors by means of the stove's chimney. Bbamah Pootra Fowls [Several Correspondents). — Incur opinion they are only a cross, and a bad cross too, between the Shanghae and the ftlalay. The specimens we have seen are coarse and leggy. There has been no time yet to test our opinion, but we shall be surprised if the produce of a White Shanghae hen and a Malay cock are not Bramah Pootra chickens. CALENDAR FOR MARCH. FLOWER-GARDEN. Annuals (Tender), such as the Portulaccaa, Meaembryanthemuma, Lobelias, &c., sow, b. ; (Hardy), sow on dry borders, b. and e. ; finish transplanting autumn-sown annuals. Biennials, sow, e. Cumbers, half-hardy, as Maurandya, Lophospermum, ike, pot and train, b., to have strong for nest May planting. Cuttings, push on the propagation of cuttings, and transplant them as fast as they root. Cuttings from Rvse prunings, plant in the shade. Dahlias, sow, and force old roots for stock, b. Dress every part within the boundary as early as you can. Edgings of all sorts tinish oflf as early as possible. All Evergreens transplanted since last August may have liquid-manure this month, and throughout the season after this mild winter. Flowers, pick oif from plants you want cuttings from, b. Finish all the Planting and Spring Pruning of trees and shrubs, and all necessary alterations, as soon as the weather will permit. Grass, and white and small yellow Clover Seed, sow with a liberal hand over patchy grass ; keep the grass in clean, trim order, and roll it three times this month, and oftener if you can. Gravel, clean, roll, and relay. Hand-glasses are the best of all aids to rear half-hardy, and such other annuals as cume up weakly at first, place them on a warm sheltered aspect. Hoeing: never hoe a border in March, for fear of killing something which you cannot see. Hotbeds are only good helps to those who can well manage them for the flower-garden; keep them up to 70°, and steady. Hyacinths, and other Bulbs, as soon as they appear, stir the beds, and lighten the soil round the plants ; and plant spring Gladioli at once. Perennials, with the exception of long fleshy-rooted ones, ought to be removed — divided, if necessary — and receive some fresh soil, or be planted in new situations, at least every third season ; see to this rule, and treat one- third of each family, every February and March, according to it. Pro- tection is necessary for almost all young things of a tender nature this month. Rakes, lock them up, b. ; if your man cannot dress a border without a rake, tell him he must learn. Roses, finish pruning, b., except, perhaps, a few strong ones may be left unpruned till' April, to bloom later ; but this plan is radically bad, and not necessary now with our petpetuals. Seeds, do not sow a packet of rare seeds in one pot only, sow in two or three pots, to provide against accident to one. Seedlings hi heat, transplant as soon as yo"u can handle them. Stakes : see if you have a stock on hand for your Dahlias, Hollyhocks, and all other plants requiring them next summer, and see that all the old ties and rotten stakes are out of the rosary. Sweet Briar, sown in a single row, will grow and make a hedge in such poor soil as would kill other rosea. Tubf, lay. D. Beaton. FRUIT-FORCING. AiR, increase as forcing proceeds. Aphides, destroy. Cucumbers, in forcing-house, apply liquid-manure, train and stop when long enough ; in frames, turn and remove linings weekly, stop frequently; temp, 65'^ tors'*. Cherries, use moderation; keep a humid air; temp., 50'^ to 60°, artificial heat ; ventilate freely. Figs, much as Peaches ; keep the root moist; bottom warmth benefits them. Liquid Manure, apply to active growths where strength is required. Leaves of all fruits keep clean. Moisture (Air), supply liberally ; root moisture regularly, but according to need. Mildew, beware of; see Sidphur. Peaches and Nectarines, keep a free atmosphere; disbud and train; temp., 55° night, 65° to 70° day. Pines, liberal heat and moisture to rising or swelling fruit; successions, rearrange and increase temperature. Red Spider, see Sulphur. Stawbereies, introduce successions, water liberally, keep near the air and light. Melons, bottom-heat 75° to 80°, air-heat 70"^ to 80°; thin the Vine well. Sulphur, apply at least monthly in all structures. Temperature, allow 8'^ or 10° advance in heat during sunshine. Vermin, entrap. Vines, early-train, stop, thin berries, tie shoulders ; do not forget the sulphur. Watering, attend to daily. R, Errington, FRUIT GARDEN. Apricots, protect; search for the eggs of the Red-bar Moth, like parsnip seeds, and dotted. Apples, cleanse, brine and soft soap, succeeded by spirits of turpentine in the retreats of the American blight. Blossoms, retard and protect. Bush Fruit, still plant or top-dress. Figs, uncover, prune at end. Grafting, proceed with. " Hoeing. practice on foul borders. Nuts, hang male catkins among the female blossoms. Planting of all kinds instantly bring to a close. Peaches and Nectarines, finish training, retard and protect; dress the walls with sulphur paint. Rapcerries, still plant, prune, stake, and top- dress. Root-pruning may still be done. Suckers, destroy. Straw- berries, spring-dress; transplant. Standards, stake. Stocks, plant or sow seeds. Trellisses, dress and protect. Vines, plant at end. Walnuts may be planted still. In grafting, proceed according to the degree of development of the bud, taking each kind the moment the buds actually begin to expand. R. Errington. GREENHOUSE. Air, admit in fine weather, when the outside temperature is above 35°; a shut house is better than cold currents and night fires; in foggy weather, however, light a fire, to clear and dry the atmosphere. Bules and Tuberous roots, introduce, and water more freely ; start the various kinds of Achimenes, Gesnera, and Gloxinia, in hotbed; seeds of the latter, sown now, will give nice little flowering plants for the autumn and winter, if you can give them heat. Calceolarias and Cinerarias, water more freely; give manure water to those flowering and showing their flower-stalks; shade in sunny weather; shift for succession Camellias and Azaleas, water more plentifully when in bloom ; keep those intended for late blooming as cool and shaded as possible, so that frost does not injure them. Diosma, Epacris, Heaths, give abun- bance of air when growing and flowering ; Prune freely when done flowering, and keep close until they begin to grow, when the roots had better be examined. Now and afterwards, for a couple of months, will be a good time for inserting cuttings. Habrothamnus ele^an? is 4U THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Febhuauy 24. now a pretty object, grown in a pot, or trained against a pillar. Hot- beds, prepare for aowinc: Primula seed-*, and any other desirable preen- house plants, raising cuttings, sowing seeds, or striking cuttings of the commoner sorts for stocka, on which to inarch or graft Correas, Oranges, Camellias, ike. ; the grafting of such plants is easily elfected in such a sweet moist hotbed, and does away witli much of the trouble of inarch- ing. Such a bed will, ulso, be necessary for starting Cockscombs and Balsams, &c. Strong, early, winter-flowering Primulas should be sown the end of this month; and Cinerarias, intended for the same purpose, the month following. Insects, destroy. Leaves and Stesis, clean; a little soap and water is a great auxiliary for removing all kinds of tilth; syringe with clean water afterwards. Lilies, Japan, after the stems appear, place in a light, airy situation. Mignonette, and tender annuals, sow in slight hotbeds, in pots, turf, &c., to be afterwards har- dened olf. Soil, prepare, turn, and expose for a general shifting about the end of the month ; hut do not knock about fresh soil intended for potting, so as to shake the fibre out of it. Primula sinensis wilt be greatly benefited by manure-water. The double varieties are well worth a little extra attention, as the flowers stand a long time in a liouquet. Train large plants of Pklargoniu:ms, intended for early flowering; Stop those for late summer and autumn. Scarlet Geraniums, in- tended for specimens in pots, give good shifts to, and if they can get a little bottom-heat, they will come all the stronger and bloom the finer. Tie climbers to rafters, after duly pruning tlieni, keeping in mind whetUcr the flowers are produced on young or old wood ; train daily those on trellises; and, as the season is now getting on, let neatness, order, and cleanliness, everywhere prevail. Watering will now be more wanted, and a moistish atmosphere in clear weather, to counteract the drying etlects of east winds. Syringing the leaves with tepid water, after a sunny day, is as good for a plant as soap and water is for our own sltins. Unless in extreme cases, fire-heat will not be so much wanted. Old Scarlet Geraniums, in store, should now be brought into the light, top-dressed, &c, K, Fish. ORCHID HOUSE. Arrides, and other similar Indian plants, will this month be growing rapidly; give ihem fresh sphagnum, if in wire baskets; if in wooden ones, renew them, and bring the roots within the baskets amongst the fresh sphagnum. Air, give more aliundantly as the days lengthen, and the sun obtains more power. Blocks. — The plants on these must be syringed twice a-day at least, as they will now be growing rapidly. Baskets. — Dip these in the cistern twice a-week ; if very dry, allow them to remain in the water an hour or so, till the liard lumps of peat are thoroughly wetted. Barkerias, set to work, by giving water freely. Pot Catasetums, Cycnoches, and other similar-habited plants ; they will now he growing. Dendrobes, see List month. Such as are in flower remove, if possible, to a cooler house ; they will then last much longer in bloom ; those growing repot. Heat, towards the end of the month bring up to the maximum. Indian House, 80° to 85° by day, "0° by night. Mexican House, 70° to 73° by day, Gif° by night. The highest heat to be when the sun shines. Insects, keep a watchful eye upon, and destroy the moment they are perceived. Moisture in the Air, keep up a large amount of, by keeping the walks, platforms, and walls frequently flooded. Potting, proceed with, and finish before the end of tlie month. Now is the time tu increase orchids\ by division or other- wise. Shading. — About the middle of the month place the shades upon the roof, to be ready for use, as the sun will soon be so powerful as to be dangerous. Stanhopeas, now growing, put in ire^h compost in large baskets. Steam, where possible, admit amongst the plants. Watering at tue Root must now be regularly given, but care taken that it does not lodge upon the leaves nor in the hollow of the young shoots, T. Api'ledy. I PLANT STOVE. I AcHiMFNES advancing in growth, give water to, but do not flood them in this early season ; repot such as have filled their pots with roots; pot a batch to succeed the former ones. Air, give now freely in mild weather; take care the apertures for the admission of air are not directly opposite the plants, it is best to come over the pipes or flues, to be heated before it reaches the plants, Amaryllis aulica, and varieties, repot, anil place in heat. Aphelanduas, repot. Baskets. Place in these /Kschynanthus, Avhimencs, some Li/cupotUiims, and other I hanging-down plants ; they ornament the stove greatly. There are some baskets made of coloured glass, that are very ornamental objects, filled with proper plants. Cli.muers vvill now be growing fast, attend to training and thinning shoots ; in pots place fresh trellises to, and keep the plants constantly trained around them. Cuttings continue to put in ; pot off such as have rooted. Heat, increase to "0° by ilay, G0° by I niiiht ; winter-blooming plants gone out of bloom, cut in severely, and j place in a cool house to rest. Ixoras, repot, stop, and tie out; place I them in a frame heated with dung; here they grow rapidly anil soon make fine plants, Insects, continue to watch for and destroy. Potting, finish the spring, by the end of the month. Syringe freely morning and evening, and keep the paths flooded in sunshine. Water will now be required in large quantities to fast growing plants. Let the walks be fretiuently washed out, and every yellow leaf removed, every plant neatly tied, and decaying flowers removed as they occur. , T. Appleby. FLORISTS* FLOWERS. Anemones, double, protect from frost. Auriculas and Poly- anthuses will now be showing their flower-stems. In this stage they require constant attention, Top-dressing, if not done, must be finished the first week ; water regularly in pretty liberal (juan- tities; if allowed to flag now, the blooms will be small. Give plenty of air daily, and shade from bright sun towards the end of the month ; cover up securely at night whenever there is the least appearance of frost; sow seed, and pot last year's small seedlings to encourafte growth. Calceolarias, repot, prick out seedlings, give plenty of air to, and smoke frequently with tobacco. Carnations and Picotees, put into their blooming pota. Search the soil over minutely, to find wireworms, and destroy them previously to using. Place them when potted upon a bed of eoal-ashes, with a convenience of hoops and mats to shelter them from severe weather. Should mddew apjicir, dust with sulphur; and destroy green fly with tobacco-water or Scotch snuff. Ci.NEltARiAS linish putting, b.; smoke frequently tu destroy every green fly as soon as it appears ; water freely, and shade from brigjtit sun as the flowers open. Chrysantuesiums pot olf into small pots and repot, h., into a si/.e larger. Dahlias, all intended to be potted should now be done; pot oft' cuttings as soon as routed, and put in more cuttings if required. Divide the old roots, leaving a bud or two to each division; ]dace ca?h division in a pot, aud allow them to prow slowly till planting tune ; a cold frame, well ])roterted from frost, will be bhelier enougli for them. Fuchsias, repot; cuttmgs may yet be put in. Begin to train early, in order to form well-shaped planto. Hyacinths, tie the flower- stems tu sticks, to prevent the winds from breaking tliem off ; continue to shelter the bed by hoops and mats. Hollyhocks, plant out where they are to bloom; place a mulch of slwrt litter round each plant. Pansies, top-dress; in pots, lay down the shuots round the plant, cut the stems half through to induce roots ; shelier from heavy rains and severe frosts. PelargomU-MS, pot young plants; tojj-dress old ones, and tic out to form large, spreading speeimens; smoke frequently, to destroy green fly ; when the flower buds appear, give liquid-manure every third time watering. Pinks, lop-dress, b., if not done last month. Ranunculuses may yet be planted, b.; shelter the bed from heavy rains, frost, had, or snuw. Tulips will now be growing fast; shelter the young plants from heavy rain, or other severe weather; if rain falls during the day, and a sharp frust intervenes at night, and no protection is given, the young leaves will be much injured. Veuuenas, in pots for exhibition, repot, tie out, and nip off the tops of the shoots ; shelter both these and those intended to plant out from frost; smoke frequently to keep down green fly, and syringe occabionally witli sulphur-water to destroy or prevent the red spider; put in euttinps of scarce sorts ; sow seed; look for slugs constantly in the frames under the pots, or any other lurking place, and destroy them. Finish planting Roses, and place those in pots in a warm house, to be coining on fur the June or July exhibitions. T. Appleby, KITCHEN GARDEN, This is a busy month— every day brings its work ; a favourable oppor- tunity should never be lost for doing any particular kind of work ; take advantage of open mild weather for every kind of planting ; in taking up transplanted plants from nursery beds of any kind, or at any time, always lift theiii up with some kind of tool or other, as a plant thus transplanted always sufl'ers so much less than a plant drawn from tlie seed-bed. Angelica, sow, or plant, e., autumn-sown. Alexanders, sow, m. or e. Asparagus, sow or plant, c. ; and dress ofl" out-door beds ; attend to that in forcing, water with liquid-manure once a week. Arti- chokes and Balm, plant. Basil, sow a little for early use. Beans, plant; and earth-stir growing crops. Beet (Red), sow a little for early use. Borage, sow, and earth-stir autumn-sown, and thin out. Bmuecolk, sow, m. BaocoLi, sow a little of the early kinds, and mark any favourite kinds for seed. liuRNET, plant or sow. Caubages. — Any early kinds may be sown, or Red Hutch, should plants be wanted. Capsicums, bow, to forward in hotbed, b. Cardoons, suw, e., for first crop, Carraway, sow. Carrots, sow for early crops; attend to thinning out those in growth, and earth-stirring ; s.iwings of the Early Horn may still he made on gentle hotbeds. Cauliflowers, ))lant out the winter-protected; attend to spring-sown, as to airing, pricking-out, and earth-stirring; also assist the early hand-glass crop with soakings of liquid-manure, &c.; and sow in succession, e. Celeriac, sow. Celery, sow main crop, in., and prick out early-sown on gentle hotbed; leave for seed. Chamo- mile, plant. Chervil, sow; save seed form autumn-sown. Chives may he divided, and planted out. Clary, sow, c. Cress tAmerican), sow. Composts, prepare. Coriander, sow. Corn Salad, sow. CucuMDEHs, ridge out; pot off; or sow in succession; sow also to- ward the middle of the month, for planting out under the hand. glasses next month ; attend to those in bearing; keep up a good moist heat. Dill, sow or jdant. Earth-stirring, attend to in all cases, and often. Fennel, sow or plant. Garlic, finish planting. Hoeing, attend to in dry days. Horeiiound, plant or sow. Horse-radish, finish jdanting. Hyssop, sow, or take up and divide old roots. Jerusalesi Artichokes, finish planting. Kidney-beans, sow in succession; attend to those in bearing, assist them with liquid-manure. Leeks, sow. Lettuces,- sow; prick out ; and plant out. Marigold, sow. Sweet or Knottrd Marjoram, sow a little for early use. Marjoram (Common Garden), divide and plant out. IMelons, sow in succession, and ridge out; attend to carthing-up, training, Sec, the early crops. Mint, plant, l\Iusu- room-beds, make, and attend to; assist old beds with a little tepid manure water. Mustard and Cress, sow, once or twice a week. Nasturtiums, sow, c. Onions, i^ow the main crop ; plant for seed, h. ; also finish planting the Underpfonnd or Potato Onion ; also the Tretf Onion; and look over tliose in the store. Orach, sow. Parsley, both kinds, sow. Parsnips, sow, b. Peas, sow in succession ; the beginning of this month, is a good season to sow any of the tall kinds ; enrth-stir, or earth-up, and attend to sticking, i^c. Pennyroyal, plant. Pota- toes, finish planting, either in hotbed or open quarter. Radishes, sow in succession ; attend to thinning out young crops. Rampion, sow. liwK, sow camtnon, nnd edibie-rooted, e. Rhubarb, sow or plant, h. Rochambole and Rosemary, plant. Rue, ]dant. Sage, plnnt. Shallots, finish planting. Salsafy and Scor/.oneba. sow a little for early use. Savoys, sow. Seakale, sow or plant out ; attend to early covering-up. to exclude the light from the crowns, for succen^ionul and late crops. Skirrets, sow, e. Succory, sow. Sorrel, plant or S0M-. Spinach, sow in succession. Tansy and Tarragon, plant. Thyme, sow or plant. Tomatos, sow in hotbed, e. Turnips, make a small sowing two or three times during the month. T. \Veavi:r. London: Printed by Harry Wooldridgk, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Somerville Orr, at the OUlec, No. 1!, Amen Corner, in the Parish o( Christ Church, City of London.— February 24th, 1853. Maeoh 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 415 WEEKLY CALENDAR. M W MARCH 3—9, 1853. Weathbe near London in 1852. Sun Clock Day of Year. D 3 D Th Barometer. Thermo. Wind. Rain in In. Rises. Sets. R.&S. Age. bf. Sun. Large Tortoiscshell ; elms. 30.20.1—29.957 45—19 N.E. — 43 a. 6 42 a. t a 41 33 la g 62 4 P Small Tortoiaeahell ; lanes. 30.538 — 30,3121 4(i— IS N.E. — 41 43 3 6U 34 11 56 63 5 S Speckled Wood (larva). 30.-39 — 30.6481 4.1-19 S.E. — .■)8 45 4 49 25 11 42 64 6Sdn 4TH, or MlDLRNT SUNDAY, 30.74(1 — 30.6991 45—25 N.E. — 36 47 S 34 26 11 23 65 7M Red Chestnut ; nettles. 30.665—30.579' 50—28 ' N.E. — SH 48 8 9 a? U 14 66 8 To Blossom Underwing. 30.543 — 30.459' 49-31 N.E. — 32 50 6 3? as 10 59 87 9 W Dwarf Quaker ; oaks. 30.446—30.286 52—30 N.E. — 30 62 sets. @ 10 44 ' 63 1 Mbteorology of thb Week. — At Chiawick, from observations during the last twenty-six vear , the average highest and lowest tcmpera- tures of these days are 49°1, and 32.8° respectively. The greatest heat, (18°, occurred on the 9th in 1826 ; and the lowest cold 1 3°, on the 5th in 1845. During the period 1 17 days were fine, and on 65 rain fell. MR. THWAITE'S BEGONIA. {Begonia Thuaitesii.) Foe some jears past there has been a regular progressive accession of beautiful species to this fashionable genus, and the one before us may well bear comparison with any species which belongs to the same section of the genus — that with creeping or underground stems. The leaves, which are of medium size, and are borne on comparatively long, hairy foot- stalks, are as handsome as those of any species which has ap- peared since hydrocotylifolia was introduced. The general tint of the leaves is a rich coppery-colour, from a mixture of rich green and reddish-purple, over which are dispersed irregular white blotches, and the underside is purplish-red, after the tint of the same parts in B. argyrostigma. The flowers are as large as those of B. nitida, and, like them, are white, with the addition of a rich blush suffused over the white ground- colour. It was sent to the Eoyal Botanic Garden, Kew, by Mr. Thwaites, superintendent of the Botanic Garden at Taradenia, Ceylon, after whom it has been named by Sir W. J. Hooker, who has given a very good figure of it in the last January number of tlie Botanical Magazine. B. J. Propagation and Culture. — No plants are more readily in- creased, both by seeds and cuttings, than these Begoniada ; and this new and very handsome one from Ceylon is no exception to the rule. The seeds of the whole order, however, are among the smallest we sow ; therefore, they require a particular treatment, which is this — Have the seed- pots thoroughly watered before the seeds are sown; a safe practice not adopted half so much as it deserves. The old rule-of-thumb, is still as perseveringly followed out, by soft-headed sowers, as ever the sucking of thumbs and fingers were in the days of bubbles and soiled pinafores. But, for the twentieth time, let me urge on our readers, at least, to go more scientifically to work, now that they are on the threshold of the great sowing season. To say nothing about fern seeds, or whether they have seeds or no, let us say, that seeds of all the Ehododondron and Azalea tribes, whether Indian or American, English, Scotch, or Irish ; all the Heaths and Heathworts, in fact ; and all the Lobeliads, with Calceolaria, Begonia, and all such and similar seeds, ought to have the pots, pans, or boxes, well watered, after being thoroughly well supplied with drainage, and before the seeds are sown. Then such very small seeds ought to be sowed very thinly, and a very small sprinkling of sand to be scattered over the seeds, after that tlie top of the seed- pot or pots should be darkened with some covering, such as double folds of an old newspaper, or brown paper, or any thing of that sort, and in a few days such seeds will vegetate under a high moist temperature. Besides all this in general, we know in particular, that every Begonia delights in a close, damp atmosphere from the moment of its birth until the end of the growing season. Therefore, pots for Begonia seeds should have a layer of clean sand on the top to sow the seeds on, and after the seeds are bedded by another layer of sand, a pane of glass should be placed over the pot to keep in all the damp, in addition to the covering for darkness sake. The creeping underground stems of this, and of most of the kinds, have eyes like tliose of potatoes, and they may be cut accordingly for propagation. The whole family delight in a rich, light compost, and plenty of pot room. Good strong loam, reduced with equal quantities of leaf mould, peat, and sand, will do to grow this new plant to perfection. It flowered, for the first time in this country, at Kew, last June, and very likely, from the eff'ects of the journey, that was later than will be the general run after the plant is inured to our style of cultivation. At any rate, it could be forced 30 as to come into flower at the same time as B. manicata and hydrocoty- lifolia, and a cross obtained from either of them by its pollen would give as fine plants for spring-flowering as any of the new beautiful crosses which come in in the autumn. The whole tribe are as easy to cross as ridged Cucumbers. D. Eeaios. Although, practically, it may often amount to the same tiling, yet it is not without its use to remember that it is more proper to speak of keeping-in heat than of keeping-oMj cold. Let not this be thought to sound too much of pedantry, for it cannot be questioned that sound views are most likely to lead to favourable results. Frost and cold in bodies are merely the consequence of their losing heat from the radiation of that heat into a clear, cool atmosphere. The amount of heat lost will be determined by the season of the year, the brightness of the sky, and the time it remains without clouds. Thus, in a dull, cloudy night in summer, you may search in vain for a drop of dew, because the earth No. CCXXXL, Vol. IX. and its herbage have not become sufficiently cooled to condense the invisible vapour contained by the air in its vicinity, the cloud acting as a protector to the earth, and just sending back about as much beat as it receives- But, during summer, after a clear night, unless the atmosphei'e is more dry than we have ever found it, you might wash yourself, and so become fair, with pearly drops on any open meadow at early morn. If the sky was very clear, and you went very early for this purpose, even at midsummer, you might have to wait a little until the icy drops were melted. We often retire to rest in spring and autumn, the evening cloudy, dry. and beautifully serene, and when we go out in the 416 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Mabch 3. morning, we are surprized to see every twig and leaflet adorned with lioar frost. A clearing of the sky had cooled the points of grass and twigs, and by allowing them to part with their heat, they thus became so many con- densers for changing invisible vapour into pearly drops, and the radiation continuing longer, the drops were con- gealed into flaky ice. When we speak, thei-efore, of covering-up fi-om frost, we really mean preventing the plant and the earth around it from parting with their heat. The recent cold weather has brought these matters, just now, before our attention. The manner and the material best fitted for protecting tender plants become thus matters of importance. Without troubling our- selves with exceptional minutiae, we may set it down as a general applicable rule, that the less dense the material ■used, the greater will be the protecting jMwer. This will appear when we consider, first, that heat radiates from the surface; that the layer immediately beneath then parts with its heat to restore the equilibrium ; and that thus the process goes on in a direct line, until, in con- tinued frosts, considerable depth is reached. The mere knowledge of this is of importance, when, in an emer- gency, we are scarce of litter to throw over our pits and frames in severe weather, or when we wish to use it as economically as possible, as the shaking up and turning the surface of what we have got breaks the line of radiation, and forces the refrigerating or cooling process to commence anew. We have even found, in severe weather, that the breaking of the surface of snow with a rake was of advantage to plants beneath. Where there was great thickness this would scarcely be necessary, as the lightness of the snow and the air enclosed with it would be a sufficient protection to the hardier plants. Then, again, the same fact will appear, when we consider, that so far as the practical ojierations of gar- dening are concerned, the conducting-of-heat properties of a body will be in proportion to the increase in its density. Hence the different sensations we continue to experience, when, in a cold morning, we take hold, re- spectively, of a bar of iron, and a rod of wood. The latter, from its weak conducting power at the place we grasp it, soon becomes of the same temperature as the hand ; but the bar of iron would continue to conduct heat from the hand, until the hand and the rod became of an equal temperature. Hence the folly of using zinc or galvanized iron, however light and neat, as shutters for plant-houses. Hence, in structures roofed with metal, their great heat in summer, and the increased cold in winter. If we place a plate of metal, and a thickish board of wood, respectively, firmly on the ground, and examine them after a severe frost, we shall find the earth under the first firmly frozen, while under the wood, it will be little more aflected than may be accounted for by the loss of heat at the sides by radiation. Hence, too, the reason why frost will pene- trate deeper, and heat likewise, into ground that is smooth and hard, than into that which is open, porous, and rough. The reason why we advocate a wator- proofed covering for frames, &o., is that the moisture increases the density nf the covering material, and thus furnishes strength to the radiating and conducting-of- heat powers. Then, keeping in view how a canopy of clouds in a summer's eve prevents the earth being cooled, we are furnished with a key as to the best manner of applying protecting material. Whether the tender plant is in the open air, or under glass, the plant and the glass will be best secured by having an open space between them and tlie protecting medium. The extent of that space must be regulated i-ather by financial considerations than by scientific deductions. Three inches will be good; six inches better; and twelve inches superior still. The covering, and the thing protected, just act and react upon each other, then, like the earth and the cloudy sky ; nay, more than that, the enclosed air becomes a first-rate protecting medium. We have said that radiation and conduction are regulated by the density of bodies — but what less dense than airV and then, when confined, it is one of the very best non- conductors of heat we possess. Hence, one of our correspondents, some time ago, recommended double sashes for houses and pits, thus getting rid of a mass of littery protecting material. With a space of six inches between the sashes, or even less than that, and the sashes fitted close to isolate the enclosed air, from our own experiments, we should conclude that coverings woidd very seldom be necessary. But then there would be first expense. Any of our readers, however, wlio do not use above half their sashes in winter, will find great advantage by making them double, by placing the unused ones over the others iu severe weather. Double bell or hand-glasses, will also be of gi-eat use for tender plants out-of-doore, such as those that require protection only when young. Single hand-lights of large size, and glazed tight, will also be of great use, as the air within will be confined and still. Whatever is used, whether glass, waterproofed cloth, or even evergi-een boughs, let the protecting medium be at a sWght distance from the plant. For combining neatness, utility, moderate first ex- pense, and ultimate economy, we recommend, for all glass-covered pits, &c., wood shutters made of half-inch or three-quarter-inch best deal, and painted a stone colour after the wood is thoroughly seasoned. If a temporary frame of wood is fixed to the ends and sides of the sashes, some two inches deep, and the shutters are made to fit close, a body ci( air will bo enclosed that will reader other covering unnecessary, while the skeleton frame will save the paint of tlie sash when sliding the shutter. The same mode may be pursued with asphalte, or with straw, mats, or cloth fastened to I a frame, and made waterproof, but none of these modes will so thoroughly combine elHciency, neatness, and ultimate economy. When none of these modes are resorted to, but a clean mat or cloth is placed over the glass, and then, in severe frost, hay and straw are placed above to keep the cold at a distance, both trouble, and the necessary quantity of litter, will be minimised by having a waterproofed cloth or canvass to throw over March 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 417 all. Not only then will the material beneath be kept light and dry, but all the insterstices, and all the tubes of hay and straw, will be filled with enclosed air, and thus become a non-conducting medium. Need we say, that to lessen radiation of heat from such a cover in winter, and to prevent it being half-charred if used for different other purposes in summer, the colour should approach a white rather than a black. Those who have none of these things, but depend upon keeping plants in frames and pits, chiefly by the assistance of litter of various kinds, must, in such weather as we have had recently, see that either they have plenty of it, or turn and shake it frequently. The time, and the circum- stances under which plants may be shut up from light, has been lately alluded to. F. FORSYTH MSS. (^Continued from page 378.) The two next letters are from Dr. Geobqk Youno, Physician to the Royal Hospitals in the West Indies. Of this gentleman we have no other particulars than that the Society for the Encouragement of Arts gave him a gold medal for his cultivation of the Cinnamon in the Island of St. Vincent; and that he died on the lull of March, 1803, at Hammersmith. He was then in his 76th year. The following letters were addressed by him to Lieutenant-General Melville : — London, Feb. 8th, 1785. I am happy to find that tha same motives which first in- duced you to cause a piece of ground to be set aside for a botanic garden at St. Vincent still continue ; and I make no doubt but it will still flomrish. I am glad to learn that there is a probability of Mr. Anderson's being ajipointed to the care of it, as I do not know a more proper person for that trust. I have lately sent him out some Assa lOJtida seeds, and shall soon be able to send him a plant of the true Jalap, which drug we are obUged to get from the Spaniards; a plant of Lechea, an exceeding fine East India fruit ; a plant of tha Marking Nut, of which the Chinese make their ink ; the Camphor Tree, Scamraony Seeds, and other articles. And I assure you, that while I remain about London, I shall make it a point to procm'e everything, either curious or useful, that is to be got in the Botanic Gardens, or in its environs. I shall likewise make out a list of what things are useful, either in commerce or in medicine, and send it to you, as you may have it in your power to send it to different parts of the world, where your friends may be going, in order to procure those articles. In the margin of the plan of the botanic garden which I gave you some time ago, you will find the names of the plants that were in the garden when it was first made, but there have been many introduced since ; it must, however, be confessed that several have been lost during the time the French were in possession of the island, but they may be easily replaced. What is wanted chietly, are the spices from the East Indies (which are all in tha hands of the Dutch, except the Black Pepper) and drugs. The plants which produce some of our most valuable drugs we know very little about. The Bread fruit would be a valuable acquisi- tion for the West India planters. I am told the trade in walking and other canes is very considerable, insignificant as it may appear at first sight. I have often wished to have got the Cochineal Insect introduced into the West India Islands ; there are several plants of the Opuntium maximum, on which they feed, in the Botanic Garden in St. Vincent ; and I have seen some of them in Grenada and Barbadoes ; this last island is pecuharly adapted to the cultm'e of Cochi- neal, as it is a dry soil, and has a great number of poor white people in it. The Opuntium maximum is easily pro- ipagated, as the least bit cut from the plant and stuck in the ground takes root immediately. It is amazing what a foundation for commerce the intro- duction of a new plant may lay ; instances of which are the Sugar Cane, Coffee, Cacao, Indigo, and Rice. About fifteen or sixteen years ago, I obtained a single root of the Curcuma (Tm-meric), which multiplied to such a degree that I was enabled to spare a good many roots of it to a Mr. Eobley, at Tobago, who, before the island was taken, used to send to England several thousand weight of it annually. Some per- sons, at Barbadoes, had roots from the Botanic Garden, and I find they send some hundreds of it liome likewise. After you left the West Indies, I got, by accident, a plant of the true East India Mangoe, from an officer, who was returning from thence to St. Kitts ; and Dr. .Tackson got another, which both grew ; and now there are above fifty plants in St. Vincent, so that, I think, we have secured that valuable plant, of which I brought some home with me for his Majesty's Garden at Kew. The Tallow trees, of which the Chinese make their candles, thrive very much ; there are above fifty in the garden above twenty or twenty-five feet in height, which, in July last, were loaded with green fruit. The tallow envelopes the seeds, and, I suppose, is separated in the same way as the Myrtle wax is done in N. America, viz., by throwing the seeds into boiling water, and so skim- ming off the tallow. London, ICth February, 1785. As you are sometimes with the Secretary at War, and that I hear there are some regiments going out to the West Indies, I should be very glad if you would endeavour to pro- cure an order for the commanding officers of them to send a roll to the War Oiflce, specifying the age, complexion, size in feet and inches, former trade or way of life, colour of hair, eyes, etc., of the men. The only roll of that kind I could ever get was of the 33nd regiment. I found that, in the first four years of their stay in the West Indies, those of a certain complexion died at the rate of two to one of another complexion ; and other curious particulars were observed, which had not been expected. If a roll, such as the above, were to be bad here, one could make observations from the returns of the dead. Were private appUcation to be made to the commanding officers, very probably they would agree to this; but, perhaps, never think more about it, as I have experienced several times, unless there is an order from authority. On this subject I must say that I think it a great pity that so many fine children should be permitted to go to certain destruction in the 'SYest Inches ; almost all of three years of age, and under, constantly die, and those from three to seven perhaps at the rate of one- half or two-thirds. Is there no workhouse or hospital whither they might be sent, and so a number of lives be saved to the community ? As to the women that go with the troops, they are allowed on the notion of their being useful to them in washing, nursing tlie sick, ifec, the contrary of all which I can safely affirm ; for they either soon get sick themselves, and so add to the calamity, or they keep suttling huts and dram shops, where they poison the men with new rum, and other bad hquors, and are the cause of almost all the irregularities that happen in a garrison. To prevent any discontents amongst the troops, if the women were all refused, perhaps it might be best to permit a certain pro- portion to go out with each company. COVENT GARDEN. As was to have been expected, the supplies of all kinds have fallen very short since the severe frosts set in, and the consequence is, all produce has materially risen in price. It has been hardly possible for the market-gardeners to find even what they have managed to bring to market, where, in some instances, the grounds have been subjected to a frost varying from 10" to 12°. As an instance of the sudden and great rise, we may mention Oreens, which could not be had under fi-om 4s. to 418 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 8. 5s. per dozoa bunches, whilst last -week the same article, and of same quaUty, might bo had in abundance at from Is. to 23. We have observed one or two parcels of "enuino Early Potatoes— not the pale-faced sana robes sort we spoke of a week or two ago, but real Early Frames, with all their unwashed exterior about them. These, however, are not general. We have also noticed a few forced Straicberries of the Keen's Seedling variety. These, too, are mere curiosities, and, to all appearance, are more for show than use, for nobody seems to buy them. We are wearying for the season when we shall see them au naturelle, and have an opportunity of dis- canting on the numerous varieties which will then he presented. At present we have no exciting subjects ; nothing to create a warm, glowing, interest. We refra.in from giving a dissertation on Oranges, for that nobo<.ly would care about ; but if such were required we co'old do even that. Chesnuts are a dry subject, and so are Walnuts. The only genuine feast at present is that supplied by the flowers and bouquets, which, en passant, if time permit, we shall treat of as wo promised. As we have already said. Vegetables have advanced much in price. Savoys have made as high as 2s. per dozen ; and, indeed, almost everything has been from one-fourth to double the quotations of last week. Notwithstanding the frost, the Floweus have been abundant. They consist chiefly of Camellias, Cinera- rias, Priniroses, Oeraniiims, Azaleas, Hyacinths, Tulips, Heaths, Lily of the Valley, and Violets. H. GOSSIP. Ii is satisfactory to observe any expression of the public disapprobation of the trickery to which some Exhibitors of Flotvers condescend. This trickery has condescended to such practical falsehood as attaching extra pips to a truss of Auriculas; and the trimming off, and the twisting into form of petals in Picotees and other flowers of that genus, are practices of occurrence at every Floral Exhibition. That these are reprehensi- ble practices needs no argument, for the skill which the prizes are designed to reward is the gardening or cultural skill which can produce the most excellent flower by the plants own healthful and vigorous growth. To give the prize to a man who has trimmed his blooms into the best form, is doing little more than rewarding the best artificial flower-maker. We have been led to these observations from noticing that at an Extra Orand Carnation, Picotee, and Hollyhoclc Competition, to take place at Glasgow on the 17th of August, one gentle- man, WiUiam Church, jun., Esq., has thus liberally de- monstrated his reprehension of the artificial system : — TO ruACTioAL gaudenees and amateurs. For six varieties named Picotees, to be exhibited in ID-inch pots, in wliicli they must have been grown for at least three months. The blooms to he showu in their nnturnl stale, without trimniiag or dressing of any kind. A declaration mnst be given to tlie efi'ect that the blooms are exhibited as reijuired. The object of this Prize is to promote tlie growth and imijrovement of varieties naliiralli/ tit for exhibition; or, in other words, such as do not require to be previously manufactured. First Prize, £:i '-is. ; Second Prize, £1 Is. Next we have to notice, as will be seen by a reference to owa- advertisements, that The Doncaster Poultry Exhi- hitioa, this year is to be limited to two days. This Soaiety, therefore, has the merit of setting the example ia adopting this most desirable reformation ; and we ^jiite agree with its Secretary in his opinion, not only illiat " it is 'a consummation most devoutly to be "wished,"' but that "it will assuredly have to be the case in other and, at present, larger exhibitions." Our correspondent, " Upwards and Onwards," writes to us — " As a fm-ther proof of the undomesticated nature of the Silver Pheasant — that tlie ' erratic fellow ' mentioned in a pre- vious article of mine, after three yeais almost uninterrupted sojourn, suddenly took it into his head to decamp, and provide himself fresh quarters in an orchard about a quarter-of-a-mile distant. Whether from biped or quad- ruped ' worriting,' I cannot take upon me to say ; suffice it, the poor fellow was brought back in such sorry phght, that he soon after died in the lodge-keeper's arms. I miss his formal and meditative going to bed in the branches of au old Cedar of Libanus every evening very much." On Thursday, a deputation from the Council of the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society met by appointment, at the Plymouth Guildhall, gentlemen, selected at the last meeting of the local Committee, to confer with them on several matters connected with the Exhibition, but particularly with regard to the selection of the spot for the show of cattle, implements, &c. The Secretary stated that he had received ofiacial communi- cations from the Great Western, the Bristol and Exeter, and the South Devon Railway Companies, stating that they would convey all cattle to and from the Exhibition free of charge, and all implements at half the usual cost, provided the cattle, implements, &c., were sent direct, without the intervention of any public carriers. This announcement of the liberality of the respective com- panies also gave much satisfaction. It was further stated that the Poultry Show would form an integral part of the general e.^hibition, and would be held in the same inclosure. With regard to a Flower Show in con- nection with the proceedings, there was a dirtereuce of opinion, some gentlemen imagining that it would be injurious to the interests of the Society rather than beneficial, as it might attract attention from the real object of the meeting ; the subject, however, will be decided by the Council. The selection of the site was then brought into consideration, and after hearing aU that could be advanced, the deputation, after having viewed both spots, at Mutley and Peunycomequick, selected the site at the latter place. The Exhibition will take place on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, the 8th, 9th, and 10th of Juire, and amongst the prizes to be ottered are the following : — • X s. n. For Devon Cattle, prizes amounting to 77 0 0 For South Devon or Soutli Hams Cattle, ditto. .. . 50 0 0 For Cattle of any otiier breed 77 0 0 For Long-wooUed Sheep 40 0 0 For South Down Sheep an 0 0 For Dorset Sheep 3'J 0 0 For Mountain Sheep 1 '-i 0 0 For Pigs, large breed 15 0 0 March 3. THE COTTAGE GAEDENER. 419 For Pigs, small breed £1') 0 0 For Horses 45 0 0 For Poultry . For Pigeons 3S:i 0 0 77 10 0 8 0 0 For Implements used in the Preparation of Ground 28 0 0 „ Cultivation of Crops 2a 0 0 „ Han-est Crops and preparing for Marliet 57 0 0 „ Preparation of Food for Stock 23 0 0 „ Miscellaneous 10 0 0 For Collections of Implements 23 0 0 For Plans and Models 10 0 0 For New and Improved Implements . . 10 0 0 85 10 0 -190 0 0 £058 10 0 WHAT SHALL WE DO TO SECURE A CROP OF FRUIT? What can be done, and what ought not to be done ? are important questions to others besides gardeners. That we have passed, or nearly so, an extraordinary winter, will be at once admitted; and, as in philosophical matters, effect must follow cause, so it will be found that such irregularities must produce a corresponding effect on our fruits. It may be fairly expected tliat where trees are young, and soils rich and favourable to a late root-action, trees will start into growth with a spongy kind of robustness, much at variance with the habit that produces plenty of good fruit. And why? Simply because, under the circumstances, there would he a much later and more copious absorption, quite averse to that degree of solidity in the wood, which gardeners term ripeness, and without which a high amount of prodvictiveness cannot be obtained. I have little doubt that numberless young trees situ- ated thus have had root-fibres in activity through much of the winter ; indeed, in moving a Peach-tree lately, I was rather astonished to find evident signs of the active principle in the finer fibres ; and in removing surface- soil to top-dress bush-fruit — an annual practice with me — I found a regular net-work of " sponglets" encasing the soil at about two inches below the surface ; thus evinc- ing, in a threefold way, their sensibility to the coaxing conditions of a soft and mild winter, their partiality to atmosperio influences, and their fondness for nestling their finer fibres in a generous surface compost. If our remarks as to luxuriant trees be right, they would seem to urge the importance of a little extra root- pruning, if injudiciously omitted in October. There are those who talk about lifting or transplanting in- stead, as being a much more fashionable procedure, and who say that it is a very different thing in principle from root-pruning. These are nice distinctions indeed : " tweedledum and tweedledee." If the fate of our mil- lions of fruit-trees in Great Britain depended on such niceties, involving so much labour and, of course, ex- pense, it would be time, I think, to leave the culture of fruits to our foreign friends, and to rely only on im- portations. When a tree is root-pruned, many roots and fibres are ruptured by the spade, the points of which are knifed after by good root-pruners ; and what but the same occurs when a tree is taken up and replanted ? excepting, that in this over-officious tampering a consi- deral)le amount of galling takes place on the tender skin of the roots, the mischief of which it is not easy to calculate when the trees are any size or age. This fact seems to have been overlooked. To transplant a tree through necessity and of choice are two very different afi'airs. If a tree is in a badly-constituted soil, or the soil exhausted ; if the soil be too wet, or the tree too fond of producing suckers, transplanting, or what our northern brethren call "lifting," may he resorted to very fairly. I am as old a root-pruner as any in Eng- land, the first, I believe, to insist on the propriety of the practice, and I have root-pruned in many hundreds of cases, but I have never yet seen any evil conse- quences worth, noticing. The chief thing has been a liability to fungi, or scale, on the bark for one summer, or until the active growth again commences. But this is soon got over, and is just what occurs through tem- porary poverty in some animals: they become infested with vermin for awhile, which a generous diet, and a good currying or two, will soon disperse. This, however, is not the chief matter I wish to press. I must now refer to protection and retardation. Some will tliink it strange that two principles, which appear in antagonism at first sight, should be brought into action by the same medium ; but so it is, and no marvel. It is an old saying, that " what will keep out heat will keep out cold." When canvass, or other moveable covering, is placed before the trees during sunshine, it is a retarder; and when placed before them on a very severe night, it is a protector. • I would here wish to observe, that it is worth while considering what character a material for protection ought to possess, and what is the gravest fault charge- able on coverings ; for, although I am assured it is the abuse, and not the proper me, which lies at the foot of this, yet it will be well to provide for the worst. The most serious charge, we believe, is that termed "drawing," a gardening technicality with which most of our readers are by this time acquainted. Drawing is a weakening ; inducing a weakness ; or, in other words, a tenderness in the unfolding buds. Everybody who has gardened a little with a common cucumber frame knows well, that any choice pets which have been coddled in such a structure during dark weather acquire a lengthened, weakened character, and must be removed to the open air by degrees, and with much caution. " Drawing," then, in fruit-buds, is similar in a degi-ee. To obtain a material which will bear little neglects occasionally is the desideratum, it would appear; for although it is no part of the duty of a public adviserto advocate neglects, it is one to provide for them when they occur. I have observed, in former papers, that I have for more than twenty years used canvass, a material much like what is called "cheese-cloth," but manufactured specially (I believe) for protecting purposes. This article has been patronised by Sir Joseph Paxton, inas- much as Mr. Hulme, who has furnished us, has told me of considerable demands from Chatsworth. Be that as it may, it is a good thing until we meet with a clieaper article, for I have little fault to find with it on principle. Now this canvass may be had so dose in texture that the sun's rays may be entirely subdued, and it may be had so open, that distinct gleams in sunshine may pene- trate at regular intervals; and apertures that will admit distinct gleams of the sun, will, oi^course, permit a very free circulation of air. I have now (after these preliminaries) to advise the use of a well-twisted, open-meshed canvass, or other such material in preference to one that is close-meshed. The diflerence is considerable, as I have proved. It must be remembered, that our late spring frosts, as far as the matter of frost is concerned, act much more in a per- pendicular direction than horizontally; and, moreover, what comes sideways, although frost and a south-east wind combined, may, as far as my experience goes, be left out of the question for practical purposes. With good broad copings, and a canvass of the above description, properly used, I will engage to secure a crop of fruit sis years out of seven. I had almost said 420 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Makch 3. one more. But there is another point. — There is no drawing here ; at least, if common sense he applied in the afi'air. If any one will place himself behind two distinct specimen pieces, on a snnny and airy day, the one distinct and open -meshed, and the other close, ill- twisted, and confused, he will soon perceive the dif- ference in the interior areas ; the one lively, and ad- mitting a real sunshine at intervals ; the other of a dormant and dull character, damp, stagnant, and chilly. And this applies to all coverings of whatever kind; they ought to be permeable (at somewhat regular in- tervals) by the sun's rays, and by a circulation of air. If the light admitted is tlickeriug in character, so much the better, and almost any material not too closely fastened will produce this; even canvass, although fastened on poles, by its undulatory motion during wind, produces a flickering or sliifting light. Most of the preceding remarks are applicable, in the main, to walls or other fences. I must add a few ob- servations on other coverings. Where there are per- pendicular trellises, care should be taken to place a good covering on the top rail. Spruce fir branches, hung sloping outwards and downwards, to throw otl'the rain, would be very good. And why not have moveable copings to these trellises '? Surely, if it is worth the expense to have such trellises, it is worth a few shil- lings more to carry out the objects for which they were made. Such might be a naked rod above the trellis, with a coping something in the form of a common water-spout on the eaves of buildings, but placed in- vertedly on this rod ; it should project nine inches on either side This, with fir boughs stuck in sideways the height of the trellis, and remaining there day and night until the blossom is set, would, I am of opinion, be foimd e.Kcel- lent. Where such trellises run east and west, the boughs might be tolerably thick on the north side, and thin on the south ; and where they run north and south, the thickest on the east side. Placed so as to admit a liberal amount of the sun's rays, I have no doubt they will prove of much value, and, when done with in May, will be excellent fire-wood. There are hundreds of places in the country where such plantation thinnings are given away, the owners never thinking of putting them to any use. Table trellises, too; those who desire to go a-head, and fear not a little outlay, might be covered easily nightly with canvass on a roller, the latter working in grooves on an iron railway suspended above the table. A stroke or two with the hand at night would soon discharge the roller along the rail, and it would be as easily returned the following morning. I proposed, if I remember right, a plan of this kind some sixteen years ago, in "Loudon's Magazine;" and had I possessed sufficient capital at the time, I would have taken a few acres of good pear soil, in some central district, and laid it all down in table trellises on this principle. The tables should have been in parallel lines, with only a yard or so between them, so that a square of this kind would have been like a little town with parallel streets; and the only thing requisite to complete the establishment would be an outer wall some fifteen feet in height, taking care that tins became a source of high profit, as well as protection. Ordinary espaliers, also; why not some attempts to ward off our awkward and ill-timed spring frosts, whicli surely no man would desire to see encrusting his April blossoms. Hero, again, the spruce branches are of much use ; at least, so I have found them, j)rovidod they are stuck in judiciously, not too thickly, and a portion of them made to rise above tho blossoming portions, in order to ward off perpendicular frosts; in addition, too, huge boughs, if at hand, to ward off cutting winds. Tho fronds of the common fern, as is well known, are very good things, but the spruce is better, as applied with less labour, and possessing the desirable quality of shed- ding its foliage jn-ogressively as the season advances. Fixed protections, of course, do not present the advan- tages of those which are moveable, as canvass, bunting, &c. ; for we cannot expect that the ordinary gardener can — with his multifarious spring labours — be daily removing branches for tlie sake of the sun's rays. Therefore it is plain that it is the best policy to take care tliat the branches used for protection be not so close as fairly to obstruct the rays ; but that rather an extra allowance surmount the iruit-beaiing portions of the tree; for, after all, the greatest damage will ensue, as before observed, in a jierpendicular direction. And now, lot us advise those who possess moveable cover- ings to be attentive in uncovering their trees to ordinary weather, such as is termed very cold ; merely covering against frosts and cutting winds ; in other words, be- ware of the evil termed " drawing," before explained. Nevertheless, as soon as the real blossom begins to unfold, by all means let the covering down every even- ing, and, indeed, use the same caution as a market- gardener does over his early Radish-beds — daily atten- tion to putting them to bed warm, as it is termed, or, in other words, coveriugup whilst the sun is yet shining. This sjn-ing will require extra caution, and one point amongst the rest is, that early and attentive hand-pick- ing will be advisable the moment the setting is accom- plished. " There are no gains without pains." Robert Erbinoton. MEETING OF THE LONDON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— February I.^th, 1853. The weather-glasses and thennometers showed this to be the coldest day experienced round London this winter; and, lurdcr glass, all sorts of plants are said to be soft and tender, and therefore more liable to ho pinched with cold frosty winds than usual. This is a conclusive reason why the exliibition tables were not loaded to-day as we have had tliem hitherto all the winter. The company, too, were not nearly so numerous as at the last few meetings, but there was a greater portion of ladies, and the lecture was as long as usual, and as interesting, without any appearance of " spin- ning" against time ; so that we all passed a very agree- able hour. Tlie next meeting of the Society will be on the 1st of March, and the time of meeting 3 p.m. On tho follow- ing day, the iind of March, there will bo a very inte- resting exhibition at the garden of the Society : i\Ir. McGlashen, of Edinburgh, who has invented a machine for transplanting trees and shrubs, is to show ott' the wonderful appetite of this new gardener; and all the members of tlie Society (between 4000 and ODUO) may go there free of admission foes, and I think they may introduce their frii-nds also. '.I'he two lions of the meeting wore perfectly new and very handsome winter-flowering plants, sent by Mr. Gleudinning — Rogiera iimaiin and Oeissomeria uiiian- Iktcii. This last has the handsomest leaves of all the Acnntliads, tlie order to wliicli it belongs. They put you in mind of the beautiful leaves of Biirrinijtunia speciosii, or some very licalthy, young, and full-sized leaves of Magnolia gruniVijiora ; and tho liowers como at the top exni-tly as in Ajilielandra, and very much in that way. \\'ithout looking at the private mark, no one could tell it from a handsome Aplitiaiio fai" as primitive form and worlcmanship aro concerned, would find Dautzic a museum. Corn is the staple article of export. .\ large hall in the centre of the town, and which serves as an Kxcbange, is where the business is cai'ried on. .Tews are the principal merchants. They are the .Tosephs of Egypt, buying up the corn of the provinces. A hmg table runs down one side of the hall, on this are placed large wooden bowls, containing March 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 429 the diflerent samples of grain ; this grain is brought down the Vistula. Wlien the distance is not great, it arrives in covered barges, containing about 150 quarters, but when it starts from the interior of Poland, it is placed in uncovered Hats, these are about seventj-tive feet long, twenty feet broad, two-and-a-half-feet deep, draw six inches of water, are rudely constructed, and hold from 21)0 to iJriO quarters ; they are generally navigated by fom- or six men. The corn is ridged up like the roof of a house, and being exposed to the weather, soon vegetates, and the shooting fibres form a felt, which protects the mass. In this state the raft moves along, like a floating green island, and is often weeks, if not montlis, on its voyage. When it reaches the wharf it is unloaded by women, assisted by one or two men to direct the operation. These women work in gangs, from ten to fifteen in each. The outside or matted covering of the heap is first peeled off, a huge sail cloth is then brought to the side of the raft, and the women placing themselves in rows upon it, throw the grain, by means of shovels, from one to the otiier, taking care to separate the kernels as much as possible. At night, and during showers, it is ridged-up and covered with a cloth. Thousands of quarters of the finest wheat may often be seen undergoing this process. "When sufficiently dried it is taken to the wareliouse ; these ware- houses form a line of lofty brick buildings, with their gable ends facing the quay ; they are seven stories high, three of which are in the roof; two rows of pillars support each floor, •running down the centre, and form a passage, boarded about four feet up the sides, the space between the pillars and the walls is divided into compartments or bins for the different kinds of grain, and each floor will hold 400 quarters. When a vessel is to be loaded, six or eight porters advance with long bags, similar to a bolster-case ; two fillers stand, one on each side of the heap, holding in then' hands an oval wooden scuppit, like a butcher's meat-tray with the corners cut off; one end of this souppit is inserted into the corn, and the other is tilted into the mouth of the bag held by the porter to receive its contents ; in half-a-minute the bag is filled, and by a simultaneous jerk is placed on his shoulder, one-half hanging down before him, and the other behind. He gives place to the next, and by this method a vessel carrying TiOO ([uarters is loaded in from three-and-a- half to four hours. To return to the raft; when clear of its cargo, it proceeds to a lofty brick tower, which has a projection overhanging the river ; here the top of its tall mast is secured to a pulley, which gradually lowers it over the stern, and finally it reaches the timber-yard, where it is broken up and sold for firing, or the dunnaging of ships. The men who navigate these rafts (and there is often a woman among them), are a peculiar race, with long black hair, dark features, and sun- burnt skins ; their dress is little more than an inverted sack, with holes to admit the head and arms drawn over them, short wide sleeves, a pair of trowsers, and a girdle of the same hempen material; they wear also a felt cap of the form and colour of our Stilton cheeses, and happy would it be for the poor creatures if they were cheeses. They appear to have no under garments, and their chests, legs, and feet are bare. The women dress like the men, save that they wear a short petticoat of the same course fabric, instead of trowsers, and a handkerchief round the head in the place of a cap. There is not a single garden in ths town of Dantzic that I am aware of ; at least not one worthy of the name ; this is o-wing, probably, to the density of the population, and the limited space afforded by the fortifications. But there are public gai'dens outside the city walls, and these are much frequented, though floriculture does not appear to have entered into the taste of the inhabitants. It was in a small lake near one of these gardens that I met with the beautiful little Eniw esculenta, or Edible Frog ; it abounds also in the fosse wliioh surrounds the ramparts. They are very difticult to capture, and when caught, require some compression of the hand to retain them, and if relaxed they shoot from it like a pellet from a pop-gun. These frogs are about half the size of our English ones, far more elastic, and will spring from six to eight feet at a bound. They have a high protuberance on the back, rising to an angle between the shoulders ; their colour is bright amber, with rows of black spots from the head to the rump, others are of an olive- green colour ; they appear to live in colonies, and on a signal being given, Uie clatter and din of their voices in fuU chorus is deaiening, this lasts for about a minute, and these out- breaks may be heard at half-amile distant. They might serve to ornament our parlour aquariums, provided, how- ever, that the latter were wired in. The environs of Dantzic are interesting, from the circum- stance of a hill rising to the north of the toivn, and the approach of the noble Berlin road, sixty feet wide, and bor- dered with rows of lofty trees. The country round is not highly cultivated, and is destitute of improved agricultural implements and farm buildings. Women may be seen working on the roads, filling muck-carts, and driving the plough. Prussian policy, which requires men for the army, checks industry, and retards the advances of civilisation. The landlady at my hotel was a notable i)ersonage, with a large bunch of keys at her girdle ; she appeared like the sun in the centre of her attendants — around her they traced their circle, and from her they borrowed their light. She spoke nine languages ; and it was a great treat every day at our table d'hote, which was usually frequented by the captains of vessels from various foreign iiarts, to hear her conversing with each in his own tongue, though seven or eight lan- guages during dinner were not unfrequently spoken. On my asking her how she acquired such versatility of speech, she said — not by books, for she rarely opened one, but by talking : a grammar, according to her notions, should come last, and only to finish off with. She had two fine sons, about seventeen and eighteen years of age. "What ti'ade do they follow," I enquired ? " They have been six months on my hands, expecting every day to be called into the army or navy : our Prussian conscription law requires every male to serve for two or three years ; and who will take lads to teach them a trade, when they are to leave at a week's notice. That law destroys our liberties under the plea of protecting them ; it deprives us of our children when they most need our care ; and too often returns them upon our hands idle and demoralised, and unfit to settle down to any industrious pursuit. Our evil is in having too many de- fences; defiance begets hostility, and no town has suffered more from the ravages of war than Dantzic." War is cer- tainly a monster ; it creates war, and then devours its victims. " How is it," asks a celebrated writer, " that the greatest crime, and the greatest glory, should be the shed- ding of human blood ? " I had spent eight days in Dantzic when the captain in- formed me that he was ready to return. To show the cheapness of living, my breakfast, with French rolls and cofl'ee, dinner of five or six courses, tea or coffee in the evening, ale and liquors at pleasure, and lodging included, was 3s. a day ! On our homeward voyage we were detained by adverse winds among the islands of the Baltic, and had an oppor- tunity of trading with the natives, who came off to the ships with provisions, and offer them in barter ; we also brought- to at Copenhagen, and reached the Schaw, or northernmost point of Denmark, when our troubles began ; for on round- ing this point, a strong head wind, blowing in squalls, with rain, and a heavy sea meeting us from the German ocean, threatened to detain us ; but the captain grew restless, and knowing, as he said, what his vessel could do, he would work his way down the Skager Back ; accordingly, every- thing on deck was made fast, the hatchways battened down, and tarpauled over, and the men put on their oilskin dresses. Orders were then given to tack, when the little vessel tilted on one side, and whistled through the waves and spray. I fixed myself on the cabin stairs, and looked over the partition which encloses them, like a man peeping out of a chimney-pot. " You '11 not stand there long," said the captain. He had scarcely spoken, when a wave cas- caded over me, and flooded the cabin-floor. Not liking to be bafiied, I procured a waterproof dress, and was lashed to •the railing on the upperside of the deck. What a wild and tumultuous commingling of the elements ! The lee-side of the deck, together with the bulwarks, were for the most part under water ; and when the vessel pitched, the waves came over the bows, and rolled from stem to stem ; during these moments, the man at the helm stood up to his breeches- pockets in water, and everybody and everything was com- pletely drenched. To me it was a scene of grandeur — a pic- 430 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 3. ture of God's ivonders in the deep. For two days and nights, with shght intermissions, we continued thus to battle witli the waves, until we came alongside the Dudgeon Light, on passing which, the man on the look-out exclaimed, " Why you have had a rough time of it." "Aye, aye," said the captain ; and in another tack or two we were in the Yar- moutli Roads, and cast anchor among a ileet of vessels which had ah-eady taken refuge from the boisterous wea- ther.— S. P., Rushmere. ARTIFICIAL SWARMS. I AM sure I ought to have written to you before this, to tell you something of my success and otherwise in the apiarian deijartment, if only for tlie gratitioation of our good friend "A Country Curate," who has so often urged youi' readers to send word how they get on, and I wisli him to know the result of my attempt at " artificial swarming" during the trying summer of last year. I find, from my memorandum- book, that the bees in a straw stock-hive (a swarm of IH.Ol, on the old system,) began clustering at the hive's mouth on the 0th of June. Not mshing to lose them, I kept some person constantly watching when there was any probability of their swarming. On the 8th they came out in greater numbers ; and one Cto me) remarkable circumstance was, that I had never seen a single drone during the season, though I had v/atched for them half-an-hour at a time. On the 10th, a drone in a state of chrysalis was cast out of the liive dead. On the 19th they clustered again ; and on the 20th in greater numbers than before, and remained out all the afternoon, and some of them all night. On the 'ilst and Siud they were still at the old game, and remained out during a heavy shower. This was provoking work ; and on the 23rd I tried to drive them into another skep, on the plan recommended by " A Country Curate," except that I made the attempt in the eveiiing. I only got a few to ascend. On the 24th I tiied again, between seven and eight, a.m., but with worse success, though I beat about the sides with a long cane for ten or fifteen minutes incessantly, until my arms ached again. Now I thought it time to try some new dodge, if perchance I might succeed; so I got some rags steeped in a solution of saltpetre, and put a new hive under the stock, and fumigated them : some 20,000, or more, fell down into it. When they had recovered a little, I took tlie new hive and placed it in the position of the old stock, remoring the latter eight or ten yards away. However, it would seem her majesty had not condescended to accom- pany this portion of her subjects, for, shortly after, they began to leave the new hive in great numbers. They found out the old hive, and in two or three hours had all rejoined their queen and companions. Finding it was of no use, I removed the stock back again to its place, until I should decide how to act with these ungovernables. I do not beheve I lost more than a dozen bees over this experiment. I found plenty of drones in the hive to-day, but none of them seemed able to fly. On the 2.'ith they were out again, by half-past nine, a.m. ; and on tlie 2Cth it was the same, although it was pouring with rain: they stood it bravely. On the 27th, 2Hth, and 2!)th, they still pui-sued the same line of conduct, and were, of course, hourly expected to depart. (On the 27th I saw some drones, which were the first I had seen in my apiary, leaving a wooden hive.) On this day (the 2'Jth) I repeated my former experiment, wishing to end the matter; and, in addition to the fumiga- tion, gave the hive several smart strokes with a stick, hoping to dislodge the queen. 1 then placed them on the old stand, and removed the stock to a distance, and mude it up during the night, it being then between three and four, r.M. Finding, on the JlOth, that the "artificial swarm" seemed to take to their new home, and to be going about very con- tentedly, I set those in the stock at liberty about ten, a.m., and found no inconvenience from so doing. On the 4th of July they had formed a piece of comb, about the size of my hand, and filled it with honey. On tho 12th, I took a box of honey (a stock box); ami finding a quantity of young brood in the combs, I put them into a box, and placed the " artificial swarm " over it, thinking they (the young bees) would materially strengthen it. On the 2(Hh, I found nearly all the bees in the "swarm" in tho bottom box nvu'sing the larvse, and scarcely any left in their own hive, not sufficient to defend it from a host of robber bees which surrounded it, and seemed resolved to take the place by storm. I narrowed the entrance, and at night took the bottom hive away, and placed most of the brood comb in the straw cap. I am afraid you will find this a very unin- teresting tale, but I want you to know tlie end of the matter. On the 2nd of August, thinking all was not right, I ex- amined the artificial swarm, but could neither find a queen, nor any brood in the comb, though I looked them over, almost one by one, three times, yet I could not find her. I looked for her a few days after, but could not find her ; and on the 31st, both bees and honey seemed to be dwindling away, so I joined them to another stock. With my box-hive, mentioned before, I had better success. I wished to transfer the bees from this plain box into one of Taylor's Bar-hives, and so I put the stock on the top of the bar-hive on the 1st of July. They were quite full, and began to work in it directly. On the .0th, they had made three guide combs four inches long, and commenced two others. As I wished to remove them to the bar-hive stand, I began by moving both together a little forward, until I got them on an old tub (in a day or two) m. front of their old stand. There was a straw stock close by likely to swarm, which I wished to prevent, as it was so late in the season, and had put the bar triplet under it for that purpose. The bar-stock under the box was full of bees when I placed it on this tub ; but wdiat was my surprise, when I looked into it a short time after, and found it deserted ; and turning to the triplet under the straw hive to find it Uterally crammed full of bees! It was evident the bees did not like the change, and had gone in a crowd, I should suppose, to the other hive, and had overpowered the few bees at the en- trance, and actually taken possession of their bottom hive. I took the box away immediately, and compelled the mass of bees to quit it. Jlany of them returned to theu' own hive (now restored to its original position), but many clustered at the mouth of the straw hive. I took them away by hundreds, and placed them on the alighting board of their own hive, when they immediately entered unmolested, and took possession of their former home. I never heard of such an instance before. I suppose you would call that " fraternisation." Well, on the 12th, X took this old wooden stock-box by fumigation, and compelltjd tho bees to enter the bar-stock. I had to fumigate three times, and brush them out with a feather before I could come at the queen. The bees were flying about in all directions, evidently at a loss for their sovereign. I took her majesty and placed her on one side (the box being tilted) ; the bees seemed to recognise her instantly ; she was surrounded by them, caressed, fed, and led into the hive, and in a few minutes all was quiet again. The gross weight of the box taken was 46 His. It weighed 24itbs. on the Uth of May. On the 20th of July I weighed the bar-hive I had driven the robbed bees into, and found it weighed 35 lbs. The bees were admitted on the Ist, confined to it altogether on the 12th ; and thus the net weiglit of bees and honey collected in twenty days was 18 lbs. I will conclude this subject, which I hope will, at least, amuse our good apiarian friend "A Country Curate," by saying, that having saved last year a quantity of seed of the favourite bee-flower, " Melilotus leucautha," if any of your readers who are bee-keepers wish to be supplied with it, and will send me a directed and stumped envelope, I will retm'u it to them with some of the seed. It is sown in April, and the second year grows eight or nine feet high, and is a mass of Hower. I got the seed originally from Dublin, through the kindness of Mr. McGlashan; and now 1 wish to give to any other amateur the opportunity of posses.siug himself of this excellent bee-flower. — J. 11. Jessop, Governor, Sculcoutes Union, Hull. HOT -WATER BOTTLES IN A SMALL CONSERVATORY. I HAVE often noticed tliat our friends, Messrs. Beaton and Company, advocate the use of bottles of hot-water in small glass structures, but never thought of employing them March 3. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 431 till this winter. On the first approach of the late incle- ment weather, I endeavoured to light a fire in my iiu'nace, but from the dampness of the Hue it proved a veiy tedious and unpleasant afl'air ; I therefore abandoned the taslt, and instead, filled a three quart bottle with ho'dinij water, and placed it on a stool in the house about ten o'clock at uiglit ; I found this to answer the purpose admirably, the thermo- meter at seven in the morning standing at o-l°. I have repeated this nightly to the present date (February 21), and seconding the hot-water-bottle by closing the lights while the sun is on them, am so satisfied with the result that I shall not again attempt to hght a fire. I should add that the house is 10 feet by 1 feet, and 14 feet high ; is in a sheltered position, with a wall on the north and west sides ; is, moreover, glazed with sheets of glass three feet long. This is, of course, all in its favour ; still there may be many similarly situated to myself, who may think a flue absolutely necessary to repel the frost, who would bo gratified to know that it might be done by simpiler and less expensive means. With a lower house than mine, and the addition of an outer curtain to hang on at night, I feel certain I could repel the sharpest frost likely to occur in this latitude. — W. Savage. BANTAM FOWLS. Of these elegant little pets there are several varieties, the first of which, I believe, were imported from Bantam, a town and province of Java, whence the name. They were small fowls of a Ught red colour, with black tails, and black markings in thou- hacldes, single-combed, and clean legged. Another imported variety is the feather-footed Bantam, which, I believe, was brought from China ; of this sort there are three colours — the nankeens, or light bufl'a, with black tails ; the quite white ; and the blacks — all with single combs and feathered feet. To these may be added several varieties of small fowls known by the name of Bantam, and most likely produced originally from them, with a slight mixture of some other fowl, and by in-and-in breeding reduced even below the size of the true Bantams. The first of these I shall bring to notice is the old Spangled Bantam, a most beautiful little bird, though almost forgotten, and nearly lost. The ground colour is of a bright red, slightly streaked with black, every feather being tipped with white, giving the fowl somewhat the appearance of being set with pearls ; the quill feathers of the wings and tail are mostly white, grizzled with black ; the white spots on the hens are larger than those on the cocks ; they are feather-footed, and often rose-combed. The Golden Pheasant Bantam next claims our attention. The colour is of a bright red, the feathers having a spot of black at the tij>s — from this reason they are called Pheasant, because of the resemblance of this marking to the dotted appearance of the pheasant's neck, and not, as supposed by some persons, from any mixture of the breed with pheasants. These are well-made birds, with rose-combs, and smooth green legs, but are generally rather large for Bantams, which strengthens my opinion that they owe their origin to a cross with the Golden Pheasant Dutcli breed. The Laced Bantams are of two varieties — that of gold and silver, being distinguished by the ground colour, the feathers having a narrow edge or border of black, which gives their wearer a scaly or imbricated appearance. Like the last, they are rather large, with mostly rose-combs, clean greenish legs, and they are good layers, from which reasons I suspect them to be derived from a mixture with the Dutch Every-day-layers of the same markings. Sir John Sebrighl's beautiful little Bantams are of this variety, I'educed in size by careful breeding. Their hackle, saddle, and sickle feathers are short, the last remarkably so, that they almost resemble the other tail featliers ; the colour of cock and hen scarcely differ, and they carry them- selves exquisitely. The Game Bantam is a charming little fowl, produced between the Game fowl and the Bantam, and by patient and careful breeding brought to resemble a diminutive ' Game cook of the black-breasted red variety, with single comb and clean yellow legs, with flowing saddle and tail feathers. To these may be added a perfectly white, aud a ijuite bluck, variety, each with clean legs and rose-combs. Common Bantams present a very great variety of oolotirs and markings, sometimes approaching one of these varieties, and often differing entirely from them. I have seen some tufted, and once saw a five-toed Bantam. They are inte- resting little pets, and may be kept where other fowls would be an annoyance. Some of them lay exceedingly well ; the eggs are small, but very nice, and the chicken of the pre- ceding summer make a good substitute for early chicken, with asparagus. Bantams are good nurses, and are sometimes used to rear young pheasants and partridges. — B. P. Beent, Bessels Green, near Seven Ouhs, TO CORRESPONDENTS. *#* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of Tac CoTT-iGE Gaudewer, It gives them unjustifiable trouble and fi-tpenae. All communicationa should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener^ 3, Amen Corner^ Paternoster flow, London," An Old Garden (R. H. O.). — You will see Mr. Robson has, to a certain extent, met your enquiries. In addition, wo have only to advise you to trench up nearly all the Strawberries that are run wild, and to plant young ones on a separate piece of ground. For the first year restrict yourself to Keen's Hecdling and the Eltmi ; you may also plant 'a small breadth of the Falstuff Raspberry, but do not destroy all your old ones. Though they are wild they will produce something. The same may be said of a few Strawberrien. Reserve, also, a few of the best Gooseberrf/ and Currant trees, and plant young ones elsewhere to replace them; and on the site of old plantations vegetables may be planted with advantage. In arranging your walks do not have too many ; and the walla being low will not allow the trees against them being planted thick. Your north wall, 150 feet lung, will not hold more than eight trees properly, which might be two Royal George Peaches; two Elruge Nectarines ; one brown Ischia Fig, if the climate be good ; one I\Ioorpark and one Orange ^/Jncoi; and one Greengage P/wWi. The latter may, however, be substituted for another Peach, if thought well of. The east wall may be planted with Apricots and Pears, and the west one with one Violet Hative PeacA ; one Red Roman Nectarine, and the remainder j^jwr/cois and Pears. The fence you speak of as bounding the garden on the south would be better removed if you propose taking in part of the adjoining field. We advise that the work:^ be not extended too far at once ; it is better to do well what is attempted than to grasp at too much. Your other enquiriee will have been met by the articles of our coadjutors in this and the last week's paper ; but other observations will follow equally serviceable to you. Compost for Calceolarias and Cinerarias (J. R. Jessop).— Herbaceous Calceolarias thrive best in a good, fresh, turfy loam, without any manure of any kind. If the soil is made too rich they are apt to die off suddenly. Shrubby kinds will require an addition of one-fourth leaf mould. The soil for Cinerarias should consist of two-parts loam, one- part peat, and one-part leaf mould, or very-well-decomposed hotbed manure, with a liberal allowance of river sand, Balsam-30WING (Amateur).— }ia.h^ms to be shown on the 30th of July should be sown about the first week in April. Egyptian Fowls (A Constant Reader). — We are not aware of any distinct variety of fowls known as Egi/ptian. Those we have seen from that country have usually represented raongrellsra in all its bearings; and, with the partial exception of one feature, an upright single comb, like that of the Spanish, which, however, ia far from universal, they are utterly devoid of any general characteristic ; but when we remember the immense numbers that are there produced by artificial hatchings, the eggs for which are collected without any reference to the breed, no other result could be expected. If our correspondents on such inquiries would send brief notices of the form, colour, and figure of the birds in search of a name, with a few feathers, and the colour and shape of the egg, our task would be more easily and satisfactorily performed. Planting Conifer^e {Two Inquirers). — You inquire what distance the Cedar of Lebanon and the Deodar Cedar should be planted from each other, so as never to injure eacli other at any period of time ? The Cedar of Lebanon spreads its branches horizontally, and when old these cover a great extent of ground. There are specimens in this country, the diameter of whose head exceeds a hundred feet. The Deodar does not spread its branches to near that extent, consequently, does not require so much room. Sixty or eighty feet would be u safe distance to plant these two trees asunder. Other coniferous plants do not require sq much space ; forty or fifty feet would be ample allowance, and even that depends upon the habit of the species. Slany of the genus Juniperus are upright growing trees, occupying a space not more, even in very old specimens, than ten or fifteen feet. These may be planted still nearer, as also may the Arbor vitce tribe. You must study their habits, and plant accordingly. You inquire, also, what distance such shrubs as Yews, Laurels, &c., should be planted from each other. The Yew is a spread- ing tree, and should be allowed at least twenty feet diameter of space ; but Laurels do not require quite so much. You ask, also, about deciduous trees, and the Pine tribe generally, what distance apart they should be. These should be planted rather thickly at first, and regularly thinned as they advance in size. If you wish to carry out your views, plant first such trees as you intend te be permanent, and fill up amongst them other trees to serve as nurses, till the permanent trees require more space; the nurses can then be gradually removed, either to plant again or to make stakes and fire wood. This plan is much to be preferred to planting the 433 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 3. trees that are to stand for posterity at the distances they will occupy when fully grown. This, oi course, depends upon the extent of your plantation. If you arc about to plant an Arboretum and a Pinetum.you ouyht to call in an experienced man who thorouprbly understands the art of planting:, and is well acquainted with the habits of every kind of tree you wish tu plant. He would point out at once the space of ground your permanL-iU trees each of them would require. To give full directions on every tree you name would occupy a volume ; beiides, a great deal depends upon soil and situation, of which you do not eay a word. In thin soils, and exposed aituations, the permanent trees will never grow so larjc aa they would do in good soil and sheltered places. Capt. Hornbtt's Spanish Fowls.— " In The Cottage Gardener of February 17th, I observe, with extreme surprise, an advertisement signed by Timothy Mason, asserting that he has Spanish fowls and eggs from different breeders, including Mr. Poole, who, he asserts, is the breeder of Captain Hornby's best birds. To this statement, I am bound to give the must unqualitied denial. I have not got one fowl in my yard of Mr. Poole's breed.— WiNDUAM Hornby." Salvia-sowing (D. J. Jl/.).— The blue and scarlet Salvias will flower in the autumn from seeds sown now in heat, and kindly dealt with. Poland Fowls {Scrutator). ~ln our previous remarks on your com- munication, the extreme beauty of the specimens of Gold and Silver- laced Poland sent for inspection was duly noticed. We arc strongly, however, of opinion, that both form and carriage are no less to be re- garded than mere beauty of plumage, and that the union of the three is essential to constitute a perfect bird. Indeed, we cannot even assent to your opinion that plumage should occupy the post of honour. In these days, moreover, a fourth test will probably be insisted on by the public, and that is excellence in an economical point of view; and we cannot but regard this demand as both just and equitable. You have placed a wrong construction on our words, in reference to our allusion to the spangled birds as distinct from the laced; this does not necessarily inter a distinct origin or parentage, but simply distinctness of appear- ance; just as we should speak of the single and rose-combed Dorkings as distinct; though, very possibly, as in the case of these Polands, both were hatched from the eggs of the same bird. The true laced birds should have the preference ; and had your friend been disposed to exhibit at the late I\Ietropolitan Show, he would have found the judges well- disposed to acknowledge the beauty of his favourites, supposing them meritorious in the other necessary points. But, at the same time, good birds have been shown, and distinguished by prizes, where the markings partook more of the nature of a spangle than lacing. You must re- member, that on the subject of beards or no beards, many Polish fanciers, who have long and zealously given their attention to the subject, hold for the former as stoutly a« you would argue for the latter. A letter is even now before us, from one to whom every variety of Polish has been the subject of diligent enquiry, and his specimens have been obtained from all parts of Kngland, and also from the Continent, and with him, beards are viewed in the most favourable light. We do not, ourselves, here express any opinion as to the propriety of their presence or absence, but would leave it, as the Birmingham aud other Poultry Societies have themselves done— an open question for further consideration.— W. Advice (Anti-humbug). — We are exceedingly obliged by you, or by any conespondents, taking the trouble to point out what you or they consider erroneous in our pages. Such advice is always read patiently, though often occasioning a smile at the total forgetfulncss by the writer that his judgment may, perchance, not be in unison with the judgments of a majority of his fellow-readers. We endeavour never to lose sight of the objects for which this Journal was established— the improvement of the gardening, other rural occupations, and domestic comforts of the majority of our countrymen. As our circulation, and, consequently, our profits have increased, we have increased the number of our pages ; but we cannot give that increase entirely to gardening. We give now, and shall continue to give, double the amount of horticultural information that any other weekly publication affords for twice the price. It may seem to some that we have given, lately, too large a portion of our columns to poultry intelligence, but it has been only in accordance with the growing desire for information relative to that useful description of agricultural stock. That information has been most valuable, and we shall always dwell with satisfaction on the aid we have been empowered to give to this source of comfort, pleasure, and profit, to so many^of our countrymen. This information will continue to be afforded, but by degrees it will not he so largely required ; and we are making arrange- ments to have a department devoted to that numerous claas of readers who require information as to farming the few acres they hold. It will enable us to afford, however, some hints to those who are more extensive agriculturists; will be equally useful to allotment holders, and shall not trespass in any way upon the space we have uniformly devoted to gar- dening. Dr. TjAtiiam'3 Mode op Preserving Animals. — Scrutator, and some others, have quite mistaken our object in publishing this. We did not intend it for more than we stated — an interesting, unpublished MS. of that great ornithologist. To put the matter beyond all doubt, we publish the following from a very obliging note signed M.D.; — "As a regular subscriber to, and reader of, yt»ur Cottage Gardener since its commencement, and from whose pages I have derived both pleasure and much information, I am naturally anxious that all its articles should be of tirat-rate quality, derived from the most modern and best sources of information, and the data confirmed by the practice of the best modern artists in tlieir respective departments. I have been led to make these remarks from reading an article in yours of the 10th of February, on the Preservation ot Birds, &c., by Dr. Latham, whose directions (whatever his ability might have been considered in his day) must now be thought obsolete, completely out of date, and useless. The merest tyro in the art, now-a-days, would laugh at the baking process, pinning down the specimens, cutting out the flesh, the preserving powders, the I»ainting black beads for eyes, when glass ones of every shade and hue may be bought for a mere trifle, &e., therein described. Animal spe- cimens of every kind were never better preserved, or set up, than at present; witness the celebrated Waterton's, surpassed by none, the beautiful collection of Humming Birds shown at the Zoological Gardens, and many otheri. Everything now, except the skull, and limple bones of the extremities, are removed from the skin, an arsenical soap, pre- pared and sold for the purpose, or a solution of muriate of mercury, as used by Waterton, applied to its surface (with the certain eflect of pre- serving it for centuries), and the mode of setting-up, which is totally different, as the slightest comparison will prove. One of the best publi- cations, though that may be improved in some parts soon, is a small work on the art called Taxidermy, that I have met with. Extracts occa- sionally from which would teach the tyro artist, and youthful amateur, the way they should go, which practice' in a little time would perfect, if it is your wish or iniention to include the above subjects in the list of your articles treated of." Hybrid Between the Pheasant and Fowl. — W. L, B. has obliged us with the following: — ** At page 392 you state, 'a cross between the pheasant and the fowl there never was, nor ever will be.' I tliought so for years, and never succeeded in hearing of one, though many keepers where large numbers of pheasants were raised have told me of their endeavours to hatch eggs of the common fowl crossed by the phea- sant. The pheasant cocks readily have connection with the hens, but the eggs, I was informed, always proved barren. Last year, a friend of mine procured eggs from a cottager near a cover where there were pheasants, and from which cover a cock pheasant regularly, for weeks, came to the hens ; but, out of more than twenty eggs, none proved fertile. I should mention the cottager had only hens, and I can enumerate other instances of want of success. Last winter, the keeper of Joseph Neeld, of Guttleton House, Wilts, told me, that out nf sixty eggs from hens to which cock pheasants had access, he hatched three chickens, which he stated I might see at Guttleton House ; but I never saw them, and cannot state this as a fact. I believe, in one of the cases of birds at the Great Exhibition there was a bird of this cross. I saw the bird, and so did others of my acquaintance. If you will refer to * Yarrell's Birds,' vol. ii., page 284, you will see what he says of this cross, and at pages 309—31 1 you will furtlier see instances of crosses between pheasant and black grouse. Still, as I stated before, though I have for years made inquiries, and have been in the habit of seeing large numbers of pheasants raised by keepers, — still, I never could hear of an instance tdl flir. Necld's keeper told me. I never could hear of an instance in Wychwnod Forest, though the keepers all kept fowls in the forest." Another correspondent (Sc7-vtatoj') writes in a strongly contrasted tone on the same subject: — " In the first place, your correspondent states that ' there never was, nor ever will be, a cross between the i)heasant and the fowl ;* and further, that you might as well try to cross a Shrubland Geranium with a Hollyhock. Now, to a natu- ralist, these sweeping assertions are particularly disagreeable, when it is well known that these hybrids have been repeatedly exhibited on the table of the Zoological Society, both alive and preserved ; and, moreover, one was seen by half London at the Metropolitan show last month. Again, he talks of the merest novice of a hen, agreeably with nature's dictation, assisting at the parturition of the chick, when it is a well-esta- blished fact that the mother renders no assistujice whatever. Let him go and sec Cantelo's macliine, or buy the Kev. Mr. Dixon's work on Poultry; in the latter he will be taught that the chicken is provided with an instrument, at the end of the beak, wherewith it is enabled to cut its way out. He also talks of Pheasants hatching on or about the \Qth day ; he never knew any such thing; they certainly vary as to time, but the 23rd or 2-ith day is early, and tlie 26th not unusual." [Of course, *' Upwards and Onwards" is wrong .is to the hen aiding the chicken to break the shell. As to the other points, we leave them to the disputant parties,— Ed. C. G.] Glass for Greenhouse (Ilex). — The furrowed specimen sent by you will do very well for the purpose. Pruning Young Trees (A. P. X.). — Your Apricots, Nectarines, and Peaches, planted three months since, should have been pruned at the time. Let it be done immediately. Cucumbers {i4 Subscriber). — For table purposes, and growing in heat, none are better than the Broivnston Hybrid and Sion Houne, For out- of-door culture, the common Short-privklij for abundance, and the Long- prickly for finer fruit. We cannot remember who the party was who subscriljed himself " A Subscriber," at page 261 of No. 199. Murrain in Cows (.-I Fanner). — Give them each ^Ib. Epsom salts, 2oz. of bruised Coriander seeds, and I oz. of Gentian Powder, mixed in a little warm water. Keep them in a warm shed. The symptoms will, probably, soon disappear. If not, you had better consult an educated veterinary surgeon. Pansies.— Mr. L, Fleming, Sccretarj^ of the Eastern Border Horti- cultural Society, Berwick, would be obliged by " Pansyiana " communi« eating to him his address. Legs OF Suanghae Fowls (G. R., Essex). — Whoever told you that yellow legs in these will never gain a prize knew nothing about the point. Yellow is the colour of the legs of the pure breeds, tinged some- times in places with red where the skin is thin. The white or blue legged always are avoided. Names oi' Plants (7>. P.). — I, Asplenium sp.; 2, A. diversifo- lium ; 3, Blechniim sp. ; 4 and .''i, Doodia eaudata, //'r(i7e/r(*7jrfs ; 6, Ly- copodium denticulatuni [?) ; 7, unknown to us ; 8, Adiantum cuneatum; 9, Lycopodium flabulare ; 10, unknown to us; 11, Gymnogramma chry- sophylla; 12, Lycopodium Galeottii ; 13, Adiantum hispidulum; 14, Lycopodium helveticum ; 15, Doodia caudata, sterile frond; l(j, Polypo- diumsp.; 17, appears to be a bit of a Drynaria; 18, Pteris serrulata ; 19, Lycopodium circinatum. If our correspondent had sent these spe- cimens at three enclosures, and better specimens, we should -have been able to have given the desired information more correctly, as many of the specimens sent arc too diminutive and crusheil for examination ; besides, the Ferns exhibit such a variety of forms as they grow on, that a bit sent may not show the real character of the plant it is taken from. London: Printed by Harry Wooldridcr, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Saint Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Somervillb Orr, at the Office, No. C, Amen Comer, in the Parish ol Christ Church, City of London.— March 3rd, 1853, Maboh 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 433 WEEKLY CALENDAR. ' 1 M' W D D MAECH 10—16, 1853. Weathra near London in 18.12. Sun Rises. Sun Seta. Moon II. & S. Moon's Age. Clock bf. Sun. Day of Year. Barometer. Thermo. Wind, llainin In. 10 Th Vellow-horned ; paling. 30.382 — 30.300 46-20 E. 01 27 a. a 5i a. 6 Ba34 I 10 28 89 IIF Orange Underwing; willows. 30.240 — 30. 217j 45—34 N.E. — 25 6S 7 44 3 10 12 70 12 S Light-orange Underwing. [30.382 — 30.316 49-2.5 N.E. — . 2.1 57 8 53 3 9 56 71 13 Sun 5 Sunday in Lent. JSO.428 — 30.371 48—20 E. — 20 69 lU 1 4 9 40 73 14 M March Moth J palings. 30.422 —30.S86 43—25 N.E. — 18 VI 11 8 S 9 23 73 'l5To Mottled Grey ; heaths. ,80.427-30.415 40-32 1 N.E. _ 111 2 morn. 6 9 6 74 le W Large Ingrailed; trees. 30.408-30.348,48-35 N.E. 01 14 4 0 15 7 8 48 75 DIhtkorology of the Week.— At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-six years, the average highest and lowest tempera- | tures of these days are 50.9", and 31.1° respectively. The greatest heat, 67°, occurred on the 9th in 1828 i and the lowest cold, 7°, on the lOlh in 1347. During the period 105 days were line, and on 77 rain fell. BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. POMITVOETS. — PAPAVEEACEaj. {Gontimted from page 39.5.) Ro.MF.EIA. Geneeio Chaeacter. — Pcluh four. Seed-vessel long, from two lo four valved ; the valves opening from tlie toji to the bottom. Placenlic ilistinct. Seeds jiilted, without a crest. RiJjiEEiA HYBEiDA : Hybrid Romeria ; Violet Celandine ; Violet Horned-Poppy. Description. — It is an annual. Boot spindling, or carrot- sliaped, but slender. Root-leaves stalked. Stem erect, about a foot high, branched, cylindrio, slightly bristled. Stem- leaves stalkless, dark green, cut into many toothed, sliavp segments, smooth. Flower-slal/is terminating the branch, cylindric, one-flowored, smooth. Guli/x oval, slightly hairy. I'etals egg-shaped, deep purple or violet, seldom lasting more than three or four hours. Anthers twin, pale blue. Seed-vessel, a pod two or three inches long, rather crooked, slightly bristly. Stiyma three-rayed. Seeds round, greyish- black, slightly pitted, attached by small stallcs to the re- ceptacles in a double row. Places ii'lierc found. — Rare. In corn-fields in Cambridge- shire and Norfolk. Time of flowerlny. — May and Juno. History. — This plant was called Ghelidonium lujhridum by Linnajus, from a suspicion which ho entertained that it might be the offspring of Pajiuver arrjemone impregnated by pollen from some species of Ghelidonium. Other botanists have named it Glaucium violaceum, and others before them Papaver corniculatum violaceum. A botanical critic, named Medicus, first separated it both from Chelidonium and Glaucium, and bestowed upon it the title of Hiimeria, in honour of a Gennan botanist, J. J. Rbmer, vrho died Pro- fessor of Botany at Landshut, in 1820. Medicus would not have been a sufficient authority had he not been sustained by M. DecandoUe approving the new genus. It is common in Spain, but Ray was the first to discover it in England, growing in Cambridgeshire, between Burwel and Swaffham. Like the other Horned-Poppies it has a yellow juice. (Lindley. Marlyn. Smith. Bay.) If we were asked to specify the difficulty in gardening upon which we have most frequently been asked to advise, our reply would be — Upon the most desirable mode of beating a small greenhouse. The causes of this difliculty are various. Hot-water apparatus is ex- pensive ; flues take up niucli room ; both are difficult to temper, so as not to overheat a very small structure, and the lire of either requires constant attention, to say nothing about the dirt and trouble of lighting and re- lighting. Where there is a gardener, and no deficiency of assistance, all this is mere matter of customary routine and seasonable duty, but tbey are grave diffi- culties, and almost worse than counterbalancing the pleasure derived from a greenbouse by an amateur of limited means, upon whose own skill, or that of the lady of the house, its management devolves. Last autumn, a principal tradesman in Winchester applied to us for advice upon this very point, and we recommended him to have a small hot-water apparatus NorcCXXXII., Vol. IX. heated by gas. As the expense is not an object to him, he has bad the apparatus constructed of copper. About the same time, we think, a similar idea sug- gested itself to Mr. Cuthill, of Gamberwell, for be com- municated the plan to the London Horticultural Society at its last meeting. Strangely enough, and as if there were certain thoughts bad a vagrant habit, and found a resting place in various brains as tbey journeyed on, Mr. Arthur Paine, wine-msrohant, at Tiverton, also in last autumn constructed a similar apparatus. To bim belongs the greatest merit, however, for be at once embodied the thought, and in the apparatus, of which we subjoin his drawing and description, little room remains for improvement. The only suggestion we have to make, is that a funnel be attached to a tube long enough to reach to near the bottom of the boiler, and that care be taken that a little water can be always seen in the funnel. 434 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 10. Ml-. Paine says :— " I liave great pleasure iu answer- ing your questions, aud am sure, sliouid any of your readers try this means of keeping out frost, tliy will find it succeed beyond expectation. " Mine, it is true, is on a very small scale, but I bave no doubt it is equally adapted for buildings of a larger size, provided the gas-burner is increased in propor- tion. " The boiler is placed inside the bouse, so that all the heat from the gas and the boiler itself may be made useful. " It is enclosed three-quarters up with slate and mortar, so as to allow the heat to ply all round it. I bave had it iu use since September. " One-inch lead-pipes are used to attach the boiler to the iron-pipes, on account of being more easily fixed to the boiler than the three-inch iron ones. I should here observe, that I bave proved the lead-pipes will not give the same amount of heat as tlie iron. I have twelve jets of gas in the ring beneath the boiler. The boles being pierced with the smallest drill, " During all the severe weather in February, and without putting on mats, it maintained a temperature above 4."j° in a house ten feet long, and seven feet wide." a Thvee-quart tin boiler. h Ring ga3 liurner ; twelve small je(s r Flow-pipe (ironi three inches. d Return do. e Pipe conducting: consumed gas outside of house, one-inch. / Gas tap. g Communication from outside of house, to light gas. We have now before us the Poultry Piize-list of the Yorkshire AgricuUnral Societi/, to be held at Leeds in December of the present j'ear. The judicious limitation for the exhibition of chickens iu their own classes only, not suffering tliem to appear in the pens devoted to their seniors, which originated with the Birmingham committee, has been wisely fol- lowed; and every iioiiltry -keeper of experience will rejoice at a decision which will give his birds of either class a fairer field of competition. In Shanghaes, or Cocbiu-Cbinas, we find classes 24 and 25 allotted to cinnamon and buff, and 26 and 27 are to be filled with brown and partridge-feathered birds. So far, so good ; but then follow classes, " white, ilridi, or any other eoloiir." Now, we hesitate as to the correctness of bringing all these into competition with one another. The white Shanghaes bave every claim on our notice as a distinct variety, like producing like, and as such should have a class of their own, to which we must consider them fully as much entitled as the numerous fainilies of Game fowls, which have here, as elsewhere, attained that distinction. At Birmingham, a class lias been opened exclusively for black Shanghaes, and the ground, as we presume, on which they were admitted, was that of their title to be considered a distinct sub-variety, as evidenced by the test already referred to. If this is borne out by evidence, their claim should cei'tainly be allowed ; but tlie curious combination of colours, white and buff, on the part of so many of the parents of the black cockerels and pullets of 18&a, cannot but raise doubts as to their strict legitimacy. Now, so far as we know, the white have no charge of this kind brought against them — at any rate, none well substantiated ; and in their native country, as in England, they bave given, on tlie other hand, many proofs of the justice of their claim to be regarded as a pure race, free from the bar sinister. We would not, then, have coupled them with lilaoks, wliich hitherto, at least, bave not proved tlieir case, nor with the other mis- cellanies among which they must appear at Leeds. Game fowl, Hamburglia, aud Polands, succeed each other in the usual course, and the )U'izes are liberal ; but our poor little friends, the Bantams, have verily been cut down to a ])eace establishment; since, all their glories of gold and silver laced, black, white, and sundries, are merged iu one, aud luit one scale of prizes awarded to the whole family. This could hardly proceed from mem motives of economy on the part of the managers of a society that elsewhere holds forth such tempting prizes; wo con- clude, therefore, that a desire to call forth furnier's •poultry must have caused this deposition of our tiny friends. If this he the case, no one has a right to find fault; and a step is taken to assure tlie public bow far "nlilily" is the principle on which these societies are conducted ; but we would have gone a step further when deteruiined to carry out this same principle, and would have divided Geese and 'J'lirkeys, those essentially farmer's stock, as fowls are divided into birds of tlie year, and those beyond it. We have specially alhidod to the case of the blaci; and white Sliaugaes, as siidicient numbers of them will, probably, be bred during the course of the present year, to give us more insight into their origin and parentage than is at present before the public. The Biith find IVestern Counties Agricullund Assn- eintion have also published their list of poultry prizes Maboh 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 4.35 to bo awarded at a meeting, at Plymouth, in June next. Chickens, of course, must be of the current year; and n'hat with the present severity of the weather, and tlie early period of the exhibition, tlie judges will have full room for speculation as to what the young birds will eventually turn out, when they behold them in the infant state in June. We do not say that matters could have been otherwise arranged, but simply allude to it as one of the many drawbacks of summer poultry shows. These chickens of 1833, which will be, at the most, some twelve or fifteen weeks old, are, we see, dignified by the reverend title of " cooks and hens." The classes for Shanghaes being limited to "cinnamon and buff" and " darh"—" iMte" we must understand to be excluded. AVo must, too, utter some little remon- strance on behalf of the " gold and silver-s2')angJed Ham- burghs" which are also proscribed ; while for the class "for any other distinct breed" we have in exchatige one for " silJcs "■ — hardly, we think, an improvement. " Hybrids" are to be honoured; but their class is so placed under the general heading " Polands" that ajiy one deriving his information from the prize-list must be led to infer that " hybrid Poles " alone are admissable. We sliall be curious for the appearance of these highly- favoured top-knots. But the question of the admission of hybrids at all is one of great doubt; and Birmingham, a good au- thority, has, as we think, justly excluded them. We should be glad, however, if we are called upon to notice better results from the stimulus thus given than have ever rewarded the careful and scientific experiments of many of our friends, as to the advantages to be gained in cross-breeding fowls. We regret observing that some of the best pigeons are altogether omitted. The system of post-entry, so fruitful a source of dissa- tisfaction at meetings of another description is here in- troduced. We shall be glad to learn what object the committee hope to serve by it. The rules, especially with regard to entries, are not quite so clear as we could wish, nor do we understand the principle on which these entries are to be made. This, it seems, has already been noticed, and to one of our friends who sought for in- formation, the following letter has been addressed by the honorary secretai'y at Plymouth : — " Plymouth, 31st Feb., 1853. " Sir, — Your other questions will be best answered by my observing that our conditions and regulations are to be interpreted literally; that the list of prizes, as it stands, is complete, and that it is not intended to add to, or diminish from it in any particular whatever. " An exhibitor can obtain a prize in accordance with his entry only. If he enter, say cock and two hens, for a first prize, he cannot obtain a second or third ivith the same foiols. If the- entry be for a second prize, he can- not obtain a first or a third ; and so with an entry for a third, the exhibitor on entering cannot obtain a first or a second prize. (Signed) .James Molleny, Hon. Sec. " Mr. W. C. Pennington, Penzance." When any society deviates, for the first time, from the course hitherto taken by other associations established for similar purposes, the public may fairly ask for what object certain unusual arrangements have been elfected. Just so in the present case. Birmingham, with the Metropolitan and our other Poultry societies, adopted and acted on the usual system for making the different entries of stock for exhibition, leaving it to the merits of each pen to determine whether a first, second, or third prize should be assigned to it, or whether it should remain unnoticed. The secretary's explanation of the regulations presents some very novel features, the rea- sons for which we must confess ourselves as yet unable to appreciate. We shall hope, therefore, to be enlight- ened on these points, and are the more disposed to ask for this information, as such revolutions on the part of so influential a body as this society mr.st have an im- portant bearing on other similar institutions. W. COVENT GARDEN. Some time ago we had occasion to remark on the unsatisfactory state of the meterage of the market, and to expose what cannot be called by any other milder term than the fraud which is practised on purchasers by the irregular measures which are employed in the sale of fruits and other productions. We have, for some time, intended to prepare a statement of these for the benefit of those who may not be acquainted with the subject. To many our reports must have appeared unintelligible, from the strange names of the measures quoted; but we shall now, and on future occasions notice some of these, until we have overtaken the whole. The Bushel. — This is, in its integrity, an imperial bushel; but what it is as used in the Garden would puzzle all the meters in London : it is something lilce the quart wine-bottle — a bushel only in name ; for what with the tremendous " kick " in the bottom, and the stratum of straw over it, the Covent Garden bushel rarely ever contains more than three pecks. This is not, however, tlie fault of the bushel, but that of the inspectors of weights and measures, whose duty it surely is to take proper cognizance of these matters. The next smaller measure of capacity is — • The Sieve. — This, like the bushel basket, is made of wicker-work, and should contain about the same quan- tity as half-a-bushel, or 1644 cubic inches. The Half-Sieve is the next in size smaller, and contains 822 cubic inches, or about the capacity of a peck. This also is made of wicker-work. There is also The Quarter -Sieve, which contains about one gallon. Besides these there are smaller measures called Pun- nets, which are constructed of thin strips of deal, and plashed in the same way as wicker-work. They are of four sizes. The Large Punnet contains 248 cubic inches, or five pints-aud-a-half. The Second Punnet contains 328 cubic inches, or about a pottle. 430 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Mauch 10. I Tiii; Third Punnet contains 00 cubic inches, or the i capacity of a quart. i The Small Punnet contains 00 cubic inches, or a i piut-aud-a-half. i We sliall return to tlie subject on a future occasion — possibly next week, when we shall treat of the other I departments of this subject. i The continuance of t!ie frost is very much against a 1 liberal supply of Veget.\i!Les, and the prices, in conse- quence, remain high. There is, however, a good supply of Asparagus and Sea-kale. Fruit of all kinds is very scarce; but Flowees are abundant. H. GOSSIP AND GLEANINGS. We believe that we shall live until the time arrives when Pa2)er will be manufactured from the fibres of almost any vegetable. Those of the Jerusalem Arti- choke, Sunflower, Dahlia, and many other tenants of the garden, we think especially applicable to the pur- pose. There is nothing peculiar in the chemical com- position of Flax to indicate that it alone is calculated for the paper-maker's use. Then, as for toughness, Bass matting, and many otlier vegetable fibres, are equally strong. This, however, is not an essential quality in the material for paper-making, inasmuch as that straw, one of the most brittle of i)lant-steins, is now successfully emjiloyed. The following statement in point is extracted from the Journal of the Society of Arts: — "The manufacture o( Straw Paper was first introduced about fifty years ago, but was only partially successful. By an interesting and important improve- ment in the mode of preparation, the use of straw as a material for paper may now be considered permanently established in England, Ireland, and the United States. So little ditterence is perceptible between rag and straw paper, that the latter is used by one of the I.,ondon journals regularly. One peculiar feature of the manu- facture is, that although the article can be produced at a price not exceeding that of ordinary printing paper, it is applicable for both writing and printing purposes." A Correspondent (J. J.), who sends us his address, says : " I find at page 7!) of the present volume, a short extract relative to Paul Jones, to which I would beg to refer, and in doing so must say the birth-place of this celebrated pirate was not at St. j\Iary's Isle, nor was his father ever gardener to the Earl of Selkirk, but to ilr. Craick, Laird of Ardhigland, a small estate in the Stewartry, about twenty-three miles below Dumfries; and if I mistake not, about twenty-one from Kirkcud- bright, and situate in the parish of Kirkbean. Mr. Craick was a noted agriculturist, an improver in breed- ing and feeding farming stock, and an improver of agricultural implements ; indeed, the surrounding coun- try owes to him much of its present high state of culture. The cot in which young Paul first drew breath had almost crumbled into ruins, but was rebuilt by the present JNIr. Craick (who, I understand, has lately sold the estate), and it still retains the name of " Paul Jones' Cottage," and relics of him and his favourite retreats are pointed out to the stranger. The two summer-houses remain, one on each side of a large folding-door emerg- ing from the garden, within ten yards of high-water mark, on the bank of the Solway. The garden seems about an imperial acre, surrounded by high stone walls, covered with what have been fine old fruit trees, but now much neglected, and it contains nothing very remark- able, save a fine specimen of the Garden Hydrangea, which I saw in full bloom, and bearing about lOii splen- did blooms, although not in anj' season protected. There are there likewise some of the finest specimens of Spruce and Silver Fir I over saw." The Shangluu hen (lot 102) mentioned by us at page 300, was purchased by !Mrs. Newton, Laurel Cottage, Gravescnd. Another of Mr. Stevens's fortnightly sales took place on the 1st instant, and the 200 lots of poultry realized about i'4J.3, including a few lots which were bought in. Lot 40. A buff pullet, bred by Mr. George, was bought by H. G. Gurney, Esq., for i'lO lus. ; and the same gentleman bought lot ili for ^£-12. It was a buff cock, bred by Mr. Collinson. It was certainly a handsome, brilliant coloured bird, but deficient in size. Lot -lf<. A butt' cockerel, son of Mr. Sturgeon's Patriarch, was bought by Mr. Enghsh for £'i 10s. Lot Go. A buff pullet, bred by Mr. Holt, was purchased for ^£10 by Mr. Shaokell, of Uxbridge. Lot 72. A light butf cockerel, bred by Air. George, and brother to his Prince, was bought by Mr. Wright, of Croydon, for i'lO Ills. Lot 10."!. A bufl" cockerel, of Dr. Gwynne's strain, was bought for £8, by Mr. Fox, of Skinner-street. The Winter Exhibitions of Poultry are not yet all over, for we see that there is to bo one on the isth and loth of this month at Kendal ; and this must come within the class of winter shows. It is, however, much too late ; the best hens are getting broody, and both they and the cocks are declining in weight. We are informed, upon very good authority, that The Sinithjield Club intend this year to have a Poultry Show one week after their own usual exhibition. It is pro- posed to have prizes for fat fowls, as well as for stock specimens. Its prizes will be on a most liberal scale, and an ellbrt made to render it a national gathering. PINE APPLES. I lEEL justified in returning to this subject at this ]ieriod, on account of the rearrangement generally requi- site in spring ; and, in this respect, it is very probable some of our readers have got the start of us. Such a pressure of subjects, however, have presented tlicmsclvcs during the last few mouths, that it was impossible to reach this point sooner. It has before been stated, that Pines, by the Hamil- tonian system, or planted out, do not require a titlio of tlic labour those do which arc inidcr the old pot-system. Let all who wish to be severe in tlie economy of labour look well to this. Let them just reflect what an inq)or- tant matter it is to a gardener, who is tied to llic very miniiniim ]ioint in regard of labour, to have a pinery which requires by far loss labour in the aggregate than March 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 437 an ordinary iVamo. When a gardener has more on bis hands than can bo well done, it is surelj' evident tli at sometliing must be dehiyed, or must be omitted altoge- tlier; and do not we all know that the proprietor's inte- rest and the gardener's feelings both sull'er at once '' This shows how important it is to simplify all garden plans ; both economy and success are concerned iu this simplilication. However, aa to Pot Pines, I must beg to offer some practical advice ai)pliciible to the season. The old tan- bed, after resting undisturbed, or nearly so, since the end of October, will require renewal ; this is the first thing to bo thought of, and hence the great defect in bottom-heats of fermenting materials ; it is impossible thoroughly to renew them without removing the plants ; and it is assuredly impossible to effect the latter without rupturing numberless sap vessels. Every practical man will confess how grieved he has felt to hear crack, crack, among the noble and unblemished leaves of his strong successions, when in the act of tying them, if compelled so to do, preparatory to removal. He can no longer feel the same pride in the plants; hitherto he has seen them daily without a deformity ; now he is, of course, antici- jjating decayed points, leaves rotting off in the centre, others lialt' crushed ; so that he is pu/.zled to know, sub- sequently, whether to entirely amputate them. These are the kind of evils to be faced by the Pine shifter, who generally sets about the work of disturbance with a heavy heaft if the plants be very robust. Mr. Hamilton, however, in his useful book, suggests a plan by which, under some circumstances, this crack- ing and crushing may be avoided. It is to remove one row at front, and to renew the materials beneath to the very bottom, making a lively heat in this part, which, of course, acts as a lining to the rest, in exciting it to fresh action. This is by no means a bad plan, although it does not go the whole length of the evil ; inasmuch as that por- tion of the pit farthest from the point of operation bene- fits but very moderately by the removal. If a pit con- tains four or five rows, a back row might be removed and treated in like manner ; and thus the pit would be renovated, and the removal of a row or two saved. But for these evils there is no radical cure but a per- manent and unfailing source of bottom-heat by hot- water piping. It has cost so much, however, in num- berless cases, to fit up such sources of bottom-heat with chambers, tanks, and other superfluous apparatus, that I fear it will take some time to 25ersuade the public that a much simpler plan will succeed — simply, piping buried in stones, as detailed in the papers on the Hamiltonian system. The early part of JNIaroh is the favourite period with most for a general rearrangement of their stock of Pines. Early-fruiters in " show " will require the in- troduction of more tan, and if the body of the bed has become husky it should be watered with tepid water, and stirred deep with a strong stake. Where the tan or other material is getting rather hard-worn, and the plants may not be disturbed, I should advise laying on about four inches of new tan on the heels of the water- ing ; and the operator may now stir so deep and so carefully as to take care that much of this new tan sinks deeply down ; this will add new life at a lower level. After this, he may add plenty more new tan on the surface ; even covering over the surface of the pots, if necessary, to the depth of three inches. This, well carried out, will produce a genial warmth, which will endure for a long period as the season is advancing. By-the-by, this stirring deep with a stake is excellent practice, and cannot he done too often ; it both renews and purifies ; those who practice this, and often syringe between the stems of the Pines on the fermenting surface, will not be troubled with nauseous fungi, at once the produce and the producers of a vitiated atmo- sphere. Succession Pines, in pots, heated with fermenting materials, will require a thorough renewal of their heat, if they are to continue through the summer in these structures. Hero there is much less difficulty than with fruitiug-plauts, as the plants are by far less bulky, and, moreover, they must be repotted, if not in their final shift. Those who have other pits at liberty generally prepare one anew for their reception before- hand, and this is the very best plan, as there is liuie to prove the heat before introducing the Pines. I may here refer to the repotting process, a thing of the utmost importance; indeed, if this be badly done, all other advantages will bo sadly negatived. In former days, some of our readers may remember, that even many of the first gardeners of the day insisted on what was termed disrooting them ; that is to say, tumbling them out of their pots, shaking away every particle of soil, and cutting away about three-fourths of their roots. This was a strange piece of infatuation, showing plainly the tyranny of mere rule even with first-rate professors ; but gardening is not the only art liable to such misconception. fJisrooting by system is now entirely repudiated ; I doubt if it has one solitary champion left. Mr. Hamilton did much in breaking up this silly procedure, by forcing attention to the great longevity of the Pine-roots, although such, to all ap- pearance, are discoloured and apparently worn-out. it was this singular discolouration through age, I suppose, which misled our venerable predecessors ; but a clear observation, coupled with common sense, would surely have shown them the fallacy of disrooting. In those days, however, potting principles, such as the consti- tution of soils, the importance of thorough drainage, &c., were but imperfectly understood; the riddle was too much in vogue; and in addition, people used to water their Pines in an unnecessary degree in the dormant season. Hence the soil became soured, and roots did, indeed, perish. Such things do now occasionally happen, and where the roots are in this perished state, no alternative remains but to shake the soil away, trim their roots, and repot them. As to size of shift, there is much less " fiddle faddle " in these days than formerly, when folks were scarcely contented with a Pine plant, unless it had made acquaintance with nearly every sized-pot iu the shed, from a five-inch up to a fifteen. What is termed the "one-shift" system, or something closely approaching it, is now very generally practised. A sucker potted in a seven-inch now, will deserve a nine- inch pot before ^Midsummer, and its final shift in the end of August. And now, as to soils, or what are termed composts. I do not think anything can excel one of three-parts turfy loam, and the other portion an old cucumber-bed, which had been composed of about equal parts dung and leaves. A little of some charred rubbish yard- materials may be added, to ensure porosity. It is not so much any particular virtue iu the soil, or its texture, that concerns most highly the Pine. In point of texture, it should contain the elements of durability, or of keeping long mellow, as gardeners express it ; hence the matei'ials should not be too highly decayed. Turfy loam from a very old pasture, in character inter- mediate between the adhesive and the friable, stacked in a sharp ridge when dry, for six or eight months, is almost complete in itself for their highest culture, in- asmuch as extra fertility may bo imparted through the medium of liquid-manure. Some of the noblest Pines that I have lately met with, I had the pleasure of seeing in September last, at Alnwick Castle gardens, belonging to His Grace the Duke of Northumberland. Mr. Pillans, his very excellent gardener, takes a just pride in his 488 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 10. Pines, and it is delightful to observe the etiects of high culture, based on tlie well-observed natural liabits of this fruit. I was highly deliglited to find a thorough confirm- ation of the views I had long taken, as to the efficiency of sound turfy unctuous loam in tlie culture of pines. I was delighted, I repeat, not that my views of the matter happened to prove correct, but that a principle was con- firmed, about wliicli there could scarcely arise, liere- after, a necessity for recantation. On examining closely tlie soil of Mr. Pillan's Pines, I found the soil principally strong yellow loam, ob- tained, J was told, from Alnwick town-moor. Instead of the surface of tlie pots being covered in a neatlj'- finished way, and smoothed down, there wore tui'ts of turfy loam here and there, rising above the mass like so many pincushions; tlie leaves of the Pines, broad, robust, and milky-green, felt to the touch like some metallic substance. And whyV Simply because every sap-vessel was distended with liberal supplies through a vigorous root; the elaborations in Mr. Pilhiu's houses, metal roofs (requiring shading in extreme weather), being, doubtless, ever a nurtch for the "raw material " from the root. Equal in importance to the staple of the soil is the mode of potting: a safe and speedy egress for fluids must be provided. Thorough drainage secures this, and more. There can be little doubt, 1 think, that the cavernous character of the bottom of a well-drained pine-pot is of as much importance in facilitating the adn)ission of nourishing gases to the root, as in providing for the escape of water. Three or four large crocks, placed as hollow as possible, with a little coarse material strewed amongst them, and on this dry turf in lumps, having the mere soil beat out, makes a capital drainage, in depth about one-fifth of the pot. Up to this period Pines should have been kept tole- rably dry, at least, those for repotting; and tlie operator may water them liberally about a week before the re- potting process, by which means the soil will be in an equable state, an(l what we gardeners term "mellow." The compost benig prepared, and in a rather dry con- dition, abundance of loamy turf in lumps may, in a separate state, lay on tlie right side of the pottingbench, and these the operator may continue thrusting in con- stantly as the potting proceeds. One very good plan is, after placing the ball on the turfy lumps which cover the crocks, to thrust in a row of the potting-benoh lumps of turf; these latter not having the soil beat out as in the case of tlie drainage material ; then to fill up with the ordinary compost until level with the ball surface, when another layer of the turf lumps may again be introduced, and then the whole coated over two or three inches with the compost. I do not think there can be better practice than this, as far as potting is concerned. The soil will remain fresh and mellow as long as the Pine remains in it, and will permit water and air to traverse it in every direction. 1 lay much stress on the soil being dry — not, however, dusty — and in that state let the whole be pressed or crammed tiglitly in with the hand ; but on no account should the pot be thumped on the bench — a practice which has been over productive of much injury. Thus much performed, the plants should be at once plunged where they may commence growth, without any future handling, lieyond the final shifting, or repot- ting, which will be a duly, August, or September aH'air, according to the character of the plants, and the aims of the proprietor; always bearing in mind, that from six to eight months may be calculated on, by ordinary culture, from the final shift to the "show" for fruit. Here lot it be observed, that a jealous eye must hence- forth be kept on what arc termed bottom-heats. 1 do still think it a mistaken view to consider such high permanent bottom-heats as W)" essential. Jf we are to follow nature's principles, surely this bottom bent afi'air is essentially rehilive. Light is, doubtless, the prime moving jiower, and all straining of points, without a reference to the amount of this, must ever prove falla- cious, lliilf-phiiijiing, where fermenting materials are used, must he resorted to ; it is easy to add more in case of necessity. We would have no watering at root for two, three, or more weeks after repotting. They will root much faster, and be in less danger of " buruing," whilst the soil is mellow than if adhesive, or swelled ' with moisture; and no wonder — the heated moisture is j not confined, but can rapidly escape at every breathing pore in the soil. 'JMie syringe will prove a useful ad- junct to good culture; and a free ventilation, and a i high afternoon temperature, may be used daily after the middle of the month. R. EniuNGioN. BULBS. {Coiiliiiiieil from par/e 401.) CYETANTHUS. The two evergreen sjieoies of this genus, or rather section of Amaryllis, were disposed of in the last article ; and the following go to rest from the end of October to March or April, and flower after Midsummer with the leaves on, and so till September, according to the kind, and the time they began to grow in the spring. After seeing how readily the Valottti purpurea crossed with C. ohliquus, there can be no doubt of its crossing with some of the deciduous species, whose leaves and flowers the blood of J'aloltd would much improve ; and there is another section of Amaryllis, called Gastronttmi, which is as sure to cross in with tlie.se as if we bad the crosses now before us. Then, if the deciduous cliaracter of these Gj/rtaiitlis and (Jiislruiiem'is would so iiiHuence the Valotta side of the breed as to go to rest in winter, as no doubt it would in time, we should possess a new race of summer-flowering bulbs, as hardy (for the summer) as Tulips, and witli even richer colours, combined with finer striping than is seen in the Carnation. Any one who knows the flower of I'ahttii purpurea may see, from the short description of the following spe- cies and those of Qastronemn, how easily this could be eftected. Henoo it is that 1 put a great stress on the value of the genus C///7((«lants will like stronger water than would suit Azaleas — such as we spoke of for Acacia. More will be said of them under a greenhouse- vinery before long. Balsams. — The man who grows line bushy Balsams, covered with bloom, will not fail in anything he fairly sets bis mind upon. The difficulty is just to give them the position they want, for though they will stand a ! temperature in a hotbed of from 00° to 70°, when they I are vegetating, and until si.\ inches in height, an average night temperature of oO" would suit them I better after that, and abundance of air dm'iug the day, i and even a little at night. The best plants ever I saw were growing in a sheltered place, outofdoors, in Sep- tember. They were planted out in June, from seeds sown in the end of April. To have plants in bloom in June and July tlie seeds must be sown now. When wanted at the end of July and August it will be time enough to sow three weeks or a month hence. There are two ways in which we like to see them First, as single stems, with a few short side-branches at the base, and covered from that base to nearly the summit, with large flowers. By this mode they bloom earliest; the chief thing, in ad.dition to requisite shiftings, being the thinning of the bloom-buds. Secondly, in bush fashion. This requires more time, and the sacrificing of the early buds to encourage side-branches. In both cases, to save disappointment, I prefer keeping the plants in very small pots until the first flower expands ; the bad ones are then thrown away. The whole of the flower-buds are picked from the good ones, they are then shifted, and everything done to encourage the growing versus the fioieering principle. When growth has nearly reached its desired limits, we check it by more air, and, if possible, less watering. For the first potting, use light sandy soil, with a little leaf mould. In succes- sional shiftings, increase the richness of the compost, until at last it may consist of nearly half two-year-old, well-decayed and dried cow-dung. Cockscombs. — These require more heat than Balsams. They will enjoy a bottom-heat of from 75° to 80^, and an average night temperature of iib", until the combs are nearly fully grown. For early combs, seeds should be sown in February or January. From seeds sown now large combs could not be easily obtained before the middle of July. In sowing the seeds, use sandy loam, and just cover, and no more. It will be advisable to place a bell-glass, or a square of glass over the pot, as several insects are excessively fond of them just when forming the seed-leaf, and good seed is generally scarce. I have frequently hunted over splendid combs without finding a single seed. To save room, and future dis- appointment, as soon as they can be handled, I prick the seedlings out in shallow pans. This soon causes them to show Sower : and you cau easily judge, from its incipient state, what its future shape and colour will bo. The best are then potted in small pots first, and then into larger as soon as they want it, increasing the richness of the compost as the size of the jiot increases. A ten or a twelve-inch pot will grow a very handsome dwarf plant, with a large comb. When tall plants are desirable, they must bo grown on from the first, and receive no stunting, cither in pans or small pots, to cause them to show their bloom prematurely . Insects.— There is little annoys either Balsams or Cockscombs, but the fly will sometimes attack them. A little tobacco smoke is the remedy. Fine green foliage sets oft' both tribes, and especially the latter. Great care, therefore, must be taken of any confined steam, and more especially if the sun should shine on the plants before it is dispersed. A blotched leaf would spoil the look of the finest Cockscomb. The remedy is, give air early, or leave a little all night. I find I cannot overtake all these jottings in one paper ; allow me, in conclusion, to put in a few mere reminders. Calceolarias, to bloom in April and l\lay, must have their last shift without delay. The soil should be light and ricli ; an eight-inch pot will grow a nice specimen. Night temperature from 45° to 48°, and slight shade in very briglit sunshine. Cinerarias in bloom, and coming into bloom, give manure waterings to them. Give immediately the last potting for those to bloom in May. Neither of these will stand so much dry air as Azaleas, and other hard-wooded plants. In bright days the shelves should be kept moist, and even the foliage syringed, provided there are no burning spots in the glass ; if there is, shade instead. Epacris, done flowering, require to be pruned back, and all the decayed flowers cleaned off, and the plants set in a warm place until they make fresh wood. Hard-wooded plants, as a general rule, give most air to, and be careful neither to starve them for want of, nor saturate them with too much moisture. Heaths the same ; prune back those done flowering; let the others have the airiest part of the house. Oeraniums, scarlet, pot, and bring into light, from their winter quarters. Fuchsias, prune back, pre- paratory to potting. Give young jjlants of last season a gentle heat. Cuttings of young shoots will now soon make plants if placed in a hotbed. Like the Scarlet Geranium, the Fuchsia may be gi'own on in a cool temperature, or during the first stages of growth it will stand nearly as much heat as a cucumber uninjured. Pelargoniums, train out the forwai'dest; shift the second advanced, which will bloom in June; stop the shoots of a third lot, to bo shifted three weeks hence, to come in July. Ixias and Oladiolus, pot late kinds ; give more room, air, and light to those growing. Japan Lilies, and others, fresh pot as soon as growth commences. Hot- beds, make for starting plants, sowing of annual and other seeds, and for grafting and other purposes ; and avoid extremes of heat and cold, shade and sunshine. R. Fish. THE PELARGONIUM. {Continued from page -ivii.) SiTMJiEB Tkeatjient. — The young plants intended for exhibition having been potted and tied-out, as de- scribed in my last paper, they will require constant attention in watering, giving air to, and keeping clear of insects. Water should be supplied freely whilst they remain in the greenhouse, because the sun and air will soon dry the mould in the pots. A degi'co of dryness is essential to the well-being of not only relargouiums, but all other plants not aquatics, just on the same prin- ciple that to be an hungered is essential to the health of an animal, oven the human being. To be always watering, whether the plants require it or not, is sure to induce sickness, and yellow leaves, and ends in death. The direction, then, to water freely, implies that the plants require it to keep them growing and in health. As frequent waterings with pure water will, in time, carry olf tho nutritive powers of the soil, it will be advisable, wlieu that is so, to give a watering with liquid-nuinure, which not only feeds the plant at that time, but rcuows, partly, the nourishing power of the soil. JA't tho ama- teur bear this in mind, and use this liquul food every f March 10. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB.. 443 third or fourth time he waters his plants. The most stimulating liquid-manure is that made with guano : half-a-pint of this powerful agent will bo abundance for a gallon of water. It should be mixed with the water at least six hours before using ; but as every amateur cannot procure guano conveniently, very excellent liquid- manure uuiy be made with various manures. When 1 was a grower of the Pine-apple 1 used the following ingredients: — A peck of fowls' dung, a shovelful of soot, and a quart of quicklime, all mixed together in ten gallons of hot water. This mixture was well stirred amongst the water, and sot out-of-doors to cool and settle. The soot and lime killed all sorts of insects that might be in the dung, and also any worms that might be in the soil in which the Pines were growing — indeed, I was seldom troubled with worms after the first appli- cation. The liquor, when cooled and settled, was of a rich brown colour, and caused the plants to grow finely, and pi'oduce broad leaves of a dark green healthy colour. This kind of liquid-manure anybody may easily make, tlie materials for it arc so plentiful in almost every locality. Where fowls' dung cannot be obtained, then procure sheep or horse-dung ; but these should be allowed to stand in the water for a day or two before using, to macerate the dung completely in it, stirring it up fre(]uently, so as to abstract all the ammorta, and other nourishing ingredients in the manure. Care must be taken not to use it too strong; it is belter to be i-ather weak than otherwise. In very hot sunshine the paths and walls of the house should be flooded with water, to keep up a due supply of moisture in the air. In the evening of such a day the plants will be greatly benefited by a gentle shower from the syringe. Air is one of the indispensable elements for these plants. It should be given unsparingly, whenever the outside atmosphere will admit of it. In the warm months of May and June a little air should be given even during the night. Insects. — The insect most troublesome to the Pelar- gonium is the green fly, or aphis. 'This is easily de- stroyed by tobacco smoke, but it should not be too strong, nor ever allowed to break into a flame. The leaves at this season are young and tender, and, con- sequently, liable to be scorched. Five minutes' neglect in this particular would so injure the plants, besides rendering them unsightly, as would take months to repair the mischief. It is much safer to smolio the house gently two or three times on consecutive nights than to run the risk of burning the leaves by too strong a dose of smoke at once. The House to grow specimen Pelargoniums in.— Who- ever intends to compete for prizes should devote a house entirely to theso plants. A lean-to or shed-formed house will grow them pretty well. Mr. Turner, of Slough, and Mr. Bragg, of the same place, grow their specimen plants in houses of this form ; but they have a con- siderable amount of trouble in turning the plants round frequently to keep every side in full foliage. If this was not done the plants would be one-sided. And the amateur who has no choice, but must grow his plants in a house of this form, should turn them round at least once a week, especially after the blooms make their appearance. Even with this cai-e the plants cannot make such handsome perfect specimens as those grown in a house of the form I am about to describe. This liouse will be perfectly understood at once when I mention that it is a span-roofed one. In a house of that form, and of moderate width, the plants grow on every side alike, and the colours of the blooms will be greatly heightened. The roof should not be at a sharp angle, but rather flat than otherwise. There should be a centre stage, just wide enough to hold three rows of plants, one row in the centre, and a row on each side, placed in the alternate spaces between the central plants. The grand point to attend to is, never to have the plants crowded; each should stand quite alone. If they grow so large as to touch each other, one or two must be sacrificed to make room for tho rest. A walk of suffi- cient width should run round the stage, and next to it a platform next the I'rout windows will be very useful. Un this platform young plants may be grown, or a row of the dwarf fancy varieties. This platform is not in- dispensable. The house should be heated with hot- water, with sufticient piping to keep out the frost in the severest winter. T. Appleby. {To he continued.) CONIFERS. 2nd — SECTION or PINUS, WITH LEAVES IHIiEE IN A SHEATH. {Continued from puf/e 4U4). PiNus LONGiEOLiA (Loug-leaved Pinc) . — Very properly named lonr/-leaved, for the leaves are often a foot long, and hang down gracefully from the branches. A Nepaul species, but rather tender, requiring, north of London, the jjrotectiou of tlie greenhouse or conservatory. In its native habitats it attains a great size, reaching often fully 100 feet high. In tho southern counties, and also in Ireland, it has braved successfully the winter's storms, and is such a graceful tree that it is worthy of every attention to preserve it, should an old-fashioned winter come upon us. PiNus MACKocARPA (Broadly-liookod Pine). — A noble, handsome tree from California, where it grows from 80 to 100 feet high. Tho most remarkable distinction in this species is its cones, which are very large. Its scales are four inches long, and nearly as broad at the base; and each scale is furnished with a strong hook — hence its English name. The leaves are long, and of a greyish hue when old ; but in a young state have a rich violet bloom upon them. As it is quite hardy, it should be planted largely as soon as tlie price is moderate. The timber is said to bo of excellent quality. PiNus PATULA (Spreading Pine). — This has been sup- posed to be too tender to bear our climate, excepting in some favoured spots and in Ireland ; but our readers will recollect that I described a fine specimen I saw in a gar- den near Northampton. That plant had been planted about seven years, and had had no protection, yet it was perfectly healthy, and had never suffered from frost. As it is a most elegant, light, aerial looking tree, it is worthy of a more extended cultivation. It is a native of the Real del Monte, in Mexico, and grows 60 to 70 feet high. 'There is a variety with the foliage erect, but I never saw it. Pjnus ponderosa (Heavy-wooded Pine). — There is a considerable resemblance in this tree to the P. pinaster, the difl'erence consisting in this species growing quicker, the leaves being longer and tho wood much heavier; in- deed, it is so heavy as to sink in water. Then the buds are sharp-pointed, and do not exhibit any resinous exuda- tion. The branches are in whorls round the stem, and when of a considerable size droop at the ends. The leaves are not so persistent as in most other Pines, hence they only clothe the ends of the shoots, giving them a tufted apjjcarance. Its groat recommendation is that of being a remarkably handsome tree, and as hardy as the common Highland Pine. It is a native of the north- west coast of America, where it attains the height of 100 feet. Every Pinetum of any magnitude should have one or two of this fine tree, but on account of the great weight of the branch it should be sheltered from the strong west winds. PiNus EADiATA (Radiatcd-scaled Pine). — Mr. David Don has so-named this very handsome Pine ; but Mr. Hartweg considers it only a variety of P. insignis, to which Mi THE COTTAGE GAEDENEE. Maech 10. it is very nearly allied, differing from that fine species chiefly in the size of its cones, and the scales radiating from them. The leaves, like P. insir/nis, are of a dark rich green, numerously placed on the hranches, hut of a more slender hahit. Mr. Hartweg found it in California, growing close to tlie sea-side, with a stem straight and ■ tapering, 100 feet high, and clothed with brandies down to the ground. The timber is said to be excellent for ship-building, being very tough and elastic. Proprietors of estates on the sea-coast should plant this valuable and handsome tree liberally, both for its beauty and the e.\- cellence of its timber. PiNDs TMwx (Rigid Pitch Pine).— A useful tree, pro- ducing great quantities of the pitch of commerce. Its upright, stiff habit renders it not very ornamental, yet it is a fine tree, and very hardy, being a native of New England, in America, whore it grows from CO to 70 feet high. j PiNus Sabin-iana (Mr. Sabine's Pine). — There are several fine specimens of this noble tree in this country ; one, in particular, is growing in the Cliiswick Gardens, probably planted by Mr. Sabine himself. It is now more than forty feet high, with branches spreading down to the grass. Another fine specimen I mentioned in my report of a visit to the Rolleston Gardens, belonging to Sir Oswald Mosely. This species resembles P. macro- cayjHi, mentioned above, but its leaves are larger, being often a foot or more in length. The cones are oval, pro- duced in clusters, and remain on tlie branches for seve- ral years. It is, in its native woods in California, a niaguihcent tree, frequently rising to {."JO feet in heiglit, with a trunk twelve feet in diameter. The branches, when the trees stand apart, clothe tiie stem down to the ground. Mr. Loudon says, in his "Arboretum Pritani- cum," speaking of this species and P. macrocarpa, "Botli species may, indeed, be described as of surpassing beauty; and what adds greatly to tlieir value is, they both appear to be perfectly hardy." Since his time this fact has been proved beyond a doubt, and, therefore, they ought to be planted largely, both for their beauty as ornaments to the Piuetum, as well as for their valu- able properties as timber-trees. PiNus SiNci.AiRiANA (Mr. Sinclair's Pine). — So named by Sir William Hooker. Found on the hills of Monterey, in California, but very little is known of it. Pi.Nus SEUOTINA (Late, or Pond Pine),— Native of New Jersey. A low growing tree, seldom exceeding JIO feet high. It is not very ornamental. PiNus SINENSIS (i'he Chinese Pine). — A rather tender species, not much known. PiNus TyKDA (Tho Frankincense Pine). — A fine tree, native of Virgiuia, scarcely hardy enough to boar our climate. It is very rare. PiNus Teocotk (Teocote, or Twisted-leaved Pine). — This is a curious species, with the leaves twisted like a corli-scrow, rendering it very remarkable. Requires the protection of tho couservatory north of London. It has been found lurrdy in Devonshire and the north of Ireland. It is a native of Mexico, on the Ileal del Moiito, where it attains tho height of 50 feet. T. Arl'LEBY. {To he conliiuinl.) A CHAPTER ON PIERBS. It often hn]i)iens tliat some remote corner is devoted to the growth of the various scented or culinary plants, culled, in gardening plu-ase, ." herbs," or " sweet liorbs." That their importunce is not such as to entitle llieui to a place in tho front ranks may bo easily guessed at, by the neglect which all but universally hefals them now ; and though we do not urge tliem further into notice tlian tlie tastes and wants of readers may think best, yet wo advise a little more regard to their welfare while they are expected to grow and conduce to our use and pleasure. And remote and unheeded as may bo their abode, yet it not unfrequently happens to come under the eye of tho scrutinising visitor, who may, in tho culture, see a something to find fault with here, which he looked for in vain elsewhere; weeds struggling with tho legitimate crop for the mastery, and, in some instances, having absolutely appropriated to their own use the space which was once a bed of Peppermint, Pennyroyal, Chamomile, or some other plant which wants renewing every year or two. Now it is not my purpose to urge that the occupants of this department ought to be placed on the same foot- ing as Celery, Onions, or Peas ; but, in their subordinate capacity, nuich may often be done to render their ap- pearance more agreeable, as well as to make them more productive. And, in tho first instance, I will admit that they only deserve a " second class" situation, and shall suppose they are already located in one ; which, how- ever, they may have been occupyiug for many years, with only the little assistance of now and then filling up the beds with slips of new plants, or, it might be, layers or rooted offsets of the same, planted on exactly the spot whence an old plant was removed, having cither died there, or become u.seless through age. Now it is vain tO' expect a vigorous growtli of any plant stuck iu immediately on the spot where another of its species had abstracted all the fertilising properties of the soil required to support it, leaving the soil robbed of tho essential ingredients of which the next occupant will be likely to he as much in want of as its predecessor. This piiuciple, whioli has been advocated for many generations by all writers on horticulture, and agricul- ture also, is not, in every instance, carried out in small tilings to the extent it deserves — and one of these is the " sweet herbs." In therefore advising an alteration in this department, I do not, by any means, advocate any serious cliaugo all at once ; in fact, the condition that many things may be in prevents that radical change taking place im- mediately with advantage. It would, therefore, be better practice, on tlie part of the young gardener, to look over his grounds, and see if another placo, equally suitable, be at liberty, when a portion of each kind can be trans- ferred, preparatory to the whole plantation being there; and as many things remove at this season bettor thou at many others, such may at once be taken away, or rather young plants, slips, or olfsets of them, leaving tho old beds to keep up tlie supply until the young ones come into uso. Now, as most of herbs proinigato very freely, if attended to at tho proper time, little need be said beyond, that in such things as Thijmc, tlioro aro usually plenty of seedlhig- plants arise from seed "self sown," oil around the bed or border where tho old ones are, these, removed with care, speedily make fine jilants. Hjissop and uinlcr Savor;/ often propagate themselves in tho same way; while Mint, spreading laterally as far as is allowed, often dies iu the centre, or otlierwisc becomes so exhausted there as to produce very little tliat is worth preserving. Tho best time to transplant Mint is when tho young slioots aro some two or three inches long, when they may be taken up with a few inches of tho runner stem attached, and planted where wanted. A damp, deep soil suits Mint, out more especially, the Pepper-mint. Rooted offsets of i''('»H('/, Sonrl, Jliirnct, Angelica, Chaiiioiiiih; Taii.tci/, Tarragon, and some others, are easily obtained in a general way, and may he at once planted in such pro- ])ortious as is expected to meet tlio dcuuiud, and a little (but very little) over to nieot coutiugcncies. 'Tliose of a more woody or shrubby cliaracter aro best )iro])agated by cuttings; of this class arc Lavciiih'r, iSagc, Hue, W'orinnooil. and some otliers. Cuttings of these, how- ever, do best if put in some time about Midsummer, Makoii 10. TliE COTTAGE GARDENBB. 4 ID ill dull showery weather, when they will root so speedily as seldom to roquiro shading. On the other hand, some plants are projiagated most easily from seed ; these are, however, of a sort of annual growth, as Marigold, ChorvU, Basil, and Marjorum ; but some others aro also easily raised from seeds, which, however, ought to bo sown on some well-prepared bed, and not too oarly in the season to endanger its vitality from causes over which we have no control — as the dampness of the season, and other ungenial causes. It is also imperative on all who grow herbs for the use of a family, whose wants they are but imperfectly acquainted with, to grow a good breadth of the last-named three kinds, as they are more generally used than many others. Now, in making these remai'ks oa Herbs, I have not, by any means, mentioned the names of many plants required to make out an extended list ; but enough has been said to assist the amateur in the cultivation of each section requiring a diiferent course of action, and some of them as, for instance. Pennyroyal, requires renewing every year; the spreading character of the plant soon forms an acquaintance with its next neighbour, and, towards autumn, often leaves the centre of the place deserted by everything alive, unless it be, as I have said in a former part of this chapter, that " weeds" had usurped the ori- ginal position of the Pennyroyal. Chamomile may, in many instances, remain two yeai's in the same place, but longer than that canuot well flourish without more assistance than can he granted them. A fresh planta- tion may, therefore, bo put in as opportunity offers ; and all vestiges of the former may be removed if the plants put in are at all vigorous and healthy. Of the kinds which do not present us with rooted offsets to any extent. Sage stands pre-eminent. It, and others like it, must, therefore, be propagated by cuttings, put in as soon as ever the young shoot attains a suffi- ciency of hardness to enable it to maintain itself on the moisture of the ground and atmosphere wliile its lower extremities are preparing roots. This is usually about Midsummer ; and if advantage be taken of any showery weather that may occur then, there is little trouble in obtaining any requisite number of plants, which may either be struck in the bed where it is intended to be grown, or in some other place from whence it can be removed when rooted. This latter plan is the best when the weather is too bright and sunny to expect it to do well in its ordinary abode. All herbs of a half-shrubby character do equally well in such a place, as Lavender, WinterSavory, Kue, Southernwood, Wormwood, Hyssop, and some others; but, as the collection of sweet and pot herbs embraces many plants of different habits, we have entered into the above details of the culture of each in order to be fully understood in all ; and for the guidance of those who wish to cultivate the largest and most varied collection of herbs, we advise them to examine the number and varieties of those who compete at many of our " local horticultural shows " for prizes there offered for this class of plants, and they will then find species which they believed to be obsolete, but which the competition to excel in numerical strength had called into existence again. To such a lengtli has this, in some instances, been carried, that a collection of herbs might not imlikely be mistaken for one of " British plants," so many species of the latter finding their way in there — no doubt, b>it on some authority on tlieir respective merits; but as the sophistry of "Cul- pepper" is no longer regarded, we hope no one will overload a collection of herbs with plants recommended I by him as possessing all the merits of a universal medi- cine ; and though we do not, by any means, despise the I medicinal properties of many of our wild plants, yet we I think some limits ought to be put as to their being received into the family of herbs, with no better claim than that somebody's gi'andmother had reported such a plant " a safe and certain cure " for such and such a disorder. J. Kobson. THE COTTAGE GAE,DENER'S PONY, WITH THOUGHTS ON A CAEHIAGE. Some idea of distinguished rank has ever been associated witli the circumstance of a man's being carried about by a more elaborate contrivance tlian the use of that ' pair of shanks'-galloways' wlieremth Nature has set every one of us up, duty free. Much difficulty would be removed from my subject by coming to a clear understanding on this jioint; and, accordingly, I propose to say a few words on the symbolic meaning which, in all times, has been attached to matters of equipage. Thus, " he liad twelve sons who all rode upon white asses" means, twelve young men of exalted station and acknowledged rank. " Oh ye who ride on white asses !" the same. When the Hebrew captive was set upon the king's horse, and paraded in state through the city, a great deal more was impilied than the mere enjoyment of a ride out. These expressions are highly metaphorical, and carry a meaning with them, which is borne oirt by the common figures of speech of all nations. The Roman emperor riding on a horse shod witli golden shoes, which he was made to scatter about amongst the crowd, presents us at once with a tolerable idea of magnificence. Bolingl)roke's triumphant entry on horseback, when he first vindicated to himself the title of Henry IV, is described by our Sliakspere in a way which shows his knowledge of tins trait of poor human nature; and n ridiculous example is given of the same thing in the story of that self-important Irish baronet, Sir H. Trumpington, who was never seen in town on foot, but who regularly mounted his horse at his own door. No. 2?i, to get off again to call at Ko. 25 A, where his mother resided. In the account of a successful coiipd'etal which came off some two or three thousand years ago, we read, " they put to death aU those who were carried about." This does not mean that the conspirators cruelly cut off llie aged and imjinn, but, on the contrary, all M;eii. [The feathers sent to us by " Scrutator," whose direction we very much wish for, as we have some questions ha could probably answer, were good and entire specimens. \Ye shall publish, next week, an engraving of a laced feather which came from him. — Ed. G. Lr.] r. S. Jlr. Bailey, in his recent work on Poultry, and all other authors, describo the Golden Poland as a spaiKjhd fowl. IJy-the-by, Mr. Brent's notion of a spangle is truly unique, and, let me assure him, it is quite apocryphal. The colour of tlie spangle may be any one of the prismatic colours — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, or violet, or, it may be, black, or wliite, on a contrasted ground colour.— F. E. H. [It is only within a very recent period that the character- istic markings of fowls have been generally recognised and sanctioned by the awards of judges. That twenty years ago there existed a breed of laced Polands, with every feather in strict compliance with the requirements of that marking, we are not at present pre- pared either to prove or deny. All we say is simply this, — that such birds we have not ourselves seen. " Scrutator's " specimen of the silver-laced feather was un(iuestionably good, whether it was a wing covert, or from the breast or back. As a mere feather individually, and per se did we then speak of it, expiressing our wish to know where birds thus marked throughout might be attainable. We then alluded to such laced birds being distinct from those termed spniKjled ; and Dr. Horner, we imagine, is correct in saying that the greater wing coverts, in both gold and silver Polands, are usually laced, at least, tliat the spangle is so prolonged in a narrow line on the outer margin of the feather on each side, as to wai'rant the appli- cation of this term to those particular feathers. But the shape of this spangle varies. To our own eye, that which presents a convex side to the base of the feather woiild have the preference over what, from its concave form, might be called the horse-shoe spangle ; the outline is better defined, and the colour better massed. The whole question, however, of " spangle versus laciiuj " stands thus : — The class " Gold and Silver Folunds" is commonly under- stood to denote Spangled birds ; so that when a truly laced fowl of this family, i. e. not with lacing in any one part of its body only, but with lacing throui/hout as the main cha- racteristic of its plumage, shall make its appearance, com- petent authorities must then determine whether it shall compete on equal terms with its Spangled relative, or require the formation of a separate class. But such a fowl, we repeat, we have never yet seen, for the Spangle, more or less, has ever been apparent ; hence, therefore, our desire for such as we pictured to ourselves when " Scrutator's " specimen was laid before us, and his description perused. The Spangle, from the contrast of greater masses of colour, may be, perhaps, considered as the most efiective marking; but we cannot lightly pass over the claims of the well-defined laced feather, where the ground colour, encircled by its clear dark margin, appears in such strong relief. The lacing is necessarily seen to great disadvantage on the same feather with the spangle ; the latter occupying the best portion of the feather, both as regards texture and display. Separate feathers should, therefore, bo taken for comparison. But we must wait for n Gold or Silver Poland with iinhruhen lacinij before we venture to discuss the question at greater length. But, in the meanwhile, let not our thanks be forgotten, both to " Scrutator," for the com- munication of his views of Polish excellence, and to Dr. Horner, wliose experience with his breed will ensure the careful consideration of his letter by every reader of The OoiTAOIi Gabdenee. — W.] BEE-BOXES. " ExoNiENSis" agrees in nearly all the observations I have formerly made in your paper in IfsO'.!. It is quite true that bo-N-es, in a general way, do not answer so well as straw hives ; they are more apt to get over-heated in summer, and more liable to be infested with spiders, which are insidious enemies to the bees, by entrajiping them in detail, and, as your correspondent says, are too expensive for poor cottagers. AVhat I wish to see is, some new- fashioned cheap box-hivo invented by some apiarian, which a cari)enter can afford to sell at a price nearly the same as the straw hive ; timber was never cheaper, for the last fifty year's, than at the present moment ; and surely well-sea- soned wood might be had, and a good plain box invented one-and-a-half inch thick, at one quarter the price of those advertised, which I have stated to be entirely out of the I'each of cottagers. I envy " Exoniensis " when I read his account of his bee country; Devonshire is, generally speak- ing, a good bee country. In 1819, I was at Ilfracombe, North Devon, and I purchased some of the finest honey I ever tasted. The combs were very heavy, and, as in Glou- cestershire, it was but a poor season for honey, it plainly shows how favoui'able the bee pasture must be, as it was rather a dripping season in that locality. At the Chepstow Flower Show, in 184B (a very poor season with us in Glou- cestershire), I saw a bo-x of bees e.xhibited with at least ."JO lbs. weight of pure honey, probably from a good county not half stocked. It is very well for bee-fanciers to jiraise the different cm-ious boxes, which look very pretty, and answer very well in a general way, but who ever expects to see them general amongst the cottages of the labourers ? " Exoniensis " does not state whether any of his hives are in bee-houses, or wliether they all stand separate. He says his boxes are fourteen inches square and seven inches deep; I like those made twelve inches square and nine inches deep. I approve very much of his glasses, as this is the best way of getting pure honey without destroying the bees, and is what I have recommended in preference to the un- certain mode of deprivation of the main body of the combs, which irritates the bees much more, and leaves a cause for many casualties. From the immense quantity of rain fallen within the last four months, I fear the earth may be so chilled as to cause n very late spring ; this will be the destruction of many weak stocks of bees where feeding has been at all neglected. I have lately had some of the Melilotiis leucantha, for tlie first time, in my garden, and recommend it very strongly as an excellent bee-flower. This is one of the good bee-flowers I omitted to mention in my list in those enumerated in The Cottage Gardenee in the summer of 185'-J. — H. W, New- man, New House, Stroud. POULTRY ON StIIPBOARD. I SEE you are publishing a work on Poultry. I have often wished for information on the subject, with a view to stock for shipboard. It is lamentable to see what numbers die i in the over-crowded coops, especially in tropical climates, in a week or two after the sailing of the vessel ; and with respect to those that do not die natm-ally, the leanness of j the bird makes it hardly worth cooking. Blindness, partial I or complete, is a common occurrence ; but that does not j hinder fowls being brought to table. In an East India ' jjassenger-ship, I have seen a dozen birds thrown overboard daily, or every other day, for a considerable period. Guinea i 450 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 10. fowls held out the longest, anil Icept their condition better than any otlier poultry, which was a set-off against their almost intoleraljle clamour. The poultry of the ship were cared for well, as far as giving water and grain twiee-a-day, and now and tlien sand. The man or hoy wlio had charge seemed to know nothing about diseases, nor was any sepa- ration ever made of tlie diseased from the healthy. The ship's steward, being aware that fifty per cent at least would never live to bo produced on table, thought to remedy tlie matter by filling the coops so that the birds found liardly room to turn round; the strongest foresd themselves to the front, particularly at feeding-time ; the wealt, hinder occupants could hardly see their food and water, much less taste of them. Death remedied the over-crowding ; so in a short time tliore was room for all to walk about. I will mention one more evil, which was, the ]iunishment inflicted by the healthy birds on the sicldy, which no doubt helped to clear the coop. The food of the birds was always dry rice in the huslc, called " paddy," differing not much in appearance from barley. Can you give a chapter in your proposed book as to the best method of preserving fowls on shipboard ? Might it not be worth while making experi- ments on shore with birds in coo]is, in order to discover what space should be allotted ; what kind of food would keep them in the best condition ; and what substance should be given to assist digestion, instead of sand, which is certainly ineffective'.' Ignorance of the deepest shade prevails with regard to correct treatment on shipboard, and the consequence is, waste of money in the first instance, and bad food, if not the descent to salt-juuk, for the passengers in the latter part of the voyage. Excuse my troubling you. The matter, for all I know, may already have been provided for sufficiently in some work of which I never lieard. I see yoir have metliods of physicking fowls. A jiamphlet on the subject of treatment of all sorts, if jiro- vided for all ships' stewards, would add very greatly to tho comfort of tho passengers, and save money to the ship- owners or commanders. "SVith regard to ducks, they do better than fowls. Geese are hardly worth taking on board for long voyages, so juiceless do they get. — D, C, Elmjifld, Soulhampton. [.\ more useful suliject of inquiry could hardly be sug- gested than that contained in the above letter. And we trust to bo enaljled to devote some portion of our spaco in the forthcoming " PouHnj Book" to its careful con.sideration. We should be glad, in the meanwhile, to receive any in- formation bearing on the management of " Poidlnj nt sea," that our friends may be possessed of. The opthalmia (which, probably, often terminates in roup) alluded to would be easily accounted for by the dirt in which the Ijirds, from their crowded position, were forced to exist, without referring to the effect of the " paddy," or unhusked rice, which constantly produces the same effect. Even the best samples of rice in this country would be injurious to the health of fowls,. /''om Us tlisposilion to sicell in llie slomach if cjivcii unhoili'd for uiitj hiiijth of time. Pace, indeed, as poultry-food, should always be either steeped or boiled, the latter by preference. AYe will mex'ely add, at present, that roomy coops, with floors boarded in front, but witlr open bars behind; sheltered from the weather, but with fresh air in abundance ; regular feeding, with change of diet ; a liberal supply of water, and gravel to aid their- digestion, which, under such circumstances, must be sorely taxed ; are such essentials, that, unless they are duly attended to, the salt junlt, however uninviting, would probably be more tempting on tlie dinner-table than those unhappy inhabitants of the East Indiaman's hen-coop. — W.] GOLD FISH IN VASES. A AVh' Siihscfiber, ill No. 2'28, enquires for a work on " the management of tiold Fish in Glass Vases." I know of none such, nor indeed is any needed ; so simple is the treatment they require, that it may be rendered in these few words : Change the water as soon as it becomes turbid. They re- quu'e no other food than what tho water may contain. X once kept four fish, each about four inches in length, in a glass vase which contained about two gallons ; the water being changed once a weclc in summer, and every fortnight, or thereabouts, in winter. They were thus kept in apparent healtli for four years, and might liave lived mucli longer, had not tlie cat lieen tempted by their glitter- ing scales, and, to my regret, succeeded in cat(diing the whole. I usually take the fish from the pond in my garden on the approach of winter, and put them in a vase in the greenhouse ; tliis vase contains about three gallons. They are never fed the whole winter, 'i'lie plants are watered from the vase, which is again filled from the pump. About three or four times during tlio season the vase is emptied and cleaned, wlien it is again filled with clear pump-water. — ^\', Savaoe. DISEASES OF POULTRY. IMFLAJtMATION OF THE STOMACH. A FORTNIGHT siuce my advice was asked respecting a valuable young Shanghae hen, wdiich had suddenly ceased laying, refused her food, and manifested every sign of severe illness. Oa examination, I found her extremely weak, very thin, and most unwilling to move or stand. There was no purging, nor running at tlie nose, nor were the eyes aft'ected, although they were usually kept closed. From so short and imperfect a view of the case, I was unable to decide on the exact nature of the disease. 1 could only say it was not roup, nor fever, nor was the head affected. I suspected inflammation of some internal organ, and iirescribed one grain of calomel. The gentleman to whom she belonged thought some stimulant was necessary, and added a little cayenne pepper. The woman who had charge of her had constantly crammed her, and I found the crop quite full. I expressed a strong objection to tliis proceeding ; but it appears that the fowl was fed by hand until its death. One week afterwards I was informed that the hen had improved for two or three days after taking the medicine, but had relapsed. I again urged its not being fed by hand. On culling the following week, the dead fowl (having been killed pm'posely some hoiu's previously) was brought for my inspection. On removing the skin of the breast, I found the flesh wasted to an extreme degree ; the crop, which was healthy, contained a lai'ge handful of whole Indian corn ; the enlarged part of the gullet that is situated witliin the body, and wliich almost appeal's to form part of the gizzard, was in a violent state of inflammation, the inner lining being blotched with red, and the whole organ somewhat thickened. It is in this part (which is termed, by comparative anatomists, the proveuti-iculus) that the food, after it has been softened in the crop, is subjected to the action of the digestive fluid (viz., the gastric juice), the gizzard being merely a grinding organ. The other organs of the body were in a healthy state. The ovaiy contained an immense number of very small ova, and tlie egg-passage, or oviduct, was small in size as in hens that are not laying. I could not trace the disease to any par- ticulai" cause. The hen had recently, with others, been removed from tho country to a large stable-yai-d in town, and well supplied with fresh vegetable food. I mention tho case as a warning against the injurious, and, in this case, as it turned out, excessively cruel practice of cramming a sick bird. The sufl'ering occasioned by forcing food into an inflamed stomach must liavo been intense. In the inflamed state of the part no digestive fluid could be found, and the food, consequently, was undigested, the intestines being empty, and the bird thin from want of nourisliment. Had the calomel been given without tho cayenne, the bird kept comfortably warm, and supplied with some thin fine oat- meal and water, or boiled rice, cooked potato or tm'nip, there would have been a very good prospect of recovery. As it was, the fowd was literally killed with the mistaken kindness of the woman who had it in charge. W. U. Teoetmeieu, Tolli'iiham. EARLY LIl'^E OF THE POOR MIAN'S WELL- WISHER. {Colli i lived from page 37'3.) Having told you how I persevered in leaniing to read, I will now tell you how I learned to write. Sly first place of March 10, THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 451 service was at a farm house, where I was Jrawu apprentice, and where I remained two years. This was no place for learning anything but liard work. I have often tliought what a shame it is tliat poor farm servants never have one minute's time to call their own. Well may they be such an ignorant class of people as they are in some parts, but I hope they will not be angry with me for saying this, because I do not mean to say that all farm labourers are ignorant, because I have been in company with farming men that could talk with as much sense as any other men, and some- times rather more. What I moan to say is, that they had no need to thank their masters for what time they allowed them to learn in when they were servants ; at least, I found it so at this first place of mine, and at every farm house that I have lived at. This sort of work would not do for me ; I must be learn- ing something. I accordingly left and went to live at a place where there were only a few cows kept and one horse. Now at this place 1 knew when my work was done, and my mistress also (for I had never a master) knew very well where to find me if I was wanted for any little job. She used to say, " You will be sure to find him down in the stable writing," Yes, and as sine as a gun there I was writing away as if I had had some law-suit under hand. Did my mistress grumble at me being there? No, for I always took care that my work was done first; and if I had anything to do extra, some times she used to treat me with a new copy-book as a reward. I had no one to instruct me, but I had an old book tliat had writing copies in it, and I one day met with an old baker that set me a few copies, and showed me how to begin some of the letters, and that was all the teaching I ever had. My next place was a farm-house again, where there was neither time to read nor write, but I was determined to win. So I purchased a pound of candles, and wrote in my bed- room at nights, when I should have been asleep. So you see, where there is a will, there is sure to be a way. My next place was to be under game-keeper, where I re- mained three years. I had then saved a little money, wherewith I put myself apprentice to a butcher, and when my time was out my master wanted to engage me for journeyman. I told him that I was about taking a wife; but if we could agree for wages, I had no objection, so we agreed that I should serve him for eight shillings per week, and my board, with several little privileges besides, which I reckoned to myself to be worth three or four shillings per week more. I now thought myself one of the most happy men upon earth, and so got raairied without delay; but to my sad misfortune, before I had entered according to my new agreement, my faster failed, and was sold up. Now, this was a dreadful blow to me. I had just married a wife, and I had now no means of supporting her. The highest wages that I could get at my trade was five shillings per week and my board. I knew very well that this would not do, and then as to my setting up myself that was no use of my thinking abont, for I had no money. I had paid £15 to learn my trade, and that was all the money that I was worth, and my relations began to say that we shoidd soon be in the worlthouse, for I had nothing now to depend upon but hard wor-k, and it was not likely that I could tie myself to that after being a gentleman so long ! This rather cut me to the quick; but I was not the man to be cast down, though my money was gone, and my trade of no use. I was both able and willing to work, neither was I ashamed of going to see where it was to be done ; and in a short time a gentleman took me into his employ, where I have remained to this day, though not in the same employment, for when I first went, it was to work on the farm, but it grieved me to think that I had paid £}!) to learn a trade, and after all was nothing but a farm labourer. Now, I hope all young men that read these few lines, and are about making clioice of a trade, will think of me, and consider well whether they shall be able to set themselves up in the trade they are about making choice of. If I had done this, you see 1 should have saved .-£13 by it ; but it is no use of talking about shed milk ; all that I had to do now was to consider whether there was any trade that 1 could learn now, that I could set up in without money. This was rather a difficult task ; and that was not the worst of it, for it must be learnt without mone^', or not at all. But I was not tho man to be daunted, and I soon hit upon one, and wliat do you think it was ? Wljy a gardener, to be sure. Though I could set up to be a gardener without money, the ditticulty was to learn gardening without it. It was not likely that any gentleman's gardener w'as going to teach me for nothing, which I knew he must, if he did do it; and I had no relation that knew anything about gardening. However, hesitating was all of no use, I was determined to win if possible ; so as there were horticultural shows in our neighbourhood, and prizes given for the neatest and best stocked labourer's garden, I thought to myself, if I could do something in this way, to get myself noticed, I may, perhaps, get to work in the garden. So I bought a gardening book, and went to work to see what could be done, and accordingly the first year I was so lucky as to get the first prize for the neatest and best stocked labourer's garden in three parishes, with several i^rizes for vegetables and fiowers besides, and have ever since been one of the luckiest men in the three parishes for obtaining prizes. This soon had the desired effect, and I was taken into the garden to work where I have now been for five years; so in a short time I hope I shall be be able to say that I am a gardener. TO CORRESPONDENTS. ♦#* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communicationa should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.*^ Bulb Leaves (J. B. W.). — The three leaves, marked 1, 2, and 3, belong to one kind of bulb, the true Beltadona ; they are from pot- plants, and are si.'c weeks in advance of those growing m the border for years. The three bulbs might look different, according to their age, or the kind of soil they were growing in, but there is no doubt of the kind. The bulb with the broad recumbent leaves, ciliated edges, and promi- nent veins, does not belong to any known Brunsvigia. B. marginuta, which is probably a Nerine, is not at all marked that way. There are only two bulbs from the Cape Imown to have the fringe like yoiu: plant, and they are Hcjemanthuses ; but the way your bulb is said to flower, candelabra-like, cuts it off from all that family. Keep your bulb cool and well aired, and allow it abundance of water for the next two months ; and when the leaves turn yellow next Rlay, pray send us one of them, and let us know if any dark stripes or blotches appear on the bottom of it next April, when it is full grown. You had better plant the Bellndonas out in front of a south wall next June, when they are at rest. Cactus (Ibid), — The name of your Cactus is Aekermanii, as near as we can make out from your description. The //light on the Bose-tenves is mildew, which is very prevalent this spring. As the sulphur has not checked it, the next and only remedy is to have the blighted parts cut off, which seems very hard, but there is no help for it. \Vc shall inquire further into all your questions, and tell you the result next week. Gritty Pears {Pt/rum signtnum). — Pears may prove gritty for seve- ral reasons, but the most common cause is, perhaps, a lean and over-dry soil. Next to this as a cause, we should be inclined to say a cold situation. Climbing Roses (A Cockney Amntenv), — "Two or three good climb- ing evergreen Roses," and one to be "rose-colour if jjossible." Take Rosa indica major for the rose-coloured ; Felicite perpetuelle as the best of the breed of evergreens ; and for the third, ask for Mt/riantltes, or Princess Maria, or J'rincess Louisa, or Rampant ; but the first three will suit your north aspect better. When you write again, come to the point at once ; short letters and quick returns form the grand secret of getting useful information. Influencing the Sex op Chickens — White Comb. — J, H. Payne, Esq., says : — '* In your paper of this week, in The Cottage Gardener, on " Influencing the sex of chickens," you ask for the result of breeding from parents in their first year. I did so last year, from a cock and four hens. I reared about sixty chickens, upwards of forty of which were cockerels. IMine are Cochin-China. I am sadly teased with white comljs amongst them ; in some cases it spreads down the neck and breast, stripping off the feathers entirely, and leaving a white scurfy appearance of the skin . I have used cocoa-nut oil and turmeric, but with little effect. I am now trying alteratives, sulphur and nitre, as recommended by Richardson ; and with others, nitrate of mercury, with lard, externally. With me, young fowls (that is fowls in their first year) are only affected in this w.ay. In this neighbourhood I find it is very general. I find, also, that it is communicated from one to the other very quickly. If you can suggest a remedy, it will confer a great favour on many lovers of poultry in this locality (Bury St. Edmunds)." [I am much obliged to Mr Payne for forwarding his experience, as to the in- fluence of the age of the parents on the sex of the chicken. I have already received several remarkable results, and if our readers will kindly forward those facts that come under their notice, as suggested at page 4 1 2, I have no doubt but that a very interesting and useful table may ije drawn up. With regard to the white comb, I can only direct his attention 45-3 THE COTTAGE GARDENEP. :\TAHrH 10. to an nrticle wliicli seems to have escaped his notice, nt page 272 of the present volume.— W. JJ. TEGKTMftiEii, TuUeuhmn.^ Heating A SsiALLGnEENnousn (.-1 Lover of my G^rJ/'n).— No mode can be better for you, we think, than that of which we give a drawiiij; and description to-day. Crowing Hen {Chicken-hearted) . — Your hen which has not laid since you bouj^ht her, and which attempts to imitate the eockereU crowing, must be very old and barren. If ao there is no remedy. rROi'AGATiNG BY LEAVES {E . R., a new Suftucriber). — With due care you can carry on the process in your sitting-room, under a tumhler ; burv half the section of the leaf in the sand. You may cut llie leaf across as you suggest. Each jiiece can he made to grow. You A\ilt^find very full jiarticulars in T/ie Cottage Gardeners^ Divtionary, under the title " Cuttings." Back Numbers {H, Kirkaldy). — You can have all the numbers of The Cottage Gardenice you mention, but you will have to pay ^i*e- pencc each for them, if you require them to be sent by post. HoBTicoLTunAL AND PoMOi.OGiCAL (Atphu). — You aro quite right when yoii " understand, that by becoming a member of the ' Horticul- tural and Pomological Association,* you can be supplied with all the seeds, florists' flowers, fruit trees, &c., that you require, the same as if you were to send an order to a nursery and seedsman ; and that you can have the whole at a discount of lit per cent lower tlian what you have been in the habit of paying." Tlie Society olfers great advantages to emigrants, in procuring for them, from various sources, the seeds, cuttings, and buds they require. SiiANGTiAE CuicKENs (S. P.). — Yea ; there are abundance of these "kept alive, though hatched since hist Christmas." W'c see twenty of them diiiiy. They are more tlum usuully liable at this season to lose the use of their legs; but, if kept in a dry, cool place— heat excites them too much — with plenty of aand and lime rubbish to scratch among, and with such diet as egg boiled luird, Indian meal, scalded rice, scaldetl grits, and wheat crushed, tliey will do very well. Of course, as you warriors say, there will be more "casualties" than in more favourable seasons. Uemembcr to give the chickcna some green food to pick daily. Bees— Ruined Comb (T. /ioio'/*).— The only chance of saving the bees, in whose hive the combs have been broken down, is to leave them alone. They will take the honey from tlie cells, and then, when the spring arrives, you can clear away the ruins from the lloor-board. Take care that the entrance is not blocked up. Standard Plums (C. J. N.). — You do not say for what purpose you require them, we therefore give four of each as best for you. Ueaaert. — Green Ga;?e, Purple Gage, Kirke'a, and lloyal Hative. J'rescrving, — Denyer's Victoria, Orleans, Goliath, and White Ulagnum Bonuui. Rendeli.'s Tank {.i. P.).— If "perfectly tight," the evaporation should be next to nothing ; but if covered with slate, there will be consi- deral>le absorption and evaporation. Can any of our readers say what daily waste of water ought to occur in such a tank lined with lead, and J6fc. long by ^.Jft. wide? Capgnizing (T. il/.)'— You will find very full particulars in the new and very recent edition of Richardson's 27ie Domestic Fotvl. The price of a cover for a volume of The Cottage Gaud en ee is Is. 3d. Botanical Terms (Quereu*). — We recommend you to buy that ex- cellent little book Hcnfrey's Rudiments of Botany. The following extract from it explains the three words concerning which the bouks you quote disagree : — "The insertioji of organs signifies the place from whence they apparently arise, and when adherence takes place this differs very much. When the orRana, sucli as the stamens, arise distinctly from the receptacle, they are HypogynnuH— bvlow the germen. When the corolla and calyx adhere to tho germcn, the stamens appear to arise from the top of the germen, and which insertion is called E//igynaus—upo7i the germen. If they adhere to the corolla or cilyi while the latter are free from the germen. they are Perigynous— around the germen." In the Buttercup, the stamens are hypogynous; in the Strawberry, they are perigynous ; and in Fennel, epigynous. Sheep Barking Trees (A Subscriber from the Jirst).— To prevent this, we think the safest and most enduring remedy would be to put a piece of small-meshed iron netting, three feet wide, loosely round each stem. Weight op Dorking Fowls.— Dr. Hitchman, of Mickleover, near Derby, sayu — " Owing to local circumstances, your interesting periodical does not reach me until nearly a week after its pulilication ; and it is only now that I have read your statement to ' Charlotte Elizabeth,' tliat the cock bird of the Dorking breed ought not to weigh less than ](i/bs. This statement is calculated to mislead, and also to produce dissalisfiiction and disappointment in a manner that you may not have contemplated. Supposing ' C. K.', acting under yec\nicnx in your reply tn ' C. V. ,* because many hen birds at Birmingham weighed heavier than 7 lbs. ; the heaviest weiglied 8^ lbs., and I possess hen birds still heavier than this ; hut I have no hen of whatever weight that is tlirce pounds less weight than a male bird of the same age. I think you will admit that there is no higher authority on the Dorking fowl than l\Ir. Bailey, of Grosvenor- Btrect, and he states that 7^ lbs. is the average of the best strains." We readily bow to the authority of IMr. Bailey and Dr. Hitchman, and fully assent to their statement of the average weight of Dorkings. We in- tended no more than to point out to " Charlotte Elizabeth " the weipbta she should aim at. Dorking cocks of ID lbs., and Dorking hens of 7 lbs., are to be had; and, therefore, with less weights we ought not to be content. We admit that they arc rare, and Captain Hornby, writing on the point, says — " They will not once in a hundred good birds come up to those \veights. I have only one cock and one hen weighing your weights." Cross between the Pheasant and Fowl.— J. C. says " I have observed a statement in your paper, that a cross between the pheasant and the fowl never was, nor ever will be. I must beg to say th^.t I can absuie you to the contrary, as I was eye-witness, twenty-nine years ago, to two birds being reared between a cock pheasant and a common hen, such as you may see in any farm-yard ; and they were very fine, healthy, and strong. Any further particulars that may be considered worth inquiring on the subject, I shall be hapi>y to give to the best of my knowledge." Egg-eating Pollet (L. il/.).— Very seldom ia the morbid appetite you complain of overcome. One similar instance, however, was. success- fully treated by a friend of ours. An egg was boiled hard ; a portion of the shell removed, its contents mixed « ith a strong dose of mustard, and then replaced. Tiie hen commenced her repast as usual, but the highly- seasoned dish did not please her, and the evil practice was subsequently abandoned. The cure, however, is rarely clTcctcd; and this case is pro- bably a rare exception. — W. Height op the Upright Oak (P. S.).— The upright Oak {Quercus pedunculatafastigiata) grows as fast as our common oak, under similar circumstances, and when grafted, as is generally done; but we had it true from seeds, gathered in the Pyrenees, and the plants rose eonsitlcrahly faster than any of the British Oaks for the first ten years. Some of these seedlings \\'ere quite as upright as the Turin or Lombardy Poplar, from this rigid form others of the same batch of seedlings departed, in various degrees, down to tlie " Knarled Oak." Hence it follows, that if grafts are taken from the beat and most upright varieties, this singular oak will grow fast, and always keep to tlie upright habit. From twenty to thirty feet high is the general run in good deep dry soils. Fastigiatk Elm (Jiirf).— This is also a fast-growing tree, and grows quite upright, with curiously twisted leaves, and is altogether a very re- markable plant. What may be tlie habit of either this or the upright oak, when the trees are old, we cannot say. Perhaps some correspondent will answer that, and also mention the highest tree of each he knows. Thanks for the shortness of your letter. Vine gnawed by a Dog {M.S.). — Wc are sorry to hear your pro- mising A'ine was so knawed by an unpromising cur, that you had to resort to the healing art for bandaging ; hut, first of all, the bruised parts ought to have been carefully removed. The bandage is very good. If a shoot olfers to come from below the wound next summer, it will be a sign that the dog went too far, and you must tie up this bottom shoot very care- fully to form the future Vmt. Roses near London {Scrutator). — The best Standard Roses to grow near London, sxt— Madame Laffay, William Jesse, Mrs. Elliot, and Biiron Prerosf. They ought to be planted immediatelv, in pits twenty inches deep and thirty inches across; the first foot of the bottom to be filled with best rotten dung, one-half, and one-half /rps/i good loam, mixed ; then plant with fresh soil or loam, without any dung, in imme- diate contact with the roots ; then put a good layer of rotten dung on the top for mulching; prune close; stake well, and give a good watering once a-week from the middle of fllay till August ; and, if you can pet it, use weak li(|uid-manure each time; for without such stimulus you will not succeed so near London. Latiienkss in Dorkings {Horateml). — The Dorkings aro peculiarly liable to become lame, from their weiglit and tho possession ot an extra toe. Lameness is more apt to occur wlien their roosting perches are high than when not more than three or four feet from the ground. Since my perches have been lowt-red I have had much less lameness. When they fly down from a height tliey come with great force on the ground, and this constantly repeated concussion leads to a chronic inflammation, and thickening of the tendons and joints of the feet, which cSv"j)tember. Sow every month for successiou. The be- ginning of September will be early enough for plauts to bloom in ilay. Approved kinds, designed for speci- mens in the raiiddle of May, should receive their last shift without dela_j'. The soil should have more loam than the Calceolarias-, as if the soil is very light the flower-stems are not so cu>mpact. The general treatment has frequently been given, por these pet plants, just as for the Calceolarias, a cool, moist medium for standing on will be an advantage — such as boards or slate kept moist, or covered with a layer of dam-p moss that has previously passed through an ordeal of watei apur the boiling point to make sure of giving all snails antJ insects a quietus. FnoHsus. — Who does not love them? All the outs and ins as to successful modes of culture would require a little volume, and then would, to a great extent, be a repetition of former statements. It is one of the most patient of plants, as it will stand a great amount of cold short of a sharp frost, and during the first stages of growth the heat that would suit a cucumber would not annoy it. Many will have started some plants at least a month ago. Many, with little room, may he waiting to do so. To suit different circumstances, I will just glance at different modes that may be successfully adopted. 1st. Here are some large plants just breaking their buds ; they have been kept beneath the stage of a gi'eenbouse, or near a window in a stable or garret, and it is desirable to have abundance of bloom from them, at farthest, by July. Well, merely take off the points and decayed parts of the old shoots, leaving the bulk of the old head untouched ; shake the most of the old earth from the roots, dip the roots in a pail of water, allow to drain, and then repot in rich light rough soil, and place, at first, in a shady part of the greenhouse. The object of dipping the roots in the pail is to fill them with moisture, and thus little water will require to be given to the soil until fresh roots freely are ramifying through it. By this mode you will secure a minimum of fresh growth, and a maximum of blossom, and early too, with but little trouble. Of course, as growth proceeds, more light and air must be given. But 2ndly. These old plants may not break regularly, as you wish to have a veiy handsome specimen, though it should not bloom until September. In that case, cut the plant down to the ground, and when it shoots, select one shoot, or five or six, according as you wish a one- stem pyramid or a bush. In either case, if the shoot threatens to lengthen too much, without throwing out a sufficiency of side-shoots, nip out the point of the leader, but look carefully in time after another one, ond see that no side-shoot becomes strong enough to be a rival leader. In these cases, it is best to allow the young shoot or shoots to grow at least six inches in length before you rcshift. If you could give the plants, after potthig, a bottom heat of liO", they would grow stronger, and bloom earlier than if confined all tlie time after shifting to the greenhouse. In both these cases, fre- quent dustings over the foliage, with the syringe, will bo better than allowing the new soil to be saturated before the roots are occupying it. Intermediate cases, as respects cutting-in, will require corresponding treat- ment. As a general rule, the severer the lopping, the longer you must be content to wait for a dense mass of flowers. 3rdly. — There are a number of plants, from two to three feet high, grown with one stem, pyramidal fashion, last season ; and it is wished to have tliem of the same shape, but much larger, during the present year. Keep this in view in pruning; have three or more buds on your lowest shoots, two in-layers above, and then only one, and shorten the leading point of last year to one-third or one-)ialf, according as you can depend upon its break- ing regularly. To secure this latter desideratum in the case of all the buds you have left, syringe the stem frequently with tepid water, and, in obstinate cases, even lay tlie plant on the ground, turning it round every day. Wlieu the young shoots are one inch in length, repot, and keep close, and a little shaded afterwards. Could you put such plants in a house, where they could have a moist atmosphere, and a temperature at niglit of from 50° to 60° until the middle of June, you might have fine specimens in the middle of July. In a cool, airy greenhouse you would have to wait until August. 4thly. — Here are a number of young plants that wore struck last autumn, and have been kept all the winter on the front shelf of a greenhouse, and now they are nice .Ttubby stuff, from six to nine inches high. Now these kept rt,-<|\iotted would make very pretty plants by August, even u"" kept in the greenliouse'; but if a bottom-heat of 60° tn 70° could be given these plants in February and Marc-b, and continued on until the middle of May, splendid .'uxuriaut specimens would bo procured by the middle of July ; as the moving of the ])lants from the closeish pit, o." house, to the more airy and close greenhouse, would lessen the growing, and give an impetus to the flowering pninciple. Small plauts started now would not bloom so soo^n, unless they were cramped in their pots, and taken to the greenhouse earlier. Time is thus gained, but care and labour aro increased. Let it not be forgotten, that it. is only at an early period that this extra coddling with heat will suit; as the plants progress, they cannot have too free an exposure in an open airy greenhouse. E ven when coddled with extra heat, they should have uq shade, unless when newly potted. I have frequently p.'-actised all these modes, and have had very splendid plaut.s from the last method. There are just a few points mort>. Propagation. — Young shoots, taken ofi'now, when two inches in length, and inserted in sandy soil, inide-v a bell-glass, and plunged in a medium bottom-heat, will strike root in a few days. These, potted ofi", kept under glass until Juno, and then in a sheltered place out-of- doors, will make nice ornaments for the greenhouse from September and onwards. Soil. — Two parts rough fibry-loam, one dried deoa^^ed oowdung or leaf-mould, and one of sand and charci^al, giving more roughness and less sand as the pots e^nd plants increase in size. Drainage must be well attentled to. In the case of new and delicate kinds it will- bo advisable to add peat earth and silver sand. After tlie plants aro in bloom frequent surface-dressings of \vell decayed dung will be appreciated. Watering. — After growth has fairly commenced, ar.ul the roots are working in the fresh soil, the plants must never sufler from drought. In hot weatlier they mn_y require relVesliing twice-a-day, unless large pots aro used. Weak manure-waterings are indispensable to fine foliage and largo flowers, but it should not be given '. so freely until the ilower-buds aro appearing. I hardly \ know what is best : I have found guano, superpbosjiato of lime, sheepdung, cowdung, soot, &c., all good; but err on the safe side as to strength. Three ounces of good guano will do for five gallons. Japan Ln.iKs. — To bloom in the greenhouse in au- tumn, such as lAlium luiicifolinm alhmn; L. Uincifoliiim speciosum ruhnim: L. laiici/'uliiiin piinctatnm, and otiier common kinds, such as L. cxiiiiium^jupunictim, &c. In autumn shows there are frequent discussions as to the Mahch 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 401 liai'diness of the I.ancifoliura group, and it might be worth wliile for our coadjutors to settle tlie matter defi- nitively As to tlieir fitness for ornamenting the green- lionse there can be no question. For autumn display what can bo more goi'geons? Several inquiries have reached me on this subject, but as I could not spealt coufldently from my own practice, 1 wrote to Mr. Mackie, gardener at Delafore Abbey, near Nortliampton, whose fine specimens I had repeatedly had the pleasure of seeing, and that gentleman immediately sent me the outline of his successful mode of culture. Cause of Gomparative Failure. — Those Lilies are most efi'ective when grown in masses of from twelve to twenty stems in a pot. Two or three stems present a meagre appearance. An.xiety to increase the stock not only thus militates against the display, but the best bulbs are also apt to be hurt considerably by subdividing them. A simple plan of managing the small bulbs will prevent the necessity of interfering with the larger ones, when not absolutely necessary to reduce the size of the specimens. Time of Potting. — Remove them from their winter quarters in February or Marcli, just as the bulbs show signs of vegetation. Mode of Potting : Compost used. — Tin'u the ball carefully out of the pot, take a pointed stick and dis_- place all the decayed roots and as much of the old soil as possible, without injuring the living roots; at the same time, take the small bulbs from the stem, and such as become detached from the large bulbs, and place them aside in the meantime; then have suitable pots ready, well drained, with a good handful of moss over the drainage. The compost consists of two parts of turfy peat broken into lumps, one quarter part of fibry loam, and tlie remainder of that part well-decayed leaf mould and silver sand. The size of pot depends upon the number and strength of the bulbs. A pot fourteen inches across will accommodate twelve bulbs, and sustain throughout the season from eighteen to twenty stems of blossom. For a single, large, very fine bulb, a nine-inch pot will be found sufficient. Having determined on tlie pot, pro- ceed to place a portion of the compost above the moss and drainage, arranging it so that the upper surface of the bulb is at least tlu'ee inches from the surface of the pot. This distance enables the stem, to find noiu'ishment for the large mass of roots which it produces, and which I look upon as the main support of the flowering pro- cess. Tbe bulb is then covered with the compost, but not finally, as lumps of peat are placed round the advancing stem diu'ing the early part of its growth, as often as rootlets are observed ; and this, with me, is sometimes continued until the soil is two inches above the level of the pot. General Treatment. — When potted, place them in a cool vinery, cold pit, or other cool structure, where they may be free from frost. Forbear watering until growth is visible. Let them so remain until danger from frost is over in May or ,Tune ; then place out-of doors in a shel- tered place ; water freely, according to their wants, and let them, as much as 2>ossible, have their own wag, until they have matured their growth, and are showing their blossom buds. By that time they will be from four to five feet in height, richly clothed with fine dark green lance leaves, and promising from six to fifteen flowers to each stem. Neat stakes are then used (not before) to bring the stems into an upright position, and the plants are removed into the conservatory to nrature and expand their lovely blossoms, reward the labours of the cultivator, and to gratify, by their perfume and con- trasted tints, the cultivated tastes of those whose love of the beauties of nature is well exhibited by the ad- miration they bestow upon these lovely stars of earth. Young Offteta. These aie placed to the number of six or eight in a nine-inch pot, and treated in all respects like the older bulbs. Tbe first year after such treat- ment they will Hower, and by avoiding sub-division at potting-time a stock of good massive plants may soon be obtained. Winter Treatment. — When done flowering, let the stems remain until quite dead, or even until potting time. Place the plants in a cellar or other convenience free from frost. Keep them drg the whole time they are at rest. Mr. Mackie states, in conclusion, that he will bo happy to give his out-door experience of these bulbs, and I am sure that Editor and readers will be obliged by his sending a paper to head-quarters on the subject. R.'FisH. PRESERVATIVE WALLS. {Continued from page 423.) LIST or SUITABLE PLANTS. Gardenias. — It may startle some of my readers that I should recommend any of the species belonging to this genus as suitable plants for a wall of this descrip- tion, yet I have no doubt the species mentioned below are more hardy than is generally supposed. A heated glass-covered wall, 1 am quite sure, would be warm enough for them. At Pine-Apple Place we always kept them in cold frames, or pits, through tlie winter; and in such structures they may be seen now looking healthy and well. They are protected from frost by coverings of mats and straw. As this is a certain fact, that they are hardy enougli to bear such a treatment, surely they will thrive in a ])reservatory, especially when their roots are not confined in a pot. Their fine foliage, and splen- did, sweet-scented flowers, would make them highly ornamental for such a purpose. They would, it is true, bloom later in the season, hut their flowers would even then be highly acceptable. The species suitable are — G a rdenia florida (Flowery G.) ; the varieties are — G. F. Fortunii, O. F. intermedia, and G. F. latifolia, and G. radicans (Rooting). Habrothamnub fasciculatus (Bundle- flowered). — This fine shrub is peculiarly well adapted for this pur- pose. The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, and are of a rich soft crimson colour. They are about an inch-and-a-half long, and of a tubular shape. The plant is nearly hardy, but will not bear a full south exposure. There are some other species, but not so handsome as the above. Hei.mia myrtieolia and H. salicieolia. — Two half- hardy shrubs, with neat foliage, and pretty yellow flowers, very little known, but well worthy of cultivation. HovEA Cei.sii (Cel's Hovea). — A beautiful blue flowered shrub, easily raised from seed, which is pro- duced plentifully every year. In pots it is apt to become straggling and unsightly, but against a sheltered wall it may be managed so as to be clothed with branches down to the ground ; the colour of the flowers is a most exquisite blue. .Tasmixum GRANUiFLORnji (Large-flowercd Jasmine). — This plant is imported annually in great numbers by the Italian warehousemen in London, grafted upon the common Jasmine (Jasniinum officinale). It is hardy enough to live under glass without heat, but thrives and flowers better if planted against a wall heated with hot-water. The large corymbs of white deli- ciously-scented flowers which it produces render it a universal favourite. Ll'culia ORATissiJiA (Most Welcomc L.). — This plant is usually grown in a cool stove, which is a great mistake, for it is nearly hardy, and would do well planted against a hot wall covered with glass. It would lose most of its leaves in wiiitei', but would soon produce 102 THE COTTAGE OABDENEB. Maucu ir. I fresh ones in the early summor moiitbs, and then flower profusely in that season. There is another species named L. Piiiciana, which is shy to ilower in pots, but against a wall would Ilower as freely as L. rjraUsslma. J1\GN0LTA. — A well-known noble tribe of shrubs, nearly all bai-dy. In the northern parts, M. conspicua, 21. (ibovatti, M. fuscata, and M. odoratksima, require the protection of a preservative wall, where their hand- some flowers will bo protected from late irosts. Even in tlie south these should be planted against a wall, together with the evergreen noble - leaved Maijiioliii f/ramlijlora, and its varieties. Melaleuca — A genus of evergreen plants, chiefly from New Holland. Several of tiie species are suitable for a wall, protected without heat, being as hardy as the common Myrtle. Their foliage is neat, and flowers handsome ; the latter are produced in bundles round the young shoots, and are often termed the " bottle- brush flower," from the form they assume when in bloom, i have selected the following as being the most appropriate for the purpose — M. catlisiemonea, M. fid- gens, M. lanceolata, M. thymifolia, and M. virgnla. Meltanthus major. — An old inhabitant of our green- houses, but nearly hardy if planted against a wall. The leaves are large, and beautifully silvered over. Though the flowers are not brilliant in colour, yet, where there is plenty of space, ono plant at least is desirable. 1 once had some seeds sent rae from Africa, named Bleli- cmthiis major couciiiea ; but, unfortunately, they have not yet flowered, i sent a plant to the Regent's Park Botanic Orardeu, where I believe it is yet in existence. Should it ever bloom, and produce scarlet flowers, it will be a great acquisition. MiTHAniA coociNEA (Tlio Scarlct M.). — A shrub lately introduced from Chili, and now, from its being so easily propagated, become common. It is hardy enough to plant against a wall, with the protection of a glass covering, without artificial heat. The flowers are of a pleasing bright scarlet, and are showy, and produced very numerously when the plants become large and aged. This will be a great favourite when its merits are better known. Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle). — Though this beautiful shrub, and all its varieties, are hardy south of London, yet in the north it is rarely seen in the open air. Planted against a wall covered with glass, it will bear several degrees of Ifost without injury, provided the leaves are kept dnj, and the roots partially so. It is moisture — excessive moisture — that destroys our lialf- hardy plants iu wet situations. Oj.ea tkaoeans (Sweet-scented Olivo). — The flowers are most highly perfumed, though small and incou- sijicuous. It is a native of China, and only requires to be kept from frost, and is, therefore, a suitable plant to place against a preservative wall, chiefly for its fra- grance. The leaves are large, and beautifully toothed at the edges ; so that, though the flowers are not sliowy, yet the delicious fragrance they emit, combined with the handsome foliage, render this Olive a worthy plant. PiioTiNiA serrulata (Saw-lcavcd Photinia). — A fine evergreen shrub, sufliciently hardy to endure our ordi- nary winters in the soutliern counties, but north of London requires the protection of cold glass-covered walls. There are some other species of recent intro- duction, and these aro also shrubs with lino foliage. 'L'hey are named respectively, 1'. urhutifolia (Arbutus- leavedj, from California; P. dubia (the Doubtful), from Ncpaul ; and P. inteyrifoiyi, (Kutire-leaved), from the same country. Tliese are yet extremely rare, but 1 believe Messrs. Usburn, of the i'ulham Nursery, possess them all. T. Ai'I'leby. ( To he continued.) THE PELARGONIUM. ( Coiil'ntue>//i-om inoje \l'-).) Summer Tre.wment of Two-Years-Old Pi.akis. — After having carried these plants safely tlu-ough winter, the amateiu' will bo anxious to know what he is to do to them the spring following. Plants «jf this age should be low and bushy, and full of healthy foliage, wUh eight or nine, or more, branches to each ; but it is not advis- able to liave too many, so as to crowd them, leaving no room for them to expand their leaves. Supposing them in this desirable condition, lliey should be reiiottcd into their blooming-pots, a flual shift previous to exhibiting them. Some Societies conline the exhibitors to the size of the pots, and as this is generally known, the cul- tivator sliould place his plants in tlie size of pots re- quired. The London Horticultural Society has hitherto ofl(3rcd prizes for collections growing iu ts-iuch and 1 1-iucli pots, and 1 believe the Regent's Park Shows ai'c required to be in the same sizes. The sizes for \Ky-i uuiy be ascer- tained by writing to the Secretaries of each Society. At the time this meets the eye of the reader it will be the season to place the plants in these pots. The same soil should be used as described at page -VH, and the same method of potting the strongest and largest plants should bo chosen to put in the largest-si>X'.d pots. la potting, care should be taken that the pots are not filled up to the brim with soil, because, as the season ad- vances, they will require water iu such abundance, quite through the ball of soil, that if the pots are quite full of soil that cfl'ect will not take place, the water will run off over the sides of the pot, and the centre of the ball will remain dry and parclicd. To prevent this, at the final potting leave haU-au-incli of space between the surface of the soil and the top of the pot ; this will hold a sufficient quantity of water to thoroughly wet the entire ball quite through, or, if there is any doubt of that being efl'ectually accomplished, a second watering, given immediately after the first has settled, will be sin'e thoroughly to wet the soil. This thorough watering is infinitely better than the dribbling system of giving a little at a time and often, a system which destroys more plants than any other bad point of culture. At the time of repotting it will bo most convenient to tie out the plants anew, and as this will be the last oiqjor- tunity to do this, great judgment must be exercised in the performance ; calculation must be made as to how much room each branch will occupy when the trusses of bloom are fully expanded, and a sulficient space allowed for them ; this will save nuicli subsequent trouble and difficulty. Tlie form the whole plant should assume, when on the exhibition table, should be, as it were, foreshadowed in the mind, and the training carried on accordingly. A very few years ago the fashionable form was as if the top of each plant had been bevillcd off with a ]iair of shears. The longest shoots were at the back of the plants, and the shortest in front, so that if the plant was turned round there was nothing to bo seen but naked stems and a forest of sticks ! This absurd fashion has happily dis- appeared, and the plants now appear on the tables at the exhibitions in the more natural form of a round- headed dense bush, with the tallest branches iu the centre, and the rest gradually spreading out, down to, or even below, the rims of the pots. Tins is a great im provcment, which the good taste of tlie exhibitor, tho judges, ami, let mo add, the visitor.s, has induced to become indispcnsablo to a well-grown Pelargonium. I.et the new beginner exert his skill in training his plants from the first stopping of bis young plants to bring them into this improved form. The foundation for it must be liegun at tho earliest stage, as it will be a difiicult matter to lujcoinplish so desirable a form when the plants have attained any size. March 17. THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. 403 The season I'or blooming these really lovely plants generally extends thvongh the months of May, Jnne, and July, but such plants as bloom in full pcvfeotiou in May, will be ([uite out of bloom for the July shows, therefore it will be necessary to have at least two sets of plants to be able to exhibit at the sliows at the begin- ning and the end of the season ; or if the cultivator only intends to exhibit at one, whether early or late, he sliould take his measiu-es accordingly. I'or a May show the plants will require a little forcing, and for the July show they will require to be retarded. .U will be ditlionlt to exhihit at such extreme points of the season with one greenhouse. A cold pit will be necessary for the latter month. In it the plants should be placed early in April, and plenty of air given, with a due amount of shade to prevent the heat of the sun hurrying them on into bloom before the time. With such an useful adjunct, and due attention, the plants may be retarded so as to be in tho greatest perfection on the very day they are required. For tlie Juno show there need be no particular attention bestowed, because the natural heat of the season will bring them on suffi- ciently (with tlie ordinary cares of watering, giving air, ami shading when the sun shines too powerfully) to be in the finest bloom by the middle or latter end of that mouth. Those various turning points of culture may a|ipoar to the tyro in Q-eraninm growing to be sufficiently tire- some and minute to be attended to for so long a period as two years ; but he will find, if he neglects any one point, that his attention in all the rest will be nullified and useless for the purpose of winning a prize at a respectable exhibition. T. Appleby. (7'o be continued.) CARROTS ON GROUND NOT ADAPTED FOR THEM. Notwithstanding the advances made in Horticulture of late years, there are some productions which are yet difficult to cultivate in many gardens where other crops attain to great perfection ; and though it would be un- reasonable to suppo.se that those uncertain ones might be the progeny of parents from a warmer and more con- genial climate, yet, in the caae now before ne, as well as in several others, this plea cannot be urged, for the original is of British growth ; but cultivation, when carried to great perfection, is so often accomplished by a sacrifice of the plant's hardihood, that we must take it for granted that this forms one of that class, for though the wild Carrot is yet to be found in our fields and other places, very probaljly in as great number and perfection as when it first attracted the notice of a semi-barbarous people as au article of food, yet the many generations that have since assisted in its improvement have jjassed away, and loft it with an impaired constitution, unable to support itself in soils not exactly suited to its wants, while its ancestors were less fastidious that way. Now, that this state of things is the result of successive " breed- ing in-and-in," will be admitted by all ; neither have we any reason to find fault, when the improvement in that part of the vegetable most serviceable to us is taken into account; because a similar sacrifice has been made in most of our common fruits which are indigenous with us, or rather their parents were so ; and, if we are to believe all that has been written of late, it would appear that the most important of our " Cereals " have a near relationship with some of our commonest weeds. Although the Dauciis carota is found wild, even now, in many of our fields and lanes, yet its forked gnarly root contrasts strongly with the cultivated article from the most favourable districts, which, for distinction, we will call that deep alluvial loam so common on the margin of rivers and other low places at the base of liills, where the accumulated debris of countless ages has deposited a mass of matter, at once grateful to this crop and others whicli delight in a soil of this kind, but as it does not always happen that every garden possesses such a soil, the nearest ajiproach that can be made must be efl'ected with sucli materials as come to hand in the greatest abundance. Let us suppose the soil to bo operated upon be one of that class of stubborn clays or heavy loam, which, though capable of producing abundant crops of many tilings, are certainly not the kind best adapted to produce a heavy crop of good useful Carrots ; but as the space required for this purjiose in most ordinary gardens is not large, it would certainly bo wortli a little trouble to prepare the ground beforehand for this crop, which may be dono by digging in large quantities of loose opening matter, as road scrapings, gritty sand from a river, or other place where water has washed out all its per- nicious qualities ; pit sand may also be used, but we are not so partial to it as to river or drift sand. Now, to these may be added " briek-dust," or, what is still better, " charcoal-dust," with any reasonable quantity of stone chippings that can be had, even chips of wood are not without their uses; and, in some eases, saw-dust has been used with advantage. But we are not advocates for lime or chalk, whicli in so many other instances are the best pulverizers of stiff soils ; but the latter may be used with great advantage if done so the year before the crop. We have seen a successful experiment with a copious dressing of an opposite ingredient on stift' retentive soil, which was peat or bog earth dug in rather liberally. This substance, however, ought to be added the year before, likewise, as its combination with the soil is slow. When, therefore, the crop of Carrots is a desidera- tum, worth sacrificing something for, we advise having a piece of loose open ground which has been digged or trenched as deep as its staple will allow with safety ; or, in other words, ground for Carrots ought to be trenched two feet deep, provided the soil be good at tliat depth ; but should it not be so, then trench it as deep as it is good, and keep what had previously been the top spit to the top again, and dig into the bottom part some good rotten dung, or other enriching matter, which will, in addition to afTording nourishment to the descending fibres, likewise keep the ground open and ])orous. The top portion, if tolerably rich by previous dressing for former crops, had better not have any additional supply for this ; but any of tho substance named above may be dug in to lighten a stiff or reten- tive soil. This being done, it will be in a condition fit for sowing as soon as tho top becomes so mellowed down as to rake in tolerably well, which, however, is seldom the case until it has had some severe weather upon it, as sharp frosts, successive dry, cutting winds, or other mellowing influences; — the first-mentioned performing that duty quickest. We will suppose that everything has gone on well, and that the ground is in pretty fair order for sowing by the beginning of April, which is quite soon enough ; preparations must then be made for it, which is done by simply di'awing drills a foot apart, as shallow as will just allow the seed to be sown, and covered half-an- inch deep. This season, however, threatens not to allow this kind of work to be done in all cases; there- fore, when waiting to get upon the loose ground seems impracticable, without treading it too much, it will be better to dig a portion and sow a row or two, and then dig again, standing always on the undug ground. This process of digging and sowing simultaneously is very appropriate to ground so stift' and stubborn as a great deal ©f it is after a wet winter like 404 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 17. the past oue. A very smooth-raked surface is here out of the question, neither would it be advisable, as an open surface will let in the frost or drying winds, which do good prior to the seed vegetating, while tliere is a prospect of its becoming much closer before it does germinate by the causes above, as well as by rain. When the grouud is obliged to be dug up very rougb, and, to a certain extent, wet also, it cannot always be broken up so fine as even to allow the seed to be covered with anything like regularity. Where sucli is the case, it is better, therefore, to mark out the line of the drill, and then scatter some fine, dry compost of an opeu friable nature, in which the seed can be sown witli ease, and covered up with the same ; while the understratum, and, in fact, the wliole ground, will derive all the beueht of the season, by being allowed to remain rather loose and hollow, to admit the air, &c. ; and towards the beginning or middle of May, when it becomes sufficiently dry to bear treading on, and tlie rows of plants are visible, the intervening spaces between the rows ouglit to be stirred with a Canterbury hoe, or other tool, which will assist to consolidate the substra- ; turn by the fine matter running into it, while the I top is receiving the benefit the admission of air extends j to it. The thinning of the crop may also be proceeded j with at the same time ; and, in fact, this earth-stirring process must bo performed several times during the season, until the size of the tops will no longer allow it to be done without injuring thom. I have not said auylhing of the kind most proper to grow, but most jjcople jircfer the Earl;/ Horn, for its good table qualities ; but it certainly does not keep so well as tlie larger long sorts ; it would, therefore, bo ad- visable to sow a portion of botli. The Allriiujham is a good carrot, though not better than the Surrey, from which it differs in the smalluess of its shoulder or crown. The Lontj Orange is sometimes sown ; but wlien the Horn is grown, the eating qualities of the two presents so marked a difi'ereuco as to lead to a conclusion that the Orange is no longer worth garden room ; neverthe- less, it ought not to be despised, for it usually crops well, and that is important where this production is un- certain, as it often is in places where other crops pre- sent an appearance of luxuriance, as a proof of the grouud being all that could be desired, while this is only indift'erent. But if our remarks tend to enlighten the inexperienced in avoiding the evils noted above our purpose is served. J. Robson. THE PINT O' ALE. Jiij the Authoress of "My Flowers," ijtc. I A3I now going to present my readers with a true picture of the good effects of .sobriety, as sliown in the conduct of a good wife. It has not passed under my own observation, but it is given in a very valuable and interesting lecture upon Popular InRurnnco, dehvered before the Beclier Society at Slourbridge, by the llev. J. B. Owen, M A. ; and I am so desirous of impressing the advantages of tem- perance, and the dreadful effects of drunkenness, upon all my readers, but more particularly those in humble life, tluit I shall copy the tale out word for word, and hope it nuiy, Ijy the blessing of (rod, touch and edify tliem. At the same time, I wish to lay great stress uj)on this point — viz., that for worldhj reasons sobriety does nothing for the soul. If a man leaves off drink for a worldly reason, it does bira good in a worldly way, and it does good to society in general; but tmless lie leaves off driirking because it is a sin — and sin is hateful in the sight of a pure and lioly God — the man in no way glorifies God by turning from it. His soul is drunken with iniquity, although his body is sober ; and "wliat shall a man profit if ho gain the wliolo world, and luse his own sdul ? " " Tlie writer beard a story in Manchester of a calico printer, who on his wedding-day was persuaded by his wife to allow her two lialf-pints of ale a day as her share. He rather winced under the bargain, for, though a driuker himself, he would have preferred a perfectly sober wife. They both worked haril, and be, poor man, was seldom out of the public-house as soon as tlie factory closed. The wife and husband seldom saw much of each other, except at breakfast; but as she kept things tidy about her, and made her stinted, and even selfish allowance for house- keeping, meet the demands upon her, he never complained. She had her daily pint, and he, perhaps, had his two or three quarts, and neither interfered with the other, except that at odd times she succeeded, by dint of one little artifice or another, to win him home an hour or two earher at night, and now and then to spend an entire evening in his own house ; but these were rare occasions. They had been married a year, and on the morning of their wedchug anni- versary the husband looked askance at lier neat and comely person with some shade of remorse, as he observed, ' Mai'y, we've had no holiday since we were wed, and only that I haven't a penny in the world, we'd take a jaunt to the village to see thee mother.' ' Wouldst like to go, John '? ' said she softly, between a ."imile and a tear, to liear him speak so kindly — so like old times. 'If thee'd like to go, John, I'll stand treat.' "'Thou stand treat,' said he, with Iialf a sneer; 'hast got a fortune, girl ? ' " ' Nay,' said she, ' but I've gotten the pint o' ale.' " ' Gotten what ? ' said he. ' 'The pint o' ale,' said she. "John still did not understand her, till the faithful crea- ture reached down an old stocking from under a loose brick in the chimney, and counted out her daily pint of ale, in the shape of .300 threepences, i.e., £4 lis. 3d., and put it into his hand, exclaiming, ' Thee shall have thee hohday, John.' ".John was ashamed, astonished, conscience-smitten, charmed, wouldn't touch it. 'Hasn't thee had thy share'? then I'll ha' no more,' he said. They kept their weddiug- day witli mother, and the wife's little capital was the nucleus (that means, anything round which other things gather) of a series of investments, that at last swelled into a shop, a factory, warehouses, country seat, a caiTiage, and, for aught I know, a Liverpool mayor." See, my readers, what drink destroys, and what soberness builds up. Drink, above all, destroys the soul ; and sober ness, though it cannot save it, yet it keeps the senses clear, and does not hedge tip our way with thorns, so that tlie truth cannot enter. The mind of the drunlcard is stujiid and besotted, and the " still small voice " cannot wake him up out of the sleep of death. I think my readers will be struck and confounded as much as John was by his wife's stocking, if I copy out another passage from tlie same instructive lecture. Perhaps they do not know, and have novor thought about what drink does in this Christian land. Mr. Owen goes on to say, " Drink is the desolating demon of Great Britain. We have spent in intoxicating drinks during the present century as much aa would pay the national debt twice over I There are one hundred and eighty thousand gin drinkers in Lon- don alone, and in tliat city three millions a year are spent in gin I In thirteen years, two hundred and forty-nine moles, and one hundred and eighty-three thousand nine hundred and twenty-one females, were taken into custody for being drunk and disorderly. In Manchester, not loss than one million a year is spent in profligocy and crime. In Edin- burgh there are one thousand whiskey shops; one hiiiulretl mill si.vli/ in one street; and yet the city contains only two hundred bread shops ! Of twenty-seven thousand cases of pauperism, twenty thousand of them were traceable to drunkenness. In Glasgow, the poor rates are one hnnilred llioiisiind pounds a year!" "Tell thousand," says Alison, " get drunk every Saturday night, are drunk all day Sundoy and Monday, and not able to return to work till Tuesday i>v AVediiesdiiy. Glasgow spends ono million two hundreil thou- sand pounds annually in drink ; and twenty thousand I'emali'S are taken into custody for being drunk." " As to tho insanity arising from drink," the Bishop of London states, " that of twelve hundred and seventy-one maniacs whose previous histories were investigated, six hundred and forty-nine, iir more than half of them, wrecked their reason in drinking. Mahou n THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 405 As to paiiporism, it is estimated tliat not less than two-thirds of our ipaiipers are the direct, or indirect victims of the same fatal vice." " The immense power in tiie liands of the working men to promote their own social comfort and inde- pendence, is proved hy the fact, that they are spending_///?y- seven miUlons a year in ardent spirits^ beer, and tobacco ! equal to an income of sixteen shillings a week to nearly one million four hundred thousand people ! Surely, if so much can be spared for the indulgence of bad habits, a tentli of it could be easily diverted to the cultivation of good ones." Now, my dear Eeaders, I beg and pray you to read and think tliese things deeply and seriously over. Perhaps you have never considered what money you have wasted, and more tlian wasted in drinking and smoking ! Think of God's gifts abused I the means he has given you for food and clothing turned into soul- destroying sin — the abomi- nable thing that the Lord hateth ! Oh ! do think of these things, and that when you murmur against " tlio times," the masters you work for, tlie rulers who govern you, and somellmcs the gracious God who has made you, and re- deemed you, you have fai', far more cause to condemn yourselves, your evil ways, and your love of beer, gin, and tobacco ! A vei'y loud cry goes up to heaven for this one thing — the sin of drunkenness. It brings on hundreds of other sins, and sinks unnumbered souls in hopeless perdition. Oh ! be assured that the crime carries its own curse to body and soul, and that sin forsaken because it is sin, and hateful to the God of our salvation, will bring abounding blessings into your bosom. Do not leave off drink because you are starving, but because you are sinning, and your soul" going down into hell. Do not leave off drink because you want to grow rich, and have a shop, or a country house, or a carriage, but because you want to ijrow lioly, and gain au inheritance that fadeth not away. Worldly soberness will secure, probably, " the life that now is," but it is only godly soberness that will secure " that which is to come," and then only for the sake of One who has covenanted with the Father to bear the sins of many, and "to save unto the uttermost those who come unto God by him." Readers, high and low! think of these things ! FEATHERS. {Oontinued from page 401.) long-established, and that would be a conclusive reason against any change, even if it were not sufficiently correct. There are two varieties, " the golden-laced," and " the silver-laced," and in either the body colour of the feather, whether yellow or white, should be perfectly free from " splashing ; " that is, without any other colour upon it, except its edging or lacing. The more regular that lacing is in width, and in colour, the more clearly defined its edge, and the more comislelely it encircles the feather, the more perfect it is to cliaracler. At the top, and near the base, it is usually rather wider. The Gold and Silver Bantams are tlie birds with whom lacing becomes the maui characteristic of their plumage, for when found in other varieties it is only partially de- veloped. Thus the greater wing-coverts, and some other featliers.of the Gold and Silver Polands, are often laced; but a I'oland *^ laced Ihroiiyhoitt" we have never yet seen. Combinations of the lacing with the spangle often occur, to the detriment, as we think, of the effect of both. THE LACED FEATHER. A MORE appropriate name for this, we think, would have been the " fringed feather," as the name alludes to the narrow edging around it, but the name of " laced " has been ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. A WEEiiLY Council was held at the Society's House in Hanover-sfpiare, on Wednesday, the lUth of February. ExPEKiMEiSTS IN PoTAio CULTIVATION. — Dr. John IMal- fatti, of Kueniglberg, near Hietzing, in Austria, transmitted to tlie Council the following communication, dated tlie 20th of November last : — "According to our views, the cause of this disease, though accounted problematical, lies in the decay and degeneracy of this plant in resiiect to its double sex, the twofold stock from whence it springs. During the growth of the Potato, a remarkable and instructive observation offers itself to us at once, between tlie two most distinct acts of the double sex of the plant. The first of these acts is that of its internal principle of self-propagation, and predominates particularly during the period of its development. The second act, on the contrary, is a consequence of the first, and consists in an e.xternal reproduction, and conduces to the preservation of the original stock. Whilst now the first act always takes place regularly, and, indeed, under adverse circumstances, knows of no disease, we perceive the disease in the second act, on the contrary, suddenly break out, as if the double sex of the plant rapidly became weakness itself, and instead of being followed by reproduction, were followed by degeneracy and destruction. It has long been hoped that the disease in question would turn out an acci dental and temporary one. But alas ! the contrary has proved to be the case ; and there is no doubt but its propa- gation solely proceeds from a sexual cause, whereby it assumes the distinct character of a disease of race. Though we have come to this melancholy conclusion — a conclusion as painful in respect to the present as it is menacing for the future — Nature, that benificent mother, comes to our relief with a sovereign remedy — a remedy which she has raised indeed to the rank of a law — namely, that remedy which she has pro^'ided both as a cure and a preservative, by means of the sexual crossing of races, and that, indeed, as well in the vegetable as in the entire animal kingdom. This provision of nature is manifestly so excellent, that human art has endeavoured to employ it in both kingdoms, and has done so with the greatest advantage. Taking this point for granted, I endeavoured, as inoculation was a thing out of question, to remove this disease by crossing the I'otato with other plants, and, indeed, as it were, by means of a sort of matrimony. The three first Potatoes on which I tried this experiment I paired and enclosed severally with the Helianlhns tuberosus, the Dahlia variabilis, and the Cyclamen europeimi. For a fourth matrimonial alliance I was indebted to chance; and although this was with the Cardials liispanica, which does not belong to the genus of bulbous plants, it was attended, notwithstanding, with the most interesting results. The means thus employed ter- minated in results which, in a most surprising manner, confirmed the truth of the principle which we first laid down. The longing of the I'otato for union with some plant of a kindred sort, manifested itself in the most distinct -iOO THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. Makch 17. uiamicr. Truly we cannot be sm-prisetl, if we consider, that since the time this American plant was brought to Europe it has existed in a perfectly isolated state, mthout enjoying any mutual relation witli kindred plants found in our part of the vegetable kingdom ; whilst, on the other hand, the art of Europeans has in all kinds of climates increased the production of the Potato to an interminable extent, carry- ing it even to such an extent as to exhaust its double sex. Tlie product of this matrimonial connexion was most surprising. From the pairing of two plants a thu-d pro- ceeded, retaining, however, a twofold cliaracter, tlie clia- racter of each. Their roots, bulbs, and stalks, had grown together, so as to bo interwoven one with another in sucli a manner that it was very ditlicult to separate thera one from another when taken out of the ground. Tlie last Potato harvest presented the most interesting results, as will appear from what follows. AVhilst in my neighbom's' fields the disease prevailed as before, and I myself lost a good thu-d part of tlie Potatoes which I had planted on the borders of the field in which my experiments were made, to my great surprise I found not among them a single trace of the disease, altliough the whole quantity amounted to seven bushels (JIatzau). Together with the advantage of restored health, we obtained at the same time another benefit enually important, viz., that of a considerable im- provement in the race of Potatoes. Not only was this new- breed distinguished for beauty, size, and richness, but the general insipidity and mealy taste of Potatoes has been, by the communication of the aromatic flavour and peculiar taste of the plants with which they were combined, changed into something of a very difi'erent kind and of a superior quality. This was most obviously the case witli the Potatoes combined with the Carduus (they tasted like Artichokes). In those combined with the Cyclamen, there was a pungent taste, as if they had been slightly peppered; in those com- bined with the Dahlia, there was a sweet taste like sugar ; whilst the Heliauthus imparted to the Potatoes combined witli it its own agreeable and peculiar flavour. In respect to the management requisite in forming the four above- named species of combination, we remark as follows : — "1. The Potatoes ai-e, as usual, cut into several pai-ts before they are planted (according to the position of the so-called eyes), and are placed in the earth quite close to the germs of the plants with which they are to be combined. The bulbs of the Helianthus and the Dahlia are cut just in the same way as those of the I'otato. The bulbs of the Cyclamen alone remain uncut. As tlio Carduus has nothing but a root, the cut pieces of the Potato are only planted under its root. "2. In the two harvests, we perceived that the bulbs of the Helianthus were to those of the Potato, in respect to number, as 0 to 'i, Avhilst those of the Dahlia and Potato were equal. Here we must observe, that these two plants, combined with the I'otato, contuiued growing without inter- ruption, as usual, up to the time of blossoming, whilst the contrary was the case witii the Cyclamen and the Carduus. "y. But the combination with the Cyclamen was the most remarkable of all. This wild plant exhibited so little of itself, that for a long time I considored the trial unsuc- cessful. The same thing liappened with tlie Carduus and the Cyclamen, some single leaves of which appeared here and there close to the stalk of the I'otato, but somewhat sparingly. But so much the greater was my astonishment when, in digging up the Potatoes, I found in that very part the finest and most abundant crop : as if both the said plants sacrificed their growth in favour of that of the I'otalo, the Cyclamen sacrificing still more, even its health as well. We perceived, indeed, that each of the Cyclamens had two, three, or even four bulljs diseased to such an extent as to be rotten. As this disease presented symptoms perfeclly siinihu- to those of the Potato disease, we were irresislildy led to inquire whether or not tho Cyclamen liad attracted to itself the very essence of the disease of the Potato. On this occasion I delayed not to inquire of skilful botanists whether tlie Cyclamen, whicir is generally used iu feeding cattle and pigs, was subject to this disease, and tho answer was a unanimous negative. "4. -\s 1 was accustomed e\ery year to plant a groat quantity of Cai-duus roots, I was induced to combine them with Potatoes, the result of wliich surprised me tho more, because they do not belong in the least to the bulbous genus. Just for this very reason, a peculiar result followed, the combination being succeeded by a purely parasitical life. The I'otatoes clung so lirmly to the Carduus roots, that they actually grew to tliem, and, as real leeches suck blood, extracted out of the roots all the juice and flavour. In consequence of this, the Potatoes (like parasitical idant-s) not only attained the utmost development, both in respect to size and beauty, but what was very remarkable, scarcely had any roots of their own which they struck out. Here, on the hypothesis of the I'otato being capable of being crossed even with plants not belonging to tlio bulbnus genus, we may exclaim — What an extensive field is opened for the agricidturist I What singular and what useful expi^- riments may we not make here ? and that, too, were Vie not to reckon those experiments which might be made, and made with still greater certainty, in the extensive cii-cle ol bulbous plants. "0. All the entire crop of Potatoes resulting from the four combinations above-mentioned, I have reserved for sets in future. Should the next planting remain I'ree from every disease, as this year's i)lanting was, I shall consider the problem solved, I shall acknowledge the American plant as a naturalised exotic. "Mr. Piowlandson had long considered the Potato disease to arise from a deficiency of potash in the soil or manure iu which the tubers were grown. He suggested the trial of sulphate of potash, to remedy this deficiency ; this sulphate could be purchased in the market at itlB per ton, in the state known as the " pan sulphate," which contained about HO per cent, of sulphate of potash, and ill per cent, of sul- phate of soda, and other salts; this was better than "granu- lated sulphate," wliich was impaired by an excess of common salt. This pan suljdiate might be applied iu drills, at the rate of 4 cwt. per acre. He had himself ti-iad it with splendid efi'ect. Tho state of carbonate in which the potash was found in land that had been burned, was much inferior to the sulphate of the same alkali. Nor did wood ashes from Canada and other countries contain more than 14* percent, of potash. The carbonate had a powerful eH'cct in causing the rapid development of plants, but had no abiding and sustaining piower afterwards ; ami they died away in conse- quence. The Brassic U-ibes took up much potash. In an- swer to an inquiry of Mr. Keynolds Solly, Jlr. Kowlaudson then favoured the Council with a detailed statement of the origin and progress of that expanding-concentric growth of fungi, occasioning what was termed "fairy rings." — Mr. Paine remarked, that on some fields of his iu Surrey (where liarticular beds of the upper green sand formation, known to be rich iu jiotash and the phosphates, crop out), his Potatoes grew with remarkable luxuriance in the first stages of their growth, but were subsequently attacked with the i'otato disease to a g»-eatei- i- minish or take away either the one or the other, and the whole eftect is gone — there remains a nakedness and a want; thus it ever is " In Nature's chain, whatever link you strike. Tenth, or ten-thousandth, breaks the chain alike." For my own part, 1 woidd not admit the beardless Gold and Silver Spangled Polands at our exhibitions ; not because I think them a spectacle of nakedness and want about the head, the neck, and the throat, but for the graver reason, that I deem them spurious, or mongrel, fowl— hybrid, I judge, between the Poland and Spangled Hamburgh. In elucidating this, unfortunately the plumage can assist us little in our ai-gument or proof, for the Golden and Silver Spangled Hamburglis closely aiiproximate to the Polands. 'There ai-e, however, more important points than the mere marking or colour of the iilumage — there are distinctions of shape, or configurations of the body — circumstances relative to that great peculiarity of Polands — the topknot, to the comb, as well as to the beard, and also to the tail, that facilitate and satisfy enquiry. 468 THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. March 17. First, as to shape : the body of the Poland is very round, tapering somewhat suddenly near the tail ; the breast is remarkably round and protruberant, " more so," observes Mr. Bailey, "than in any other fowl except the Bantam;" the neck is a charucl'nulic and striking feature ; it is not only long, but is of extraordinary thickness and fulness, and most profusely covered with voluiuinous hackle feathers ; whilst in carriage it is upright, bold, and dashing. In the beardless variety there is a most perceptible modification and contrast, in a word, a very near approach to the Spangled Hamburgh. The characteristic prominency and roundness of the breast is lessened, the body being nar- rowed, lengthened, and gradually tapering to the tail, the featliers of which, as observable in the hen, are, like those of the Hamburgh, very much longer than in the true or bearded Poland. The neck presents a striking difl'erence; all that general volume of the neck is gone, and it is thin, spai-e of feathers, and meagre ; in size and proportion it is wanting. Though, as I have said, the marking of the plumage afi'urds us no help in tracing the Beoi'dless Poland to its oonnection with the Spangled Hamburgh, they being very similarly spangled, yet the nature, fabric, or material of the feathers dilfer, and atibrds assistance in defining the dif- ference between the true Bearded Poland and the hybrid one. Thus, let any one. handle a U'ue Golden Poland here, and he will be sti'uck with the remai'kahly soft, silky, yield- ing quantity of featliers, it is so peculiar, that at this moment I can recall the sm'prise on my first handling one ; while the feel or sensation communicated by the beardless fowls is like the Hamburgh, a comparative closeness and hard- ness of feather, there being nearly as great a difference in this respect as there is between the feel of a Shanghae and a Malay; such difference in the character of feathers in various fowls is well noticed by Mr. Bailey, and a very distinctive character it is. Again, the top-knot in a great majority of beardless Polauds (especially in the Golden) is insignificant. It is, I believe, invariably so in imported birds ; but within the last year or two there have been raised, in this kingdom, some Silver beardless Polands with topknots of fair size. The golden, however, so far as I have seen at exhibitions, or heard of, still remain in statu quo, waiting some lucky hit or cross with the bearded to give them topknots, and to reduce their abmrdant, plated, pointed combs. It is important to notice that, in breeding beardless Polauds the greatest uncertainty prevails as to the quality of the chickens. In some chickens which I last year raised from the very best specimens of beardless Silver Polands, there was a very near approach to the rose-comb of the Spangled Haraburghs ; an uneven, serrated, protuberant, and large plate of Hesh terminating in a point ivith a mere tuft of feathers for a topkuot, whilst a very few had topknots equal in size to the parents. /( is, indeed, a fact, as important as it is strihintj, that while the chickens of lite true bearded Poland have invariaiily larije and full-sized topknots, the pro- duce, on the contranj, of the beardless Polands evince all the uncertainty and anomaly above staled. How is this ? Why, I ask, should one be all certainty, the other uncertainty ? The answer is clear-, plain, and convincing enough ; the beardless Polands being spurious, hybrid, now the Polish, now tlie Hamburgli blood or type prevails, so that in the one instance we have topknot, in the other scarcely any, but with development of comb. For it is a fact well known to breeders, that all cross-bred birds exhibit such constant tendency to lean to one parental oriyin or the other: as they term it, "they cry back." Thus have I shown that the beardless Poland is dege- nerate in shape, specially and generally, also in carriage, bearing, or deportment, and in its feathers ; whilst the quality or character of its produce, or chickens, are ever vai'ying anil uncertain. But what, on the other hand, has been urged against beards ? Simple dislike. A whisper has, indeed, gone forth, which no one, however, will own t(i, that the beard is from a cross with the Kussian fowl ! In sober trutli, the Poland lias no one character of the Eussian : not oven in the so- called beard is tlierc any reseinblance. For, whilst the board of the Russian is a long tuft, looking like a hanging bag of feathers, tlie beard of the I'oland consists of imbri- cated feathers, scarcely longer than the rest on the throat, and closely, compactly, and definitively aiTanged in a trian- gular shape, the base (exteuding in a lino with the bill to the ears) being uppermost; it has nothing in common with the bearded tuft of the Russian, or of any other fowl. It is truly sui yeneris — ti'ue in its own kind — and an inborn, iubred characteristic of a true Poland. In conclusion, I beg to say, that although I now write as a partizan of the bearded Poland (and coincide with the opinions of such experienced gentlemen as Mr. Vivian, as well as of Mr. Baker, of London, and others), it was only after mature reflection, observation, and experience on both varieties, kept at the same time, and in equal numbers, that the conviction was forced upon me, that the bearded are the true Polands, and that the beardless are spiuious. — F. R. HOKNEE. THE SPONTANEOUS GROWTH OF PLANTS. "We are now arrived at a period of the year when all the organic works of God, in our happy country, begin to either revive from their winter torpor, or to move with increasing vigour. It is now that every sunny morning draws us forth into the garden. Borders are explored in all directions; old pots of neglected jjlauts hopefully examined, and a reviving taste felt in even the parlour of the citizen for floral beauties. Hawkers of flowers and shrubs are now becoming active ; every scrap of a gai-den is receiving the general attention which spring alone witnesses. In such examinations, after the severe weather we have had, many a favourite shrub will have perished, many a border of tender plants, whose self-sown seeds from year to year seem to bloom for their own especial satisfaction, will be absent; but as the old alchemists used to say, " nature seems to abhor a vacuum," and so other plants will be found in their place : some appearing in various single varieties, others in masses crowding out of the soil, as if their seeds had been sown by handfuls. The philosophers of the olden time noticed these things, and they reasoned upon the phenomena; — as they were usually wont to do they employed much verbiage, but held facts as of less importance. The result of this mode of attempting to arrive at truth was, that they concluded that the appearance of these plants whose seeds they had not sown, arose from " spontaneous generation." Yes, that was the phrase. It is idle to seek in their works for the meaning of the term " spontaneous generation," suice it is erident they did not nnderstaud it themselves. It will be a more useful course if we examine the labours of the modern cliemical jjliilosopher, and the experiments which he has instituted to explain the cause of phenomena so familiar to ns all. Indeed, as I have in another place had occasion to remark, the doctrine of spontaneous gene- ration, as Dr. John Walker well observed in a letter to Lord Kames {Memoir, vol. ii., app., p. oO), is a docti'ino tliat can only subsist whore human knowledge and human under- standing are but in a glimmering state. In such a state, philosophers saw mites generated from rotten cheese, and myriads of flies and creeping things arise from a dunghill or putrid moi-sh. Ignorant of the natural history and gene- ration of these animals, they concluded them to be mere spontaneous productions, and tlie effects not of generation but of corruption I To add to their folly, the degrading doctrine never was extended to a lion or a horse, but con- fined to the poor insects, merely because they were creatures of whoso nature they were ignorant. They knew not that the same power and wisdom wore necessiu'y to form a maggot that are requisite to produce au elephant. They formed the same conclusion concerning many vegetables whoso seed escaped their eyes, such as the ferns, mush- rooms, and mosses. Because they did not see the seeds of Buoh vegetables, tliey readily concluded that they had none; and wdiile the oak and tlie laurel were dignified with gene- rative qualities, these plants were classed as the progeny of putridity. Equivocal generation thus readily became the asylum of their ignorance. It is true that many pliouomcna of vegetable life, in cases like thciie, startle and confound ns. The many binds of the lOssux sido of the valley of the- Thames, if ploughed only an inch or two deeper than usual, abound immediately March 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 400 with the wild mustai'd plant. Even the soil tUrovvn out dm-ing the excavation of deep wella produces these. Other instances are well known, where hones, gypsum, ite., being spread, produce the ahounding growth of white clover. The site of a fire is speedily tenanted, in tlie same way, hy totally different plants from those growing around the spot. Liebig alludes to other instances of a similar kind (Organic Chemistry, p. lOd). After the great tire of London, it seems large quantities of the Erysinnim lalifolium were ob- served growing on the spots where a fire had taken place. On a similar occasion, the Blilmn capitnium presented itself at Copenhagen ; the Senecio viscosus in Nassau ; and the Spartiiim scoparium in Languedoc. After the burning of the North American pine-forests, poplars grew on the same soil — facts just as incomprehensible to the bye-stander as fairy-rings are to even the modern husbandman. Let us, then, before wo examine the cause of these ap- pearances of peculiar plants, banish from our minds all dreams about their spontaneous generation. Let us rest assured that the seeds of the plants produced by crea- tive wisdom have numberless ways assigned to them for their dispersion and the lengthened preservation of their vitality, which, although we can, perhaps, but partially discern, are fully sufficient to render unnecessary any evi- dence that He who made them has amply provided for their dissemination and preservation in the soil. AVliat we do see assures us of these things, even in the commonest plants around us. For instance, as Professor Walker re- mai-ked, the ash and the plane have heavy seeds, but they are supplied with wings. A gale of wind can carry them i'rom their original lofty situation to a considerable distance, and they remain on the tree till that gale arrives. The seeds of the mora humble plants, that they may rise and be dispersed, spread their sail to the wind. The thistle spreads his beard, and away he travels to fix his residence in remote parts. The seeds of plants, once removed to a distance hy the winds to their appropriate soils, rapidly vegetate. In some otlier cases they are carried by insects, or by other causes, deep into the soil, where they preserve their vitality for a lengthened period. The modern farmer will remember the variety of mummy wheat recently raised from some seeds found in an ancient Egyptian tomb, as a well-known instance of the vital tenacity in the seeds of plants. We need not, therefore, trouble ourselves with needless doubts as to the dissemination and preservation of seeds. Once conveyed to the soil, those seeds are certain to vege- tate with the greatest rapidity whose inorganic ingredients the soil most abounds in, and are copiously furnished to the plant in, the products of the fires to which we have alluded. The phosphate of lime, for instance, and the alkalies pro- duced by the combustion of wood-fire, have thus their sites speedily occupied by white clover, and other grasses, in which these salts abound. The very same result is obtained by the application of the same salts, procured by other sources, to the soil. Liebig has noted some of these things. "It is notmere accident," he remarks (Oiyniiic Gliem., 151), " that only trees of the fir tribe grow on the sandstone and limestone of the Carpathian Mountains and the Jura; whilst we find on soils of mica, slate, and granite, in Bavaria, (fcc, the finest forests of other ti-ees which cannot be jiroduced on the sandy or calcareous soils upon which pines thrive. It is explained hy the fact, that those trees whose leaves are renewed annually require for their leaves sis or ten times more alkalies than the fir-tree or pine ; and hence, when they are placed in soils in which alkalies are contained in very small quantities, they do not attain maturity. When we see such trees growing on a sandy or calcareous soil — the Red Beech, the Service-tree, and the Wild Cherry, for example, thriving luxuriantly on limestone — wa may be assured that alkalies are present in the soil, for they are necessary for their existence. Can we, then, regard it as remarkable that such trees should thrive in America, on those spots on which forests of pine, which have grown and collected alkalies for centuries, have been burnt, and to which lands the alkalies are thus at once restored ? or that plants remarkable for the quantity of alkalies contained in their ashes should grow with the greatest luxmiance on the localities of conflagrations ? It is thus that wheat will not grow on a soil which has produced wormwood (a plant remarkably abounding in potash, the ' salt of wormwood ' of the old chemists) ; and that wormwood does not thrive where wheat has grown, because they are mutually preju- dicial, by appropriating the alkalies of tlie soil. It has been sometimes noticed by tlie farmer, that the same luxuriant growth of certain plants is produced on the site of fires in a field, although tlie ashes produced are carefully removed. This arises, amongst other reasons (even supposing that none of the soluble or insoluble portion of the ashes is allowed to mix with the soil), by the charring effect of the fire upon the organic matters of the soil on which it rested ; for all soils contain more or less of these animal and vegetable substances, and their partial conihustiou produces the same ingredient, such as charcoal, salts of lime, alkalies, ic, as the weeds or other plants burnt on the surface of the land. The amount of organic matter contained in soils is, in fact, much more considerable than is generally understood. Davy found four per cent, in the soil from Shelfield Place, in Sussex, and five per cent. in the finely-divided matters of a turnip-soil from Holkham (Zee, p. 175J. And how deeply these animal and vegetable matters are dispersed, is shown by the fact that they are found in even the clays obtained from pits hy the makers of pottery ware. It is upon similar chemical principles that Professor Way lias recently given an explanation of the origin of fairy-rings, which are caused by the growth and gradual spreading from a centre of certain agarics or toad- stools. The ashes of thase, and of the grasses which formed the fairy-ring, being examined, were found to contain per cent {Jour., R. A. S., vol. vii., p. bb'i) — Agarics. Grasses. Silica 1.0'J .... 16.10 Lime 1.35 10.-17 Magnesia 3.'20 2.49 Peroxide of iron — .... .2.93 Phosphoric acid 29.42 .... 6.34 Sulphuric acid 1.93 5.40 Carbonic acid 3.80 .... 12.47 Potash 55.10 35.23 Soda 3.32 — Common salt 0.41 .... 5.79 " On the foregoing analysis," observes Mr. Way, " I think we may clearly explain the whole growth of the fairy-ring. A fungus is developed on a single spot of groimd, sheds its seed, and dies. On the spot where it grew it leaves a valuable manuring of phosphoric acid and alkahes, some magnesia, and a little sulphate of lime. Another fungus might undoubtedly grow on the same spot again ; but upon the death of the first, the ground becomes occupied by a vigorous growth of grass, rising like a phojnix on the ashes of its predecessor. An experiment was made of spreading some fungi on the grass of the pasture where the rings occur. The letters, in the form of which the fungi were arranged, were clearly visible a month afterwards. Such researches as these, although they may be correctly regarded as mere preliminary steiis in our attainment of knowledge, are still advances in the right direction to the examination of the abounding phenomena which attend the farmer in every field and in every path. They all tend to lead him on to higher and holier ground — to elevations whence he can discern the arrangements and wisdom of God, as clearly and as gratefully in the white clover springing up by the road-side after, perhaps, a gypsy's fire, or in the dark green herbage of a fairy-ring, as in the luxuriant growth of the corn, whose seeds ai'e sown by man and fertilized hy his labours." — Cuthbeet W. Johnson. NOTES ABOUT ANIMALS. The H.A.VEN. — A neighbour of mine, who is a farmer, and a bit of a naturalist, has had for some years past a pair of Ravens, which have regularly reared their young on a retired part of his estate. Many have been the attempts of bird-nesting-hoys to secure them, but without success, as they are carefully preserved. A yeai' or two since, a relative of the farmer's wishing to have a pair of the young ones, the nest was taken, and the young birds placed in a hamper, and sent with other articles in a cart twenty-six miles dis- tant. On arriving at their destination they were put into a 470 THE COTTAGE GAKDENEE. March 17. hen-coop, which stood in a hack yard on the premises. On the following morning, to the surprise of their new master, tlie old birds wera in attendance and endeavouring to feed their young ones ; they continued ahout the neiglibourhood witli this object for some days, but finding their etforts fruitless, they at length returaed to their old haunts. This furiiislies another example of the force of natural affection, guided by instinct. Comoi's IIyeeids. — Some time ago, whilst attending aii Agricultm-al Meeting, held at Wickhara Market, my atten- tion was called to three singular looking animals in a pen, which were a cross between the fallow deer and oiu' common sheep. Their heads and legs were those of the deer, with line smooth hair of a rufous, or light reddish-brown colour, and their tails, instead of being of wool, were of hair also. The man, in whose charge they were, said that the sheep and deer grazed together in the samo pai'k, and it was to this circumstance that their origin was owing. The animals in question partook much of the deer in their habits, they were wild and active, and much of the deer in their appear- ance, being light and elegant. They were, I think, about a year old; and what became of tliem afterwards I never heard. Tame Lions. — Whilst breakfasting one morning, at a boarding-house, in King-street, Cheapside, a gentleman who sat next me, remarked that one of his lions, which he had brought from the Cape of Good Hope, had escaped fronr couflnement, and after wandering along a street or two, had entered a banking house, and quietly placed liis head upon the counter, to the dismay and confusion of the clerks and officials ; and it was in this office, on his being sent for, that he had found him. He accordingly fastened his pocket-handkerchief round the animal's neck, apologised for the alarm which his unexpected intrusion had occa- sioned, and led him back to his domicile. Observing some incredulity in my looks at this narration, the gentleman added, " If you please you sluill walk with me, and see the lions." So after breakfast wo proceeded together to the White Bear, in Basinghall-street, which M'as close by, and having ascended a flight of steps to an upper room, he un- locked the door, and asked me to follow him. I felt unable to sustain the part of Daniel in the hon's den, and hesitated. " They '11 not hurt you," said he ; and forthwith dxew me inside and fastened the door. I stood in company with four fulI-gro\ni lions, about fourteen months old, and the size of large Newfoundland dogs. Being a stranger, they quickly surrounded me, and began to exhibit all sorts of playful emo- tions ; one of them attempted to place his fore-paws on my shoulders, another took my arm in his mouth, whilst a third smelt at me all round. " Dont be afraid," said the gentle- man ; " they are only wanting to ha\ c a game of fun with yon." Thus reassured, I returned tlieir caresses, and we soon became the best friends in the world. Birt hons piny is no joke. They bounded about, and grappled with each other iipon the floor. I maintained my standing position during the »>e!ee, but my companion was upset, and fomid it very difficult to rise from the floor with two or three lions upon him at once. Their strength was prodigious, and their muscular energy, as shown in sport, told a fearful lesson of its effects when excited by revenge or prompted by hunger. They would seize a glove from the end of a stick when lield up to tlie ceiling eight feet high. Their coals felt more hlie short wool than hair, and became unctions Ihi'ough exertion. We left, after amusing ourselves with them for about half an hour. The gentleman told mo that he liad brought them to this country on speculation, and that tliey had consumed twenty sheep during the voyage. AVhat prices he obtained for them I never learnt; but one of the animals, I believe, found its way into some private collection, and the remaining three into our travelling me- nagex-ies. — S. P., Riislimere. upon my negligent head. I saw my mistake instantly when I read the sentence in print, though I considered it would be understood, that a hybrid monstrosity does make its ap- pearance, by rare chance, in the shape of a cross between the fo^^l and the plieasant, and I tliouglit the sense of my subject, from what almost immediately followed, would sufficiently unfold and correct my omission, without troubling our Editor again upon the matter. I never coidd succeed in breeding a cross of this description ; I never saw one. I went to London, note-book in hand, on pui-pose to see the Sletropolitan Poultry Show, and found the meeting put ofl' till the following week, and being obliged to return I missed it, and the hybrid " Scrutator" mentions into the bargain. I have heard tell before of the like nature, and from what I could learn, it was certainly no beauty. " Scrutator" objects to my "talk" agreeably to nature's dictation ; but I really do thhik lie is wrong when he says the hen renders " no ussislunce whiilever ! " It is certainly usual for her to cast the shells from the nest, though X never remember having stated that she interfered mandibly at the parturition of the chick from the shell. I was con- scious, some twenty years ago, of the "instrument at the end of the beali," and I always thought tliat the chick worked its deliverance from the shell, in the first instance, with this "instrument;" or, as "Scrutator" says, that it " cuts its way out." The "natm-e's dictation" that I mean causes the hen to sit very close at that time, and from the warmth of licr body the chick becomes strong, and is thereby enabled naturally to burst from its confinement. If it cannot do so of its own accord I would not give much for its chance, that is, for its ever growing up to become a first-rate fowl. The attendant on " Blr. Cantelo's machine" keeps it to a proper temperature, turns the eggs, A-c, following " natures dictation" as near as may be; and so they did in Eg)iit centuries ago. But in my work-a-day ai'ticle I have drawn my inferences i from my own practice. i As to Pheasants — wdiere have I made use of the expres- sion "on or about the luth day?" If "Scrutator" will scrutinise my writing con-ectly, he will find it expressed I thus, " at the expiration of tiinetccn days," itc. Now, surely, j it is preferable to be on the ('i7)(7»«/(v/ cross hotwcon tho pheasant and the fowl there never was, nor ever will be." By the unfortunate omission of a single word, I have decidedly brought down the vengeance of " Scrutator's" pen HoRTicni.TDRAL AND Po:\iOLoGiCAL Associ.vTioN [A Ntnsei'lt' man). — This association is not ono which interferes with, but will pro- | mote your legitininte trade; and in the formation of tlic association no * such idea as opposition Mas entertained. For several years a vast number of our corrc»|iontlents have written to us, wishinp usfo proc\ire florists' flowers, seeds, trees, and plants for them, and complaining that in tbfir neighbourhood they either could not obtain the articles at all, or could not depend upon obtaining them of true and genuine ipmlity. It IB, therefore, to accommodate all such that the nssoci-ition has been formed ; and so far from clashinj? with the interests of the trade, its chief end is to obtain from the mosi rt;iipectnl)te and pains-tfikii}f; of that body such ! articles as the members of the association may require, and in which the greatest confidence can be placed. All nurserymen and seedsmen who have anything new or rare which they have to dispose of, will do well to forward their lists to the association^ that it may bo enabled to act as a[i:ent between them and purchasers, with whom they otherwise would not come in contact. There are some men who are so narrow-minded on these subjects, they look with jealousy on every attempt to jiropoundor ] extend a principle with which they arc not thcmsclres personally in- j terested. We even know some old-fashioned nurserytucn who were foolish enough to make a stand against the establishment of the Horti- cultural .Society, imd who maintain that position to the present day ; and we have heard others say that the nursery trade has never been what it was since that society was instituted. March 17. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 471 Injuring Plants nv Fomigating (IF. X. W.). — We nre esceed- ingly sorry that your second smoking should have so injured your green- house plants; but wc are not of your opinion that the disaster was owing to the plants having been watered between the two respective nights of funiigatinir, because we have often done so without experiencing such a result. We should be more inclined to suppose that the dose of smoke was too strong, or too hot, or that some extraneous matter was in the tobacco. If the last case is not the real one, we should think shade and syringing would bring the plants round. We like to smoke plants when tiieir leaves are dry, because M'hcn wet many small flies are covered by the moisture, and thus escape. Grafted Orange Tree looking sickly {A Subscribei'). — This is in a six-inch jjot, and a foot high. If the soil is at all unhealthy, turn the ball out of the pot, pick away most of the earth without injuring any of the fresh roots, but cutting ofl' any decayed ones. Put the plant in a similai- or smaller pot, drain well, and then put it iu ssmdy libry loam and peat, with a little charcoal, and then place it for a. month or two in your cucumber frame. If you have not got one, defer the process for a month, and then, after adopting the treatment wc have recommended, keep the plant in a warm corner of the greenhouse. Pigeons f/I. G. P.). — To introduce carriers, tumblers, and nuns into a dovecote occupied with common pigeons would be a measure of doubt- ful prudence. General hostility would be manifested against the new comers ; and even were this overcome, and they were allowed to breed in j)eace, there would be great hazard at the intermixture of their progeny with the former tenants. Besides which, fancy pigeons would require a more generous diet than would pay for the dovecote birds, which incur so many risks in seeking their food abroad. Well-bred carrier.^ arc worth from ^1 lOs. to ^2 ; tumblers from lOs. to ^5 ; and nuns from 12s. to .^t*!. To buy young birds is the safest plan, especially if they come from the neighbourhood ; but old birds, if confined till they have young, seldom evidence any wish to leave their new abode. With carriers, as might be supposed, there would be the greatest difficulty. Any dealer can supply you. Egg-eating Hen (Amateur, Great Yarmouth). —TXiq remedies you have had recourse to in the attempt to cure your hen of her egg-eating propensities are those most likely to have been succcssfid, saving only the immersion in cold v iter ; the probable efl'cct of which would be rather to create disease tnan do away with a had habit; nor can we advis>e the Scotch snuff. In fact, this habit is rarely overcome; anil whatever the original cause, few, very few, instances of successful treatment are on record. — W. Coloured Everlasting Flowers (J. P, Jt. C.).— The everlasting flowers seen in the seed-shops in London are a species of Gnapkalium, most likely G. murginataceiim. They are dyed, but by what process or mode wc cannot ascertain. It is a trade secret. They are dyed in France. Ranunculus Planting (Tr^^).— You need not be alarmed; there is time enough to plant your Ranunculuses yet ; and as warm weather has set in very pleasantly upon us, they will bloom quite as well as if they had been ])lanted a fortnight ago. Auricidu and Fucfiaia seeds sown now will, if well manajed, bloom next year. We cannot tell why your H_i/a~ cinths have not bloomed well this year. If you could see Rlr. Appleby's now in bloom at Uxbridge, you would say they were splendid— some of them have five perfect spikes from one bulb. Your's must have been either badly managed, or the bulbs have been exhausted ones. Hyacinths with many Offsets (F. il.).— Hyacinths in glasses arc not more liable to produce offsets than those in pots, or in the open ground; the offsets are formed between the lower scales the season previously. Turfing Vine-bordees (Ibid). — These maybe turfed over, but they are better without such covering, because they sometimes require mulch- ing wilh leaves or littery manure. through the winter, which cannot be applied if the borders are turfed; besides, the turf impoverishes the border greatly, and, consequently, injures the Vines. If the Vines are not forced early, the borders may be turfed with impunity. Poinsettia PULCiiEKiMA (A Younif Beff inner). —Yom' Poinsctita jmlNicrima has three poor shoots, and as many leaves. You had better let it flower, and cut it down after it has bloomed ; then keep it rather dry in the pot ; repot it in May, and grow it slowly near the glass till the autumn ; it will then bloom better. It is not a proper plant to place in your heated bed. Hedychium Gardnerianum (Ji/fZ).— This will answer well to plant out. The old shoots that have flowered should be cut down annually. It requires a short season of rest in winter, which may be induced by withholding water. In the conservatory at Chiswick, there is a fine spe- cimen planted out in the border which iiowers strongly every year. This house is not a stove nor a greenhouse, but intermediate between the two. Sowing Pelargonium Seed {W. H. O.).— The reason why Pelar- gonium seed should be sown in Rlarch is, because, if sown as soon as gathered, the plants would be so tender that they would perish in the winter. Follow up Mr. Appleby's directions, and your seedlings will be safe. Summer Dvck (R. E.). — This is Qiterquedula spnnsn, the American Summer-^frt/, which has bred, we believe, at the Zoological Gardens, and is said to be of very domestic habits. Arranging Colours in Flower-beds {E. S. F.). — Capital idea, and a practical refutation of the old saying, *'That there is nothing new under the sun." Here is a set of flower-beds represented on a page of post paper by common wafers, such as they used for letters in olden times; each wafer is of the colour or tint of the flower of a certain bedding plant with which the bed, represented by that wafer, is intended to be planted. A few dozens of wafers, infioe distinct colours^ and in a dozen of shades, placed almost at random on the corner of the breakfast-table, would learn one more real sense about the value of juat arrangements in flowers, than a book of the largest size full of descriptions. Shift the wafers about till you make a picture to your own mind; then fix them in their places, and plant accordingly. Two or three trials, or perhaps the first, will satisfy any one with his or her own work, and if so, the rest of the world has nothing to do in the matter. Gardening has been extended, not curtailed, in our pages since we enlarged for Poultry Uees, and other departments. Surely one with such an excellent contri- vance for arranging flowers, would not desire that other folks who like bees, fowls, and all sorts of rational and innocent pleasure, as well as flowers, should not be gratified. Planting Beds (Ibid).— Yon should add some fresh soil to all your bfds. On an average, all the plants you name should be inserted about six inches apart each way, and nine inches would do if you had annuals ready to put into the spare places. Back Numbers (Ibid). — All the numbers yon mention, or rather any of our back numbers, can be obtained at our office. Your bookseller is totally wrong in his information. Bet> of Brdgmansias {L. M, A''.).— Such beds as those deacribcd in The Cottage Gardener for .Tune 13, 1850, may be made at any time, if yr which the expense of gathering should also be deducted." Now, it is impossible for ua to say what price growers have returned to them by their salesmen, and what drawbacks there may he on the sales. All our dutn. as regards remuneration, are taken from the statements of the growers themselves, and the averages we quoted are from the published returns of each year, which show the weekly prices realised in tlie markets. From these returii:^ we find that the average from August, 1850, to Au2;ust, 1351, was bs. fid. ; hut, taking kitchen and dessert Apples together, it was Gs. Ud. In the evidence taken before the ' committee of the House of Commons, we find a grower stating that the i average price of 4s. in the fjOndon markets, mrluding the cost of pro- i dits at the aristocratic in gardening. It has been my fortune to see them very well managed by artisans, aiid, in some oases, even by labourers. In almost every case the possessors rose intellectually and morally in proportion to their advanced aspirations in gardening pursuits. I have often been surprised that our farming friends did not take more advantage of the means within their reach. Having nil the material, except boxes and glass, nothing but a little labour would bo necessary to furnish them with many luxuries in tho way of vege- tables, fruits, and flowers. Even a roiigh-mado dung- heap would supply them with much, provided they covered the dung with earth, and used ono of their waggon tarpaidins as a covering at night. Tho drawback to their use is the frequent misfortune that early excess of steam, want of air, &o., dash well- grounded hopes. Hotbeds tlius become associated with the mysterious and the never-ceasing pains-taking ; while, if set about by the middle or end of March, mystery and labour alike are reduced to a miuinuim. The making and treatment of theso have frequently been referred to, sometimes by myself, and oftoner by Messrs. Errington and Robson. Turning back will present full instructions. But as many witli their one small greonliouso wish to bring forward many little things for its adornment, and for filling tho centre and March 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 481 siileg of their vases, baskets, and beds, and others would like to try then- hand at grafting soma of the things already referred to, I shall, for the convenience of such beginners, just glance at a few of the essentials to success. 1st. Material. — The dung from a horse, and the straw more or less saturated with urine, possess more heating power than that from animals whose fcBoes are of a cooler nature. Every sort of fresh manure, every kind of rubbish — clearings of flower-beds, tufts of dry grass, rakings of moss — anything that will heat when thi'owu into a heap, may be managed to suit your pui-- pose. Tree leaves, especially of the oak, are very valuable, because they decay so slowly, and thus yield a genial heat for such a Ions time. I have often had ■valiinUo Deds from leaves alone, the half ot Uiem Tjolng oak, the others beech, and all kinds. If at all moist when collected they will merely require to be built into a bed of the desired size, allowing a foot or eighteen inches for sinking, after all your beating and treading. If collected dry, and stored, they will need watering as you use them. Partially decayed leaves of the previous year will make a good surface-covering. In general, liowever, it would be preferable to have one part of sweet dung to two of leaves ; and in that case, to avoid trouble and waste, the preparation of the dung should be nearly finished before the leaves are blended with it. 2udly. Preparing the Dung. — This is done by shaking the straw and droppings into a heap, watering the latter if dry^allowing it to remain until it has heated strongly, then turning it several times, and watering any dry and white parched pieces, luitil the whole has become darkish in colour, and though very hot, emits a mild odour, instead of the pungent smell of rank ammonia that too well reminds you of the fumes of harts- horn. Before the last turning the leaves should be blended, as thus they will receive an accession of heat without an undue decay, while the material will be uni- form throughout. This is the advice I would give to beginners. By-and-by you may do with less preparation. Being short of fermenting material of all kinds, I waste it but little in previous preparation, but I always cover with a fair thickness of old material of the previous year. Until you gather experience you had better err on the safe side of thorough preparation, keeping in mind, however, that the more sweet, and, therefore, the more reduced your heating material, the more close will it become ; and, consequently, the shorter will be the continuance of the heat, as the air will find more difficulty in entering, and when it does enter, find but little to feed upon or consume. Air, or perhaps, more properly speaking, its oxygen, is not only the great preserver, but it is likewise the great destroyer. Heat, from such substances as I have before alluded to, can only take place during a fermenting decomposing process, and that process can only progress when associated with warmth, moisture, and air. This theory kept in mind simplifies all hotbed practice. Hence, one man who sees his way cleai'ly will do as much in the way of securing heat with a small quantity of manure as a man acting from mere routine will do with double. Hence, the ease with which the heat of a bed is renewed when not gr-eatly decomposed, merely by turning it when moist enough, and, in addition, adding a little water if dry. Hence, too, when the heat declines, and we know that the bed is not too decomposed to yield more, the ease with which we renew the heat when we cannot turn the material, owing to a fixed crop on its surface, by merely boring holes round its sides, and pouring in a little warm water, if we have reason to ijelieve the material to be dry. By the opening, and partially and wholly shutting of such holes, an earnest man will regulate heat somewhat at his will ; but onli/ so long as there is plenty of matter to be further reduced or decomposed; for when that takes place, no means for increased heat can be given, unless by the addition of fresh matter as linings. I am the more particular here, because I know many are deterred from trying by seeing the huge mounds of dung with frames on them, and surrounded with large banks of linings, in places where manure and litter are pleutiful. I believe that every man likely to be benefited by the racy articles on " A Gardener's Pony" — in fact, every one who has such an animal — may enjoy many luxuries to whicli he is now a stranger. All that will be necessary will be a rigid economising of his manure, not as now, throwing it into a heap to steam and rot at will, but for some time, at least, previously to preparing to make his bed, keeping it rather thinly spread, so that it will not heat much, and, if poeelblp, protect it from wind and heavy rains ; and then, when thrown into a heap, as advised, it will ferment and sweeten in a uniform mass. Srdly. Making the Bed. — Whether in a pit, or for a wooden box and lights to be set over it, the mode of proceeding should be similar. We speak now only of the box and light. The first thing is to form a foundation. Unless you are sure against water standing at the bottom of your bed, do not sink it, but i-ather raise it above the level of the soil, either by faggots, or, better still, by a platform of solid earth, so that the ground falls ■from it in every direction. This space should be eighteen inches longer and wider than your frame. If you have plenty of material, twenty-four or thirty inches will be better, as a foot or fifteen inches of dung all round beyond the frame will yield a much more permanent heat than merely a couple of inches or so. Then, as to the height of the bed, two feet-and-ahalf at back, and two feet in front will be extremely useful noio. If earlier, you would require a foot, at least, for every earlier month. The mode of making will already be looming before the mind's eye, if what has been said of continued fermenta- tion, as necessary to continued heat, be kept in view. No boys or men should, therefore, be allowed to parade, jump, and dance on such a bed. Tlie outside of the heap 'should be placed at the bottom of the bed, as being less prepared, even though the precaution has been taken in turning of throwing the outsides into the centre. The sides of the bed should then be attended to, building them straight and firm. The dung must be well shaken and mixed over the whole bed, beating it pretty firmly down every few-inches' layer with the fork, while you walk round it, not upon it. If your material is a mixture of dung and leaves, as spoken of above, no other precaution will be necessary, as beat as you will, a great body of air will be enclosed. But if there is nothing but sweet dung, as many who have a horse, or can procure manure, can- not get leaves, then, from a fourth to a third of a bed of this size may consist of bundles of prunings, faggots, &e. ; and this will not only moderate the &re of the first heat but render it more continuous. A layer of dung must, however, cover the ends of these bundles, or the air admitted would be too much. When thus made, set on the frame and lights — the latter close, to draw the heat up ; and as soon as that rises, giving a little air to let off the steam. 4thly. When loill it he Jit to use ? — Just in proportion to the previous sweetness of your dung, and the hardi- ness of the tenants. A Pine-apple suoker would rejoice in an atmosphere which would kill an Orange, or a Cape Jasmine. The nose will give a good notion as to when the atmosphere is free from hurtful gases ; but what I think is the best criterion for all practical purposes, is noticing the drops of condensed moisture on the inside of the sash-bai-s in a morning. If these are of a yellowish, dirty tint, trust your frame with nothing ; if as clear as the dew, everything will be safe. Even then it will be safest to leave a little air at the back at all times, though it was only an eighth or the i&2 THE COTTAGE GAKDENER. Mahuh iU. quarter of an inch. Many accidents from sudtleu sun- sliino during the day might be obviated by tliis siuijjie precaution, and especially in circumstances where con- stant attention cannot be given for many hours during the day. Such a bed will yield a bottom-heat from 05° to 8.5" ; and when we want less, wo must cither plunge shallow, or bore holes, or remove a piece of the dung outside, opposite a faggot, so that the exti-a heat may escape, for much air will just cool as etlectually as the introduction of a little, in circumstances referred to, will cause fermentation to begin anew. Othly. For tvhat shall ue use snch a led ? — Just imagine the courteous writers iu this work congre- gated before sucli a bed, and you saying to them, " There, gentlemen, that is all you can have ; make the best of it between you." Are you pveparod for tho noisy Babel, polite though it would be, of appeal and expostulation — eacli striving to get a fair share of tlie prize ? One would be thinking of Cucumbers, Capsicums, Love-apples, and ever so many lovelies besides. A second would see a raro opportunity for young tropical plants, and allbrdiug a rich luxuriance to his Ixoras ami Cape Jasmines. Visions of Pine- suckers, Vine-cuttings, and fine handsome Melons, would cross the mind of a third. A fourth would cover every inch he could get with cuttings of bedding plants, after reserving a corner for some carefully-saved hybrid seeds from bulbs, of which he can. so write as to make us feel very little indeed. A fifth would be thinking of tender annuals for )iis gi'eenhouse— setting up an hospital for some rioketty customers, or changing the appearance of some plants by grafting them with fi-esli varieties ; while a sixth, and the type of the most numerous class of all, would be debating how each and all these things were to be attended to in a very small amount of space. GRAFTING. I confess that complaints of want of success in pro- pagating by cuttings, and, more especially, by gi-aftiug greenhouse plants, as previously recommended, and chiefly, as it was believed, owing to something being wrong about the beds, have led me to the subject just now, but which I hoped to have compressed into a third of tho space. Perhaps our Captain will allow me a little more room just to glanco at a few other things that such a bed will be a great help to when grafted. Oranges. — Large plants of these may be done as was mentioned about Azaleas, provided the plant is not too large to bo laid down on the bed, as setting it upright once a-week, or so, will be quite sufficient for watering ; with a little shade tlio scions will soon take. Tlie bottom temperature may range from 70° to Ib'^ ; the top tomperatm'e from 00° to 75°. Small young plants, liowever, are the neatest things to manage. From seeds of Lemons, or oven Oranges, sown in a little heat last summer, there will bo nice little stocks in tho green- house now. Set them in the bod for a week, shorten-in their heads a little, then take a small strip of wood and bark from the base of tho stock, making a horizontal out to tho depth of the piece removed ; prepare the scion, a piece of last year's wood not yet pushed, to fit it, seeing that there is a bud at its base, and at least one moro near its point, tie them together, rub with a little clay if you liko, and then set in tho bed, and keep rather close. Tho union will ])robably be effected in a fortnight. Shorten-in tho head by degrees, and when tho scion grows freely cut away all the stock about it, and harden by degrees. Camellias may be grafted successfully by tho same mode, but five degrees lower in temperature would suit them. There are various modes of notching tlio stock and scion, so that fitting each other they will bo kept moro secure; but the above is the simplest, and, perhaps, not far from being as good as any. Under such a mode 1 like to cut in a little liorizoutally at tlie base of the stock, to i'urnish room for standing on for a similar horizontal cut of the scion at a bud, in fact, with the exception of removing tlio strip of wood and bark to fit the stock tho scion would just resemble a cutting. Rhododendron arhoretim — Varieties. — Almost all these are splendid objects in greenhouses after Christ- mas, if an average of H)" at night is maintained ; and with a lower temperature they will come in later. Nice young plants of varieties of Ponticum or Cataubiense, one foot or more in height, and with single stems, make stocks The grafting may be done in a similar' manner, or notched, or with the scion a little longer than the cut in tho stock, so that the end of the scion rests in the soil. A close hotbed is necessary, but a lower tempe- i-atm-o, by from 0" tO 10", tllttn WUUlU buit Oi-iuiffCS. Eases. — Grafting is chiefly done with the Tea kimU, and scarce and tender varieties, so as alike to ijacrease and render them more robust. They may bo grafted close to the soil for dwarfs, or at any height for standai-ds. In every case, however, whatever may bo the mode adopted, a modification of side-grafting, such as de- scribed above, is generally used; the toji of the stock, in every case, being allowed to remain, or part of it, to draw up tho sap, imtil the graft has tal;en, wljcn it is gradually reduced, and at last cut clean oti'at the junction. It is advisable that growth be commencing in the stock either naturally or by artificial means, before grafting; and, also, that the plant be estabhshed iu the pot by having been potted some time the previous year. They will then thank you for a sweet bottom-heat of from 05° to 75° ; and a top heat of from 55° to 00" ; and kept rather close, and shaded from sunshine until tho union was efl'eoted. We used the Perpetual Rose, the Dog Hose, and several climbers, as stocks ; but though I have not tried it, all accounts agree in speaking favourably of the Manetii. Oeranimns. — These we recommend grafting iu a similar manner. It is a mode not sufficiently adopted for increasing kinds difficult to strike, and giving strength to weak-growing fancies. Wr. Appleby adverted to the subject the other week, and recommends cleft grafting. In such bauds success will boccitaiu; but when I tried experiments on these tribes I was more successful with side-grafting, leaving a part of the stock above the scion to draw up the sap. As Tsir. Appleby has so lately referred to the two groups of Pelergoniums, I need not allude to them ; but nnich may be done in this way with the Scarlet Geraniums; and, as they will stand almost any heat, such a bed, and a temperature between the roses and the oranges would suit them. I saw some strong stems of tlio Giant, and Shruhland Scarlet, so grafted, at Luton Hoo Park, tho other day. Mr. Frascr had them iu a hothouse, where he could shade them, and tho sciou was guarded with moss. I had discarded these strong-growing kinds some time previously, but I got a few cuttings for future use, and already visions of nice standards on these strong stocks of Floieer of the Day, Mountain of Light, and Golden Chain, &c., are looming before my mind's eye. R. Fisu. CONIFERiE. {Continued from pa^e 444). 3ai) — SECTION OF I'INUS, WITU LEAVES I'lVE IN A SHEATH. PiNus AeuLOENSis (Apulco Pine). — So named because of its being found in Mexico, near to Apulco. 'J'his species has short leaves, with very silver-grey young shoots. Tho cones, however, are its chief s}ioci(lc dis- tiuolion, for thoy are covered with pyramidal elovatiou.s, wliich are sometimes lengthened out and coutniclcd in March H. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 483 the middle. These exoresoncos then are very curious; uo otlior pine lias sucli warty aj)pearancos on thoir couos. In tlio uortlioru counties tliis curious species requires protection. I'iNus AvAOAuuiiE (Ayacaliuito Piuc). — A native of Mo.\ioo, and a very remarkable Pine. The fine loaves, in a cluster, are produced on little swellings, or lumps, as it were, which give a singular and curious appear- ance to the tree. It has very long, slender, tapering cones, often a foot long, A collection of fir cones, arranged in their several genera, would bo very interest- ing and instructive ; and a great number may be seen in the excellent museum in the gardens at Kew ; but, if my memory serves me riglit, they are not arranged in their tribes, probably because the gardens do not possess a full series r.{ tliom. PiNus Oembra (Cembran Pine). — This is a beautiful European species, growing wild on the mountains of Switzerland and Siberia. The wood is of a fine grain, and so soft as to be easily carved ; hence the sheplierds of the Tyrol, and neighbouring districts, amuse them- selves by carving out of it tliose curious little figures of men and animals so well known over all Europe. The inliabitants extract a fine oil from the seeds, and even use the shells of the seeds to dye a fine brown colour. The trees are quite hardy enough to bear the cold on our highest bills. The roots are very fibrous, and, in conse- quence, it has been proved that tliis Pino may be moved when large with more certainty of success than any other. There is a variety from Sibeiia, but it is of slower growth even than the species which is not a fast-grower compared with other Pines. There is also a curious dwarf-growing variety, which Mr. Loudon numes pygmcsa, and a pigmy indeed it is, forming a little bush from two to three feet high. The Cembran Pine being so hardy, and plants of it so cheap, and producing nuts that yield a beautiful oil, it deserves the particular attention of gentlomou possessing land situated on lofty hills, or even mountains. PiNus Devonjana (Duke of Devonshire's Pine). — In its native country (Mexico) this forms a large handsome tree. Unfortunately, it will not bear the rigour of even our ordinary winters, but is well worthy of a place in a lofty conservatory. The Mexicans call it tlie White, or Royal Pine, the wood being almost pure white. PiNDs excelsa (Lofty Pine). — In its native country this is a noble tree, attaining the height of 130 feet. It grows on the mountains of Bhotan, a district of the gigantic Himalayas, in India. The natives call it " The King of Pines," and, from the reports of travellers, it is deserving that appellation. The branches droop so much that it has also been named " The Weeping Fir." The timber is of the best quality, and it yields an im- mense quantity of tiu-pentine. It is, however, so scarce in the nurseries, that until the fact of its being hardy is proved, and seeds imported more largely, its culture on a large scale cannot be attempted. PiNus FiLiEOLiA (Thrcad-leaved Pine). — The leaves of this curious species are, as the name imports, long and slender, and it forms a handsome tree. Being a native of Guatemala, it is believed to be foe tender for the open air of this country. This fact, however, remains to be proved. PiNus Gordon lANA (Mr. Gordon's Pine). — So named by Mr. Hartweg, its discoverer, in honour of Mr. George Gordon, a zealous cultivator of the tribe in the Horti- cultural Gardens at Chiswick, where the finest specimen of this noble tree may be seen, with leaves fully 16 inches long. The cones are large, and hang downwards, and .arc remarkable from the fact that they are non-re- sinous. This is one of the tribe that ought to be in every collection, however select. Though a native of Mexico, it is found to be hardy in the neighbourhood of London. PiNus Grenville/e (Lady Grenville's Pine).— A noble, robust species, from tlio same locality as tlie preceding, and named by Mr. Gordon in honour of Lady Grenville, the owner of the well-known and richest collection of the tribe probably in the world, at Dropmore, three miles from the Maidenhead Station, on the Great Western Railway. I need not say the place is well worthy of a visit by every lover of rare and line ConiferEB. The species has long largo leaves, and very remarkable cones, which are frequently 10 inches loug, tapering to a point. This is, like F. Oonloniana, a species that should be planted in every collection in the kingdom. PiNus Hautwegii (Mr. Hartweg's Pine). — Named in honour of Mr. Tlieodore Hartweg, the assiduous and successful collector for several years for the London Horticultural Society, and now head gardener to the Emperor of Austria, rrobablj Mr. Hartweg introduced into i5ritain more species of Conifers, as well as other plants, trees, and shrubs, than any modern collector. To him we are indebted for the beautifid Achimenes lon/jijlora, and several other species. P. Harlwegii has a roiuarkablo peculiarity in producing frequently only four leaves in a sheath ; tliey are very long, and thickly placed upon the branches. The tree grows slowly, and seldom exceeds, even on the mountain Campanere, in Mexico, its native habitat, more than DO feet high. It is' rather tender, but has stood out in the open air for several years, in Hertfordshire, at Mr. Baker's, of Bay- fordbury. On account of its slow growth and great beauty, it is worthy of a place in the Conservatory in the north. T. Ai>j'LEBy. ( To he continued.) THE PELARGONIUM. {Gontbuicd from pnije 40.3.) Summer Treatment. — Cutting Down. — After the bloom is over the plants should be cut down, a point of treatment which requires some consideration. The form the plants are to assume again the following season must be borno in njind, and that form foreseen with a prophetic eye. The main branches should be thinned out and placed or left equally on every side, and the branches formed the previous year should be at the end of each old branch. These are to produce the shoots for the next year. Very old wood does not break freely, and that renders it necessary to leave a portion of younger wood equally distributed over the plant. The bi'anches that are left should be as low as possible, and should not extend over the sides of the pot, but be cut within it. The plants will then present a curious, stumpy appearance, with their branches pointing out- wards on every side. No water should be given for several days previously to this severe operation. That precaution will prevent a too copious bleeding, or exuda- tion of sap, and in order to continue that favourable state no water should be given after they are cut down till the dormant buds are fairly broke. After they are cut down they should be protected from heavy rains, either by being placed in a cold-pit or under a water- proof covering. When the buds are started then give them some water, hut by no means a flooding, but only just sufficient to encourage and stimulate the very young shoots to progress. Should too many make their ap- pearance it will be advisable to thin them, but do not take too many off, because then there would be danger that those that are left might be accidentally broken oiF, and the shape of the plant in that part would be injured. When these new shoots have made some progress, and the plants are moderately clothed with leaves, they may then bo fully exposed to the open air and gentle showers. A top-dressing of soil would then be of great use. 484 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Maroh 24. Remove all the loose soil froai the siivfaco as far as the roots, and replace it by a laj'er of loam enriched with some loaf mould or well-decomposed dung. After this is done they may be placed in their summer quarters out-ofdoors. The linest plants of show Oeranimns I over saw, were placed during this season upon a levelled manure-heap, the heat of which was nearly over. These plants grew rapidly, and produced strong shoots clothed with the finest foliage, and whoever has such a convenience, 1 would advise to try at least part of their stock in the same way. To prevent a heat too great, it would be an easy matter to cover the dung with a thick coating of sawdust or old tan, and half-plunge the pots in it. Where there is not this opportunity they should be placed in an open part of the garden, either upon gravel or coal-ashes, but not iliiukly together, as if they were of no value now they are out of iiovver. A good vuUivator will take just as much care of his lylants after they have bloomed, and gratified him udth their beauty, as he did previous to their display . They must be regularly supplied with water, and protected from high winds, insects, and anything else likely to injure them. As soon as there is the least fear of frost let them be removed into the greenhouse. One point must not be forgotten : if they have made roots through the holes at the bottom of the pots, these should all be cut oil' cleanly with a sharp knife, and the plants replaced for a week or two, and a liberal supply of water given to prevent them flagging. Previously to placing them upon the stages of the greenhouse clear them of all dead or decaying leaves, and arrange the shoots for the following season, by thinning them out judi- ciously, and tieing them into form if they require it. The greenhouse to receive them will, of course, be thoroughly cleansed out, the wood painted, if it reqmres it, and the glass repaired. Winter Treat.meni. — This portion of Pelargonium cidture may be described iu a very few sentences. When the plants are first placed upon the stages they will require more water, because the air in the green- house is naturally drier than the open air ; there- fore, water freely for the first month, and then gradually reduce the quantity. The best time for the watering during the damp months of autumn is early in the morning; by giving it then, the overplus that will run through the pots will have time to dry up before the evening. This will, in a great measure, prevent that plague, the spot, as it is called, making its appear- ance. The floor of the house should be kept as dry as possible, and in very damp, long-continued wet weather, a little fire in the morning, combined with a due admis- sion of air to carry off the damps, will be serviceable. Abundance of air, whenever there is no frost, should be given all through the season of autumn and winter. This will induce that strong bushy habit so essential to the producing fine plants and rich bloom the following season. The green fly very often prevails during the early part of autumn ; these must be got rid of by frequent gentle smokings of tobacco. A constant super- vision must be bestowed in removing every yellow and dying leaf. If the soil becomes mossy or hard-baked on the surface, lot it be stirred up with a pointed stick, the moss removed, and the surface loosened. Heat, in severe weather, should bo applied just to keep the frost out, and no more ; too much heat would bo quito as injurious as frost itself, besides rendering the plants more tender, and less able to bear frost or dam]). T. API'LEDY. {To he cotitiuuefl.) CELERY AND ITS CULTIVATION. If we take the lengthened period of a plant's servi- tude as a proof of its utility and importance, there arc not many that exceed Celery ; for coming into use in the beginning of August, we have its services until the beginning of April; and, in some cases, even a little later than that. Taking also its general popu- larity into account, it is no wonder that its cidtivation should form an important feature in the garden opera- tions of the season; and in most of gardens its import- ance is considered such as to entitle it to the best places that each atibrd. In addition to this, every attempt made to improve the varieties in cultivation is gratefully received by the horticultural world; and though, as with evoi-y tliiug else, itll that io icpovtocl " new " Is nOt improvement, yet it must be admitted that much ha.3 been done during the last twenty years in that direction ; and though we may occasionally see Celery with stalks hollow, or " pipy," yet the proportion is small compared with what used to be the case prior to the period I speak of The plant being of British parentage pai-tly ensures its hardihood; and we may fairly set it down, that although, in common with many other plants, it suflers from exposure to severe frosts, yet it still deserves the name of one of our most hardy vegetables, and one likely to eno lO the vicissitudes of the season, so far as regards the changes of wet and dry, mild and severe, weather, with less injury than most other ])lants. To obtain good Celery at the earliest possible period, the plants ought to be so prepared, by early sowing and pricking-out, as by the time this reaches our readers to be fit to plant out into the ridges, or other places prepared for it. This, however, is not always the case ; yet every one having the means ought to avail themselves of the chance of having early Celery, by sowing a pan or two, and placing it in heat some time shortly after Christmas. I'he seedlings from this sow- ing must be pricked out into other sliallow pans or boxes, when large enough to handle, and then again placed in heat; and, probably, another planting -out into boxes a little deeper, &o., may be advisable before the season is so far advanced as to allow tlio Celery being planted out-ofdoors. Now this sowing and these prickings-out must be done in an atmosphere congenial to the plant, or rather under circumstances favouring its growth, which is a mild and rather moist bottom aud top-heat; aud such present themselves in tlio ordinary hotbed, when made of dung, or other fermenting materials. A gentle hotbed affords the best possible place for these seedlings, aud if it can be so contrived as to allow such an abundance of air as to amount to almost com- plete exposure, the plants will be also benefited to an extent beyond which it will be difficult to advance by any known means. In this we mean also to include tho plants being indulged with the best mixture the compost yard afibrds, and boxes, pans, or separate pots proper to its welfare being all taken into account as well. All these considerations, ^together with others of a minor nature, as occasional watering witli liquid manure, &c., will, if carried out properly, be rewarded with a batch of fine sturdy plants by the middle of April, which ouglit then to be planted out iu trenches previously prepared on some early border, and where the advan- tages of shelter from cold winds form a feature in its recommendation. With all these advantages combined, it is likely that good useful Celery will reward the cul- tivator early in tho season, provided that duo attention, in tho shape of watering, stirring the ground around it, earthing-up betimes, and other duties, bo attended to when required. Apart from the above, yet equally important, if not oven more so, is the sowing and roaring of jdaiits, to Marou 2i. THE COTTAGE (JARDENEK. 485 produce the main winter crop of Celery. Tins sowing should bo now attended to, as it ought not to be delayed a single day, otherwise some stimulating means must be adopted to bi'iug up lost time ; aud as we are no ad- vocates for the use of artificial heat where it can be done without, we advise that Celery for the main crop should be sown on some well-prepared bed by the middle of March, or certainly not later than the 2oth. As the seed lies some time in the ground before germi- nating, it is advisable not to be too late. Usually, it will be proper to elevate a bed; sometimes an old hot- bed of the past year may be covered with fine soil, which may be kept in its place by slabs or boards, and the surface being made smooth, the seed may be sown at once, and but slightly covered with fine-sifted soil in which lea*' a^ouia iJieUumiuates. we prerci ibio to oaua on account of the solidity the latter adds to any mixture it makes a part of, and the seedlings are not so able to force their way up through a compact mass of matter, such as is usually found where much sand is used. On this account, we advise a greater proportion of leaf mould to be used as a covering to seeds of tender or uncertain germinating plants. It is hardly necessary to recommend any particular kind of Celery, as each one in turn is sujierseded by others, which, after reigning a year or two, give way to other names. This succession of names, (which is often all the distinction there is), has, however, not been altogether useless, for the desire to improve the varieties common with us has banished most of the common pipy kinds of Celery from our gardens, which we were accustomed to see so often in days long since gone by, therefore, we may truly say, that the laudable object of improving our culinary vegetables has certainly gone as far in this one as in any other we know of; and, though there are doubtless limits beyond which it is hopeless to expect to advance, yet these limits have never yet been reached, so that we hope to see varieties introduced capable of resisting that inclination to run to seed, which many otherwise good sorts fall into much sooner than is wished for. Crispness and solidity are also necessary qualities ; and, if to these be added hardihood and other good properties, a nearer approach to per- fection will be obtained than has hitherto been done. The amateur who chances to have a really good kind of Celery, which produces fine heads without more than a usual share of the good things too often supplied to a favourite kind; and to all who have the good fortune to have a stock of good useful Celery by them at the beginning of April, but little run or otherwise injured by decay, will do well to save some for seed — of course a later period will be the proving point in the North of England and Scotland, but the principle is the same ; and though we cannot expect this process to be carried on in every garden, yet those who have the good fortune to have a good solid kind of Celery, a good coloured Beet, good curled Parsley, and some other odd things in the way, had better adopt the plan of saving a little of each, in order to secure these essential things in as pure a state as possible. The inexperienced amateur, and others, we advise to try Gole's Bed Celery, and possibly his White kind also, but we have found the Silver, Dwarf Russian, and Seymour's White, all good in their way at times ; but it must not be forgotten that a kind soon degenerates unless means be taken to save seed only from such plants as are known to be good. J. ROBBON. SOWING SPRING WHEAT. The sowing of Spring Wheat, for some years past, and since what is terraed high farming has been more in prac- tice, has attracted an unusual share of attention amongst agriculturists, because, upon the greatest part of our best soils the cultivation of barley has become vei7 precarious and unremunerative ; therefore, a great portion of tlie land formerly appropiiated to the growth of that grain has been found to pay better by being sown with Spring Wla-at, aud particularly land of a loamy nature, which has borne a crop ul' turuips, fed off with sheep, eating oilcake or corn in ad- dition. This mode of feeding is now very much the prac- tice, and will probably continue so as long as the production of meat offers more profit to the farmer than the growth of corn. Although the sowing of Spring Wheat has been much on the increase, for the above named reasons, for the last ten or twelve years, yet the untoward and dilficult sowing season of the past autumn has invested the subject with more than usual interest, and is the chief cause of the writer of these remarks taldng up the subject. It must be admitted, that in ordinary seasons many farmers sow Spring Wheat, believing it to be good policy, still a greater number will be obliged to adupt thia plan f,-nm the force nf circum- stances, or, otherwise, greatly curtail their growth of Wheat, it having been found impossible, in many large wheat-grow- ing districts, to sow the land in the autumn or winter months ; and mucli laud that has been sown is so deficient in plant that a crop cannot be depended upon without being resown. The best sorts of Wheat for sowing in the spring season are, the Talavera, the Nursery, and a bearded variety, called Jpril Tflicat. The first-named has been selected, and very much improved, by Colonel Le Couteur, of Jersey, and some excellent samples have been the result. It is of great im- portance to have Spring W heat true to its kind, because of its early maturity ; the ordinary sorts of Wheat not coming to harvest at the same time, would, in case of mixture, greatly diminish the produce ; hence the necessity of careful selection. The Belle Tue Talavera, as grown by Colonel Le Couteur, requires a kind dry soil in high condition, and a large quantity of seed, say four bushels per acre when sown broadcast; but upon all soils given to summer weeds it is best drilled, in order that it may be hoed if necessary, in which case three-and-a-half bushels of seed per acre would prove sufficient. It is essential that Talavera Wheat should be sown thick, because it does not tiller, or branch out, like some other sorts ; it will also leave the ground sooner and come earlier to harvest. The chief drawback in connection with this kind of Wheat is its great tendency to sprout in showery harvest seasons ; but as Wheat does not sprout in the harvest field, upon an average of seasons, oftener than once in seven years, in the climate of the midland and southern counties of England, I think a compensation will be found for its sprouting in the extra value of the grain for mealing purposes over that of ordinary brown Wheat. The Nursery Wheat is a brown variety, very hardy, aud tillers well ; it is best calculated for sowing on strong soils, and is, therefore, a desirable kind for use during tlie present season, there being a large portion of the heavy land either not sown, or badly planted. It is the nature of this Wheat to tiller to such an extent as to make up a large amount of deficiency in the plant. Three bushels per acre of this sort will be found an ample allowance of seed for any soil. The Nursery Wheat is much liked by tlie millers, and it is cer- tainly not so liable to blight as any of the varieties of white Wheat. The Triiicum JEslivum, or Bearded April Wheal, may be sown mth advantage a month later than any other variety usually sown in the spring season. It is tlie best sort for sowing upon inferior land in low condition, and four bushels of seed per acre ml\ be required, as it does not tiller much. It is rather a coarse brown Wheat, not much esteemed by the millers, but it will produce an amazing crop of corn and straw on good land, and does not readily sprout in a wet harvest. There are many other sorts of Wheat sown in the spring season which are not deserving especial notice, as their growth is attended with more or less risk as compared with the varieties above-mentioned. As a rule, a lai-ge quantity of seed is required for every kind of Wheat sown in the spring mouths, in order that it may not be required to tiller much, as it will then come earlier to maturity, carry an evener head, and, in consequence, avoid the ordinary casual- ties to which late- sown Wheat is particulai-ly liable, such as blight, &c. 480 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 24. It mny be said tliat the chief inducement to sow Sjiring AVhcat in ordinary seasons, is to substitute it for barley upon yood soils in a high state of fertility, where the latter woirld prove deficient in quantity and fjuality, and proljably destroy the grass seeds sown with it, whereas the clover generally takes remarlsably well sown amongst Spring 'Wlieat. In connection with the subject of sowing Spring Wheat the practical management and cultivation of the land must be considered a most important point ; for although the fore- going observations relate to tlie advantages of certain sorts of ^Vlioat for various soils, yet, in practice, it mil be found that they require very different management in preparing the land. The Tulavera Whent should not be sown until tlie laud will work freely, and leave a kind and good seed bed, and ought not to be sown earlier than the first week in March, at which period there will be a chance, in ordinary seasons, of the seed coming up immediately, .i-iid tlm plant. 1 proceeding toT^'urcts maturity without any check ; and the late.st period of sowing this sort of AVheat, with a fair chance of success, is tlie Inst week in March. The Nursertj Wheal may be sown at any time in the spring up to the middle of March ; and the Bearded, or Ajiril Wheat, may be sown as late as the last week in April. The two last-named varieties of wheat do not require any nicety in the preparation of the land, but will be found to succeed ))ost when the soil is comparnti\'cly heavy and close, and if the land can bo worked, ami the seed covered, by the use of the iron harrows, that will be quite sufticicut, for tlie heavier the tillage the more these sorts of Wheat will flourish, and the crop will be less infested with weeds than when the land is sown in a light and kind season ; one ploughing will always be found sufficient. In sowing Spring Wheat, or at any time of the winter, I prefer sowing the land as fast as ploughed ; the plan being to apportion the horse-power so that the seedman or drill may follow the ploughs, and every land be seeded and finished harrowing immediately after ploughing, in case of rain setting in at any period of the day. By this means I have often obtained a good season for wheat; whereas, liad the sowing been deferred one day, the land oftentimes could not have been sown until weeks or months afterwai-ds. I prefer sawing Spring Wheat broadcast, except where weeds are expected to ajipear ; I wotdd then drill at five or seven inches apart, but I do not approve of dibbling Wheat for winter or spring season. When dibbled, the AVheat is called upon to tiller and branch out to make up a good plant, in whicli case the crop would bo rendered more un- certain, both as regards quantity and quality.— J. Bi.undei.l. LACED POLANDS. With due submission to Dr. Horner, I tliink he has left the question of laced I'olands exactly wliere he found it, for beyond liis i-pse dixit I find uotliing touching on the ques- tion. He certainly says, spangled birds arc the Ihinrj — " it is so, and of necessity ;" but it wore as easy to have written "it is not so." With respect, however, to the cbaructerislics of your humble servant, he is more specific, but, I submit, not less incorrect. He states that I have taken my cue from tlie Rev. Mr. Dixon, and have misquoted his work ; the former is mere assertion, and cannot be the fact, if, as he s.ays, my opinions were formed on Polands twenty years ago ; and the latter charge, of misquotation, I lling back on the worthy gentleman, by the following ungarblod extract from the work ; — " T'iio Golden Polands are sometimes called Gold Spangled, but surely twt cnrreclly, because, allhougli the bird 1ms spots, those markings are not uni- versal; Ijut many of iho finest specimens have the feathers merely fringed witli a darker colour," itc. ; and a few lines further on Mr. Dixon is guilty of an indiscrelinn, according to Dr. Horner, by saying, tliat " the hen is ricldy laced with darii brown, or black, on an ochre ground." I am next charged (dimly, it is true) with having seduced an "uninitiated" young friend at Hull into my opinion, by sending him awing* coveelet ! (sic.) Let mo assure tlie doctor, iqion my honour, tliat I never sent a feather to any person except yourself, and have, moreover, no " young * Corier/e^— The oulcnnost of the bed clotlies.— Jo/mjon. friend," or correspondent, at Hull. I need not further allude to tliis part of his letter, where " function is smo- thered in surmise, and nothing is, but wlial is not," lioyond comjflying witli his request, that I will send you some crop feathors, wliich are herewith enclosed. [Tlieso ore pre- cisely like the engraving we gave last week, and ai-e breast feathers. — Ed. C. G.] The doctor appears to have been won by that " gay, young, fresh, and beauteous wooei'," gold, as he says tliat he sold some spotted bu-ds {may I add, the ptn'chaser also) for six guineas, whilst some laced Polands remained unnoticed — aiinoliced by me, certainly, notwithstanding a most minute examination of those exhibited. By the tcay, where did he get his laced birds, if, as he supposes, " Scrutator is iioking fun," and laced birds are altogether fabulous animals. " Depend upon it Dr. Horner is a wag ; " " do ask him for coj^io oTTTp itutiiers : so Oult juur trc*j>, nT-i J. my word for it he will be caught." There can be no difliculty, as tnoy <»vo nnsuld. I heai'tily concur with Dr. Horner in his opinion, that these are days of progress and improvement; and as I hope, ere long, to enter the field as a competitor, I wth confidence await the time when " om" fair appoiutmeuts may be well perused," and sincerely believe thai, unless tho present breeders progress, and rapidly too, the true laced Polands are destined to drive the present nmnyrels (see Dixon) from the field, as the laced Bantams have the span- gled, in spite of our friend's admiration for even tho latter birds. — SciiuiATOR. THE VICISSITUDE OF THE CLIMATE OF ENGLAND; BEINa AN EPITOME OF A WEATHER JOURNAL ICEPT BY H. W. NEWMAN, ESQ., IN OLOUCESTEESIIIEE. Having kept a journal of the weather for many years, perhaps some account of the changes which take place may bo of use to " Young England," — I mean to those gardeners wlio have seen some twenty or twenty-live summers only. I am old enough to remember the long winter of 1700- lyOO; tliis was distinguished by a long frost, and a heavy fall of snow, which lay on the ground neiu'ly two months, and many sheep were lost in tho north of Scotland. This winter was preceded by a veiy cold, wet summer ; the liarvest was damaged, and great scarcity jirevailed. The winter of 1800-1 was mild ; of 1801-2, severe ; May, 1800, a very cold month; of 1803 -i, mild; of 1805-6, very mild, and ex.- tremely wet and tempestuous. In 1800, a splendid summer; and the winter, 1800-7, mibl. In 1807-8, a very severe frost, which continued for nearly two mouths ; the turnpike-roads, at the end of Januaiy, for several days were a complete sheet of ice, and young men aud boys were skating on them. During tliis frost one of those beautiful appearances on the trees, of frozen rain, took place; they were festooned with rime for a day, and tliore is no finer sight than some large elms covered witli this rime. Such rime frosts seem to occur about once in every fifteen or eighteen years, during severe weather, and generally near the end of tho frost; a correct drawing or painting of these sights in whiter, so few and fai' between, would be most desirable. In 1800-10 there was severe frost; 1810-11, 1811-12, and 1812-1.'!, were, generally speaking, mild winters. The summer of 18i;j was wet, and then commenced the long winter of 18iy-14. The frost commenced on the 2llth of December, and on tho 7th of January, 1814, snow fell for noaidy three days consecutively, to tlie depth of six feet on level open ground, and drifted to the height of twenty feet in certain places. This frost con- tinned (with an intermission of four days in February) for thirteen weeks. Tlie Tliaines was frozen o\'er for a long period, and a fair held upon it. The snow was not melted in the valleys in England until April. A lino summer followed. In 1814-1.'') was a mild winter, but in May, 1815, about the l-^itli, there was a severe frost; the gooseberries in many places were destroyed. In 1815-10 was rather an extraordinary winter ; no frost occurred until t)ie )Oth of I'obriiar}', when a most severe one cummenced. Tlie Tbauios was IVozen over for a week, and m,) liiuls of people wero on tho ice. It broke up suddenly, and a wretched ! Mauch 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 4R7 spring succeeded ; there was a dry, cold May, and then one of the coldest and wettest summers followed, nearly similar to tlu^t of 170'J. The liarvest was not half got in ; in Scot- land the corn riixnied only ou the finest and warmest soils, and was damaged to a great extent. Tlio year IH 17 brought another wet summer, but not so bad as did IHllj. In 1H18 wo had a splendid summer ; in 18ly a showery wet summer. In January and February, 18'20, most severe frosts for a month or six weeks, and heavy falls uf snow; 18U0-'21 and 1821-33 were very mild winters. In 1S33 was the most plentiful harvest known for very many years. The winter of 1833-33 was very severe, and great falls of snow in February. Rather mild winters for two or tliree years followed ; nothing material in the alternations of weather'. 1836 had a dry spring, which was succeeded by one of the hottest summers I ever remember ; in June and July tho touiptiatuio ^vaa uLiiiitI to tlant of Ntvples, viz., from 80° to i)0° in the shade for six weeks. In l(r3(i-37 there was no frost mitil February, when the whole month was frosty. 1837 had a cloudy, calm summer, neither wet nor dry ; the winter of 1837 38 was mild, and a finp spiing followed. On the l8th of May, 1838, a thunder- storm occurred and broke up the weather. Wo had this year one of the wettest summers ou record, but a high tem- perature; there were summer floods all over tlie low lands in tha West of England, and a wretched harvest. It was followed by an early and severe winter; frost commenced the third week in November ; and a great deal of frost in January, 183!). May and June, 183t), were very fine; hut at the end of June the weather broke up, and a wet July and August followed. In the winter of 1830-30 we had severe frost. The end of tliis winter brought one of the greatest changes ever witnessed for half a century at least. The last three days of March were very warm ; the thermometer being 0-1° and (i(i° in the shade ; in the afternoon of the 31st the sky was overcast, and thunder came on, and then the wind shifted suddenly to the N.E., snow fell, and at day- light, on the 1st of April, the thermometer was at 34° — being a fall of 40° in fourteen hours. The snow remained for a week, from the 1st to the 8th of April. A wet sum- mer followed tills. 1830-31 and 1831-32 were mild winters and moderately warm summers. The winters of 1833-4, and ISS.'i-O, were very mild, with little frost. The simimers of 1835 and 1836 were remark- ably fine and hot, but not to excess. Tlie winter of 1836-7 was very open, and one of the most remarkable seasons on record ; there was no frost until the lOlh March, 1837, the wind then shifted to the N.E., and continued to blow from that quarter for 10 weeks ; severe frosts continued all through April, and on the 26th of this montli the thermometer was 14 degrees below the freezing point. On the 10th of May it snowed nearly all day, and on the 17th great part of the day. There was no grass until the beginning of June, and the spring and summer came together, as in Canada. A tolerable summer followed this extraordinai'y spring, neither wet nor dry. 1838 brought nine weeks' frost, commencing the 7th January ; this is known as " Mui-pby's year." A Mr. Murphy predicted in an Almanac that the 30th of Januai-y would be the coldest day. It was so ; the ther- mometer falling to 30° below the freezing point! A very backward spring, followed with a cold May ; a cool summer, and tho winter mild. 1839 had a dry spring, and extremely dry May — a very wet summer followed, and wetness was the characteristic until March. 1840, had a moderate cool summer. In February 1841 there was about 10 days' severe frost, and a showery wet summer and harvest followed. 1841-2 was a very mild winter — the Bummar was a most splendid one. 1843-3 was a mild winter ; May 1843 had twenty -five wet days out of thn-ty-one. 1843-4 was a mild winter ; 1844 was one of the driest sum- mers for 20 years or more, but the heat was not excessive. 1844-5 was a mild winter — nevertheless, in March 1845, there were 18 days of most severe frost, and a showery summer followed. 184.5-0 was a mild winter, followed by a fine summer, with a fortnight of excessive heat in July. In January 1847, severe frosts ; and on the 8th of February snow fell to tha depth of 14 inches. The summer was fine. 1847-8 was a mild winter; 1848 a showery summer. 1848-9 a mild winter ; 1849 a cool summer, but not wet. There was a bad frost in December, 1849, for 14 days ; and also in January and March, 1800. 1851-2 was a mild winter, and a fine summer; 1803-3,* a mild winter imtil the 7th of Februai-y, 1803, when came three weeks' severe frost. " We sliould never halloo till we are out of the train ;" for never do we know, in the British Isles, when winter is to commence — frequently not until Blarch and April ! From the foregoing it will be seen that three winters frequently pass with little or no frost, but seldom four or iive ; that once in seven years, at least, we are visited with severe weather, and with very severe about once in fifteen years. There is little doubt that the extensive under-ground draining has a considerable eft'ect on the coldness of our winters. It is observed in Canada, that the climate is not so severe in those districts which are drained, or cleared of the immense woods and forests. Mr. Gilbert White, in his History of Selboume, gives a proeramme of about twenty seasons, about the middle of last centuiy. This is worm reienini; lu Vj- tv,„=. ,;oi,., c.o curious ill matters of the climate. He says, that severe winters generally are preceded by wet summers; and so it has been the case, with few exceptions, during the last forty years. I have noticed that most of the wet summers are preceded by "a dry month of May, with north-easterly winds." This wos particularly the case in the wettest on record, 1802, 1810, and 1839. During the winter months, should severe weather be near, those sweet songsters, the thrushes, invariably cease singing. POULTRY ON SHIPBOARD In No. 332 of The Cottage Gaedener, under this title, your correspondent, "D. C," complains of the great loss of poultry at sea ; and, in a note attached, information on the subject is solicited. Having myself recently been applied to on the same subject, I think I cannot do better than describe the plan I adopted for the purpose of keeping a quantity of fowls on board ship in a healthy and, conse- quently, wholesome condition. Being at sea one day, on board a yacht, in company with the owner, a gentleman farmer, the conversation turned upon tho great loss of life amongst poultry when packed in coops and taken to sea. During the conversation, wo ap- proached the place where the coops were stowed, or rather crammed away. Upon one of the sailors poking up the birds, we discovered about one-third of the lot in such a sickly and diseased state, that the only way " to save their lives would be to kill them." This being done, the question ^yas — How could the remainder be preserved ? I suggested the following plan, and as it has been found to answer well, perhaps it may prove useful to others. At the bows of the vessel a place was partitioned ofi', eleven feet long by three feet wide, and four-and-a-half feet deep; tho hack, top, and sides boarded, and made water, tight; the front covered with a piece of old fishing-net; the roosts fixed fourteen inches from the roof. This was all the room that could bo spared, and was intended to hold twenty-five birds — rather close quarters, it must be con- fessed. The accommodation being completed, the next thing was how to manage the fowls. To the party in charge I gave the following directions : — When purchasing fowds, mind that they are young buxls, and fresh from the farm-yards or runs, not birds that, perhaps, have been cooped up for a month in some cellar. Feed the birds on good sound barley — not oats, which are apt to scour them. Give every other day sprouted barley, which may be produced by placing the grain in a vessel, and damp- ing it daily until it begins to grow; this, when green food cannot be procured, will be found a good substi- tute. In one comer of the enclosure, place a box (large enough for the birds to dust in) containing broken oyster- shells, old lime-rubbish, and small gravel ; and in another corner a good supply of sweet, fresh water, and manage by placing a board partly over the vessel, that the birds do not make it filthy. The flooring should be washed out eveiy morning, as nothing produces disease so much as a dirty, fetid atmosphere. Should any of the feathers * 18.12 will be long remembered for the preat floods ; rain commenced the 21st October, and were nearly daily until the 20th January. 48S THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Marou 2-1. under the vent of any of the hirda get clogged up or matted toc'ether with dang, they should be carefully cut off with a na°r of scissors. Should auy of the birds show symptoms of illness, by the combs or wattles turning pale, such should be immediately killed, ^'egetable3 at auy time would be a treat, and prove highly conducive to the health and well- being of the stock. — M. THE COTTAGE GARDENER'S PONY. {Conlvnicd from imge 440.) I SHOULD recommend the cottage gardener to try a pony of one of the -n-ild native breeds ; say a little stout iron- grey, dun, or brown nag, of Scotch, Welch, or even Irish blood. But Httle care has been bestowed on the livingine- i,p o£ u^-ii .^^in^t^ic., tiicy possess a certain hardiness ol constitution indispensable wliere there is no convenient arrangement for ministering to the minutest details of stable mysteries. Which of us but has admired tlie hardy little car horse, when pleasantly posting from one place to another among the picturesque hills and valleys and waters of the North. The little animal is not, perhaps, very fast; his paces not the most regular; and his ioxit ensemhle is any- thing but imposing ; yet what loads he takes ; what distances he travels I About home, too, our own butcher appears all but ubiquitous ; whenever we ride out we meet him mounted on his Scotch pony ; and he often passes us at a truly enviable pace. Or if we meet not the butcher, we meet his well-loaded cart, and behold the same pony quietly dodging from one house to another — the model of patience and en- durance. Now, the whole of this class of horses contrive to get through a great deal of work, and with but a very moderate degree of care bestowed on their toilette ; and they often last very many years. The fact is, their owners very seldom allow them to lose the instinctive faculty of taking care of themselves. The pony should be of a cheerful temper, and tractable. A good animal phj'siognomist must judge of his moral character by looking at his ears, which should be set on wide apart, constantly in motion, but not inclined to lay back ; by the eye, which should be bright, animated, not showing much of the white. The play of the nostrils and lips, and the very switch of the tail, convey a meaning. In fact, it is not the mere outward configuration of the parts ; it is their motions, indicating the sort of spirit within, that we should attend to. But, besides the colour and cast of countenance of our new acquaintance, there are certain other points not so easy to explain ;— as an ample chest ; a short, thick carcass, well ribbed up to the haunch ; a neck, if not very long, yet well set on ; shoulders not too upright ; clean, flat, deep, short legs,, ioined by well-knit, if not very lengthy pasterns, to hanl, unbroken feet. Again — it is the action, as it is called, or the style in which the beast lifts his feet, and the fearless manner in which he puts them down upon the ground, like a Briton ; it is his natural deportment, in a word, that must be our guide upon the whole. The colour of the skin is not of so little importance as is implied by tlie proverb, which says—" A good horse is never of a bad colour." The functions of the skin are not half as well considered, either in man or beast, as they ought to be. The skin is at one and the same time a provision of defence against external agents, and a highly sensitive surface, or a means of receiving external impressions. A pachydermatous animal is simply a thick-skinned brute, a mere" donkey, pig, or a rhinoceros. Conversely, to be thin- skinned, means to be of superlatively sensitive nature and refined feelings. These are the extremes of the two func- tions which I have to attempt to distinguish. But even the hides of pigs, especially of the better families and blood, can be carried into a sort of fineness ; and the ass and mule, in genial climates, and under partial masters, acquire higher susceptibilities, better natures, finer skins. Domestication, also, in cold climates, along with the in- troduction of high-bred races, natives of the East, and arti- ficial appliances for doing away witli the necessity for trusting altogether to the powers of resistance of the skin, must impair those powers, at the same time that the other function or sensitiveness is greatly increased. Along with this alteration in the skin (which it may take many gene- rations to effect), the whole system seems to put on a new character, and the animal to acquire new susceptibilities, and to become, what we call, improved, or the breed becomes improved. This improveableness, probably, has its limits. Impaired powers of resistance to the alternations of heat and cold, wet and dry, feverishness, sickness, pre- mature decay, coughs, and unsoundness ; these e\ils, or if not these, at least an increased liability to them, ai-e the price we pay for a high state of physical civilization — a highly artificial mode of life. It is just the highly artificial habit of life to wliich our very best horses are condemned, that necessitates all the over care that is taken to keep them " all right." Our rich bays, richer greys, light chestnuts, jet blacks, are, in general, fine - skinned ; they require more clothing, grooming, and care, and will repay it better than tLa ii-OJi grcj, tlic Juu or fallow, the brow« or dnrk cheSnUt, which seem to take less harm under indiii'erent grooming, and seem to almost require a certain amount of exposure out-of-doors to keep them in health. The pure native breeds of horses are hut little subject to inborn unsoundness; should your "pony" be young, and should he exhibit no outward signs of previous ill usage, you may make your mind comparatively easy about ring- bones, spavins, splints, thorough pin, curb, windgalls, &c. These are neither more nor less than enlargements about the joints of the legs, or about the tendons, bony ex- cresences at or near the joints, or on the main bones between the joints. As a general rule, you should see that one joint is no bigger than the other, nor one leg enlarged where the other is not, nor graced by bumps or protu- berances peculiar to itself. I have before me a fancy sketch of a horse, with every one of these blemislies on his legs duly marked with a number referring to an explanatory list ; and the major part of them I have more intimately known on some one or other of tlie legs of some one or other of my own horses, or those of my particular friends. I believe them to be oftenest hereditary in the high- blooded horse, though most easily acquu-ed in the pony through a course of stable management uncongenial to his natural genius, and the habits of his race. You may easily make him unsound by dri^•ing or riding him too fast and too far; by denying him even the liberty of a loose box; by never turning him out to grass winter or summer; all which freaks you may play upon a blood horse with comparative impunity, if only, at a great price, you have procured a perfectly sound one to begin with. For one sound high- bred horse sold by the farmer for the London market, how many blemished and unlikely tits does he not rear ? Thei'e are few lotteries where there are so many blanks ; and, just to follow the fine horse in his London cai-eer, or in tlie stables of the mighty of the land, everything is under artificial control — water, exercise, cooling mashes, stimu- lating cordials, hay, oata, warmth, an, his natural sldn de- prived of its hair, and protected by clothing, hoods for the head, bandages for the legs, his wind as anxiously looked to as the voice of an opera singer, and his skin cared for like the complexion of a fair lady. This system has un- doubtedly brought some of our very best horses to an unrivalled perfection, but it all implies a thorough insight into certain stable mysteries, which very few grooms possess, though all confidently pretend to it — one result of which is, that many a horse which might last twelve or twenty years, with cai-e, is often entirely spoilt in two. Tlie reward of success is, that the animal can put forth liis every power at once, and keep up a continued and siLstained exertion for miles together, even wdien tliero is no sort of occasion for such trials. A dangerous accomplishment, I tliinlc, not worth half the trouble it costs; but if gentlemen will take their ideas about horses from grooms, and about tlieir carriages from coach-builders, they will have to pay for it. — YiBGYon. {To be continued.) SWEET CIDER MAKING. As you liavo applied to me for the mode in which our Sweet Cider is produced, to the quality of which you have borne testimony, I have the greatest pleasure in acceding Maeoh 24.. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 489 to your wishes, find should any of your numerous readers derive any benefit from the same, it will be a gratification to me to know that the information I have given has been of any benefit to them. Most of the Sweet Cider you meet with, especially that which is bottled, has its sweetness preserved by some chemical process it undergoes as soon as taken from the press. A system called " matching " is also much used, to suppress the fermentation ; but such systems I do not re- commend, for the Cider gets so much impregnated witli the drugs that are used, that any person who is in the habit of drinking pure, unadulterated Cider, can easily detect it. 1 should say it is also highly injurious if taken in any large quantity ; in fact, I ha\e known people suifer from taking a second glass. There are many men who derive tlieir principal income from their Cider crop, and, of course, use means to make n« nmoh nc pacciblo ot tliA Vioyt rin,ilit^. with the least trouble and expense, knowing that if they can only keep it sweet it will be purcliased readily in the large towns. The producer of such Cider will argue that it does not afl'ect tlio liquor ; but I leave the reader to judge whether such powerful means as are required to check at once the fermentation must not impregnate the drink. Now for the mode which we adopt in 3naking sound Sweet Cider. It is certainly attended with much more trouble and laboiu', and some say waste, but in that I do not agree, if it be managed with care ; for all the dregs which are taken from the bottom of the cask each time of racking are put back into a barrel set apart on purpose, and which, in a short time, if the weather is clear, will again separate. It is then again racked, and makes good strong Cider for general purposes. Disappointment will sometimes occur from neglect, but, if strictly watclied, yoti will be amply repaid by possessing such a pure, wholesome beverage, that I have known it to be taken in preference to tho best wine. To make such Cider we take the best fruit, or I would say the apples from a certain orchard, which being mostly good sorts we never separate them, as it requires a mixture of sour and bitter with the sweet to make the best quality. There should be about two-thirds of the latter to one-third of the sour and bitter. We allow the apples in that orchard to remain till nearly the last gathering, unless frost sets in, which is highly injurious. Care should be taken never to put them together in frosty weather, as it is very detrimental to tlie quality, which becomes pale and thin, and will not keep good any length of time. There is a rule which should generally be the guide, and that is, that when the apples will easily fall by shaking the tree they are in the best stage for gathering. We then take them to the apple loft till sufficiently matured for grinding, which will take place, aocording to the mildness of the season, in about a fortnight. You will perceive that some of them will turn quite black, but care must be taken to have these picked out. They can be thrown back with the rougher apples, and used in the general way. As soon as the apples are ground, the pulp is placed on the bed of the press, in alternate layers with fine clean wheaten straw, in the afternoon, and remains in that state tUl the next morning, to enable the liquor to retain as much as possible the flavour of the pips and rind. The juice is then pressed out as fast as possible, and at once removed to the fermenting vat (a barrel with the head taken out answers the purpose). This vat is filled nearly full, and the juice remains there till the first or vinous fermentation has taken place, which occurs, generally, on the second day ; but if the weather is cold it may remain much longer. It is easily perceived by the white froth or scum with which the whole surface is covered. The outside will become more creamy, and as soon as you perceive it turn brown, the cider must be immediately drawn off and put into the cask. You must be particular not to mix any of the scum or pickings at the bottom ; to avoid which have a cork hole at the bottom of the vat to place your tap in, from which you draw olf the liquor, instead of dipping into it. The greatest vigilance is now necessary. An empty cask must be kejjt ready to rack the Cider into as soon as required, as now the object is to prevent the acetous fermentation taking place, and thus preserve the sweetness. This fermentation is discovered by applying the ear several times a day to the bung-hole (the bung being loosely placed on), to note if a singing noise, which accompanies incipient fermentation, be audible. This noise is a kind of hissing occasioned by the extrication of small bubbles of carbonic acid gas, which, as the action increases, break forth in a torrent, accompanied with a formation of froth on the surface of the liquor. A very short continuance of this is destructive of much sweetness in the Cider. Care must, therefore, be taken, on the very first symptoms of fer- mentation, instantly to rack the Cider into the other cask. Place the dregs into the barrel set apart, and wash your cask clean for the next racking, which must be repeated as often as these symptoms shew themselves, which will probably occur in twenty-four hours, more or less, according to tho state of the atmosphere. In fine cold weather the rackings are less frequent, and sometimes six or se\on may suffice ; whilst, in mild foggy weather, I havo known two rackings required in twenty-four hours ; and as many as twenty before the fermentation is subdued. A small cask shottld be managed at tiie samtt tunc, i^^ o..;«.,, ..f ^u^ ^^^^ mckin" to be able to fill up the larger one near enough to the top so as just to be able to touch it with your finger. Then bung it down tightly, and in the month of IVIarch take advantage of the first few clear days to give it another racking. Bung it again tightly, and paste over the bung, so as to render it perfectly air-tight, and you will find it keep good and retain its sweetness for many years. I would observe, that the soil has much to do with the quality of the Cider; that from a clay subsoil far surpassing that from a hght sand. — T. P., Soutli. Petherion, Somerset. DISEASES OF POULTRY. EGG-BOUND. The following appearances were observed upon the ex- amination of a Shanghae pullet the day following her decease ;— Body somewhat emaciated ; skin much discolom'ed, as if jaundiced, emitting a rancid unsavoury odour. Upon opening the abdonunal cavity, the whole of the peritoneum presented a highly vascular and inflamed con- dition, especially about the clocea and ovaries. The in- testines were glued together by recently eft'used lymph, whilst flakes and patches of the same material were found in various parts of the carity. Lying over the right kidney was a mass of putty-hke matter, which bore some resem- blance to the yoke of an egg, though somewhat changed in character. The oviduct being next laid open, exhibited much inflammation towards its termination, whilst in the calcifying segment was the crushed shell of an egg, from which the yoke had apparently escaped; the membranes being otherwise perfect. Kidneys, lungs, and other organs healthy. Hence it would appear, that death, in this instance, resulted from peritonitis, produced by the irritation set up in the oviduct by the retention of a crushed egg in that canal, and by the escape of its contents backwards into the peritoneal cavity — a very unusual cu'cumstance, probably, but, never- theless, in this case, I think unquestionable. The prevalent system of over-feeding and over-stimu- lating poultry, doubtless, contributes largely towards the production of all manner of inflammatory complaints. Had an antiplogistic and unstimulating course been pursued with this pullet as soon as any symptoms of irritation or inflammation of oviduct were apparent, she might now, possibly, have been the mother of a large, thriving, and valuable family of " lovely Cochin-Chinas." — Feed. J. BUILEE. EXHIBITION FEVEE. In your paper of February Sith, " W. A. E." states that his "fowls" are attacked by the "exhibition fever." Now, as I had nearly twenty attacked in the same way about twelve months since, and did not lose a sinyle bird, I venture to inform you in what way I treated them. Imme- diately the first symptoms appeared (which was exactly as " W. A. E." describes, viz., very loud breathing, accompanied at intervals by a husky cough, the head swollen, and the eyes closed), I gave the bird about one table-spoonful of " oil," and confined it in a coop, placed in a dry house, 490 THE COTTAGE GARDENER, March 21. feeding it twice a day with pills (about the size of those used for cmnimiug fowls) composed of meal mixed with ale, taldng care to supply it witli plenty of fresh water, as although blind they are still able to find the dish containing the water. I found that most of the birds were " blind " from two to four days, and after that time gradually recovered. Is not this disease very similar to the " roup ? " In regard to the query^" Which variety of fowls eat the most > " — although I have never kept any accurate account, I am still decidedlii inclined to think, that of the seven varieties which I keep, the "Malays" are the largest con- sumers, closely followed by the " Cochins." — William Pope, Htjmonshury. LADY-Ct a T( n P NTIES. — TiTtliese days, when the country swarms with editors of gardening publications and their co-adjutors, all dictators of taste in then' line, how is it, Mr. Editor, that there arc in every neighbourhood so many rubbish-plots, falsely called gardens, adjoining gentlemen's houses ? I think, Mr. Editor, you are not without blame in this matter; you niistify the public so, that no one rightly knows where to lix the disgrace of slovenly gardens. You teU us at one time " the garden is too large for the strength kept ;" at another, " the gardener is an incapable." Now, you have added to your title "The Country Gentleman's Companion;" why not have done yourself and the public a service by adding instead "The Country Gentlewoman's Companion," and kept the title in your mind? I am very fond of gardens; I stick at no trouble if I can visit them ; and wherever I have seen a gai'den remarkable for beauty, I have always found the mistress of the place took an active delight in its superintendance ; and let wives but iind intellect to dii-ect, and where is the husband will gi'udge paying for labour' properly applied? I am sure clever gardeners will chime in with me in the above recommendation, as their abilities can only be appreciated by knowing ones. Your able co- adjutor, Mr. Beaton, a master in his profession, I know will bear mo out, for he speaks gallantly of the assistance and encouragement ho received of his mistress, and from ladies in general. Now, if gentlewomen who can afford to have men of Mr. Beaton's stamp, with a whole staff of sub- ordinates to superintend their gardening operations, neglect not to give their time and attention to details, what can be said for those ladies who can afford but one or two ordinai'y gardeners, and require a proper day's manual labom- out of them ? Is it to their praise if they exercise their mental powers on crochet-work or knitting, which any child of three years old may rival them at, while their gardens are being managed with the most ivretched taste ? Who can blame the gardeners under such circumstances ? A modem author says, "the smell of the earth has in no country a favourable effect on the development of mind." Now, this is so far true, that the afore mentioned gardeners, who would culti- vate their niinds, must work by night as well as day, and I am proud to say many do so; but employers have no right to expect, in a general way, to reap the benefit of such culti- vation. When Fox and Henderson undertook to build the Ci-ystal Palace, or any other of their great public works, they knew they must employ the common labom- in the market, and expected to be shown no favour on that account. The wives of England have contracted to make the homes of theii- husbands earthly paradises ; let them take a pattern from Fox and Henderson, and make the best possible use of the materials at hand ; by so doing they may feel assured of finding their full modicum of contentment, health, wealth, and unfeigned approbation. — Y. POLAND versus HAMBURGH. I AM perfectly aware that all the varieties of the Chitte- prats, Boltons, and Hutch fowls, have lately been classed together, under the title of Hamburgh fowls. I believe the llov. E. S. Dixon first promulgated this classification, and that it has been sinco followed at most of the leading poulti-y shows. It is not the classilicalion that I object to, which I consider good, but merely the adoption of the name Hamburgh, that did properly belong to a tufted variety of fowl. I think it would have been much better to have classed them together under one of their own names, of which there is a great variety, instead of dejiriving the Hamburghs of the only one by which they were known. That the real I'olands are distinct from the Hamburghs (also a variety with large tufts), I will show by a side-by- side description of each, and had the liov. E. S. Dixon been acquainted with their distinctness, he never would have described the Hamburghs as I'oles (for thoso he has de- scribed in his work are certainly not Polands), nor would he, with such a knowledge, have applied this name to tho tuftless vaiieties ; nor do I suppose he would have mistaken the colom- of a ti'ue spangle. I can assure all those interested in the poultry fancy, that the fwr, vovloti.ia did oiilot not raauy yoors bnnlc, but as tho I'oles became scarce, the Hamburghs, of German exti'action, usurped theu' place, and in the eoui'se of time tho tnio properties of the Polands seem to have been forgotten, and the Hamburghs generally received as such, which ciTor I wish to point out. POLAND. HAJtBUnGH. A large fowl, the cock of A medium-sized fowl ; the good coiu'age, hens non- cook a great coward ; the sitters, chickens tolerably hens generally sit; chicken Jiardy. tender. No comb, not oven a single Comb small, genoro'ly spiko, top-knot very large double, terminating in two and fuU, spreading out on spil;es or horns, and fronting all sides, and faUiug over tho a good - sized tuft, which eyes, so that the fanciers ilows backwards, leaving the found it necessary to tie up eyes exposed, or clip away some of tho feathers that the bird might see better. Body glossy -black, chang- Body black, frequently ing to purple and green ; grizzled, with gold or silver ; topknot quite white. tuft wliite, faced witli black, and sometimes nearly all black. Colom' of the Spangled Colour of Pheasanted- Polands rich ochro - red, Hamburgh, ochre-red, er.oh lined or grizzled with black, feather having a black spot and each feather tipped with at the extrenuty, the mark- a lohiie siianglo at the ex- ing often irregulai'. Cocks tremity. frequently dai'k about the thigs. Top-knots white. T'ufts almost always dark. White Polands, body clear Laced- Hamburghs were white. of two varieties, gold and Top - knots black. silver, the feathers were These last are generally clear of other colour, having considered extinct, but it is a nan'ow margin of black, forgotten tliat tho true Tuft also dark. Polands, through all their varieties, are likewise going. Both varieties are occasionally muflled, or boarded, Init the Hamburghs more gener.ally so. It will bo soon by these descriptions what is necessary to constitute a true Poland fowl, and, on inspection, I thin); it will bo found that nearly all the birds at the present time known by that name have, more or less, relationship with the Hamburghs. The Eov. E. S. Dixon, in his praiseworthy attempt to clear up tho (to the uninitiated) confusion respecting tho Dutch, ulhts Bolton, alius Cliitteprats, has caused a greater covjfusion between tho true Poles and their cousins-genuau the Ham- burgh fowls. Tliese varieties ai'e frequently imported direct from Hamburgh, whicli name they have enjoyed these thirty years — quite suflicicnt to prove their claim. It is also true that a few of the Dutch pencilled fowls are sometimes brought from Hamburgh, and thus by some have been con- sidered as Hamburghs ; hut this is not a suilicicnl ra.ason that the whole family of Dutch, Bolton, Cbittcprals, A-c, should appropriate tho naum to their own use, and to which they have only ar^pired during tho last few yeai's. It is not my wisli, however, to enter into a Chancery suit as to wliether tho Hamburghs ai'O to gain possession of their name ; all I wish is, that tho properties of the ti'uo March 24. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 491 old Polauda may bo iijonorally known, and not forgotton ; and that, should they bo recovered, tlie contaminating asso- ciations \nth the Tufted Ilamburgli may be guarded against, which, however, I should liave no particular objection to receive as Poles, provided they appear in full dress without combs. — B. P. BliENT, Besscls Greeny Sevenoa/cs. [Mr. Brent has kindly sent us the above paper on the Polish and " tufted Hamburgh" question. Could a combloss, perfectly wliite-crosted Polish fowl, as there described, bo re ferred to as a living specimen, the question would be much narrowed; but hitherto we liave not been so fortunate as to meet with it ; and indeed Mi*. Brent himself would lead us to infer that it has become extremely rare. His description of the Hamburgh's tuft falling back on the neck exactly coincides with what we now see in the male birds of what are now called Polauds, with whom the hens constantly display a perfectly yphcrical top-knot, in shape such as Mr. Bront would regard as the property of his old Polish only. The oUissitluation now in use has the great mem uf an..- plicity, and wia must own our inability to foresee any advan- tage likely to result from its discontinuance. " The tufted Hamhimjk" we fear, will fail to support his case, as of distinct origin and lineage from his Polish neighbour. Again, the Gold and Silver Hamburghs, both pencilled and spangled, have so many points in common with eacli other, that we should greatly regret any system of nomen- clature by which we should hazard their disunion, and this would probably happen were we to single out the Silver- pencilled birds as "Dutch Every-day-layers," or apply the appellation of Grey Eoltons to the Gold Spangled variety. -AV.] TO CORRESPONDENTS. *** We request that no one will write to the departmenttil writers of The Cottage Gardbnee. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener,^, Amen Corner, Pateryioster Row, London.*' Handbills Inserted in thb Cottage Gardener (Clericits). — We assure you positively that the highly objectionable Handbill you sent to us was not inserted by our Publisher. Mr. Dickens complained in The Thnes of similar Handbills being inserted in his " Household Words," They are inserted by some low agent in London, connected with those your Bookseller employs. Ward's Case {Fernetiim). — You ask what ferns and mosses are suited to a Wardian case 4^ feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high, with bars across for Epiphytes in boxes on blocks. You grow Cijpripediuin speciostun well in it, and in a close case have grown well, Trichomanes speciusa and HymenophyUum Wilsuiii. We gladly accept your offer of telling ua how you manage the two last so well, as they are rather difficult, especially the Trichomanes, no one having done much with it without a close moist atmosphere, just like what your close case would supply. With such success we feci doubtful if we are able to give many advices respecting the Ward's case. We should have known better if you had told us the construction, and whether you can give it any heat in winter besides throwing a cover over it. If not, then we would add Cyitripedium cal- ceolus and pubcsccns, and Orchis longicnrnu and others. To the two ferns named above, we would add Asptenitun fontunum, Aspleniii/n adi- antum nigrum, and Asplenium trichomanen, Cetrarch ojjicuvtriim, Adiantum Capillus veneris; and for mosses, select Lycupudtum apodum, denticulatum, and helvcticum, the first being very low and compact. If, by means of a drawer beneath, lined with lead or zinc, you could apply heat by warm water in winter, then, in addition to small patches of the above, you might have Gymnogramma siilphurea, and Adiantum for mosumy for the centre; Adiantiun puhescens, and rhom- hoidewn, and cunetitum for a lower level ; in line with Lycopodintn Wildcnovii and stoloniferuni ; while the rods might be supplied with little baskets of Lycopodium violaceiim, and Bi'aziliense, whicli would have a fine appearance hanging down. A few plants of JEschyjianthus parasiticus and ramosissimus may be suspended in a similar manner ; but though they will grow well with but little air, they must have fresh air to get them to bloom freely. The subject will, ere long, receive more definite attention ; but these hints may meet the present case, and keep a correspondent from waiting, which we never like to do. Frost-bitten Fowls. — A7i Old Subscriber says : — " During the late froat I have had two valuable Dorking birds frost-bitten, an, 33, 34, 35, 30, 37, and 38, pay an entrance of Is. Cd. " Had I intended the view taken of them, I most certainly should have subdivided the classes, and, instead of giving 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes in the particular classes, have made them sejiarate ones, aud varied the colour or comb. "As steward and director of this sliow, and as the framer of the rules, I should feel particularly obliged it you will give the correct version of them your utmost publicity, otlierwise, with the present impression, exliibitors of first-rate birds, thinking it' tlioy did not get tlie .£3 prize, Ihey would bo excluded from the £2, second prize, provided the judges deemed them the second best, or tlie 20s. prize, if third best, very many would object to send at all in consequence. " In the same paper I noticed several remarks, on wliich I will comment; and as the first alludes to the season of the year, I can at once satisfy the public that our agricultural show of slock and implements, takes place on those days. As one of the council of tliat Society, I with some diflictdty got up March 31. THE COTTAGE GtARDENEE. 400 our fli'st poiiUry exhibition, in conjunction with tlie Society, aud lielcl our first meeting at Taunton, in June 1802, and that having gone oil' very satisfactorily, I again proposed our second to be held during our agricultural meeting at Plymouth, and as I was rather reprimanded for not giving prizes to chickens at Taunton, it was thouglit better to become more perfect, and do so at Plymouth ; but your cor- respondent appears to think it too early. So, Mr. Editor, you see I am lil;e the man in the fable that we have all read of so frequently. " The next remark alludes to our cutting out Bhnlc and llltiti! Cochins, and the Gold and SUver-spmuiled Hnmhnn/hs, and Piyeons. Did your correspondent know the diflioulty to raise the cash for the present list presented to the public, I think he would, in the generousness of his heart, send us five or ten pounds, and to afford the opportimity to him or any one else (interested in poultry shows), I shall put my full address at the bottom of this letter, and the money shall be appropriated to, I hope, a more perfect list, wlien we hold our annual meeting at Bath, in June 1854. " I mitst tell yon, Mr. Editor, we made no charge at Taunton for visitors to our show. The prize list there, as at Plymoiith, being entirely private subscriptions, and you must allow that those who have found the means are some- what entitled. to a little choice. Aud now I have disposed of the remark on Silks. " Now for the unfortunate Hijhrids. It appears they are considered to be of Polisli extraction alone. Such is not my intention. I take a wider view, viz., that of all nations ; but am sorry the printer did not give a more expensive type, and make them appear more distinct. " I believe I have given reason for aU remarks but one, and that one, in my idea, rather an important one, namely, post entry. Our stock and implement entries close on the ISth of April. Our poultry show is subject to the same rules, but as that is very early, especially for chickens, we open the books to the 1st of May, at double the previous entrance fees. One reason being to accommodate ex- hibitors who ai'a after date, and the other, and most im- portant one, to increase our funds, and help to pay for the handsome tent accommodation ; the bountiful supply of the best food ; the protection of the poultry by police, by night and by day ; the very great cost for cups ; security and locks for coops, clerks, check-takers, sand, sawdust, and an honest man to break every egg. " You must be perfectly aware that the sum of 2s. Od. entiy will very little more than cover the hire of coops alone. And I do not see why exhibitors should not pay a mvicli larger proportion than is usual, more especially when we can offer them a free transit (through the great liberality of the Great Western, the Bristol and Exeter, and South Devon railways) for their specimens, both to and from the show, provided they are not sold. " I must offer you my apology for so long a letter, and am sorry our honorary secretary should have taken the wi'ong view ; or, pei-haps, to speak more coiTecily, I am son-y I did not particularise the different classes in the first instance. "I have forwarded to you a new folding poultry-basket of my invention, and most ably carried out by the Blind Asylum, at Clifton, to whom I am indebted for the makers. Tho great advantage is the convenience of package, as when folded, tliree feet by two feet six inches, and two feet six inches, occupy less than six inches in width, and the weight is a mere trifle. The object — to support a good charity. — Jonathan Geay, Bathwlck Hill, Bath." We consider this letter sufficiently explanatory, but that it was required, is evidenced by the fact that Mr. Mulleuy, the local secretary, did not understand the prize list to be offered upon the terms Mr. Gray now states. Ou the comparative amount of the prizes offered we might have said something, but we are turned I from oiu' purpose, by the statement that the funds would I not justify a larger amount. Indeed, for the eight first i classes, they are abundantly liberal ; but we know of no I reason justifying giving prizes of the highest value to the Game classes, in preference to the Polands and Hamburghs. COVENT GARDEN. There has been little fluctuation either in the prices or the supplies of garden produce during the past week, and the quotations which we gave in om last report are still equally applicable on this occasion. There is enough of Rliuharh, Sea-Kale, and Asjyaragus for the demand, and all other articles are equally abundant. Fruit, however, is an exception, there being, even in Apples, a very short supply. The varieties which we have observed most general are a few Ooldcii Knobs and Winter Oreenings, or, as they are sometimes ab- surdly called, French Grabs. We observed also a few rather shrivelled Alfristons, a large and excellent culi- nary apple, which is cultivated in Sussex under the name of ShepiTierd's Seedling, but which being sent some years ago to the Horticultural Society by a gentleman residing at Alfriston, it was named the Alfriston Ajiple; the name by which it is best known, however, in Sussex is Shepherd's Seedling. There are still a few Buerre de Eance Pears, but none else of consequence. The plants and flowers are very plentiful, and consist principally of Camellias, Roses, Heaths, Geraniums, Tulips, Primroses, Violets, Snoivdrojjs, Hyacinths, and Crocuses. H. GOSSIP AND GLEANINGS. One of the most difficult of all the branches of the Horticulturist's art on which to write instructively, as well as agreeably, is Landscape Gardening. A hundred men can be found to write graphically on the pic- turesque and the beautiful, but the difficulty is to And those who will teach how to imitate what is desirable to be copied. Knowing this difficulty, we have been more than well-pleased to meet with The Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, by Mr. Joshua Major, of Knowsthorpe, near Leeds. This gentleman has been practising, for some forty years, what he teaches in this volume, and he has contrived to include in its pages more plainly-told common sense than it is usual to meet with in such publications. To say that we do not agi'ee with all his opinions is saying no more than that we did not write what we read in it — for none but the author of any book, probably, ever assented to all tliat it would teach. We have many passages marked in Mr. Major's volume as worthy of notice, but at present we can find room for the following only ; and we quote it because it demonstrates what is the characteristic of the book — the useful and the comfortable are combined with the beautifid. " In the formation of a new place I should always have a straight walk of gravel or flags along the front of the house, whatever may l)e the style of tlie mansion. I have no objection to the introduction of the terrace wall, balu.s- trades, steps, vases, and other architectural decorations, in accordance with the general style of the building. Indeed, to all good houses these accompaniments ought never to be 49(i THE COTTAGE. GAUDENER. Mahoh 31 wautiug, as Uiey not only aiipnrently ndd to their strength, and form a base to llieui, but hy seeming a part, tliey increase tlie extent, importance, and riclmess of the whole. In places of pretension the entrance court and stable yard should also be enclosed (as shown in the general plan for a palace or mansion grounds) by proper ornamental walls, embellished with vases, urns, itc. ; and in ai'ranging these accompaniments I should place the terrace wall (as I have stated a few pages Ijefore) from twenty-Hve to forty-five feet from tlie house, according to the extent of the building. But this must be apportioned with judgment and caution ; for, on looking from the house, were tlie distance of it too great and the wall too high, tlie lawn beyond would on the one baud appear too contracted, and on the other, in ap- proaching the house from the park, the connection of the two would be completely destroyed, for it would prevent the wall, with its decorations, and house from appearing as a whole with a variety of composition — a thuig I am most anxious to secure. Midway between the house and wall 1 should have a straight wall;, frovn seven to twelve feet wide, extending the whole length of the building, and in some cases even as far as the walls, enclosing the various ottices or outbuildings, if the extent and magnitude of the residence should seem 'to demand it (as represented in both general plans). On each side of tliis terrace walk I would have formal flower beds for the reception of early flowers, and other pleasing plants, to be introduced from the greenhouse or reserve garden as they come into bloom. These beds should have an edging of rich ornamental cast-iron work, or stone, or clav, or terra cotta, from six to nine inches deep ; and for the' sake of variety, especially in the round beds, strong wire basket work-. Thus a gay, beautiful, and hai-- nionious display would be produced. A\ith the present cheapness of glass, the propriety of ornamental plaut pro- tectors, made to fit the beds within the baskets, suggests itself. These should be octagonal. The frames would be best made of cast-iron, from four to five feet in diameter, and from two feet six inches to three feet high, and as liglit as possible. They should he provided Avitli moveable tops, to prevent the frame having to be removed more than is absolutely necessary, and in order to be convenient for ventilation and watering— (a small lid would be convenient for that purpose when ranch ventilation was not required). In this way beautiful plants, too tender to stand without occasional protection, might be exhibited in the spring months in the beds in front of the windows. So far, then, I admit and entirely approve of the formal style, without at all taking into consideration the chai-acter of the edifice ; but, beyond this, the formal or geometrical style has no right whatever to be claimed by any style of edifice ; and to copy the stifi'ness and absurdities of antitjuity in the formation of a new place, is not only erroneous, but absolutely barbarous." We have been asked by several correspondents where they can procure the large Bell-glasses which we have more than once mentioned as being at the Horticultui-al Society's llooms, in Regent-street, and which are so extensively employed by the market-gardeners round Paris. At present we can only reply, that any glass manufacturer can supply them, if be pleases ; and that the price ought to be from ten to twelve-pence. In France they cost about eiglit-pence. As they have been employed there for more than two centuries, we can only account for their not now being employed here npon the supposition that tlie glass manufacturers have not yet sufficiently become acquainted with the wants they can snpply now that the excise duty is removed from tbeir material. We say, not now employed liero, because we believe, in the days of Switzer, and even earlier, these large "bell-glasses" were commonly em- ployed by gardeners, and that tbeir miinufaeture was extinguished by the imposition of the excise duty on glass in lUilf. Tiie number of these Bell - glasses {Cloches) employed about Paris only is estimated at more than one-miUion-anda-balf, and are used in the raising of early salads, melons, &e. j\[r. Stephens' collection of Brilhh Insects lias been purchased by the Trustees of the British Museum, and will be added to its Entomological department. There was an extra sale of Poultry, by Mr. Stevens, j on the d2nd, at which the high prices we have recently bad to report were fully maintained. Of iMr. Fletcher's stock. Lot 46, a bnff Shanghae pullet, was knocked down for £11 17s. Lot 47, a Sbangliae cock, about 21 months old, and which gained a prize at Bir- mingham in 18"j1, when exhibited by Mr. Andrews, i'17. Lot -18, a light cinnamon Shanghae ben, of i similar age and history, £0 l-js. Lot ir>, Shanghae ben, exhibited by Mr. Sturgeon, at Birmingham, in 1851, and in the pen to which a first prize was awarded, | £12 12s. Of Mr. Gilbert's stock, a bufl Shanghae | pullet, Lot 73, sold for £W 10s. The great prices given for this kind of poultry has suggested the breeding , of them ill a warm district of France, and bringing j them here for sale. There were about seventy lots of poultry, brought from Marseilles, sold on the present occasion. They were very good buff birds, and many of them fetched from four pounds to nine guineas. A white Imperial Malay cock and two hens (Lot 10-1) sold for i'4 IJs. There were also some moderate Golden-spangled and White Polands, which realised from £i to £i 5s. each The Whites were the best, but all were remarkable for the extraordinarily large size of their crests, or top-knots. There were a few- lots of what were called Chamois fowls, but they seemed to be no more than mongrel Wliite Polands, diftering from them chiefly in having a tinge of yellow upon the points of some of their feathers. The Oreat Korthern Association have anuoiniced their Exhibition of Pigs and Poultry to bo held at Doncaster, on the :iOtb of Xoveraber and 1st of Decem- ber next. Tbeir prize-list is both liberal and well- arranged ; and we are glad to find that the " Shanghae" has there succeeded to " Cochin-China" in the heading of those classes wliicli are destined for the birds, which, erroneously as we think, have been commonly called by the latter name. We should have liked to have seen a prize for young Oeese, as we are inclined to think that all poultry less than a year old should compete among themselves only ; and we miss Guinea fouls, which, in a strictly economical point of view, have so many good points, both as layers and dead poultry, that we should have pleaded for this continuance in the list. The regulations of this Society are among the best we have yet seen; and the arrangements for selling the prize and commended birds by auction will obviate, as we trust, the diiBoulties that occurred at the late Metropolitan sale. A fine for parties who enter pens, and fail to exhibit, or to give due notice of tbeir intention not to do so to the Secretary, would be a useful addition to the rides of other societies. — W. March 3 1 . THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 497 PLANTING AN ORCHARD OR FRUIT-GARDEN. A VERY general desire appears to exist amongst the classes for whom The Cottage Gardener endeavours to furnish advice for more practical information con- cerning the fruit-garden, or orcliard; and I feel called upon to enter on tlie subject. Tlie information desired seems to be quite of a rudimentary cliaracter — tracing the fruit and vegetable garden from its commencement, through its rise, to its complete establishment. It will, tlierefore, be necessary to follow the subject out as nincb as possible ia a connected way, to show the order, dependency, and connection of the various linlis in this gardening chain. To endeavour to furnish articles weekly, as much as possible applicable to the current operations necessary, has been hitherto, in the main, the aim of the writers employed on this work; and to make those articles, as Mr. Beaton has judiciously ob- served, a sort of " Companion to the Calendar." This, I say, has been much practised, and has, doubtless, been productive of some benefit. Such a coiu'se, how- ever, has its faults as well as merits^at least, as far as concerns one portion of our readers : it prevents that connection in the subjects handled which those who are seeking the mere alphabet of gardening so much desire. I infer, therefore, that it will be useful to many of our readers occasionally to vary our course. In order to make such advice equal to the case of an uninformed beginner about to make a new garden out of hitherto unenclosed lands — at least, as far as garden walling is concerned — we will suppose a case which requires everything doing to it — drainage, enclosure, walks to make, borders to regulate, stations for trees to prepare, trees to select and plant, with pruning and subsequent treatment, &c. ; and, in addition, compart- ments for vegetahle culture to be established. Drainage. — This is the first point in all new en- closures for gardening purposes ; a stagnant soil can never prove satisfactory, be it ever so good. Before the walls are built this matter must he attended to, for, if the process be necessary, a main drain or two may have to pass through some portion of the walling, and this should be ascertained. Deep holes should be dug in three or four places — say six feet — in order to ascertain to what height the water rises. If the ground is partial in character — that is to say, some portions inclining to one class of soil, some to another — the character of each class should be ascertained in this respect. Such ex- amination should take i^lace after a wet period, if pos- sible, in order that the improver may know the worst. If drainage be requisite, and the groiuid is of very limited extent, a line of main drain should be so con- trived as to receive with facility, and at the least expense, whatever subordinate or branch drains may be neces- sary. Some judgment must be exercised in all these things, in order to secure both economy and efficiency. It is possible that a main drain of this character may be made available for other purposes outside the walls, or structures may be required within, for which it will be necessary to provide deep drainage. To carry all such objects in a business - like way the proprietor must have fully made up his mind as to his require- ments. Hesitation proves fatal to many a plan. Be these things as they may, a good main drain of some depth — not less than four feet — should be established, and, of course, a good outlet must be secured to it, and its direction marked well by signals, to provide for future contingencies. Those who are about such things should remember, that unless their " main " be deep, the branch drains cannot be; and let it be borne in mind, that numerous complaints, well established, have been made of the fibres of roots, such as of Beet, or Mangold, and others, descending into and choking shallow drains during our summer droughts. Most of our ordinary vegetables descend much deeper than people imagine. I have traced Onion films forty-two inches, Asparagus forty-eight, and so on ; but then there are the fruit-trees, which, if they escape their bounds, may go much deeper, and produce what have been termed " foxtail roots," which our readers may have noticed. The.se soon decide the fate of a drain; a better stop could scarcely be invented. No sooner is such, a " brush " of fibres, which the title so aptly describes, produced, than sediment of some kind speedily collects. I would here suggest that no drain should approach a tree or trees nearer than twelve feet, and that, if pos- sible, none be less than five feet in depth. "Walls. — We must here suppose the plot well drained, and ready for building the walls. Opinions diifer among practical men as to the funii of a plot intended as a fruit and vegetable garden ; for my part, I should prefer a parallelogram, following the cardinal points; the east and west sides one-third longer than the south and north. This plan I should adopt as far as possible, nearly \\\) to the Scottish border, when it would become a consideration whether the south and north sides might not he equal to the others, or, in other words, an exact square ; and, further north still, it might become neces- sary to give the south and north lines the advantage. The question appears to me to assume this shape, in consequence of the great accession of valuable Pears in later years, many of which requii-e a wall, and for most of them an east and west aspect will be sufficient. It is evident, that as we increase the proportion of south and north sides, so, in like manner, is there a cor- responding increase of bad aspect, viz., the northern, which, however good it may he for some things, it is not desirable to increase. ! As to the height of walls, that is a matter much de- , pendent on the means and aims of the proprietor. The i best height for ordinary cases, is, I think, twelve feet ; [ and if the owner choose to add another foot or two for shelter in a cold district, so much the better. They are [ not so convenient, however, below ten feet, which I I suggest as the minimum height for boundary ivalls. Sometimes it becomes desirable to build cross interior , walls ; such may, if necessary, be made lower. There has been some discussion about the form of walls, but I believe most practical men are in favour of simplicity; that is to say, right lines, and perpendicular. It is the ordinary practice to build garden-walls of brick-anda-half work, or what is termed " fourteen-inoh walls," in the country ; and doubtless, at ordinary heights, this substance of wall is necessary. Garden- walls, however, are at the best expensive ; and as not all concerned may require the height usual in large gardens, we may fairly enquire, whether bricks can be economized by lessening the thickness as well as height of the walls. I have seen walls, in my time, of both heavy and light proportions ; and have moreover known walls to blow down ; but, on consulting an old and knowing bricklayer, as to the amount of strength neces- sary, I find that he is less venturesome than I should be. He thinks that a nine-inch wall, or single brick thick, might do up to nearly seven feet, but would not trust it any higher without buttresses or stays. A four- teen-inoh wall, or brick-and-a-half work, he would wai'rant up to twelve or fourteen feet, which, indeed, is as high as garden walls are ever carried. Now, I would undertake to grow successfully any of our garden fruits on a five- feet wall, but such would require peculiar treatment during the first three years after planting, and might prove rather unsuccesful in inexperienced hands. I may here point to copings, without which no garden wall is complete. Some have them fixed ; others move- able. The latter must he right, whatever may he said of the former. It so happens that ours are fixed, and they 498 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. INIaech 31. proieot nine inches : they are of stone. The copings I liave to suggest are ot a moveable character, and should project quite a loot; and wood will be found the most eligible material. The wall builders, in tliis case, must remember to build in some iron brackets for sustaining them; their distances being, of course, nded bj' the length of hoarding employed. These brackets must be flrnily fl.'ced, and be strong in themselves, in order to bear 'their burden safely. It would be well to caj'ry them through the wall, with a "T-end" in the opposite side for strength ; but however done, they must be flnn. On the side designed for protection, the irons must, of course, have a return-end, to sustain the boards in their place. During June, July, and August, the boards may be taken down and housed until September, when tliey may again be put in requisition; at which period, by keeping the trees dry, and impeding radiation from the wall during the night, they will promote the ripening of the wood. We come now to the walks requisite. These are some- times obliged to be in part ruled by existing outer walks, but the best plan is to throw the interior area into four squares, or quarters, be the size what it may. If the extent is veri/ considerable, it may be necessary to sub- divide these qnai-ters: from thirty to fifty yards in length makes a good cropping line for vegetables ; a much greater length is inconvenient, as causing much trouble in shifting the garden lines for vegetable opera- lions; and, moreover, in drill drawing, a line of more than lifty yards is weak, and requires to be sustained with side pegs; all this occasions loss of time. Our quarters here are just fifty yards in length, and we find them tolerably convenient, but shoidd not desire them to be longer. It must here be observed, however, that if the margins of the quarters are to be occupied with dwarfed fruit-trees, it is by no means expedient to have the quarters any smaller than the minimum length here offered. When such is the case, the whole area becomes so blocked u)i when the trees attain their fidl stature, that there is no " breathing space " for vegetables ; all becomes confused, and, of course, what crops can be obtained will prove of very inferior quality.^ We must come now to the width of the walks, both principal and subordinate ; such considerations being forced into the subject through the necessity of paying a due regard to the trees, as to distance and other subsequent arrangements. Of course, the width of the walks must, in some degree, depend on the size aud general style of the gardens — what width is really- requisite for the trees as breathing-room, and to facili- tate all future operations, is the primary consideration ; and next to this principle, proportion, and convenience for walking must be thought of. Proportion, of course, refers to the general style and pretensions of the grounds ; and as to convenience, that depends on the require- ments of the family. Ifthemain lines of such a garden are to become an occasional promenade, and the place is rather roomy, seven feet in width for the chief walks will not be too much ; but if the most severe economy is required, five feet must suffice ; less, for this style of garden, I dare not advise. Now, to steal a march on our subject for a moment. The walks being at a minimum point — five feet, and, let us say, tlie dwarfing fruit trees about twelve feet apart, and at four feet from the edge of the walk — they will each have four feet room to stretcli on the walk side, and six leetintlie border line; but then they may — where room must he economised — be permitted a little occasional liberty, a slight trespass over the horder-line, unless ontrellisses; when, of course, the whole thing becomes more precise. Let not our readers, however, imagine that a foot of extra room is thrown away altogellicr in the case of fruit trees; afoot in width, as to rows of Cabbages, or other vegetable crops, is a consideration ; such may be cal- culated on to an inch ; but they produce no branches — their growth is more regular, and they are more ephe- meral in their nature. I have seen many a garden in which both fruits and vegetables wei'e severely injured annually liy a fiihe economy at the outset. In this, as in most other aftairs of life, much depends on having a distinct aim at the outset. W.^TER. — I must stay a moment at this point, to ru-ge the great importance of establishing a piece of water in the centre of every garden, if a permanent supply can be had. It is impossible to over-estimate tlie benefits and conveniences resulting from this source. It is nil very proper to talk about thorough drainage, but our friends must remember, that some soils inclined to be stagnant, are. nevertheless, subject to occasional droughts ; and that Fruit Trees on a dwarfing system, having their fibres nearer the surface than ordinary standards, ai-e, therefore, more liable to partake of the changes of the atmosphere; and, indeed, are intended to do so : extremes of drought, however, have to be avoided, and especially in the case of heavy crops of fruit ; but then there is the vegetable cropping also to be benefited ; and it is to me a painful sight to observe a labourer, during drought, carrying cans of hard and cold water from some pump, situated, perhaps, as far on the outside the garden doors as tlie needy subjects are on the inside. Still, this is not all; during the busy period much watering is neglected under such circumstances. Let every one establishing a fruit aud vegetable garden seriously consider this. A piece of water of this kind may be circular ; may be of brick, cemented, or of stone ; the diameter may be partly ruled by the size of the garden, as disproportion is to be avoided : from eight to twelve feet diameter will convey an idea of what is meant. Wo have such here in three difl'ereut parts of the gardens, and they are always full, being fed by a Hyde.iulio Ram, which is one of the most useful engines ever invented. Each reservoir has a ball-tap, and then they are self-sustaining. Such reservoirs should be about fifteen to eighteen inches above the ground level, whatever there may be below it ; and, in some cases, it may be expedient to bring the drainage waters of the garden into it. Those who desire embellishment may choose a fountain in the centre, or may add rock-work, aquatics, and even gold and silver fish. One thiug I had almost forgotten to point to, and that is, the superiority of such aired and softened water over that of the pump. R. Ebrington. MEETING OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.— 15iH Maech, 18u3. This was the finest day of the first half of March, and the Meeting was unusually crowded. After every seat in the room was occupied, fasliionahle and more fashionable arrivals were announced, and chairs had to be mustered from a store which is kept in reserve for a heavy push like this The room was not overcrowded, however, with spring flowers; but we had several tilings of very great interest, nevertheless ; and tlie most so — as it appeared to me, and I judged from tlio way the atten- tion of the great " country party" was rivetted on that part of the Lecture — was a piece of the timber of Filz- roya Pattujoniea, from Mr. Standish : a handsome evergreen tree, which I lately described, and which is as hardy as our Yew, and seems to grow as fust as a Poplar. Now, we know the kind of timber it produces on the western slopes of the Patagonian Alps ; and wc can affirm that, in addition to its being one of the newest and most graceful-looking of all our hardy trees, it is also of the highest promise in respect to the yield of timber, and to its value when we have it in sufficient Maboh 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 499 quantity for sale. It seems aa hard asthe best maho- gany, and of a better colour, with the grain as close as the red cedar used for pencils, and very much in that style. I should not think it quite so heavy as maho- gany, but for all kinds of furniture and ornamental work, in which mahogany is now used, I should prefer the Fitzroij wood, because I am sure it will take a finer polish, and look richer than mahogany when stained or varnished. Then, if our hills and waste lands would produce such timber, and the great probability is that such will be the case, no wonder that the " landed interest " showed most attention and anxiety at this part of the lecture; so much so, that the drop of a pin would have made a noise. There was also a sample of the bark of Fitzroya exhibited, but not the very outer coating. The inner bark is very thick, soft to the touch, ! and of the same cedar colour as the wood. Some of those present thought the thickness of the bark was a provision of nature to screen the wood or tree from the rigour of the climate, which is proverbial along that range. But surely that, and otlier fanciful ideas to the same effect, must be altogether wrong. The bark of the Scotch Fir is not thicker at the northern extremity of its range, in Europe or America, than it is at the southern limit. And the Cork-tree fails to yield the bark of equal , thickness in the same ratio as it is introduced into a I more severe climate. j' The next greatest novelty was a seed-cone of one of the huge Pines growing in Moreton Bay, and other islands in the South Pacific— one of the Araucarias, called Bidwilliana, after Mr. Bidwill. This cone is not more than six or seven inches long, but its thickness is nearly equal to its length all the way through, and flat at both ends. It was said that this kind might stand out our climate in the south of Ireland, and even in the south of England, in dry, well-sheltered situations. But its great value could only be brought out in some of our colonies in a warmer climate, where, besides timber, shade, and shelter, the seeds of it would become an article of food. These seeds are nearly as large as beans, and as good and nourishing to eat. Speaking of food, we liad here, to-day, another instance of the value of gathering all sorts of useful plants into one place or garden to investigate their comparative merits. It is now found out, and proved beyond a doubt, that the Indian Corn which they grow at Cusco is as far superior to the Maize of North America, as is the distance between Washington and Cusco, or any part of the Bolivian Andes. We had several heads of the Cusco Maize on the table, in illustration and sup- port of all this. Experience does not say that this better Maize is more hardy for our climate ; but the fact of its being a better article at the diggings, or Algoa Bay, than the kind universally in use, should not be lost sight of If it was worth while to make a rush for the tea seeds distributed at the last meeting, surely this Cruseo Corn is worth looking after. If I were going out to Australia to-morrow, I know of a much better way of " digging for gold" than making holes and washing the earth. I would take out some of all the best vegetable seeds in Europe, the best salads, the best herbs, the best roots, the best of every thing ; and now that there is an Association (the Pomological and Horticultural) of influential people, formed on sound trade principles, and that they pay me a regular salary to be their Inspector, or kind of Exciseman, to look after stores, weights, and samples, I am now personally in- terested to see all these things packed in the best man- ner for all parts under the sun. Of Gut Flowers we had two beautiful Water Lilies (Nymphcea), the blue and white, from Mr. Weeks's stoves, the celebrated grower of the Victoria Water Lily in the open pond. He also sent a very beautiful Bromelwort on a block of wood, like a regular air plant. They call this a Puya, but that ia one of those modern invasions, now so common, of substituting new names for old ones, against which no legal claims can be produced. The real name is PourcUia lonyifolia ; Puya is a syno- nyme. The plant is a dense mass of small bastard bulbs, with long, narrow, hard, dry leaves, and grows on trees or rocks, or any support that comes in the way, just like an exotic orchid. It flourishes through the sum- mer, goes to rest in winter, when the leaves drop off, and then it looks as if it was a dead mass of tangled roots ; but in the spring the flower buds give the first note of returning life, and the leaves come soon after. When I first saw it at a distance, on entering the room, I mis- took it for a new scarlet iEschynanth, and that gives a good idea of the plant in flower. The flowers are nu- merous, and of the brightest scarlet hue ; they come directly from the roots, and continue five or six weeks, if not longer. This specimen was in flower for the last month, and it looked as fresh as ever; the price is from 10s. to 40s., according to size, and I should say it is as easy to grow as a Cactus or Piteairnea. There was a beautiful prickly Cayenne Pine Apple, weighing above o lb., from Mr. Bailey, of Shardeloes ; and before the meeting, there was a consultation upon Pines in general, among some grey heads, the result of which, and I promised to give it, was, that there are only three kinds of Pine Apples known that are deserving of cultivation in this country: — this Cayenne, the true Black Jamaica, and the Queen; and the latter they put down as only fit for table from May to October; the other two all the year round, and the only two worth tasting in winter ; — but that in many parts of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, a very inferior pine, with tremendous long leaves — the Monsermt Pine Apple — is cultivated under the name of Black Jamaica ; and that the whole breed of this Monserrat, Enviles, Uavannahs, and such like, ought to be annihilated, to make room for the three aforesaid. About Orapes I have seldom been more gratified than now. I am never satisfied without personally testing any new fruit or flower; and some may recollect what I said last autumn about this Society and the Black Barbarossa Grape. Let bygones be bygone, however ; but this is, without the slightest shadow of a doubt, a better hanging Grape than the Black St. Peter, and as good to eat as the Blaok Hamburgh, and the St. Peter is not better. On the 15th of March we bad two bunches of the Muscat of Alexandria, slightly shrivelled, it is true, but none the worse for tlie top of a dish in a flrst- rate dessert. Between the two was a bunch of the Black Barbarossa, looking just as fresh as it did last September, for I have examined the whole of it, round and roimd; the bloom was perfect also ; indeed, it looked so much like a bunch of this year's growth, that the lecturer had to tell the difference, for fear we shoidd run away with that idea, for we all had seen as good new grapes from Mr. Forbes, the Duke of Bedford's gardener, six weeks before. We had also the history of it in the lecture, as far as it can be traced. The late Mr. Ward, of the Isle of Wight, brought it first into notice, and gave cuttings of it to his friends. He gathered Grapes, and other fruits and flowers, from all parts of the world, to be compared, under his own eye, in that favourable climate, and this grape appears to have been his favourite ; but the memorandum about where he had it from was lost before the value of the fruit was ascertained, and so far, the name Barbarossa is fictitious ; and if the verdict of a certain number of gardeners, whose hair has turned grizzly cultivating the Black Harabrough, is of any worth'in this question, tlie Black Barbarossa is a seedling from the Black Hamhrough, and the best seedling, too, since the day the Esperione was first proved ; the new seedling being the best keeper of all Grapes, whatever, and the Esperwne the hardiest Grape of all the Black 500 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. Makoi ;ji. Haiiibrougb breed ; uud that 1 cau attest myself, from growing a collectiou of them agaiust each other, on the open wall, for ten years in suooession. 1 once grew a German Grape very much like this Barharossa, it was called Schwarzel Haniujlin. In the last week in Sep- tember, 1S3(J, it was ripe on the open wall, and I showed it to Mr. Thompson, tlie great authority for fruits at the Horticultural Society. Tliere have been some enquiries about the new Barharossa, but as the price is high, and the kind was not yet proved to our satisfaction, we rather put a damper on it ; but now there is no question about it, and we say, at once, that it requires the same kind of treatment as tlie Black Hambrough, and that it is the best keeping grape in cultivation ; and were it only to see tliis one question proved, no Fellow of the Society ought to grudge a joiu-ney to Regent Street. Of the Ore/t«/ family, the best in tlie room was,a large, fine specimen plant oi Dendrobhim iioh'ile Blandianum, a variety as superior to the old iiohile as nohile itself is to a Cuckoo flower. This was from the stoves of the society, wbere I saw it, for the first time, the day they were lifting the large tree ; and I saw another Den- drohium (speciosum) , that day, for the first time in flower, one of the most profusely lloweiing Orchids J ever set my eye upon; and one, which I have since learned, that several people flowered this winter, without knowing what it really was, and had to send spikes of it to London to learn the name. This, one of the oldest of Orchids, is one of the easiest to keep, but the worst to flower, without a particular treatment, such as, I believe, Mr. A))pleby recommended. I also saw a lovely new Orchid, in the same liouse, which opened its beautiful flowers this montli, for the first time in England. It is a Cattleija, called, or to be called, jmllida. It belongs to the same section as Mosdic, and had two flowers on each shoot; the colour, all over, is a mixture of snow-white, soft cream, and light violet, just such a flower as one might wish for a wedding nosegay, and, like many of them, they long continue in their prime. One cannot write a word about new Orchids without the wish recurring thnt wc could cross them, so as to render them more liardy, if not varied in colours and less difficult to manage for amateurs ; but, in truth, we can cross them easily enough, and get the seeds to ripen, too, and the seed is as small as the dust in the sun-beam — the difficulty is to get them to sprout, or vegetate, and that difficulty has often been overcome. I, for one, had some hundreds of them in life ; but the greatest difficulty of all is to rear them the first season, and no one has yet got over that. But a friend of mine, who is most successful with the more rare and curious things we handle, has just consented to give these Orchid seeds another trial this season, under quite a new and ori- ginal system, of which both of us entertain great hopes, and I promised to ask for seeds, from all parts, through TiiK Cottage Gardenkk; and I do, hereby, most earnestly appeal to each and every grower of Orchids who reads this page, to look out among his plants and see if he can pick up a pod, empty it in a j^acket, and inclose it for me. J t is of little consequence what the kind of Orchid may be — any one will do to test the experiment; but I should like to receive as many kinds as possible, and whatever the issue may be we sliall put it on record for, the use of others. But to return to the meeting in Regent-street. The garden of the Society furnished the best of the green- house spring flowers without forcing. Trymallum odvratissiiniim, trained as an upright bush, was feathered all round, and from the edge of the pot, with creamy-wliite flowers, on slender spikes and spike- lels, after tlie fashion of Ceanothus a~iireus. This is certainly a very desirable plant to grow for early flower- ing, and it is as easy to grow and flower as a l''uchsia ; and when cuttings of it are taken from a flowering plant they begin to flower as soon as they form roots. I have seen lots of it so lately in Mr. -Jackson's show house, but the flowers are individually so small, tliat without it is a large specimen plant it makes little show. Acacia celaslrifolia, a very dwarf species, was in full bloom, the branches drooping down over the pot. Years ago, when one mentioned the name of Acacia, it gave the rest the horrors, because no one could build houses then half large enough ior them ; but now. since we have got the race of low bushy ones, they are among the most fashionable plants we have, and deservedly so, seeing hew easy they are to grow, to keep, and to bloom, at a time when flowers are most wanting ; for, with a good supply of water at the roots, they can easily be Ibrced to liloom veiy early in the spring ; oi-, if they arc kept in close cold pits, after flowering, till the midale or end of June, they will flower very early without any more forcing. 1 have seen some in bloom in November. Pohicjala Dalmaitiana, a good vai-iety in the way of arandi/tvra, seems to be a most usefid spring plant, as of late years it figured away in the prize collections at the May shows, and now seeing it in fine bloom two mouths earlier is as much as to say you can do anything with it. Spring Heaths, Bjmcrises, and Cytisus ramosus, alias rodophne, and Ceanothus rigidus, make up the bulk of the rest of this class of flowers, and almost every- body knows all about them. Besides all these, the special things for which prizes were ofl'ered were Salad jdants, forced Strauberries in pots, and Ilijhrid Bhododendrons. Old gardeners know very well how difficult it is to show a fine lot of Straw- berries in pots, such as Mr. McEwen, gardener to the Duke of Norfolk, sent up last spring; and young gar- deners in the country think they would be only laughed at if they were to send up such things in competition against Covent Garden market, where all the best things in the world are sent to. Therefore, " between two stools," the prizes that have been offered for winter salad plants, and forced vegetables and fruit, have not been hard fought for yet, except the " brush " between Mr. Fleming and Mr. Burns, gardener to I-,ord Stanhope, and the full collections from the grounds of the Society's own gardens, which were very good each time. But the best result of the Society's offerings is, that several varieties of the same kind of thing are shown side by side, so that one can see with one eye, at one glance, and in a warm, comfortable room in the heart of Loudon, what has taken months and months to arrive at, out in the open country, and under all weathers. Next year wo are promised to have, not a skirmish, or an oU'-haud battle, but a regular war to the very roots. Many of the country party have pledged their forces ; the right kinds of seeds are to be ordered now : and country gardeners are to invade London next winter, determined to take it by force, if not by their forcing products. Mr. Burns' collection of Salad plants at this Meeting wore, blanched cnthe-lenxed Ohicori/ : curled and Bata- vian EndiBc; Bath-Cos, and hardy-green Lettuce: American, Normandy, Curled, Golden, and Water Cresses ; Italian Corn Salad — the best of all Corn- Salads ; White Mustard ; conmion Garden Sorrel ; Burnet; Red Beet; Chervil: Cole's Dwarf red Celery ; Tarraijon ; early frame Radishes ; Chives ; and 'Tripoli Onions. D. Beaton. GARDENING STRUCTURES. The modes of treating gardening structures will now be occupying much attention, as not only will many bo thinking of building for another season, but hero, with the weather of Christmas in a Good Friday week, many will have to nuiko sundry make-shifts with tlieir jireseut conveniences. 'The rearing of a structure for jilanls, either for ornament or utility, is a good beginning; but \ March 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 501 to prevent future disappoiutment, tlie means of heating it at will should be left as no future haphazard affair. Much of the comfort and economy will consist in the matter being seen to while the house is building, as no breaking of walls or floors will be needed afterwards. We have already alluded to the importance of large bottles, filled with hot water, for keeping out frost from small places, and a Subscriber has lately testified to their utility. We have seen a neat little house, into which the parlour opened, heated by water circulating in small tin pipes, heated by placing a naptha lamp uuder a small concave-bottomed tin kettle in the back kitchen. A late number detailed, how, in urban and suburban districts, where gas is easily and economically oomeatable, small places could be heated by sending the heat from the burning gas through small iron pipes, according to Mr. Guthill's plan ; and not seldom, modes have been detailed, how, when circumstances were favourable, and the kitchen and greenhouse somewhat contiguous, and on a similar level, two pipes fi."ced in the kitchen boiler, with stop-cocks to be used when wanted, would supply an easy mode of heating a greenhouse. From not attending to some of these little matters some disappointments have taken place when this last mode has been adopted. We will, therefore, mention a few essentials to success. — 1st. When the lid of the boiler is moveable, the water in the pipes in the house must not be higher than the top of the boiler, otherwise it would flow over. 3ndly. When the boiler has a fixed lid, and is supplied by a pipe from a cistern at a con- siderable altitude, the water may easily be raised, as much as the height of one story of rooms above another. 3rdly. Jn thus raising, it is advisable that the rise should be gradual to the very extremity of the flow- pipe ; and then a gradual descent from tlie return-pipe to the boiler. Every dip and bend, upwards and down- wards, suddenly exposes you to a lodging of air at these points every time the pipes cool ; and, unless you leave small upright open tubes, fixed in the pipes at these places, to let the air escape as the water presses on it, you will have no circulation ; few things being less moveable by heat than a column of air enclosed and pressed upon by two columns of water. A small open tube at such places, when unavoidable, from a quarter to half-inch diameter, is better than turn-cooks or air- pumps, as it is always safe and self-acting. It should be fixed at the ridge of the bend. 4thly. It will be necessary to have a yard, at least, of stout iron piping next the boiler, as other metals might be easier injured by the fire ; but after that distance, we would not be particular as to the material for conveying the water to the iron pipes in the house; for though the other week lead was mentioned as being objectionable for this purpose, we have, in practice, seen no sufficient reason for objecting to it ; while, if the distance to be traversed is considerable, it possesses, we think, two advantages ; namely, less power than iron of radiating heat, and, therefore, conducting it to the house better; and then, the ease with which it may be bent in any direction, and the necessity for many joints that would be obviated. A pipe of three-quarters of an inch diameter would be sufficient as a carrying medium to a small house; though one inch might be better; but it is amazing how small a pipe will maintain a brisk circulation. As corroborative of the last position, and as likely to be interesting, we mention the following facts : — In an unheated division of a range of houses, it became de- sirable to exclude frost in winter, and therefore a single pipe was taken, parallelogram fashion, round the middle of the house, the pipe rising for half its length gentlj', and then depressing as gently to the boiler. At this highest point a hole was bored in the metal pipe to receive a cook, such as is used for a beer barrel, to let of}' the air when it accumulated ; for the simple and more efticacious plan of an open tube rising to the height of several feet was not fashionable then. In course of time it became desirable to be able to give a tempera- ture of (30° to this house, instead of 4(1°, but how to do so, simply and economically, and without interfering with the pipe and boiler, was the question. Well, we solved it in this way. Near to the highest point in the pipe we constructed, beneath the stage, a sparred table, six inches higher than the pipe, to support a zinc box ortank, six feetin lengtli, three feet in breadth, and four inches deep. The tank was divided into three divisions, \ except at the respective ends, by strips of zinc of the ' above depth soldered to the bottom, which thus kept lid ; and bottom from collasping, and helped the circulation. ] A lead pipe had one end fixed to the stop cock above re- \ ferred to, and the other end inside of this table tank at the south-east corner. A similar pipe was fixed inside the bottom of the tank at the north-west corner, and the other end to a similar cock, or spiggot, fixed in the pipe, ^ after it had begun to decline to tlie boiler. The tank was then nearly tilled with water, and as soon as the pipes were heated the circulation in the tank com- menced, and the water was soon as hot as that in the pipes, while the bottom sides and top being all zinc, the radiation of heat was great. Now, what we wish to impress are two different things. First, that the whole of the heating and cir- culation in this table-tank were effected through the small openings in the valves of two common beer-barrel spigots. Perhaps, if the small pipe had been joined to the first metal pipe at once, the heating might have been as well effected ; but we wished to have the power of shutting off the heat from this tank at pleasure. The second inference is, that every reader, who heats his house pretty frequently with hot-water pipes, may thus easily obtain a tank for securing bottom-heat for jiropagating purposes, by connecting it at one corner with the flow- jiipe, all the precaution necessary being that the bottom of his tank, in such circumstances, had better be as high as the top of his flow-pipe. Our readers are aware that, by making a substantial tank in the first place, no pipes besides those connecting the boiler and the tank would be necessary ; and, with the exception near the furnace above referred to, lead will furnish the I easiest connecting medium. One of the cheapest, best acting, and most durable, without repairs, tanks we have come across, was made of yellow deal, as carefully con- I structed as a brewer's cooling vessel, and covered with ' slate. Two lead pipes communicated with the boiler, I and steam, or vapour, .vvas obtained at pleasure, either by watering the slate, or removing places left for openings. We consider that tanks for bottom-heat, with hot-water pipes running through them, are tine things, in these utilitarian days, for those who can draw largely from their gold mines. We have no difficulty in procuring bottom-heat from pipes surrounded with rouble, and when we want a moist bottom-heat, all we have to do is to throw water amongst the stones, bricks, &c. But this last is a matter we cannot enter upon here. Where much is to be done, hot-water we believe to be the cheapest and the best in the end, as, if the furnace and boiler are large enough, several houses and many pits may be heated from one furnace. In the case, however, of those friends who have merely a small house, and who cannot conveniently adopt any of the modes at first alluded to, then we are somewhat doubtful of the propriety of recommending them to have an independent hot-water apparatus, however small. Where a furnace must be constructed on purpose, we would be inclined, even on the score of economy and neatness, to recommend the old-fashioned flue, and to place it out of 503 THE COTTAGE GARDENEE. Maach 31. sight beneath the floor. There is no hot-water a)ipa- ratiis, however well fixed, but lets a portion of its licat up the chimney ; and, therefore, when using this mode for a large house, it would be advisable to carry a fluo ! thi"ougli tlie north wall. Keeping in mind that we recommend a ilue only in such small greenhouses, we will illustrate what we mean, by a case. We had such a small house, sixteen feet long, nine feet wide, eleven feet ' high at back wall, and seven feet in front, four of that being glass. One end was a part of a garden wall, against which the heating power was to be placed, and the other end was mostly glass. An average temperatnre of 40° in cold weather was wanted. I applied to a trades- ' man, but as he asked ^£15 for what we had calculated might be done handsomely for Jcf), as we were to find ' the labour and materials of setting the boiler, and con- structing the chimney, wc left the matter in abeyance, ultimately finding it was no go, the demand was greatly reduced. By this time, we had thought that pipes would be rather in the way, wherever placed, and had resolved upon having a small flue beueath the floor, which was covered with nine-inch paving tiles. A paa't at the doorway consisted of stone flooring, which we did not wish to disturb, so that the length of the flue, before it turned, was only twelve feet, instead of sixteen feet, I makiugtwenty-fourfeetin all. We removed as many tiles I near the front of the house, andwhatearth we calculated exactly would be necessary ; we fixed a small furnace out- | side the wall, so that the bars of the grating were fifteen i inches below the bottom of the flue ; aud inside the ! house, the sloping rise to the bottom of the flue was bedded with fire-brick ; the bottom of the rest of the flue | consisted of common house slate, bedded on the earth j in a little mortar. The flue was from four to five inches ! wide — we intended to form it of two bricks on edge — I but wishing to have a hollow place on each side of the go and return flue, so as to give out more beat to the tiles above, the go and return flues being placed side by side, we used three bricks on bed for strength, the three walls thus serving for the two flues ; ou the tO]) of these slate was again bedded in such a manner that the joints of the slate were crossed by the joints of the paving tiles, which were bedded on the slates with a layer of good mortar between them. It will be seen that the tiles next the flue rest partly on the top of the flue, and partly on the earth on which the floor is laid, leaving a hollow space. A very small fire is felt in a few minutes, and we are rather afraid to state how long a bushel of coals and cinders kept up the Tequisite heat in the coldest weather wo have bad this season. In such a position, we would be glad to know of any other mode that would be preferable. Mr. Snow, as previously recorded, has several houses heated in a similar manner. At the point where the flue turns we can take off a tile, and clean in a few minutes ; the soot being shoved in one branch to the furnace, and in the other to a move- able iron plate in the chimney. R. Fisu. THE PELARGONIUM. ( Continued from paije 48i.) DisE..isE. — Tlic Spot. — This disease is so nanied^ because it first appears as a small spot near the centre of an otherwise healthy leaf It gradually spreads until the whole loaf turns yellow and drops off if not removed by hand. The great cause of this disfiguring pest is over-excitement, by heat and moisture during the latter part of summer, and then reducing both these stimulants through autunm and winter. Tlio propor- tion then between the root action and the surface of the leaf is disarranged, and, the plants having more leaves ] than they require in such a low temperature to carry ou the functions of growth, parts of the leaves will | become diseased or gangrened, with ulcerated sjiots, a state of life in the plant induced to ease itself of a too great number of leaves. When a plant is in this con- dition, a low, close atmosphere greatly aggi'avates the disease, causing it to spread to more leaves than it otherwise would if the internal air of the bouse was purer aud drier. The remedy is obvious — it would not answer to keep up the summer-heat, and amount of water through these late months, for that would cause ' them to grow weak and lanky, and the leaves would bo of a sickly pale colour — that remedy would be worse than the disease. The only means left, then, are to give plenty of air, and keep the walks, &c. as dry as possible, and to remove instantly every leaf that appears the least diseased. In very damp, foggy weather, it would be advisable to give a small amount of artificial heat early in the morning, giving air in the upper parts of the house at the same time. This will cause the stag- nant air, overloaded with noxious damp vapom's, to fly ofl' into the external atmosphere, and the internal air will be purified. By adopting these precautions the disease will gradually disappear, and the plants will show, by renewed health and colour, that the desired cure has been effected. 4th. Section. — Preparing tor Exiiicition. — The cultivator, having paid due attention to his plants in regard to cultivating them, aud getting them into bloom in full perfection when the day of exhibition arrives, will be examining and watching his plants with peculiar interest for three weeks before that time comes. Tliey should be trained about that time, so as to have each truss of bloom arranged so as not actually to touch each other, and yet to be so close as to form a dense mass of bloom above the foliage. All blooms likely to be over before the day should be cut ofl' at once, close to the branch, so as not to show they have been in exis- tence. About a week before the show each truss should be tied firmly to a stick to keep it in its place, and these should remain till they arrive at the place of exhibition, that is, if they have to travel a considerable distance, as much, say, as four or five miles, or more. This is rather a troublesome aflair; but if not adopted, it is more than likely many of the blooms wiU, by shaking against each other, be bruised, and rendered unfit for competi- tion. To afford time, the plants sliould arrive at their destination two or three hours before they are required to be placed on the stage. Any packing the trusses of bloom with cotton, or other kinds of wool, should always be avoided ; it is so difficult to remove without injuring the flowers. Supposing they arrive in good condition, then remove the sticks carefully, ]nck ofl' all injured blossoms, and place them in their appointed place. Should the day be hot, a good watering previous to placing them on the stage will keep them fresh and blooming through the day. Arrangement. — The largest plants should be placed in the back row, and the smaller in front. Place them so that every bloom can be seen. A wedge of w-ood put under the back of each pot will serve greatly to efl'ect this, especially if applied to the back row ; but the wedge should not bo so thick as to give the plants a leaning- forward appearance, but just enough to show off the plants and blooms to perfection. Tiio colours are worthy of some attention in arranging. Two scarlets, or two crimsons, should not bo placed together, neither sliould two light-coloured ones be in juxtaposition. The Pelargonium produces plenty of choice in shades of colour to arrange them so as to have a very jileasiug eflect. Deep colours set oft' each other very beautifully ; as, for instance, a glowing crimson-scarlet, like Turner's Mat/net, is greatly enhanced in colour if 2'laced next to such a bright pink-red as Gaines's Salamamler, aud the colour of that is bi'ightencd if placed next to such a March 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 503 nlear white as Arnold's Virgin Queen: next to that pure colour, one with a deep purple, such as Alonzo, adds greatly to the beauty of both. Tlieso examples will be sufficient to guide the amateur in arranging the colours of his blooms to the greatest advantage. Mode of Gonveijanee. — Tlie best conveyance for large plants is a wide, close-covered spring van or vans, with four wheels each. In this place a layer nine inches thick of coal-ashes, just moist enough not to be dusty, and not so wet as to cling to or dirty the pots. Set each plant close to the bottom of the van, and do not let them touch each other. Some place a long strand of mat round each plant, drawing the branches closer together, in order to get more plants into the van ; but this is very injudicious, as the blooms then rub against each other, and are disfigured thereby. It is better and safer, and more economical in the end, to have, rather than crowd them, an extra van if one will not hold the collection. As each plant is placed in the van, let the packer press the ashes firmly to the pot, to prevent it slipping out of its place in going up or coming down a hill. The driver should be a careful, attentive man, and keep his eyes constantly upon the road during the journey. He should, if possible, avoid every loose stone or deep hole, iu order to keep the plants steady, and shake the blooms as little as possible ; a constant atten- tion to this point will save the plants many a jolt, and bring them safely to their destination.. The Pelar- gonium, with moderate care, may be conveyed safely a great distance ; in proof of which I need only mention that the Messrs. Veitch, of Exeter, have sent them all the way from that place to London, brought them safe and fresh, and taken a prize with their collection. I have now gone through the whole course of Pelar- gonium culture as an exhibition plant. I shall, in my next paper on this subject, give, as proposed at page 305, a list of the best varieties for 1853. T. Appleby. PRESERVATIVE WALLS. {Continued from page i62.) LIST OF SUITABLE PLANTS. PiiTospoBUM ToBiRA (Tobira Pittosporum). — An evergreen, slow-growing, handsome-foliaged shrub, with stalliless clusters of pui'e white sweet-scented flowers. PiTxospoBD5i UNDULATcii (Wavy-lcaved Pittosporum). — The leaves of this species are longer and thinner than the preceding, and besides this, they are undulated, that is, parts of the leaves rise up, and the other parts sink down, giving it the appearance of the waves of the sea; hence its specific name. The flowers are produced in loose panicles, and are white and green in colour. Like the P. tobira, they are sweet-scented. These two species are both evergreen and hardy enough to bear our winters against a cold wall, if sheltered with a mat in severe weather. PoNioA GR.iNATCM (The Pomegranate). — This well- known shrub is not hardy, excepting against a wall. The flowers are large, and of a rich scarlet-colour. They are produced on small twigs ; hence, in pruning them, a large quantity of these twigs should be left on the branches. The flower-buds are very beautiful, even before the flowers expand. There are several varieties, all distinguished by variations iu colour; but the original species is by far the finest ; the double red being an exception — it is still more beautiful. In the North, this tine tree requires protection to bloom it well ; yet it will not bloom well in a greenhouse, probably because it does not obtain there a sufficient amount of rest during winter. The best bloomed plant I ever saw was planted against a west wall, in a stable-yard that was paved close up to the stem ; the soil was thin and poor, but very dry, conditions that most likely were favour- able to the production of these beautiful flowers. I never saw it fruit in this country ; but I have no doubt it would produce its beautiful fruit in a preservatory. Raphiolepis. — A genus of shrubs, with evergreen foliage and handsome flowers. All from Cliina, and hardy enough to bear our winters on a glass-covered wall, without heat. They arc very little known, though most of them have been introduced more than twenty years ago. The species are, S. indioa, R. phcenoatemon, brown stameued. S. rubrum, red, and M. salioifolia, willow- leaved. Rhododendron ahdokeum (The Tree Rhododendron). — Though this fine species is strictly a conservatory plant; yet it may be planted with a good effect against a wall. It is so nearly liardy, that no artificial heat is required to protect it. It flowers so early, that the blossoms are always injured by late frosts, if they are cultivated in the open air. The splendid trusses of bloom of a dazzling scarlet, bright crimson, rich purple, and pure white, render all the varieties desirable j plants for a glass-covered wall. They all require a i large mixture of sandy peat amongst the soil. Rhododendron campanulatuji (Bell-flowered Rhodo- dendron).— This distinct species is not quite hardy, and though a slow grower is well deserving a place against a sheltered wall. The flowers are of a pleasing pink hue, spotted with brownish crimson. Rhododendron Gibsonii (Mr. Gibson's Rhododen- dron, sometimes called R. formosum). — It is a fast grow- ing species, with foliage like an Azalea. The flowers are very large, of a blush-white colour, and are generally produced in pairs, from the axils of the leaves, towards the ends of the shoots. They are slightly perfumed. It requires protection from frost. It is a most beautiful species, and should be grown in every collection. Rosa (The Rose). — If the preservatory is on a large scale, a few of the best Tea Roses and hybrid China Roses may be planted with good effect ; they will bloom ■ early and late, and will not be injured by heavy rains, or late and early frosts. ScHOTiA Speciosa (Showy Schotia). — A plant from the Cape of Good Hope ; very seldom seen in flower ; but, when planted against a wall covered with glass, it will bloom freely when old. The flowers are produced at the ends of the strong short shoots : hence these only should be left on the tree; all weak ones should be pruned away. SiPHOCAMPVLos BETUL/EFOLius (Blrch - leaved Sipho- campylos). — It is not generally known that this hand- some free-flowering plant is generally hardy, as is also S. bicolor. They are both worthy of a place against a glass-covered wall, on account of their ju'etty flowers, which are produced all the summer. In such a situation they grow much finer than in a pot. The first has red flowers, and the other red and yellow blooms. SoLLYA. — A genus of half-hardy climbers. I do not generally advise the planting of climbers against a wall of this description, because they would overrun more valuable plants; but this genus is an exception. They are twiners, and will run up and twist round a wire, or wires, which should be placed behind the plants for that purpose. Their foliage is small, and, therefore, will not shade other plants ; and their flowers are of a pleasing blue colour, and produced profusely, the whole length of the shoots. ■ The species suitable are S. angustifolia (Narrow-leaved) ; S. heterophglla (Various-leaved) ; S. linearis (Narrow-leaved) ; and 8. salioifolia (Willow- leaved). If these four species are procured, and planted at equal distances, and upright wire rods fixed a little distance from the wall, for the shoots to twine round, they will produce a good efiect. Stbanvesia glaucesoens (Grey Stranvesia). — A rare, and almost evergreen, shrub from Nepaul, with white 504 THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. March 31. flowers, like those of the Apple. It is named in honour of the Hon. W. ¥. Strangways, an assiduous cultivator of hardy flowers in the open air of Dorset. This plant will live and flower against a wall covered with glass, without heat. SoTiiERCiNDiA FROTEscENs (Shrubby Sutlierlandia) . — A charming, quick-growing shrub, with pinnate leaves, and rich scarlet flowers. It is a very ancient plant, having been introduced from the Cape more than two hundred years ago. Sdtherlandia jtTCROPHYLEA (Small-leaved Sutber- laudia). — This is of more recent introduction, and is equally, if not more beautiful than the preceding. Both will bear a moderate degree of frost without injury, but it is safer to plant them against a wall, and protect them with mats through severe frost. T. Al-PLEBY. {To be conliiitied.) ECONOMICAL ARRANGEMENT OF KITCHEN GARDEN CROPS. As the frosts we had towards the end of February, and subsequently, have, in most cases, destroyed the early crops of Peas (we mean those sown in November), which promised to be early, and which the unusual mild weather of the usual winter months drew up to an improper length, the successional crops, which are those sown a little before Christmas, will now be the most forward, unless some portion of the other was protected by something more than mere boughs. It is, therefore, important to allow the most forward all the advantages tliat can be given them, in order to hasten their bearing. Sticks of a suitable kind must be ap- plied; and any small crop, as Spinach, &c., that may be occupying a temporary place between tlie rows, must be removed before it does any harm by running to seed, &c. ; in fact, it would be better to dispense with such crops at this important period, for the welfare of the Peas ought not to be sacrificed for trifles. Supposing there not to have been any such crop, the ground should be frequently stirred between the rows, in order for it to benefit by the action of the atmosphere ; and the grow- ing crop to be treated with those subtle, yet highly beneficial, gases, whicli newly turned-up ground gives oti' in such abuudance. These, aud other encouraging opera tions, will hasten on the croj), so that though it cannot be expected tliat those sown in December will be lit to gather on the same day of the month as those of former years sown in November, yet, if the season prove at all propitious, they will not be many days behind; and, most likely, will fully equal their more early-sown com- peers in the abundance of the crop — other things con- sidered ; but, as Peas for after-use must also be sown, it is proper here to take a view of the many kinds wc have to choose from. It is almost a pity that the attempts to reduce our seed-lists within moderate bounds has not met that response from buyers which it ought to do. The thirst for novelty seems so deeply implanted in om' nature, and we are so easily made the victims of our credulity, that no sooner does an unscrupulous dealer announce an article, say an " Early Pea," which comes in a hdl week before the most forward one known, that we never stop to enquire whether tliis "Nonsuch" be a really distinct article, and proving so by its growth, or bearing, or some other point; or whether the distinc- tion consists of some clever ]iiece of legerdeiuaiu, whereby a bag of Charltons can be converted into half- a-dozen first-rate early sorts, each a week or ton days earlier tlian any oilier known. This latter system of multiplying kinds is attributable to that itching desire for novelty, which, as we have just said, is a common feature in the horticultural world ; neither do we sec any just reason for checking it than a caution as to whom they deal with ; as a respectable tradesman is unwilling to risk his reputation by sending out an article under his own sanction, without having some knowledge of its qualification as likely to serve the pur- pose intended. Peas are, however, some exception to this rule, because the common kinds (which, it is feared, forms the " stock" of many new-fashioned-named ones,) are generally good, the Early Frame, Kent, and Charl- ton being all good Peas, and each capable of producing good, useful crops under ordinary circumstances; so that, in reality, the loss is not so great in this way as in many other instances where an old variety is puffed forward under a new name. Leaving, therefore, such things to purify themselves, it behoves the amateur, and those of small means, to plant a good useful variety of Pea for his second or principal crop, in place of an uncertain or novel one — and as our seedsmeus' lists present a sufficient array of names, classed in accordance with their height and other peculiarities, there will be no difficulty in the amateur finding out which of them is likely to suit his purpose best ; but, if be should find any difficulty, or wish for advice, we may say that the British Queen, and Champion of England are both good Peas — the former the tallest ; and as they bear well, and are generally esteemed at table, their qualifications are all that are wanted. Supposing, therefore, that these kinds were determined on, and that ground for the purpose of growing them on was scarce, aud ought to be made the most of — we woidd look round and arrange the general cropping, so as to have Peas planted in some place where an after-crop could also be introduced while they were still growing, which after-crop would, at the time the Peas were removed, require all the power for its own use. Now, this kind of "remove" system is applicable to many things, as well as that which we are now especially speaking of ; but, as our remarks bear more particularly to that, we may say, that if, after looking over the ground at disposal, and considering where the ]]riueipal crop of Celeri/, l]'iHter Brueoii, and Oreens are to be planted, arrangements might be made witli some of these, whereby Peas may be grown on the same spot as well. If Celery trenches were dug out, aud a little more than the usual width allowed for ridge. Peas might be sown on these ; or, it might be. Potatoes planted ; and at the proper time, the Celery, as the legitimate crop, might be planted also; which, though it would not progress perhaps so well as if without the Peas, yet it would have a sufficient season left after the other was removed; and consequently wo>dd, in most cases, re- cover its proper position eie winter came on. The various members of the winter and late spring Brocoli, &c., offer still better chances for Peas lieing planted between them ; and in fact, where ground is scarce, and everything has to he made of it, it becomes a matter of importance to take as many crops of it as possible ; only, it must bo borne in mind, that when the Teas or other temi>orary crop be planted, the ground should bo measured, so as to be available for the after-crop, without eventually showing that recourse had been had to such an economical mode of cultivation; for that purpose, there- fore, rows of Peas should be six or eiglit feet apart, in order to allow three or four rows of Brocoli, aud at two feet distance — and though it is not common to allow Celery so much room between rows, yet, where ad- visable, a row of Peas should occupy only every other ridge ; or, it may be, that a wide cross ridge or trench may be adopted, and then there is abundant room for botii Peas and Celery. Should, however, uone of these modes be apjn'oved of, Peas may lie sown in rows on the open ground, about the same number of feet apart March 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 505 I that they are in height; this forms a very good cri- terion for the inexperienced, and but little is gained by having them closer. On the contrary, the crop is cer- tainly less on a given space of ground by their being crowded together. Sundries. — Examine the various pots or pans of Chilies, Tomatos, Vegetable Marrow, and other jilants which it is common to raise in hotbeds in spring, to plant out when confirmed summer weather arrives; these should be jjotted oft", and re-potted as occa- sion requires, and more sown if needs be. llidge Ououmhers slioukl also be sown in pots plunged in heat, and the same said of some of the more tender sweet lierbs, as Basil, Sweet Marjoram, &c., &c. ; and, if not sown before, a few seeds of Indian Corn may be put in by those who have a wish to see this singular addition to onr cereals, as it is likely to arrive sooner at perfection, and that of a more supe- rior kind, if raised in the first instance in pots; but then it must not be allowed to become "pot-bound;" otherwise it is stunted in its growth to sucli a degree as to cripple its future efforts. Examine the beds in which Cucumbers and Melons are growing, and maintain a brisk, yet steady heat ; and more of eacli kind may be sown, if required; pot- ting-off, in due course, all that require it. Finish the planting of Potatoes on such grounds as the adverse weather rendered necessary to postpone ; and plant Beans and other tilings on the same soils. Sow a few early Turnips on some sheltered border facing the south, which, however, must be protected at nights, after they come up, otherwise a very slight frost is said to make tliem run to seed aftewards. Lettuce may also be sown, both of the Gos and Cabbage kinds ; and the same may be said of Cauliflowers, and, of course. Spinach must be sown to meet the demands at the proper time; while CncroJs may be delayed a week or solonger, if the season be adverse ; as, likewise, may Red Beet, Salsa/y, and Scorzonera ; but Parsnips, if not sown before, ought to be done witliout delay ; and such things as Radishes, and similar small crops must be sown, as the wants of the family require other things in the same way. And the ordinary routine-worli of digging vacant ground, preparing hot dung, composts, &c., attended to in due course ; and though last, not least, that proper regard paid to neatness in all things, without which good cultivation and management are only half accomplislied, while its presence gives that finish to objects, which brings them considerably nearer to that position we advise all to point to — i.e. "perfection." J. Robson. AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS FOR MARCH. Dkaining being one of the most important operations of the farming business, upon all those soils which are damaged by a superabundance of water, I beg to call the attention of parties intending lo drain their land to the fact, that the month of March is the best time of the year for setting out tlie work for di-ainers. The land about tliis period generally begins to dry — ap- pearing white on the surface ; and, after the heavy rains of the winter months, those fields, or parts of fields, which ai-e naturally dry, mil thus fii-st evince the eflects of dry weather ; and, on tlie other hand, tlie land whicli is natu- rally wet, or which is affected by springs rising to the surface, will point out, by the damp, dark, and undried appearance of the surface, the exact position of such spots as require to be drained. This will give the drainer an opportunity of planning his work with the greatest nicety and precision, and enable him to work with the greatest economy in the outlay, as well as to eii'ect the most jjerfect drainage of the soil. Those soils in which gravel or sand predominate will be found to suti'er most from springs, and generally recjviire only partial drainage, more particularly where the land is billy, and irregular in character, alternating between sand, gravel, and clay. It will be found that draining operations upon the above-named soils can always be most advan- tageously laid out where the land is under tillage, having a fallow surface ; for the first dry weather in spring will exhibit, as it were, a map, whereon the wet and dry portions of the field will be distinctly marked. Upon level land of uniform nature and quality, where draining is required, it may be considered comparatively unimportant when the work is set out, because suoli lands generally require to be drained at nearly equal depth and distance between the drains ; indeed, upon soils requiring thorough draining, as it is termed, the work may be laid out and executed either with a turf or fallow surface, and at almost any period of the year with equal advantage. The foregoing observations are intended only to draw attention to the best season for laying out draining work ; but it is intended, at a future time, to enlarge upon the subject, by shewing the best depth and distance for placing drains, according to the natm'e of the land, and the best materials to be used for effecting permanent and entire drainage of different soils. Oat-soa\ino. — The season has now arrived when the management and preparation of the land intended to be sown with Oats must engage om- attention. No doubt the laud has all been ploughed, where it is intended for the oat crop either to follow wheat or grass lea of last year — if pot, tlie sooner it is ploughed the better, otherwise the slight frosts and drying winds peculiar to the month of March will not produce the usual beneficial etlects in pid- verising and chastening the soil; neither will it be possible to have the seed sown, as it should be, before the commence- ment of the month of April. All kinds of Oats will be found to yield better, both as regards quantity and quaUty, when sown in the March month. The most difficult operation is the preparation of land for the oat crop, after feeding turnips on the land with sheep, particularly upon loamy land, which lias been trodden during wet weather. It is a common practice to plough the land, in such a case, immediately after the sheep have left the field, be it ever so heavy, and after a short time has elapsed to plough the second time, and then sow the seed ; but the most advantageous plan, and the least expensive, will be found in allowing the land to remain until it is intended to be sown (which will give it time to get firm and mellow), then to plough a moderate depth — say three inches — sow the seed, harrow and roll the land perfectly fine, either the same day as ploughed, or the next day, as may be most convenient. In this manner a fine tilth will be insured, favourable both for the Oats and Clover seeds, which ai-e usually sown at the same time. Oats generally succeed best sown broadcast : about four bushels per acre will be sufficient seed, where the land is in good cultivation. The Wireicoi-m is a great enemy to the Oat crop, when sown after Turnips eaten oft" by sheep ; it is, therefore, a good plan to sow half-a-bushel of Barley per acre with the Oats, when intended for home consumption, as it improves the produce, both in quantity and value, and goes far to insure a plant of corn when attacked by the mreworm, for it often happens that the Oats are eaten by the worm and the Barley left almost untouched. The Barley grows more rapidly than the Oats, and thus insures a crop. The best kind of Oats for sowing on good loamy or strong soils, are the Black Tartarian, being good for a crop, and of fair quality, usually weighing 3(ilbs. to 38 lbs. per bushel. There are also other advantages attached to the growth of these Oats — they do well upon hilly and exposed situations, and, being firmly set, they do not readily shed their seed, or whip off with the wind at harvest ; they wiU also stand . longer without loss, in case the harvest is delayed by the pressure of other work, or the scarcity of labour. The While Scotch Potato Oats, and the Black Siberian kind, will be found well adapted for any dry soils in good condition, and upon level land, not much exposed to wind ; they often prove very productive, and of excellent quality, weighing from 381bs. to 4'-! lbs. per bushel, but they always require to be cut before they are quite ripe, and the harvest cannot be delayed without risk and loss. o06 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. IiFakch 31. When manui'e is required for the Oat crop, the test kind is guano. It is wonderful the effect of an application of two hundredweiglit of Peruvian guano per acre, han'owed in mth the seed. The writer has seen the crop increased by this application from six quarters to nine qviaiters per acre, with an increase in the value of straw sufttcient to pay the cost of the manure, thus leaving three quarters of corn per acre as the profit.* — J. Blundell. ALLOTMENT EARMING— Apbii.. We have once more arrived at that delightful period of spring, whem a pecuUar buoyancy of spirit gives elasticity to the step and an energy to the arm very diti'erent from that of our dull winter months. The allotment holder, and the gardening cottager, piartake of tliis mo\ ement ; and, like the bee, feel it necessary to bestir themselves with all possible activity, in order to provide, not only for daily sustenance, but stores for another winter. The past season has been so unfavourable to the due amelioration of the soil that it is to ba feared many soils are in but indifferent order. Those, liowever, who took ray advice before the last severe and unusual frost, to dig deep and ridge their land, will now reap the benefit of that ad\ice. 'We adopted that practice at the end of the rainy season with several plots, in anticipation of late frosts, and our laud, at this period (iilarch 1.5th), is in splendid order. We have been sowing Onions, Parsnips, Horn Carrots, Peas, Beans ; and planting Raspberries, Straw- berries, Sea Kale, &e.; and we never got crops in more pleasantly. But the whole was ridged, and much of it trenched — some three spades deei^, bringing up a little of the subsoil, a jiractice found to succeed on old and hard- worn garden soil. I will now proceed to consider the root- crops — at all times the most important. A poor man may manage tolerably well during summer and autumn with " what he can catch," with trifling e.'itras, which may be called "stolen crops," to use a farmer's phrase; but in what position would he bo in the following winter and early spring, if without roots ; and Potatoes, may be, four shil- hngs a bushel, as they are now in these parts? Our towns- men who earn a pound per week, or more, can, perhaps, afford to purchase them hberally : not so the ordinary labourer at ten shillings per week, with ofttimes a family of nearly half a score children. But how the case becomes altered, if the latter character, by great industry and economy, is enabled to sell half a score bushels of Potatoes at that price, which I have known many to do, by growing and using freely those other excellent roots, the Carrot and Parsnip, and by using boiled Peas as part diet. By such means he may soon cover the rent of his plot, and all the rest is clear profit ; and, in addition, he has had no temptation to squat in beer-houses. Many crops are by this time in tlie ground — such as Onions, Peas, Broad Beans, etc. ; and such being the case, let us ask about Potatoes first. Doubtless, some early ones have been planted, and now the sooner the main crops arc in, if not done, the better. No planting after the beginning of April for me. I may hero observe on tlie peculiar habits of tlie Ash-teuued Kidncij, My remarks will, perhaps, astonish, if not alarm, some ; but it matters not ; ray duty must be performed : and what has been proved by sound experience, may surely be spoken boldly. For many years I used to plant this invaluable Potato in i'ebruary, and so, indeed, did most of our farming folks ; but, by degrees, we were surprised to find a certain neighbour planting later every year ; and as he did so, each year the more excelling, both in earliness and xiroduce, until at last his planting time reached the first week in April. I must confess that this made mo blush to think how it . could be, and that a man not bred to the business, and whose other gardening I could afford to think lightly of, should thus discover a practice, which much real experience, backed by some scieutilic knowledge, had failed to perceive ; * Both nitrate of soda, and sulphate of ammonia, applied as a top- dressing, also act very favourably for this crop, either in moderate t|unn- titics, such as one hundredweight of either per acre, or in still smaller proportions combined with guano. If the existence of wircworm is suspected, it is well to drill in with the seed two hundredweight of rape eako per acre, as this is more effectual in destroying these pests than any other application. but so it was. This man keeps his seed kidneys in baskets, hampers, Jcc, until March, in a dry room, where frost cannot enter ; they ai'e thrown on the floor of a shed for two or three weeks, after getting them up for seed, and there they become greenish, and thence are transferred to the hampers in the loft. About the end of February they are placed out singly on the floor, over a warm stable, and here, by the end of March, they become sprouted — the sprouts nearly two inches long, and very stout. In the very opening of April, they are carefully planted on sloping warm banks, | formed expressly, and well manured, and in the first week of I May they burst through the soil, robust as strong Asparagus \ heads. Now, it is of no use desu'ing to have Potatoes above i ground until May arrives, unless they are protected ; earlier may do for a speculation, but there is little safety. I must now return to the main crops of Potatoes. I ad\ise those about to plant to use very old manure where really requisite, and but a moderate amount of it. It is quite certain that disease will be better avoided by planting on very poor soils ; but this is not the way to obtain a profitable crop. Wo have, this last year, found the crops of Potatoes, in many instances, so small as to be almost unfit for table purposes ; for in Cheshire, all Potatoes are pared before cooking, aud wiien they are small and the eye-holes happen to be somewhat deep, the Potatoe is reduced to a most inconvenient size, and occupies too much time iu paring. This smallness arises from the use of less manure than formerly, together with tlie use of uhole seed ; a practice ah-eady beginning to be abandoned by many, for the reasons stated. I, for one, intend returning to cut sets this season for the cooking Potatoes ; but then, I shall certainly grow SPECI.U.LY For. SEED fi'om ir/iole Potatoes, in unmanured ground. It is, indeed, a pity that the latter practice is not more general ; for by it, I am persuaded, the constitution of the root would be improved. Sly practice, in this respect, is to select wiiole Potatoes, well formed, nearly as large as a pullet's egg, with roii(jh skins; aud to plant them on raised land of poor character, about nine inches square apart. Thus treated, they produce many Potatoes, pretty equal in size, and about as large as the seed itself. These, then, are excellent for planting whole, on pretty good soil, for a full crop, taking care to breed the following year's stock from the pick of them in like manure. We find the York Regents, the Lancashire Kemps, the Radical, and the Pink eye, the most useful kinds, under present circumstances. Caeeots. — Preparation should be made to get in this va- luable root soon after the middle of the month. 'The lai-ge kinds, as the Altringham, must have the soil deep and well- broken. They require a generous soil, but by no means raw manure near the surface. If the ground is dug two good spades in depth, a good coat of half-rofteu manure may be spread on the surface, and dug in with a full spit, tiol pared in; the second spit will, of course, be clean soil: thus the surface will not be rich, and it will be found good prac- tice to apply a mixed compost in the drills. Old leaf soil, oi mellow, dark material, having some Peruvian guano, soot, Sea., stirred amongst it, and thoroughly divided, may be used : this will establish the young plant, and get it out of the way of slugs, their greatest enemies ; and by the time the com- post is exhausted the tap root will be reaching the manure. 'The lai'ge Carrots, may be in drills, about fourteen inches apart, and the Carrots, when up, thinned finally to about five inches ; the final thinning, however, must bo delayed as long as possible for fear of the grub. Horn Carrots may be sown in beds four feet in width ; shallow soil will do, but it must be good ; these are are not so liable to the grub, and they will produce a good crop if only three inches apart all over the bed. BIasoold. — This sown about the third week, the ground well-worked and deep ; some manure added, by all means, and, as it is known to bo partial to salt, it will be found a benefit to apjdy a thin dressing ; this we would strew over the manure before spreading it. I used soot and salt last year, and had a splendid crop; three barrows of soot to one of salt, well blended, and applied as bol'ore observed; the manure being entirely from the pigs and the cow ; this dressing was applied nearly half-an inch in thickness all over the manure. Sow in drills, at from twenty to twenty-four inches, in patches (of three or four seeds in patch), about Makch 31, THE COTTAGE GARDENEB. 507 eight inclios apart.? tlieise iiatehps finally reduced to single plants. SiVEDK Tur.Nirs. — Greatcomplaints existed, last summer, in various pai'ls, ol' the ravages of the mildew in Swedes ; and tliere can be little doubt that early sown ones ai'e more liable to it tlian tlioso which are late. Tlie general practice has been to sow about the niiddle of April ; but, unless the soil is in first-rate order, I would advise the second week iu May, in preference. The mildew is, doubtless, brought on by stagnalion at tire root, und droufjlit in frequently thif caust\ Swedes love a well-worked, well-manured soil ; the latter in an er/iiable and moist state and half rotten. Tliose who plough or dig-in manm-e in a lumpy and husky comUtion, cannot expect to escape the mildew. Let your soil, therefore, be deeply dug and thoroughly broken ; and see that the manure be divided and very moist. People who leave their dunghills scattered about during the summer, losing half their strength, and becoming baked clots, cannot hope for success. Too many neglect to turn their midden ; this is a most important matter, and should be done every September, the whole well-divided, mixed, and then soiled over. Swedes may be sown in drills about eighteen to twenty mches apart, and thinly ; the plants liylilly thinned at first, and finally, after all danger of fly is over, to seven or eight inches. CojtMON TniNiPS. — The Stone, Orange Jellj', or Dutch, sown in the first week, will be very useful to the poor man's wife in .Tune and July ; a few, however, ought to suftice, as they should not be allowed to occupy gi-ound at the expense of keepinr/ roots, or, indeed, of other crops, such as Cabbage. No more Common Turnips need lie sown until July in allotments, unless some special reason justifies the pro- ceeding. Onions. — These, if not sown, may yet be sown in the first week ; let them be sown in beds thrown up nearly a foot, above the gromid level, iu order to get them ripened betimes. The ground should he good from preceding manuring. Those sown in the beginning of March will require to be weeded, thinned, ttc, at the end of this month. Parsnips will also require weeding and thinning at the end : — Thin out, finally, to about five or six incb.es. If requisite, they may be sown at the beginning ; tliey like, however, a long summer. Peas. — The Imperial or Prussian, two of the best for this purpose, inay be sown in the early jjart of April, for a full crop ; another sowing, if particularly desirable, may be made in the very end of the month ; after this, no room ought possibly to be spared for this luxmy. Broad Beans. — Some long beds may be planted in the beginning, for the last; those up should be hoed by side cultm'e. Lettuce. — A little of the Ady's Cos may be sown in the first week, and again in the last : these head uell without t'jlnij, and are both useful and profitable : we would not sow more until after Jlidsummer. Indeed, although a good thing, they may not be a primary consideration ; but rather, what has been called " stolen crops." If the cottager has more Lettuce than his family can consume he may let them run to seed, if not iu the way ; when nearly a yard high, they will prove excellent food for the pig. Spinach. — A little of round kind may be put in (as a stolen crop), in tlie first week; few small gardeners, how- ever, care for it. Scarlet Runners. — This is an important crop ; no small or large gai'den should be without them ; they may be sown in the second week. Various plans of supporting them are in practice; some run them up with stretched sti'ings, some stake them as peas, itc, but if the cultivator is short of time and stakes, they will form a bush unsupported, merely by frequently pincliing off the leading shoots. They succeed well on stakes three feet high, by this practice ; they re- quire rich soil, and delight in moisture in hot weather. Cabbage Worts. — Cabbages sown once a month until the middle of August. Savoys, Brussels Sprouts, Green Kale, sown in the first week, and again in the last, will meet every demand. If Brocolis are required, sow a few Autumn kinds at the end of the mouth, and late Spring kinds towards the middle. PnoviDE FOP. Blanks. — A most important affair : Carrots may grub, so may Onions ; the fly may take the Turnips, and even Mangold. Let every man provide for the worst. A good bed of Swedes to ti'ansplant, sown in the second week in May, and the monthly sowing of Cabbages, are the two surest crops for this purpose; and as to Swedes, if they can be produced, they can Ije exchanged for those other roots wliich have proved deficient. And herein lies the policy of sowing a iew Cabbages monthly ; plants are always at hand if needed, and tlie seed is no consideration. Indeed, I would not plant an;/ special plot of ground with Cabbage, but ever depend on a few from amongst other ra'opping. Now let us observe, that as the days are long, our allotment men will take care that business does not overtake them. There is a saying amongst race-course people, that, " a good start is half the race," and, indeed, it is particularly so in gardening and farming. If a man suffer himself to be beaten in April, I will engage that he never recovers the whole summer. There is now no time for beer-shops, no chance for lounging : he it is who is afraid of wasting a minute, who shall be first in the autumn; and who shall have the most pleasant remembrances over liis Christmas fire. Those of our readers who have had a breeding sow will find it highly remunerating this spring. Pork is now selling in the carcase at (Jd. per lb., and Bacon is 8d. and 9d., at least in these parts. I have lived here twenty-five years, and cannot remember it ever being so high before. The cottager's Cabbage Worts of every kind will now be running to seed fast ; and a good pig caterer will collect almost daily from such sources. Tliis wiU help to keep the wife's hands out of the meal tub, which makes the bacon oflimes too ex- pensive. Let the pig-keeper, too, be sure to keep his animals c'lean ; washing out the floors of the outlet weekly, and giving his pig a fresh dry bed three times a week, if possible. This is the way, also, to get a good manure heap. They have a saying in this county, that " a good bed is half meat." B. Eerinc.ton. THE APIARIAN'S CALENDAR.— April. By J. H, Payne, Esq., Author of " The Bee-Keeper's Guide," i&c. The Season. — As might be expected, the season has been fatal to vast numbers of stocks in this neighbourhood (Bury St. Edmunds). I think one stock out of every three has perished, and unless regular and judicious feeding is attended to, greater losses will still be experienced. Barley -sugar is certainly the cheapest, as well as the safest, for spring-feeding, and is supplied with much less trouble than any other kind of food. Hi\Es. — It is now quite time to have a supply of hives for the coming season, where new ones are required, and where old ones are to be used, to have them well cleaned. It is also a good time to paint those hives that are occupied ; it will greatly improve their appearance, as well as tend to preserve them. A well-made hive, painted before the bees ai-e put into it, and once every other year afterwards, will last uninjurecl for upwards of twenty years ; indeed, I have one at the present time that has stood even much longer. They may be painted after six o'clock in the morning with- out danger to the ojierator, or inconvenience to the bees ; of coui'se stopping the mouth of the hive for the time. I find stone or straw-colour to be the best, as absorbing less heat than green or any darlc colour. Perhaps, on this account, white would be best, but the strong - reflected light from it is very objectionable. GuiDE-coHBS. — Small pieces of white comb, to be used as guide-combs for glasses and bee-hives, will be found very useful in facilitating the commencement of working in them, and should be carefully preserved for that purpose. BEARDED POLANDS. I have read, without any surpise, the article by Dr. Horner, on the subject of the Poland Fowls with beai'ds, and I rely on your fairness and courtesy for the admission to your columns of my opinions, as a votary, if not an admirer, of the beardless variety. In giving these opinions, and sup- porting them with such arguments as present themselves, I disclaim any other %'i6w than the elucidation of truth. The whole affair lies in a nutshell. 508 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. March 31 . Dr. Horner has arrived per siillnm at " the true Polauds." I say j5c)- .tidtiim, because he has not condescended to inform US by what process of reasoning, unless assertion and italics are with him in place of argument, he has discovered that these " dashing debonau's," and nil sorts of sparkling epithet-wearing birds, are I'olands, or Polisb, at all. I con- tend, and 1 challenge him to prove me in error, that they have .just as much right to be called Polanders, as Zealanders or Esquimaux. Not to imitate the Doctor in complacency of assertion, I will just bespeak your attention, and that of your readers, to the opinions of authors, who have ten times the experience, and fifty times the learning, tliat either he or I can pretend to. Slowbray says, — " Tlie Poland Fowls, as they are generally called, were chiefly imported from Holland." And he adds, in a subsequentparagraph, "Besides the Polanders, there is a small variety now imported from Holland, called Kvery-day-hens, wdn'ch are everlasting layers." I desire this juxtaposition of these two varieties may be had in rememlirance. Dr. John C. Bennett, of Boston, U.S., a very intelligent and experienced breeder of poultry, cannot see a trace, or wind a scent, of the origin of Polish Fowls, and contents himself with the confession of liis faitli, that the breed "is quite unknown in Poland." With him goes Dickson, whose words the Yankee Doctor quotes to enunciate all he knows, or has to say, upon the subject. JMicaiah Cook, who publishes fi'om New York, under his arrangement, liaving a variety " Ciistatiis," says, — " Of this there are several races : the Polmiil, which is said to have been first introduced into Holland from the East, and from thence distributed through Europe and America." Knight, in his admirable work, the "Fai'mer's Library," has it thus, — " Fanciers discriminate between this breed and the Spangled Hamhiu-gh, although by many they are confounded together." In thus declaring Ijimself, ho has iotklem verbis acknowledged his present ignorance of his subject, even if he had not stumbled in the outset of his next sentence — " Both are crested." Some imconscious fumbhng-of the truth has passed from his inkstand to his paper in what he has put forth concerning the black Poland Fowl. " This variety is, by some, called the Paduan Fowl ; but why these appellations should be given we do not Iniuic." If you can spare me a few of Dr. Horner's argumentative italics, and would put " tre do vot Iniow " in that type, it might serve to put prominently forward this author's acknowledgment of his full share of the universal ignorance of the origin, or source, of the so-called Polish Fowl, in all its varieties. I beg to point attention to the very important admission that not the Paduan only, but the Polish appel- lation— " these appellations " — are ignored. It may occm" to your readers, that the very fact of these birds being so generally known as Polish or Poland fowls is an argument as yet irnanswered — that there must be some reasons (and what can they be?) for this epithet. Potent reasons cannot be assigned ; the wliole field is one of con- jecture. Dr. Bennett gives his opinion again in Dickson's words, that the breed of Polanders " takes its name from some resemblance lia^ing been fancied between its tufted crest and the square-spreading crown of the feathered caps worn by the Polish soldiers." The Rev. Edmund Saul Dixon, our facile priitceps of authorities upon all matters bearing upon these interesting subjects, and whose authority I have purposely reserved to this point, says of the Poland, or I'olish fowl, " Certain fowls witli top-knots are called by the above names. Whence the title was derived I have endeavoured in vain to trace." I must refer the reader to his able and scliolar-like work on " Ornamental and Domes- tic Poultry " for his conjectures on tlio origin of the appel- lation, merely observing, that his hypothesis of the I'olish disease, the Plica Pohniica, in allusion to the top-knot, has suggested the idea. He subjoins, that tlie birds figured by Aldrovandus as the Paduan fowls are what we now call Polands. From those admissions of the obscurity ot tlie origin of the breed under discussion, we might infer that some Dutch Sebright has elaborated a variety, and buried his secret with him in his grave. The juxtaposition, andprone- iiess to coufouud the races, of these pseudo- Poles and Hamburghs might suggest probabilities ; but with proba- bilities, in such cases, we have little sympathy. The absence of all proof of genuine origin leaves the necessity for our beUef tliat the variety is entirely an artificial one, and the crying-back of the breed opens the w.ay to conjecture. It is, therefore, no longer a contest for " the true I'olaud," much less for " the true Bearded Poland." The question resolves itself into a mere matter of taste. It would be presumiition in any one to decry a breed which finds some, not many admirers. I confess the Plica Folmiica is always uppermost in my thoughts, whenever I lieliold the most admired specimens. Their " remarkably \olumiuous and profusely-hackled necks " are, to my taste, deformities, and I can only see in them Tudor ehimnies, which, however interesting to the antiquarian, are not necessaiy for the evolution of smoke. The top-knots ai'e very strange, doubt- less; but they are only very strange. They blind and ini- tate the eyes of the birds ; and I must fully agree with Jlicaiah Cook that " tliey should be sometimes clipped." If such be my opinion of the beardless variety of the barbarian rarity, I cannot speak without extreme distaste. If, as Dixon supposes, cUmate shall have added them, and they be necessai'y in ours, why that is sutficient reason with me for rejecting a breed so necessarily odious. I liave had top-knotted Ducks, which have occasionally puUed-down their Polish caps under their chin ; and also top-knotted common fowls, which have been odiously luxuriant in this provision. Have I kept them? How long? Till they were fit for the spit, and no longer. In parts of Switzerland, Goiters ai'e plentiful and cherished : but I neitlier wish for, nor reverence a Cioiter. We know that farmers, gentlemens' butlers, and housekeepers, wear a large proportion of their cheeks around their jowl and chin : but is this a feature to be admired ? As soon shall we admire a Venus, or an .'VpoUo, whose calves have slipped down to their ankles. To my own satisfaction, and I ti'ust that of all unbiased readers, I ha\e proved, without a foimtain of itahcs, and by tlie admission of the learned rather than mine own unsuji- ported dictum, that a Polish breed, like Poland itself, is not, and, unlike Poland itself, never was. As to the matter of Taste, the only authority on the subject, and the only arbiter, I leave beards on birds, and goiters on girls, and amplification of ancles on ^'enuses and ApoUos, to those who can admne tliem. — K. G. S. Bkowne, Wilhijcomhe Cotlfuje^ Devon. JAPAN LILIES rOB, GARDEN DECORATION The Liliiim Uincifolinm being so deservedly popular, has attracted a great deal of attention, and its cultivation in pots, for display in the conservatory dming the autumn, has been attended with the best results — health of foliage, vigom- ot growth, and richness and beauty of blossom. Notwith- standing its being scattered so widely through the country, tlie question of its hardiness is still a debateable matter. I shall not presume to gi\e a defluilioii of what is a hardy ! fluiit, I shall only say, that I understand by the term, any plant not liable to serious injury from the variable climate of this country. The Lilinm lancifuliuin, unfortunately, from the experiments made here, will not come under that description ; and I confess, that the question of its hardiness for cultivation in the oi^en garden being still an unsettled ijuestion, would lead to the conclusion, that but litUe or no success has been attained in the matter. Its early vegetation, starting into growth in March, leaves it liable to spring frosts, which desti'oy its foliage, leaving it disfigured through the summer, with spotted and decaying leaves ; and the fact of its very late period of blooming, in the middle of September, exposing it to the almost certainty of frost at that time, arc found, liere, to be the cliief causes of failure ; and wetness during the period of rcsl is found to be injurious to the bulbs. The foregoing reinai'ks are founded upon experiments tried here upon its capabilities as " an out-of doors " plant. E. Bouvo'iie, Esq., my honom'ed employer, having a fine collection of these Lilies, was desirous to have some planted out, and, accordingly, a bed was prepared, tlie earth re- moved two feet deep, some ruhhte placed at the bottom, and refilled with a compost similar to that described in your number 'Z'Vi. liight pots of good fiowering-plants were carefully placed in it in the middle of February; the whole was covered with leaf mould to exclude frost. By the Mahoii 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 509 latter end of Jlarch tliey had shot above ground. Empty flower-pots where placed over them when frost was expected; but, notwithstanding all the care bestowed upon them, tlie frost, at the end of April and beginning of ila.v, injured the leaves, causing them to " spot " and decay. The plants grew pretty well tliroughout the summer, and " showed " flower early in September. A frost occurred (which killed back Dahlias), and prevented the blossoms coming to ma- turity. The stems were suffered to die down, and the bed was covered with dry "tan," to protect the bulbs from frost. The succeeding year a repetition took place of early growth, injury from frost, and spot o_n the leaf. Their period of flowering was as late as the preceding year, and the result being so unsatisfatory, they were fresh potted, and have since made good specimenj by the management described j in your last number. To advance, or hasten, their period of blooming, appeared to mo to be absolutely necessary, to secm'e a display of these Lilies in the open air. This is effected by removing them from their winter quarters early in .Tanuaryj starting them in any structm'e where tliere is a gentle warmth — green- house, pit, or vinery ; encouraging t'heir growth, without check, until all danger from frost is piassed ; and fhimjinij them in suitable situations in the garden. Thus, a small circle cut in the tiu-f, and sunk sufficiently deeii to conceal the pot, has a very good effect, or a vacancy may be filled in an herbaceous bed. The j)lants will continue in flower for a month, and have a fine eifect. I may mention, that in addition to the bed prepared above, two or tliree other j)lants were turned out in other places, and suffered to remain for the third year, but with the same ill-success. And now, having stated the facts of the case, allow me to say, that I hope the present communication may have the effect of eliciting from your correspondents an account of their experience in the matter. The fact of the hardy nature of these Lilies is of importance, not alone, as your talented writer, Mr. Fish, suggests, to the exhibitors of this very useful and beautiful autumnal flower, but also to the viaiuj who are induced to begin acquaintance with it, by placing it in a situation unfavourable to its progress, ^^'heu the evidence is .summed-up, "treatment," "locality," "suc- cess," " or the want of it," let the honorary duty devolve upon yoirrself, and your "coadjutors," to pronounce judg- ment, and there can be no appeal from your decision. — Geoeoe JLvckie, Delcqne Abbeij, Korthaiiiploii. AUTUMN PELARGONIUM SOWING. In reference to a notice to "'Vf. H. 0." (page 471), on the subject of sowing seed of Pelargoniums, an amateur correspondent writes us that he has for several years adopted the plan of sowing the seed as soon as ripe, and has never found any difliculty in wintering the plants. As proof that this may be done, he says that last year he did not sow his seed till the latter end of September, an accident having delayed him a month longer than necessary — that he potted-off 120 seedling plants, the middle of No- vember, into small C(Vs, in very sandy soil, with abundant charcoal drainage, and placed them near the glass, in a small greenhouse, having light on the south-west and north-west only, where no flre was lighted till the frosts of February; and that out of the 120 plants, only five have damped-ofl', though upwards of fifty are from " Fancies," and the past winter must be acknowledged to have been a trjing one for the experiment. [We have no doubt of the correctness of this statement ; and with those who have the requisite skill and conveniences autumn-sowing may be adopted with the certainty of ob- taining forwarder plants than if the sowing is deferred until the spring ; but the plants from spring-sowings require the least .attention, and incur the least danger.- — Ed. C. G.] At page 448, col. 1, line 30 from the bottom, read " frosts cease to be apprehended.'* EGa-EATING HENS AND PULLETS. From several recent instances of fowls that have mani- fested the above luinatural propensity, I am led to believe, that in most cases it will be found to occur where the birds have been kept in close confinement, and, conseriuently, deprived of their natural supply of animal food — such as worms and insects. I'nder such circumstances, a cure has been effected by allowing them, twice or thrice a-week, a portion of dressed meat ; and this, too, after all the usu:d remedies of mustard and cayenne have not only failed, but even appeared to induce a greater relish for the highly- seasoned mixture. The necessity, moreover, of animal food, is probably as great at the present as at any season of the year; for not only is it chilly and cold, but lieavy demands are being made on the bird's system for the production of the very eggs wlaich come to so untimely an end. It may happen that the habit has been at times en- gendered by a desire for the calcareous matter of the sheU, without further intentions on its contents, but temptation then became too strong, and both were devoured alike. The cause, however, would still be the same, viz., inability to obtain what was necessary, either for food, or the formation of the shell. But, wherever fowls enjoying a good run manifested tliis inclination, we should, indeed, despair of a cure. — "W. W. WlXGFIELri. TO CORRESPONDENTS. *#* We request that no one will write to the departmental writers of The Cottage Gardener. It gives them unjustifiable trouble and expense. All communications should be addressed " To the Editor of the Cottage Gardener, 2, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, London.^* Floweks for Nortu Wall (F«nn^). — Very few, if any, annuals will do much good on the shady side of a high north wall ; but what are suitable to plant there depends on what the place is used for — whether a long narrow border, or a wide short border, or if the place is open to the north, or If the place is indeed a flower-garden, or a framing-ground, or what i' Rhododendrons {A. B.). — It is the next thing to hopelessness to patch up any contrivance for growing Rhododendrons where the soil and situation are " evidently too dry for them with natural drainage." But a good depth, say a foot, of clay, packed close, under them, is one of the best contrivances. In dry weather the clay cracks sufficiently to carry off the wet when it rains, so that there is no occasion for having the clay in lumps. We have used clay ourselves this way extensively, t)ut not for Rhododendrons, and we often put in a foot of it in a state of puddle, and that is the best way under a Rhododendron bed. Roses from Eves (E. F.). — We are in the same predicament as yourself, for we cannot understand the story that was quoted for you by a friend from some periodical. Are they not quizzing you ? The faculty may possibly know the process, as you say, but the faculty have a way of keeping their ways and doings from the ken of others, and it would be useless to ask explanations froin any of them. For the rest, we are of the same opinion as yourself. Blighted Vine (Mrs. T. H.). — Your Vine-shoot was in such with- ered state, that it was utterly impossible to ascertain what the ailment was. It may be the sad Vine-mildew ; but, from the remark in your note, "which came over two nights ago," it is not unlikely that some pernicious gas from flues may have corrupted the air of the house. To advise you safely is difficult, unless on the spot ; cannot you refer to some really good gardener near ? At all events, we would apply sulphur liberally all over them ; not in patches, but thoroughly suffused by a powder-puff, or the hand, using a sudden jerk. We say this, supposing that your fruit is destroyed for this season ; and, indeed, judging from the character of the wood, and the " make " of the bunch, a rest from bearing may do them good. Rough Plate Glass {A Backwoodsman). — We have heard of Melons succeeding under this; but they need all the light of our climate. Two feet of tan should produce heat enough at this season, if confined ; as to soil, they love depth; do not give less than afoot. It is the general practice to take up the Ranunculus, when the stems are decayed. Poultry house (G. P.). — Fourteen feet by eight feet would give ample accommodation for your proposed flock of sixteen fowls; and, with poultry, it is wise to be over, rather than under-housed. AVarming poultry-houses is a subject that requires more attention than has been as yet given to it. The most successful breeders of early chickens have had the back of their houses against a kitchen, or other large flue ; and we have seen open grates, fenced off' with wire, employed for this pur- pose. The latter, as aiding ventilation, we should prefer to any arrange- ment of hot- water pipes ; and it must be remembered that our object is merely to guard against excessive cold — for a hot poultry-house would be far worse than a cold one. "The Poultry-book " will give you every information as to size and details of poultry-houses and yards. — W. Egyptian Fowls. — ■" In referring to your 23 1st Number, as to Egyptian Fowls, I have had a lot lately from Alexandria. They are perfectly white ; round and plump ; are of a middle size ; good layers, of a large egg for their size; have a large comb, very pendulous to one side; and have all the appearance of a distinct variety. I exhibited them at the Birming- ham Show, when they attracted attention. — James Joseph Nolan, Bachelor's Walk, Dublin.'* [Mr. Nolan's description confirms our opinion, that in fowls imported from Egypt, the Spanish type would probably be prominent, and " the large comb, very pendulous on one side," points to the principal characteristic of that family. — W.] 510 THE COTTAGE GAKDENEH. March 81. AiMARTLLTS FORMOsissiMA (Meridian). — This is the Hippeastnim formosissimiim of the Cottage Gardeners* Dictionary, and the Sprekeha formosissiinn of some others, Synonymes and new matter may yet be supplied to the above work as a supplement. List? of Bulbs, &c. (Itjid'.—We try to oblige everyone, but we meet with a vast %'ariety of enquiries, and have many tastes to gratify. Vour request will be kept prominently in view, but we perhaps could better meet your wishes if you would now and then single out a specific subject, \^'c are glad you arc so far satisfied. The whole subject is in the hands oi" a master ; and every lover of bulbs, and such like flowers, should closely study Mr. Beaton's articles. Sowing Seeds (E. Co.s*''//).— It is only in the case of very small or light seeds that it is desirable to water the soil before sowing. It is the best plan for Zinnias and Stocks. It is a very safe plan to lay an old newspaper over a lot of seed pots till the seed sprouts ; it keeps the soil more uniformly moist, and less watering will do. As soon as the seed- lings appear give them light. Nelumbium speciosdm (Mount Healon). —The seeds of this classic plant are called beans,— the Egyptian bean of Pythagoras— and you may sow them just as you would so many Windsor Beans, or Long Pods, in a pot of very good garden mould. Plant them one inch deep, and one only in a four-inch pot ; then plunge the pot in a vessel of water, so deep that at least six or eight inches of water are over the seeds ; place the whole in a temperature of from 30° to 90°, and if the beans are good they will soon throw up the Lotus of the Nile. About the end of May, or when you have two leaves above water, prepare a tub for growing the plant. Put ten inches of good bean-soil in the bottom, transplant, and fill up the tub with about a foot or so of water above the soil, but less will do, as this is not a floating plant. At the end of the season let the water drain off, and let the whole remain in the store at rest all the winter ; nest spring set them off with fresh water, heat, and all, and so on every season. It is indeed a noble plant when in bloom, and well worth growing, but it does not require the water to be in motion, like some other water plant, as some say. EvEJLGTiEKNs (One Devoted to his GarrfeH)-— Our friend asks for the best kind of Evergreens, most effectual " to conceal the house, Sec, from passengers along the road, at the same time to be so planted as to see and not be seen." Here is another problem in planting, like that of planting nineteen trees in nine straight rows, and nine trees in every row. We hereby engage to present a new volume of The Cottage Gardener to the first person who will show us how to plant, and what to plant of, Evergreens so as to see through them, or over them, only from one side, Bolton Greys (J. B. H.).~Vou will obtain Bolton Greys, by applying to " Yorkshire*' winners at any of the recent Poultry Exhibi- tions ; since this breed is more extensively kept, and better understood in that county than in any other part of England. — W. Cross between Shanghaes and Dorkings (Subscriber). --We liave seen fowls of both the crosses you allude to, but without noticing any advantage possessed by them over the Dorking as a table fowl. But if you wish to try the experiment ; put a Dorking cock with a Shanghae hen, the greater influence of the male bird, and the comparative freedom of the Shanghae hen from those points which render the cock less desir- able as dead poultry, would give you the best chance of success.— W. Shape of Eggs (J. E. f/.).— It is not a new idea, that "long eggs produce cock birds, and round eggs hens." It is mentioned in some of the very oldest works on Poultry, but we believe the statement has no truth in it. At all events, we never could find any such rule effectual. Hybridizing the Potato (C. F. P.).— It is a totally wrong applica- tion of the term to talk of hybridizing the Potato by plauting it in contact with the Jerusalem Artichoke, &c., and we have already stated that we think Dr. iVIalfatti's experiments are not trustworthy. Hybridizing is effected by applying the pollen of one flower to the stigma of another species. North Side of a Wall (D>(rha7n).~T]ie best use you can apply it to in growing vegetables is for forcing Sea-kale and Rhubarb. Bee Flowers (A pi iritis). —Those you name are all hardy. If you are a subscriber yon may obtain them all through The HorticiiUural and Pomological Association. Hen Eating her Eggs.— J. B. L. G. says, " You give you cor- respondents so little hope of curing their hens of egg-eating, that I am induced to recommend the following treatment, which I have found com- pletely successful this year. Watch the hens, and take away the eggs as soon as laid, and give them plenty of chalk ; let the nest eggs be made of wood. By persevering in this treatment, they will, in two or three weeks, forget the habit, which, I think, is originated by their laying im- perfect eggs." You will see that we have mentioned the Belf-glasses in another page. The book you name, we think, cannot be depended upon for any thing not copied from some other work. Deformed Hyacinth (G. Anderso7i) .—There is little doubt, when any bulb produces a flower deficient in form and colour, like that you forwarded, but that the bulb was imperfectly ripened the previous season. The flowers and leaves are produced from stores laid up in the bulb during the previous year's growth. Heating Small Vinery (J. Ainphlet).— We think that you might heat a vinery 18 feet by 7iJ feet by a gas-heated water apparatus, such as is described at page 433. We should have a coil of perforated gas tubing under the boiler instead of a single ring, and the bottom of the boiler a foot in diameter. A copper boiler is cheapest eventually. Three-inch iron piping should run round the house. The consumption of gas will depend upon too many circumstances for us to give an estimate. Peat Charcoal. — A Subscriber will be obliged by the information how this is best prepared ; in other words, how is it made ? I Cineraria [H. J3ram).— Vours is a very ordinary purple self. It is ■ only good for the border. j Howlett on Rostic Work.— F. C J5. wishes to know where this I book can be bought. Cottage Gardener's Dictionary (Xo. II).)— This can now only be had in a volume. We do not think the other book you name can be had in parts. Vines in Pots (1'era.r). — We are obliged by your reminding us of Mr. Mearn's work on this subject, but the most modern is thai by Mr, Elphinstone, advertised by us last week. CALENDAR FOR APRIT. ORCHARD AND FRUIT GARDEN. Apples, cleanse from blight ; protect blossoms. Apricots, protect with care. Cherries, finish training. Currants, finish dressing. Da:\isons may yet be planted; thin out the crowded spray in the in- terior. Fins, remove all covering; prune at the end. Grafting, see that the clay is safe, and rub off" wild spray betimes. Goosederries, beware of the Caterpillar. Insects, check vigorously early. Mcl- BERRiEs may be planted. Nectarines, see Peaches. Plums, finish pruning those which blossom on the young wood. Pears, an Plums; protect blossoms. Peaches, use the cleansing mixture named in former calendars; still protect, and disbud at the end. Proning of all fruit- trees may still be done, if neglected at proper time. Rastberrirs, get tied if not done; top-dress. Strawberries, spring-dress if delayed. Staking, attend to. Training, complete in all fruits. WALNUTa may yet be planted. Vines, train and plant. Planting of all kinds may yet be done, implying, of course, neglect or omission at the best period. But every winter arrear must be ])rought to a close forthwith. R. Errington. FRUIT-FORCING. AiR-GivFNG, attend regularly to, avoiding cold draughts. Bottom WARMTHS renew; "5° to 80° are safe points. Cucumbers, attend closely; ) stop often ; use liquid-manure, and sustain a warm and moist air — 70° to 85°. CniLiER and the Capsicd.ms, pot off and hasten. Cherries, avoid strong heat; keep a moist air. Fires, moderate, according to season ; let solar heat do its work. Figs, much as Peaches, as to tem- perature ; water frequently, and pinch young wood. Floors, wash down frequently. Grapes, ventilate freely where ripening; remove crowded laterals ; succession crops, follow up the usual routine of disbudding, stopping, training, and thinning. Insects, exterminate — Aphides by tobacco. Red Spider by sulphur. Kidney Beans, apply liquid -manure, and get in successions. Melons, keep thin in bine early, set blossoms, and stop and train weekly; provide successions. Nectarines, as Peaches; pinching-off waste or watery shoots remember. Peaches, train, and stop ; thin fruit. Use the syringe freely, and a free ventilation. Shading use occasionally in case of need. Syringe, do not lay it by; use it frequently; it is a capital cleanser, and an enemy to insects. Strawberries, attend to daily, water liberally, and give abundance of air, keeping down runners. Tomatoes, cool down ready for planting-out in the second week of May- Vines, attend well to in the ordinary routine of stopping, training, and berry-thinning ; pray do not leave extra berries for a rubbishy tart or two. Watering must be a daily affair now; and every thing examined. R. Ebrington, ORCHID HOUSE. Air. — The days are now considerably longer, and the sun has more power, consequently more air will be required to keep the heat moderate. Baskets, continue to renew, if not finished last month ; dip them in tepid water once a week ; put in baskets plants to ornament the house, such &^ ^^schima}}thus, Achimenes, Hoya bella, Agalmyla sfaminea, and any other drooping freely-flowering plants. Blocks, syringe daily. Dendtiobiums, and other plants in flower, remove into a cooler house ; they will then last much longer in flower, but as soon as the bloom is over, return them into the warm house to finish their annual growth. ! Heat.— As the plants will now be growing freely, they require the maxi- ! mum of heat ; in the Indian house, "5° to 90° by day, 65° to 70*^ by ] night; the RIexican house should be 10° lower. Insects will now j multiply rapidly ; use every means to extirpate them, and prevent their I increase. Potting, continue to all such as require it : the grand rule is to pot orchids as soon as new growths are apparent. Syringe freely in dull weather in the mornings only, but during sunny weather, syringe in the evenings .also, shutting up tiie houses close previously to syringing; a moist growing atmosphere will be the consequence. Water. — As the growths advance, increase the quantity of water at the root ; dash it freely upon the platforms, walks, and walls daily, to keep up a large amount of atmospheric moisture. T- Appleby, PLANT STOVE. AcniMENF.s, rc-pot and divide, if required, the first potted batch; specimens may now be made, by placing several plants in a large shallow pot in leaf mould, chopped sphagnum, and turfy loam. ^"Eschynan- thus, pot and train to a globular trellis ; these make fine showy plants. Air, give freely on all favourable occasions. Amaryllises, pot and plunge in a bark-bed in a pit, to start them into flower and growth. Bark, renew, by sifting the old bark, removing the fine iiarticlcs that pass through the sieve, keeping the rough in the pit, and adding sufficient fresh bark to raise it a little higher than the level ; do not plunge the plants till the heat is moderated. Climbers, dress, tie, and train neatly. Heat. — Keep up a brisk heat by day, but more moderate during the night. Ixoras, attend to specimens of, and tie them out so ns to form dense handsome bushes. Moisture, give to the air of the house by dashing water about upon the floors, walls, and hot-water pipes. Pot- ting, general ; finish the first early in the month. Red Spider, and all other insects, diligently destroy ; wash the flues or pipes with water and sulphur mixed together; lay it on with a ^^hitcwa^jh brush. Water, Makoh 31. THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 911 give abundance of to growing plants ; keep every part clean and sweet, all decaying leaves remove, and syringe the leaves of the plants daily, especially during a day'3 bright sunshine. T. Appleby. FLORISTS* FLOWERS. AuniCDLAS and Polyanthuses will now be advancing fast into bloom ; shade from bright sun, and shelter from heavy rains. Carna- Tioisa and Picotees finish potting; shelter from severe weather. Chrysanthemums, pot off cuttings put in last month; put in more cuttings, b,, keep them in close frames till fresh rooted. Cinerarias coming into flower remove into the greenhouse; young plants re-pot ; smoke" frequently to destroy green-fly. Calceolarias advance a stage by re-potting ; smoke these also; frequently the green-fly is their grand enemy. Dahlias, pot off cuttings ; some that are scarce may yet have cuttkips of put in ; give plenty of air to growing plants ; old roots plant in border.s towards the end of the month. Fuschias, continue to in- crease by cuttings, if required; specimens of forms by re-potting twice during the month ; re-pot old plants ; shake ofi" a*large portion of the old soil, and pot them in the same sized pots. Hollyhocks, finish planting, b. ; mulch with short litter ; sow seed in shallow pans in a gentle heat, or sow in open borders, or nursery beds. HIimuluses, divide, and re-pot in light rich compost. Pansies may yet be planted in beds; stir the surface of the soil of the beds planted last month. Pinks, cover bed with a thin mulching of very rotten dung, stirring the soil previously ; BOW seed of either in the open border, or in shallow pans. Ranun- culuses ; if the soil on the surface has become hard, stir it gently, breaking the clods with the lingers ; keep a good look out for slugs, if they abound give a good watering with lime water. Tulips; be very particular, and keep them well sheltered from late spring frosts, hut expose them to all the favourable influences of mild rain, and the warui beams of the spring sun. Weeds, never allow to advance beyond the seed-leaf. T. Appleby. FLOWER GARDEN. Annuals (Tender), prick out those sown in February and March Into a hotbed ; wattr gently but often ; sow in hotbed ; (Hardy) may be sown in borders, &c., to remain ; thin those advancing. Aukiculas in bloom, shelter. (See Hyacinths. 1 Supply with water often ; those for seed, plunge pots in a sheltered border, where they can have sun until II o'clock; plant offsets; propagate by slips ; seedlings shade during mid- day, Auriculas done flowering, place out of doors, and separate off- sets. Box edgings may be made, and old taken up, slipped, nnd re- planted; clip bos edgings. Biemnials, flnish sowing, b. ; plant out those sown last spring. Bulbs, in water-glasses, done flowering, plant in ground after cutting down stalks, but not leaves. Carnations, in pots, give liquid manure every third time, very weak, and water often ; stir the earth ; sow, e. ; plant into borders, b. Climbing plants, train and regulate. Layer Rhododendrons and hardy Azaleas. Dahlias, plant to remain, b. ; or in pots, to forward in a frame until May. Dress the borders, &c., indefatigably. Frames, raise, by sup- porters at the bottom, as the plants within grow tall. Grass, mow once a week, and i-oll oftener; trim edges; dress with earth if poor; and sow seeds, especially white and small yellow Clover. Gravel, turn and lay afresh in dry weather; roll after rainy weather often. Hoeing and Raking walks give up, and lay them down in concrete. Hy-acinths, shelter from sun by an awning or matting over the beds, from nine to four ; give the same shelter in bad weather day and night; cut flower-stalks as they cease blooming, and take special care of leaves. Insects, destroy with tobacco smoke, or hellebore powder, or dusting of Scotch snnff. Mignonette, sow in any warm border. Mulch, put round trees newly planted. Pinks, sow. Polyanthuses, sow ; plant out and propagate by offsets, b. ; last year's seedlings now in bloom, mark best for propagating. Potted Plants, give fresh earth to, if not done last month ; shift into larger; water feely. Perennials, those sown last spring may still be planted, and pronagated by offsets ; finish sowing. Sticks are required to blooming plants. Tulips, shel- ter from sun and wet ; take off pods to strengthen bulbs. Watering is now required more frequently, yet moderately; give it early in the morn- ing. Ranunculuses, water freely, and press the earth very hard between the rows. Roses, thin buds where very abundant; watch for grubs in the buds, nnd crush them ; make cuttings of Gloire de Rosamene to bed nest year. Tobacco Water, use to destroy the aphides, by dipping the shoots in it where the insects are. Prepare for a large stock of common Capsicums to supersede tobacco for killing insects. Take stock of your Bedding Stuff, b.; and bring up arrears, if any ; keep all such rather dry, and inure to cold in time. D. Beaton. For winter blooming of the reddish-tinted kinds of Epacris, none excels the impressu } hyacinihiftorn has much larger flowers, but the colour is duller; do not be afraid to cut back such plants freely; and if you can give them a closer atmosphere, and 10^ higher temperature than the greenhouse, it will cause them to break better. Fuchias, water the forward ones freely ; fuviigate with tobacco at the first appearance of fly. Geraniums, train the first, encourage the second, and stop, pot, and propagate for autumn supply. Gesnera, especially Zebrina, and Gloxi- nia, various varieties, start in a hotbed; the roots maybe kept safely during winter, if dry, in a temperature of from 40'^ to 45°. This rule applies to the whole of the Achimencs, and most plants with scaly and bulbous tubers. Those who have pits and frames, and no green- liouse, may manage them nicely by packing them in a kitchen cupboard. Few things answer better for window plants in summer and autumn. Heaths, in bloom and growing, keep in the coolest and airiest part of the greenhouse, and if the sun shines strong, defend the pots by shading or double pots; the Hoven and Chorozema tribes will require similar care, and then, with good drainage and plenty of water, there will be no danger. Prepare for general potting by pelting soil, pots, &c., in good order, but do not let a plant wait for a iiJue when it wants atten- tion. Propagate by seed, roots, cuttings, inarching, nnd grafting; young plants thus get strong before winter. Sow Seeds; beware of burying the smaller ones ; the pots should be well watered previously, and when settled, the seeds sown, slightly sprinkled with a little sand, pressed down, and a square of glass or a piece of paper put over the pot ; for these, as well as striking cuttings of tender plants, inarching, and grafting, a sweet hotbed would now be desirable. Seedlings, remove as soon as possible from the seed-pans, and prick them out singly, espe- cially if thick. Sow Balsams, Cockcombs, Thunbergias, &r. Pot the various Achimenes, and introduce tubers for a succession. Remove de- cayed Leaves. Stir and loosen the surface soiL Succulents of all kinds water more freely. Water for all plants will now be required oftener. Manure-water may now be given more frequently to Pelar- goniums that have set their flower-buds, to all plants where vigorous growth is required in pots, and in all cases of plants for vases, beds, &c., where it is desirable they should be as large as possible by the middle of M^y. Vines on rafters, train. Strawberries, set in; even a few on a shelf is a great luxury, and where the vine is scarcely forced, where greenhouse temperature is merely maintained, with a rise from sun heat j during the day, the fruit may be obtained a month earlier than in the I open air ; keep the plants rather dry until the flower trusses show them- selves boldly, then water freely. R> Fish. GREENHOUSE. Air, admit freely in mild weather; give sparingly when east winds prevail, and then merely by the top sashes, to avoid cold draughts; shut up early in the afternoon, and if sunny, sprinkle the plants from a fine syringe when it is desirable to encourage growth; plants making their growth should, therefore, if possible, be kept apart from those in bloom. Azaleas coming into, and in flower, water freely ; those to be retarded remove to a north aspect, under glass or even an opaque roof ; a tem- porary protection by mats, canvass, or oiled cloth will answer admirably. Bulbs, introduce. Camellias, water freely when in flower ; those done flowering keep close, to encourage growth, and shortly afterwards repot if necessary. Calceolarias, Cinerarias, Primroses, Cytisus, &c., assist with manure water, weak, but given often. Cactus, the late kinds water at the roots, after swelling the stems by syringing. Conserva- tive-wall Plants prune, train, and protect, more to keep off the sun at first, than the cold. Cuttings, insert; place in hotbed or shady place according to kinds. Climbers, regulate. EpACRiSEsand Heaths done flowering, cut back, and also any other straggling plants, and keep them by themselves, so as to be close and warm, to encourage them to break freely ; those in, and coming into flower, keep in the airiest part. KITCHEN GARDEN. Let the head and the hands work together; ha on the alert to any ! sowings that ought to have been performed last month. Alexanders, \ sow, b. Angelica, sow, or plant out autumn sown. Artichokes, I plant and dress oft-. Asparagus, sow or plant; dress off beds, b. ; attend I that in forcing, water with liquid manure water once a week. Balm, ; plant. Basil, sow main crop on gentle hotlied. Beans, plant in suc- I cession; attend to earth-stirring the growing crops. Beet, of either ' kind, sow, m. Borecoles, sow, and leave for seed. Brocoli, sow I main crops, m. ; attend to pricking out any early sown, and save for seed. Borage, sow, and earth-stir autumn sown. Burnet, plant or sow. Cabbages, sow, plant, or prick out, and earth-stir often. Capsi- cums, sow in hotbed, or prick out three plants in each pot, while in the seed-leaf, and forward them in hotbed. Cardoons, sow, e. Carraway, sow. Carrots, sow main crops, m. ; attend to thinning early frame or other crops, also to watering in dry weather ; this, and frequent earth- stirring, will forward their growth much. Cauliflower, sow, prick, or plant out; attend to earthing-up the hand-glass crops, and assist them with soakings of manure water. Celery, sow for late crops, m. ; and attend to pricking or planting out early sown; save for seed. Chamo- mile, plant. Chives, plant. Chervil, sow ; save for seed. Cole- worts, plant. Clary, sow. Cress (American), sow in succession. Cucumbers, sow for hand-glass and other crops; ridge out and attend to those in bearing, as to thinning-out and top-dressing, or earthing-up. Dill, sow or plant. Dung for hotbeds, prepare, Earth-stirring, particularly attend to in dry weather. Fennel, old roots divide, and plant or sow. Garlic, plant, if not done, b. Horseradish, plant without delay. Hotbeds for all purposes, attend to. Hyssop, sow, ov plant out old roots. Jerusalem Artichokes, plant without delay. Kale (Sea), sow, or plant, b. ; carefully fork over old beds. Kidney Beans (Dwarf), sow, b. ; where hand-glasses are at command; if not, sow, e. ; and 5f.'aWei B»7?ne)'s, e. Lavender, plant. Leeks, sow, b. Lettuces, sow in succession once a fortnight, and plant out; earth- stir .among often. Marigold, sow. Marjoram (Sweet), sow main crop on gentle hotbed ; (Common Garden), plant. Melons, sow in suc- cession ; pot off; ridge out; attend to topping and thinning-out, weekly, the early crops. Mustard and Cress, sow in succession, where re- quired. Mushroom-beds, make, and attend to. Nasturtiums, sow. Onions, sow main crop, b., if not done before. Underground or Potato Onion, plant without delay, also the Tree Onion. Parsley, sow of either kind; leave for seed. Parsnips, sow without delay. Peas, sow in succession ; attend to sticking, &c. ; let them be well basined up before sticking on light soils to aid the watering. Penny Royal, plant in a cool situation. Potatoes in frames, attend to. Radishes, sow in succession; attend to thinning young crops. Rape, sow. Rhubarb, sow or plant ; bring forward by inverting pots or tubs over old crowns. Rue, plant. Savoys, sow. Salsafy, sow main crop, e. Scoezonera and Skirkets, sow, e. Shallots, finish planting, b. Sorrels, plant. Spinach, sow once a fortnight; thin out; and leave for seed. Tansy" and Tarragon, plant. Tomatoes, sow in hotbed, and prick out in pots, and forward in hotbed. Thyme, divide old roots, and plant out. Turnips, sow, b. and e. : leave for seed. Vegetable Marrow, sow in hotbed. Wormwood, plant. T. Weaver. London: Printed by Harry Wooldridge, Winchester High-street, in the Parish of Sauat Mary Kalendar; and Published by William Somerville Orb, at the Office, No. 2, Amen Corner, in the Parish of Christ Church, City of London.— March Slat, 18S3, Dahlias for 1853.— A Descriptive Catalogue of Dahlias, &c., Grown for Sale by i CLARKE AND COMPANY, I Seedsmen and Florists, 86. High Street, opposite the Town Hall, Borough, London. | CLARKE Si CO. in submitting tlicir List of Dalilias for this season can, with confidence, assert that their collection is most complete with all the Flowers that are worth cultivating; thev sold an immense quantity last season, aiul it is highly satisfactory to hear from our numerous correspondents who we supplied, the most satisfactory results of the true i|ualities of our Dahlias, and that they realized the characters asMgned to them in the Catalogue. Testimonials can he shown which will verify this fact. In the first class of Dahlias, as below, will be found many scarce kinds, such as most lists do not contain, and amongst the Fancy sorts are all the most novel and curious flowers of Tipped, Laced, Spotted, and Striped varieties, and as we can warrant them all, we trust our friends will again favour us with their kind orders. Plants of the following New and First-rate varieties lOs per dozen (except those priced). ft high. Defiance, Rnwlings, Urpe useful blush white .. 4 Niobc, Voisenon, white, delicately tipped with Annie Salter, Saltei; waxy white, with deep rosy Kdmund Foster, Turner, crimson, full and deep 3 lavender, very large, will make a fine variety tint, a constant and beautiful varietv, IsSdper Evening Star, Suiter, light scarlet 4 if not too strongly grown, la tJd per plant 4 plant '. 3 Fairy Queen, Turner, fiiwn, very pretty 3 Prince Notyer, Hagiiin, red scarlet, useful 3 Absalom, Spnrri/, clear orange huff, fine 4 Globe, Turjier, hTonzy brown, useful show flower -1 Phantom, Noiikes, novel buff, large 4 Alert, B«r;?es, yellow, edged with red, an excel- George Villiers, LV/fon, dark purple, fine form, Queen of Whites, Driunmond, pure white, a , lent border flower 3 uncertain 3 large useful flower for exhibition 3 | Alice, Drummond, beautiful pink 3 Grain d' Or, De Kni/ff, orange 3 Red Gauntlet, Keynes, deep red, good show I Angelina. Tnssnrt, white, tipped with bright Joseph Paxton, Sinit'm, blue purple 4 flower, scarce 4 j violet purple, always pretty and attractive, John Neville, Whale, rosy lilac 4 Rose of England, Raivlings, rose pink, a pood i sometimes fit to show * 3 ,, Davis, CooA". largcuscful crimson, constant 4 flower, if well grown, perfectly new in colour 4 I Aurora, Keynes, novel orange 3 Jaune de Passy, Busseville, large, bright yellow 6 Rohrrt IVIontgomery, Jtawlhigs, dark maroon. . 4 , Black Diamond, Edmnds, dark 4 Kaiscrin V. llussland, Sieckman, white, shaded Scarlet King, Green, bright scarlet, large and Beauty of Versailles, Salter, dark purple 4 with rose 3 useful 3 Colossus, very large clear yellow, if not too Lc President, Poi(/f^ large salmon rose 3 Sir F. Thesiger. il«"'/(ng-s, beautiful rose, when strongly grown a fine flower for the back tier, Lady Russell, Leg-g^'-, white, tipped with lavender 4 in perfection it is not surpassed by any Dahlia ^ Is fid per plant 4 Lizzy, Perm, white, deeply edged with violet, yet raised 4 i Colonel Espcvant, Srt//er. nankeen buff 3 beautiful' 4 Sir R. Whittington. Z>r((»imo;irf. ruby puce, ; Dr. Frampton,7?'/((7mi'-.s, white edged and tipped Louisa Glenny, flHiy/(H^s, golden yellow, very beautiful petal and outline, constant 4| with bright purple, form and outline perfect, superior form, uncertain, but when in per- Sparkler, Bfovjes, orange scarlet 4 i centre prominent, possesses no fault but fection the best of its class 3 Toison Orange, constant orange 3 want of size, which may be obviated by Marie Louise, jl/Zfy/d^Y, white, tinted with rose, Tom, Drw»imoHf/, crimson scarlet 3] good crowth. The BESTLir.uT Dahlia .'. 4 fine form, uncertain 4 Una. Keynes, useful white 4 Douglas" Jerrold, Keynes, buff, tipped with fllorning Star, T^r^jfc, orange scarlet, large .. 4 William Penn, A>^»fs, yellow, tipped with red, light red 3 Malvina, Howard, white, mottled with rose, large ^ Deutsche Perle, Salter, silvery lilac 3 useful show flower 3, White Standard, BrfWc, blush white, fine form 3 Plants of the following Choice varieties 4s per dozen. Admiral, light lilac 3 Earl of Clarendon, orange 4 King, rich crimson 3 Queen of Beauties, waxy white, Ambassador, large dark maroon Anticipation, pale lilac 3 Andromeda, primrose, tipped with pink 4 Admiral Stopford, dark 4 Blancbfleur. pure white 3 Barmaid, white, early in the season tipped with lavender 3 Beauty of Kent, white, edged with carmine b Beeswing, bright crimson El Dorado, pale canary yellow .. 4 Lady St. Maur, white tipped violet 3 tipped with crimson 3 Essex Triumph, dark 4 Magnifiecnt, amethyst 4| ,, of Dahlias, white, deeply Fame, rich Burgundy 3 MarchionessCornwallis.blushwhite 3 edged with lilac 3 Fearless, lilac, extra 3 Mrs. Scldon, yellow S ,, of Lilacs, lilac 3 Frederic Jerome, bluish purple .. 3 ,, Charles Bacon, white, tipped ,, of Primroses, primrose.. 3 Goliath, butf 4 with lavender, large 4 ,, of the East, blush whites General Faucher, rosy carmine, Miss Chaplin, blush laced carmine 3 ,, of England, white, tipped large, very constant 4 ,, Spears, crimson, richly shad- carmine g Gem of the Grove, maroon, shaded 4 i ed with maroon 4 Roundhead, salmon butf ^ George Glenny, yellow 3 , Mr. Seldon, beautiful rosy purple 3 Richard Cobden, plum, fine ^ Gem, white edged with purple 3 Model, brown 4 Sir C. Napier, rich deep scarlet . , 3 Black Prince, maroon 4 Globe, crimson 3 Negro, very dark 4 ,, R. Peel, scarlet lake ^ Cardinal Fei-retti, dark red 4 Golden Fleece, orange buff 3 Nonpareil, ruby 4 ,, F. Bathurst, crimson, extra . . j Crocus, dark vellow 3 Hon. Mrs. Ashley, white, tipped Nil Desperandum, red, large 4 Summit of Perfection, purple .. .. g Duke of Cambridge, lilac 3 with rose" 3 Nepaulese Chief, striped like a Sylph, white, tipped with lavendl ,, of Newcastle, yellow 4 ,, Mr. Herbert, buff, mottled Zebra 3 Snowflake, white 3 ,, of Wellington, orange, fine 3 and tipped with pink 3 | Princess Radzeville, white and Shylock, bright scarlet 4 Duchess, pure white 3 Julien, rose, compact 3j purple 4 Standard of Perfection, crimson.. 3 Elizabeth, white, tipped with la- John Edwards, light scarlet 5 Privateer, yellow, laced red 4 Utillis, puce 3 vender 3 Kant, white 3 Purple Standard, purple 3 Vellow Standard, yellow 3 Select Fancy varieties, containing the most Novel kinds ever introd\iced, in all descriptions of Shade and Colour (and are not to be surpassed). Those marked thus (*) are 10s per dozen, and the others 4-s per dozen (except those priced). *Albert Lortzing, orange and brown, tipped Jenny Lind, crimson, tipped with white 3 Mrs. Willis, maroon, tippedwithwbitc,extrafine 3 with white, good form 3 Kingflsher, red, tipped with white 3|*Nancy, Keynes, red, tipped white 3 Belle de Nogent, scarlet, tipped with white . . 3 Keepsake, blood red, tipped with white 3|Phaeton, rosy crimson, tipped with white, extra ,, de Pecq, creamy yellow, tipped with *Kossuth,Z>r«7nmo7irf,scarlet, tippedwithwhite 3' fine 3 white, spotted and striped with red. Lady Grenville, red, tipped with white 3|Princess Charlotte, violet, tipped with ■white, very curious 3 *he Pa.eou, Tussari, dark orange, striped and | large, fine colour 3 Charles Perry, dark puce, tipped with white .. :i spotted with red, large 3iPicotee, sulphur, striped with crimson 3 Comus, carniine, tipped with white 3 *Liliput von Bayreuth, Funke, blood red, tip- Picturata, cream, edged with scarlet 3 ^Cricket, Dodd, peach, tipped with white .... 3 ped with white, fine form 3 Postsecretaire Haine, dark purple, tipped with *Claude, Gaines, purple, tipped with white. ... 3 *Laura Lavington, Keynes, fawn, tipped with white 3 *Daphne, Barnes, sulphur, tipped with white 3 white, good shape 3 Queen of Fairies, rosy crimson, tipped with white 4 *Duchess of Sutherland, Howard, purple, *Lord Lyndhurst, RawUngs, dark maroon, tip- Rachael, white, with purple edges, large and fine 3 edged with white 3 ped with white 4 Reine Pomare, orange scarlet, tipped with white 3 Elegantissima, rosy purple, tipped with white 4 I\Iadame Wachy, crimson, tipped with white . . 3 Rainbow, red, tipped with white 3 Empereur de Maroc, nearly black, tipped with Madame Hose, bright rose, tipped with white 2 *Rcine des Beiges, lavender, striped and spotted white, extra fine ' 3 *Miss Bathurst, Dodd, lilac, tipped with white 4 with rose and carmine, large and constant in Elizabeth, amethyst and white 3 ,, Blackmore, purple, tippedwithwhite, good 3 colour, fine, is fid per plant 4 Floral Beauty, crimson, tipped with white, fine 3' ,, Compton, salmon scarlet, tippcdMithwhite 4 *Rcmhrandt, Dc Knyff, orange, striped with *Flower of " the Day, Harristm, a beautiful ,, Stevens, pinky salmon, tipped and shaded scarlet, large 4 striped variety, Is 6d per plant 3 with white 3 *Rosinanle, Dodd, buft", tipped wilh white .... 3 Forget me Not, crimson, edged with white, good 4 * ,, Ward, Turner, pale yellow, tipped with ,*Scheilling, Deef^cn, orange, tipped with white 3 "Frederic Marquard, Gutter, dark rose carmine, , white 4,*Spectabilis, Sitlfer, orange, striped with red .. 3 tipped with white 3' ,, Weyland, amber, edged with red, tipped Striata Perfecta, lavender, striped with carmine 3 ♦Flora flfac Ivor, Keynes, purple, tipped with with white 2 Theresa Richter, white, spotted with carmine, . 4 white, good form and outline 4 RI aid of Lodi, scarlet, edged with white 3 Triumph de Magdeburg, scarlet, tipped with Gasparine, dark cherry brown, tipped with Mr. Chouvereau, violet, tipped with white .... 3 white 4 white, extra 4 Mrs. Hansard, yellow, tipped with white, large *Triuraphant, Key ties, crimson, tipped white, a *Gloire de Kain, Culloux, lilac slate, striped and extra fine 3 neat compact flower, fit to show in either class 4 with dark maroon, distinct and extra fine . . 4 * ,, I\Ierry, Union, purple tip, and edged with *Uncle Tom, Bnckmaster, salmon rose, striped Highland Chief, salmon, tipjied with white 4, white, large and showy 3 with dark maroon, large 4 Verbenas in great variety 4s per doz. I Scnecios in variety 4s per doz. I Cuphcas in variety Is. per doz. I Penstcmons in variety 43 per dozen. Fuchsias do. do. Mimulus do. do. Heliotropes do. do. Ageratums Petunias, Antirrhinums, Phloxes, GeraniumB do. do. [Calceolarias do. do. (Salvias do. do. | Lobelias, and all other kinds bedding-out Plants, Baskets to Pack One Dozen Dahlia Plants in, 4d. each. Baskets to Pack Two Dozen Dahlia Plants in, 6d. each. The Dahlias will be ready for delivery the Pirst Week in May. Early Orders are solicited. A Jiemitlance or Reference required from unknown Correspondents. ILLUSTKATED AND OTHER WORKS PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM S. OHE & CO., AMEN COENER, LONDON. EEnOT®IEI[(B£iIL AH® ®ll< In royal 8vo, cloth, Price 18s., and morocco 31s. 6d. THE GALLEET OE NATUEE. A Pictorial and Descriptive Tour through Creation, illustrative of the Wonders of Astronomy, Physical Geography, andGeolojjy. By tile Rev. T. MILNER, M.A., F.R.G.S. 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